DISCOVER SCARBOROUGH, Yorkshire
Scarborough is a town on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire, England.
The modern town lies 30 to 70 metres above sea level, on limestone cliffs. The older part of the town lies around the harbour and is protected by a rocky headland. Scarborough is served by Scarborough railway station, with services from York on the North TransPennine route and from Hull on the Yorkshire Coast Line.
With a population of around 50,000, Scarborough is the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast. It is home to residential communities, business, fishing and service industries, plus a growing digital and creative economy.
The town has a North Bay and a South Bay. The South Bay is the main focus and contains several arcades and entertainment facilities, and is overlooked by the town itself - popular locally for its shopping and nightlife. The harbour has undergone major regeneration including new pontoons and more pedestrian friendly promenade, street lighting and seating. The North Bay has traditionally been the more peaceful end of the resort and is home to Peasholm Park which has recently (June 2007) been restored to its Japanese-themed glory, complete with reconstructed pagoda. The park still features a mock maritime battle (based on the Battle of the River Plate) re-enacted on the boating lake with large model boats and fireworks throughout the summer holiday season. The North Bay Railway is a miniature railway which runs from the park to the Sea Life Centre at Scalby Mills.
The North Bay is linked to the South Bay by an extensive Victorian promenade, built around the headland. Overlooking both bays is Scarborough Castle, which was bombarded by the German warships SMS Derfflinger and SMS Von der Tann in the First World War. Both bays have popular sandy beaches and numerous rock-pools at low tide.
Slightly less well known is the South Cliff Promenade situated above the Spa and South Cliff Gardens, commanding excellent views of the South Bay and old town and where most of the postcard shots are taken. Its splendid Victorian styling is still intact and the mix of quality hotels and desirable apartments form the backdrop to the ITV drama The Royal which can often be seen filming in the area. The South Bay has the largest illuminated "Star Disk" anywhere in the UK. It is 26 metres across and is fitted with subterranean lights representing the 42 brightest stars and major constellations that can be seen from Scarborough in the northern skies.
To the south west of the town, beside the York to Scarborough railway line, is an ornamental lake known as the Mere. During the 20th century, the Mere was a popular park, with rowing boats, canoes and a miniature pirate ship - the Hispaniola - on which passengers were taken to "Treasure Island" to dig for doubloons. Since the late 1990s the emphasis has been on nature, and the lake is now part of the Oliver's Mount Country Park.
As of 2007, Scarborough is the fourth most visited destination in the UK, after London, Manchester and Blackpool.
 CULTURE OF SCARBOROUGH
Dramatist Alan Ayckbourn is based in Scarborough where he has lived for a number of years. He has produced some sixty plays in Scarborough and is the artistic director of the famous Stephen Joseph Theatre, where almost all his plays receive their first performance. The town also plays host to the annual National Student Drama Festival, which takes place at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the Spa Centre and other venues around the town. The Futurist Theatre is a theatre and cinema on the seafront of the South Bay.
The Grade II listed Scarborough Spa complex is home to the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, the last remaining seaside orchestra in the UK. The orchestra gives 10 concerts every week during the summer months, playing music from an extensive repertoire of classical and light music with no programme repeats.
The area is also home to hundreds of "artists" working in a wide variety of media and boasts several galleries. The presence of the University of Hull Digital Arts and Yorkshire Coast College's Arts provision in the town help fuel a vibrant music and arts scene.
In recent years, arts, business and education have collaborated annually to produce Digital Scarborough - a celebration of the town's digital activities including a wide range of events from business networking to film showings and gigs with DJs and VJs.
The town is home to a significant jazz festival each September and in the summer boasts 'Beached' - an eclectic rock and pop festival which takes place on the South Bay beach and features at least 50% local talent alongside internationally known artists. In summer 2005, Scarborough played host to the Sonic Arts Network Expo featuring cutting-edge performances and installations.
These fairly recent developments, married to a long-established museum and visual arts facilities, hint at Scarborough's desire to re-invent itself as a creative and arts-based town. In 2006 work started on Wood End Museum - former home to the Sitwells—to convert it into a creative centre including workspace for artists and the digital cluster, plus an exhibition space. The town's Rotunda Museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound redevelopment that will see it become a national centre for geology. 2006 also saw the formation of a creative industries network called 'Creative Coast comprising artists, designers, writers and other creatives with the shared vision of a culturally vibrant economy on the North Yorkshire coast.
Scarborough also has a considerable graffiti culture, with as many as 20 'writers' currently active. There are two areas where graffiti art is legal in Scarborough, Sainsbury's Basketball Courts, and Falsgrave Park Wall. Both have seen many collaborations and murals.
The films Little Voice and A Chorus of Disapproval were filmed on location in Scarborough and the surrounding area. Other films that have filmed scenes in Scarborough include Miranda and Beltenbros.
SPORTS IN SCARBOROUGH
The Scarborough Amateur Rowing Club was founded in May 1869, and is the oldest surviving rowing club on the north-east coast. For more than 100 years, sea rowing has taken place on the Yorkshire coast between the Tees and the Humber. Beginning with friendly rivalry between the fishermen and the jet miners from Blyth (sometimes known as the German Ocean Race), the sport has progressed to what it is today. Rowing takes place throughout the summer months.
Scarborough is home to the Oliver's Mount racing circuit. This track is composed of twisty public roads and has played host to domestic motorcycling and rallying events for many years. Noted motorcycle racers who have raced at Oliver's Mount include Barry Sheene and Ron Haslam.
Scarborough Cricket Club has won the ECB National Club Cricket Championship at Lord's, on five occasions between 1972 and 1982, a record number of victories. The club also hosts the annual Scarborough Cricket Festival, and Yorkshire County Cricket Club uses North Marine Road (Scarborough) for a selection of home fixtures throughout the season.
ECONOMY OF SCARBOROUGH
As might be expected in a significant coastal town, Scarborough's fishing industry is still active, though only a shadow of its former self. The working harbour is home to a fish market including a shop and wooden stalls where fresh, locally caught seafood can be purchased by the public.
The tourism trade continues to be a major part of the local economy despite the current affordability of foreign holidays. While weekend and mid-week-break trade are tending to replace the traditional week-long family holiday, the beaches and attractions are always very busy throughout summer - a marked contrast to the quieter winter months when Scarborough is often seen as a peaceful bolt-hole from cities such as Leeds and Bradford. Confidence in the hospitality industry is high, evidenced by major refits in recent years, often targeted at a higher-spending clientele. Significant amongst these is the Grand, Scarborough's biggest hotel, which overlooks the South Bay.
Scarborough's town centre has major shopping chains (Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, TK Maxx, Matalan, etc.) alongside boutique shops. As well as a main shopping centre, the Brunswick shopping centre, the town has an indoor market with a large range of antique shops and independent traders in its vaults.
The printing industry is well represented with major players Pindar and Polestar both having bases on the business park. Pindar, which also owns the AlphaGraphics chain, is a Scarborough-born company with an international profile. Thanks in part to one of the first internet computing degree courses being available at the Scarborough campus of the University of Hull, the local creative industries include a good selection of website design and development businesses. The firm of Plaxtons has been building coaches and buses since 1907 and is still one of Scarborough's largest employers.
From Wikipedia
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Scarborough, 1928
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The Lighthouse at Scarborough, 1877
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