fish

Chris Granet visited a cafe that is a cross between a British greasy spoon and an American diner, with friendly staff, and very busy with locals and foreigners alike

Fried Bacon? Check.

Sausage? Check.

Scrambled egg? Check.

Fried fish in breadcrumbs? …Say what now??

I was in a cha chaan teng – a traditional Hong Kong cafe – in the bustling Wanchai district about to tuck into their version of the English breakfast, which had been introduced during the colonial era.

This cha chaan teng was the Victory A Cafe on the bustling Hennessy Road. It was like a cross between a British greasy spoon and an American diner, with friendly staff, and very busy with locals and foreigners alike. Always a good sign.

My plate was fully loaded and well presented when it arrived. As well as the aforementioned items, there were also baked beans, a smidge of salad and tomato, a glazed brioche bun, and garnished prettily with some nondescript diced green leaves. On the side, there was the obligatory milky tea.

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In terms of taste, it was also “same, same but different”. The bacon was a bit fatty, the sausage a tad bland, but the beans were decent. The egg, on the other hand, was superior. Light and fluffy, yet rich and buttery – for in Hong Kong, they’re often made with cream and cornstarch.

And now for the fried fish. I know it sounds wrong, but it’s like when European folk are presented with an English breakfast for the first time and wince at the sight of sausage and bacon. That is, until they have a taste and are pleasantly surprised.

Well, that was me. It turned out to be my favorite thing on the plate, and was made all the better with a splash or a few of local chili sauce (far better than a bit of brown, if you ask me).

And the tea was no ordinary tea. It was made with “silk stockings”. Not real silk stockings, that’d be weird. No, these are narrow cotton bags through which potent Ceylon tea leaves are repeatedly strained, and more resemble granny tights than fancy stockings. The brew created is so strong it could strip paint, despite being half-drowned in condensed milk. Very good, though.

To cap it all off I had a “pineapple bun”. No pineapples are harmed in the making of these traditional local buns, it’s just that their mottled yellow toppings apparently resemble the tropical fruit (couldn’t see it myself).

I again was pleasantly surprised. Once biting through the crusty sugary top, the inside was soft and doughy with a much more subtle sweetness – an interesting combo of flavours and consistencies, and washed down well by the strong tea.

In total, my bill came to HK$85 (£8.50) – $62 for the breakfast, $23 for the pineapple bun. Not too bad considering it left me stuffed and not hungry again until dinner.

For all the ills of colonisation, there are some positives, and the Hong Kong breakfast is definitely one of them. Worth travelling 6,000 miles for.

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Waving a big Catla fish in his hands, Sharadwat Mukherjee went door to door canvassing for votes before Thursday’s election to the state legislature in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

Mukherjee is a candidate from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules nationally but has never come to power in the state, which has a greater population than Germany: more than 90 million people.

When he folds his hands to greet voters, the Catla just swings with a hook in its mouth. The big question: Can the fish also swing the election’s outcome?

Bengalis’ love for fish is legendary — on both sides of the border, in India and in Bangladesh. So much so that when a student-led uprising led to the ouster of then-Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, some of the protesters who broke into her residence after she fled were seen raiding her refrigerator and walking away with fish.

But as West Bengal votes for its next government, fish has now leapt from kitchen slabs to the campaign trail, as leaders cosy up to voters in a variety of ways — and in some cases try to distance themselves from suspicions that their wins could hit the Bengali diet adversely.

What’s happening in the West Bengal election?

Nearly 68 million people in West Bengal are expected to vote for their candidate of choice on April 23 and 29, to elect 294 lawmakers to the state assembly.

The results will be declared on May 4 in the crucial state vote, which the Hindu majoritarian BJP has never governed.

A revision of the electoral list, which controversially swept away a total of 9.1 million names from the register before polling, and has been criticised for disenfranchising minorities, was among the major polling issues. Some 2.7 million people have challenged their expulsions.

Another is identity politics.

On the campaign trail, in rallies, and in interviews, the chief minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, a firebrand, centrist regional leader — who has been sometimes touted as a contender for Modi’s job in New Delhi, if the opposition were to win — has doubled down on identity politics to corner the BJP, analysts say.

BJP-led governments in several states have imposed bans or restrictions on the sale of meat. Far-right mobs have carried out lynchings of Muslims in BJP-ruled states over accusations that they were transporting beef.

Banerjee, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term, has time and again warned that if the BJP were to come to power, they would “ban fish, meat, and even eggs” — effectively labelling them as outsiders, unaware of Bengali culture. The BJP has rejected these allegations.

Biswanath Chakraborty, a psephologist and political analyst in West Bengal who has authored several books on voting behaviour, told Al Jazeera that the whole issue surrounding fish had been “constructed by Mamata Banerjee.”

