Despite the indifferent weather forecast there was a big demand to enter this year’s Scalby Walk on Easter Monday. So much so that Walk organiser Michael Whiteley, interviewed on the BBC York breakfast show at 7.30am on the day, was asking that day entries turn up early as there we only 35 places left. These were snapped up quickly so we had a record attendance this year of 250 walkers – up 89 on last year’s record attendance. Around 20 walkers who were not able to get numbers still completed the Walk with friends and family. (report continues below Gallery)
Walk Gallery (please click on any image to view as a slide show)
The Walk has so many elements. We are still true to the tradition of it being a proper walking event with trophies for the fastest walkers in many categories. We also have many fancy dress walkers, and we have a third element who do not get dressed up but want to walk in their own time with friends and family and just enjoy our beautiful villages and their lovely pubs.
The new route this year that avoided two difficult road crossings and the narrow paths on the A165 coastal road. Instead we used the Cinder Track from the Station Lane in Cloughton to Field Lane in Burniston and from the coastal road at Burniston Garden Centre to Lancaster Way in Scalby. Scarborough is a dog friendly area and we wanted the encourage dogs to join us on the walk. We had 35 dogs entered who had free treats and water available at each pub.
The walkers set off, a little later than planned, at 10.42am in dry weather from The Plough in great spirits. The weather held until around 1.20pm when it did rain quite heavily for about half an hour. We kept on timekeeping up to 2.00pm when 153 walkers had completed the walk. The weather will have encouraged some walkers to stay longer in the pubs.
The trophies were awarded at around 2.30pm in the Plough.
Scalby Walk 2023: official results
The Fancy Dress individual prize was won by Scary Rabbit and The Group prize was won by Cat in the Hat – Things. The best dressed dog prize went to an 80’s dog – in a luminous jumper!
The Prize Draw prizes were great this year and we want to thank the many local businesses that were so generous in donating prizes.
- Dinner Bed and Breakfast for 2 at The Plough, Scalby
- £50 voucher to spend at JCS pubs inc. The Nags Head, Scalby
- Alpamare entry for 2 adults and 2 children
- £40 voucher to spend on cleansing products at Body Concepts, Scalby
- £25 Meal voucher for Hartleys at Scarborough Rugby Club
- Sunday Lunch for 2 at The Three Jolly Sailors, Burniston
- Sunday Lunch for 2 at The Oak Wheel, Burniston
- Sunday Lunch for 2 at The Blacksmiths Arms, Cloughton
- Sunday Lunch for 2 at The Hayburn Wyke
- Meal for 2 at North Street Kitchen, North Street, Scarborough
- £20 voucher to spend at The Grainery, Harwood Dale
- 3 months Blue membership at Barons Gym
- Afternoon tea for 2 at The Yew Tree, Scalby
A big thank you to the all the pubs for hosting the walk. The Plough in Scalby, The 3 Jolly Sailors in Burniston, The Red Lion in Cloughton, The Blacksmiths Arms in Cloughton and The Oak Wheel in Burniston. They open early and put on extra staff to get everybody served quickly with their drinks.
A big thank you to the Scalby Fair members who helped on the day: Tom Gillon, Nicky Grunwell, Dominic Grunwell, Catherine Stephenson, Tony Stephenson, Jamie Wallis, John White, Richard Grunwell, Nigel Sheppard, Iain Johnson, Peter Calow, Geoff Dove and Yvonne Gibbs. And huge thanks our friends and family who also helped on the day: Lol Whiteley, Joanne Gillon, Marion Sheppard, Barbara Johnston, Colin Bayes, Lesley Bayes, and Michelle and Zoe from SPARKS. Big thanks to David Henderson who set up the online entry forms so successfully and Nigel Sheppard who collated all the data that really simplified the entries on the day.
Our charity this year was SPARKs and we are pleased to announce that we have raised well over £2,000 to support the work this fantastic local charity.
Thank you to everyone who supported the 2023 Scalby Walk in so many ways.