“For long, she has peddled that fish is parallel to Bengali politics,” he said. “In election campaigning, every issue is constructed, and Mamata is the champion of that.”

Chakraborty argued that by fiercely pushing back against these allegations, the BJP had ended up helping the governing party in Bengal make sure the debate over fish remained a campaign highlight with voters.

“They [the BJP] are entering, or rather trapped, into the discourse set by Mamata,” the analyst said.

Why fish, though?

“Fish is very crucial in Bengal, very crucial,” said Utsa Ray, an assistant professor at Jadavpur University, in West Bengal’s capital Kolkata. She also authored a 2015 book on Bengal’s culinary evolution in colonial India, titled Culinary Culture in Colonial India: A Cosmopolitan Platter and the Middle-Class.

“First of all, due to Bengal’s geographical location itself – along the Bay of Bengal – [and as] a place situated near rivers and streams, fish have been the most available item,” she told Al Jazeera.

Fish has also been an integral part of many rituals in Bengal on auspicious days for both Hindus and Muslims, Ray said, adding, however, that there were sects of people in Bengal who refrain from eating fish.

A 2024 study found that nearly 65 percent of people in West Bengal consume fish weekly.

Against that backdrop, Ray told Al Jazeera that Banerjee’s party was looking to leverage “regional identity or the Bengali identity”.

Banojyotsna Lahiri, a social activist and voter in West Bengal, described the BJP’s response, with candidates like Mukherjee campaigning with fish, as a “gimmick”.

“In Bengal, [the BJP] have suddenly realised that they appear as aliens with their vegetarian posturing because both fish and meat are integral to the Bengal culinary choices, caste or religion notwithstanding,” she told Al Jazeera. ”

What’s up with the BJP and food choices?

In the run-up to the voting on Thursday, the BJP rushed to find a senior leader who could eat a fish in front of the cameras. They finally managed to get Anurag Thakur, a member of parliament from Himachal Pradesh, to do that on Tuesday.

“Questions of what food people will eat, especially non-vegetarian [food], have been associated with the BJP’s politics to impose restrictions and dictate food options,” said Neelanjan Sircar, a senior visiting fellow at the think tank Centre for Policy Research, in Delhi.

The BJP has been dictating food choices in northern India’s Hindi-speaking belt, with its “hyper masculine, Hindutva, and vegetarianism,” said Ray. “There have been cases of lynching for eating non-vegetarian food.”

However, that falls flat in Benga.

Still, both Sircar and Ray agreed that the display of fish on the campaign trail was a novelty — even in the often-bizarre world of Indian politics.

“Creating these new images for the BJP is important,” said Sircar. “So, to create another image in voters’ minds leads to these outlandish displays.”

Most Angelenos know Frank Gehry as the rebel architect whose deconstructivist buildings reinvigorated L.A. amid its late-century identity crisis.

Fewer know him as the sentimental sculptor celebrated in Gagosian Beverly Hills’ upcoming “Frank Gehry” exhibition, the first to showcase Gehry’s work since his death in December. Curated by those who worked with and loved the famous architect, the show, scheduled to open May 14 and run through June 27, is equal parts tribute and art presentation. It will feature several of Gehry’s animal-themed sculptures, including a rarely seen stainless steel bear figure, on loan from the artist’s family.

The exhibition will also include the first public screening of Gehry’s entry in Gagosian Premieres, a series of videos by the gallery showcasing new art exhibitions through a mix of intimate artist interviews, studio visits and specialized musical performances.

By spotlighting Gehry’s artistic practice rather than his design ouevre — which includes Walt Disney Concert Hall, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Fondation Louis Vuitton — the exhibition reveals a different side of the late visionary, said Deborah McLeod, senior director at Gagosian Beverly Hills.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a retrospective, but it is a chance to stand in the room and be with him,” McLeod said, adding that she “wouldn’t have the hubris to say this is going to offer anybody closure,” but that she hopes it will help people — especially those who worked closest with Gehry — to process his loss.

“Everybody is kind of raw and missing Frank, and it’s just a chance to come together and do this again as his team,” she said.

McLeod curated the exhibition alongside Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff and partner at Gehry Partners, whom the director said “really speaks for Frank.” Gehry‘s studio will design the show, which was realized in collaboration with the artist’s family.

“We didn’t get a chance to put one in the gallery proper. Every time we’d make one, it would get sold,” Deborah McLeod said about Frank Gehry’s bear sculptures.

(© Frank O. Gehry. Photo: Benjamin Lee Ritchie Handler / Courtesy Gogosian)

The highlight of the Gagosian exhibition is an artist proof of “Bear with Us” (2014), which the gallery lifted out of Gehry’s wife Berta Aguilera’s garden with a crane. Another edition of the bear sculpture is on view at the New Orleans Museum of Art, but at Gagosian, the work for the first time will be on view as part of an exhibition.

The stainless steel figure has a crumpled appearance that many believe is the result of Gehry balling up a piece of paper and seeing the bear in the crumple, although McLeod said Gehry told her himself that wasn’t true. The director added that the bear’s form gives the illusion of something “coming into being or dissolving.” The sculpture will likely have the Gagosian’s north gallery completely to itself.

“We’re really going to give him his due,” McLeod said. It was only right for a piece that, to her, reads as Gehry’s “self-portrait.”

A handful of other animal-themed sculptures will populate the south gallery, including a glowing black crocodile, gouache-painted papier-mâché snake lamps, and “Fish on Fire” (2023), the last of Gehry’s fish sculptures to be rendered in copper. Illuminated within the darkened gallery, the pieces will have a “magical” flair, McLeod said.

The first fish sculptures Gehry made in the ’80s were contained, even still. But when he returned to the fish form 30 years later, Mcleod said, “they started to become actually Baroque, so that’s kind of neat to see that evolution.”

Rounding out the exhibition are a series of ink, watercolor and acrylic works on paper that “express the energetic motion of fish in networks of black line and clouds of color,” a news release said.

A portion of the pieces in the exhibition will be available for purchase, with a detailed checklist to come.

The first Frank Gehry Fish Lamps were exhibited in 1984 at Gagosian in Los Angeles.

(© Frank O. Gehry. Photo: Robert McKeever / Courtesy Gagosian)

Gehry’s designs breathed life into the city’s core, but he didn’t get to finish a number of his most exciting plans, including one to transform the 51-mile-long L.A. River.

And while his architecture was his great gift to his adoptive hometown — his art was his gift to himself.

“As one of the busiest architects in the world, imagine the math and the minutiae that you have to go through,” McLeod said, noting the enormous pressure from clients that Gehry must have felt in his daily practice.

“For him, just to make something the shape he wants to make it, plug it in … I know it was a huge relief for him,” she said. “I know how much he loved doing it, and I loved being a part of that part of his life.”

EXCLUSIVE: This award-winning fish and chip shop may be in an unusual location, but its refreshingly simple menu – and the hype around it – prompted me to find out whether it lives up to its reputation

A picturesque village just outside one of the UK’s most popular cities left me in awe – and it’s all down to one takeaway. I recently travelled to the delightful village of Dunnington, nestled in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Just 15 minutes from York, Dunnington has retained its peaceful, rural character, home to around 3,000 residents and previously recognised as one of the top 20 best places to live in Britain.

Before heading to the local chippy, I decided to wander through the village with my enthusiastic cocker spaniel, Luna. As I paused to appreciate the daffodil displays, I spotted an impressive wicker horse – a nod to Dunnington’s agricultural heritage.

Luna and I soon found ourselves making our way down a narrow public footpath towards open countryside, where we were met by farmland stretching as far as the eye could see. We stopped here briefly to breathe in the fresh, albeit rather crisp, March air.

After completing our stroll, we returned to the village to explore the local amenities, which featured a Costcutter shop, a bakery, and a pub: The Cross Keys on Common Road.

We also dropped into a local cafe, the Brew and Brunch, where I enjoyed a pot of tea and a delicious slice of Battenberg pie, though, looking back, this wasn’t the smartest choice before my fish and chip lunch.

Fully refreshed, we returned to the car to head towards the star attraction of the day. Just a three-minute drive away sits The Scrap Box, a fish and chip shop run by brothers Gavin and Aman Dhesi.

Situated on the busy A1079 Hull Road, this chippy occupies a rather unconventional location, yet its lay-by setting is arguably a stroke of genius. Perfectly positioned for passing commuters, it was plain to see that trade was thriving.

Earlier this year, The Scrap Box claimed the prestigious 2026 Takeaway of the Year title at the National Fish and Chip Awards – and judging by the rammed car park and lengthy queue already forming in the eatery, it was more than living up to its reputation.

Casting an eye over the menu, I found it pleasingly straightforward and quickly appreciated that the fundamentals are executed brilliantly. Diners can choose from hake, haddock or cod, alongside beloved classics such as sausage and mushy peas, with additional options including Spam or Yorkshire fishcake.

There’s also a lunchtime special available between 11am and 3pm throughout March – a tempting combination of hake and chips with a side, all for the very reasonable sum of £8.95.

For my own order, I opted for the classic cod and chips, mushy peas, a pot of curry sauce, and a box of scraps – those irresistible crispy batter fragments fresh from the fryer.

I threw in a can of Monster to combat my post-cake weariness, bringing the grand total to £17.95. After thanking the friendly staff, I made my way to the outdoor picnic tables to dig in, while Luna settled on the grass enjoying her own treats.

Having heard about its reputation as Takeaway of the Year, my expectations were high – and it didn’t disappoint. The fish was cooked to perfection, boasting a light, golden, crispy batter without a trace of grease.

Similarly, the chips were crisp and fluffy on the inside and paired perfectly with the peas and curry. In all honesty, I couldn’t fault it; it was the best fish and chips I’d had in years and a strong contender for the best ever.

So if you happen to find yourself nearby, do yourself a favour and pay it a visit – a resounding 10 out of 10.

THE North Norfolk Fryer is returning to the tracks this summer.

Onboard, passengers can enjoy chippy tea and ice cream dessert to make it feel like being at the seaside – but on a heritage steam train instead.

The Norfolk Fryer picks passengers up from Sheringham Station in Norfolk and embarks on a 90-minute return journey to Holt.

Onboard, guests will be served up local fish and chips – and to finish, a tub of Ronaldo’s ice cream.

There’s also a bar onboard for anyone wanting to enjoy a tipple.

The trains run from Sheringham to Holt and back with the return journey taking around 90 minutes.

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Diners will get to enjoy their chippy tea and countryside views in either the Gresley Buffet Car, which has been fully restored with a 1930s art deco interior or in one of the 1950s British Railways carriages.

A table for two in First Class starts from £87.50 while a table for two in regular seating is £79.50.

There are also options to sit in tables of three or four if you fancy gong as a group.

Seats are bound to go quickly and you’ll need to book in advance on their website.

The trains set off every Wednesday from April 1, 2026 at 6.30PM.

There are other experiences onboard too from sausage and mash dinners, to brunch, cream tea and even gin trains.

For even more fish and chips, fans of the seaside classic should head up to Whitby.

Here you’ll find Trenchers, which was awarded ‘Restaurant of the Year’ title at the National Fish and Chips Awards 2026.

The awards are considered the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chip industry and at this spot you can eat in or take away their seaside fish suppers.

You can opt for plaice with chipped potatoes, lemon and homemade tartare sauce for £20.95.

Or try out the cod with chipped potatoes, lemon and homemade tartare sauce in three sizes: small for £15.95; medium for £19.95 and large for £21.95.

Then for takeaway, you could grab cod and chips, haddock and chips or scampi and chips all for £13.50 each.

There’s a children’s menu too.

If you fancy a full on stay in Whitby – check out this hotel…

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Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.

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THE must-visit destinations across the UK have been revealed and North Yorkshire has made the list.

With sweeping beaches, beautiful towns and movie backdrops – it’s no wonder Condé Nast Traveller as one of the ‘Best Places to Go in the UK in 2026’ – and here are some of our favourite spots to go in the county.

Knaresborough

Along the River Nidd is this beautiful town which is often described as being ‘postcard perfect’, or looking like a ‘fairytale’.

It’s a few miles away from Harrogate and is known for having a huge viaduct as well as pretty riverside restaurants and cafes.

Sun Writer Katrina Turrill grew up in Knaresborough, and here’s what she suggests visitors do during their visit like popping into its many pubs.

“There are a lot of pubs in Knaresborough – so many, I always lose count. I found 15 online, but I’m sure there’s more.  There are traditional pubs with rich history, such as Blind Jack’s in the market square. 

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“One of my favourite pubs is Carriages, with its cosy atmosphere and tasty food.  The outdoor area is great in summer, with views of pretty Knaresborough train station.”

Some of her other favourite things to do is heading up to Knaresborough Castle which is where you’ll get the best view of the viaduct.

Get onto the river itself in a row boat and get a bite to eat from Marigolds and an ice cream.

One popular attraction is Mother Shipton’s Cave which is named after the Yorkshire prophetess.

Whitby

The charming seaside town of Whitby has red-roofed houses, winding streets as well as huge cliffs.

Of course the nearby Gothic Whitby Abbey was Bram Stoker’s inspiration for his book, Dracula.

If you want to feel like you’re in the novel, walk up the 199 steps from the Old Town to St Mary’s Church and the Abbey ruins.

Travel Reporter Jenna Stevens who visited Whitby said: “In my trip to the North Yorkshire town, I ticked off all the staple activities. A Mr Whippy enjoyed by the harbour, spare change spent in Funland’s Amusements, and fish and chips for tea.

“Plus my stroll along the sands, backed by spectacular moss-green cliffs, was an ideal way to soak up those breath-taking views of the rugged Yorkshire coast.

One of the things that makes Whitby stand out amongst other seaside spots is its connection to a famous explorer, Captain Cook and the ‘House on the Harbour’ museum is a must-visit.”

Another must-visit in Whitby is Trenchers – which is the best fish and chip shop in the UK.

Trenchers of Whitby secured the Restaurant of the Year title at the National Fish and Chips Awards 2026 – which is considered the ‘Oscars‘ of the fish and chip industry.

A takeaway cod and chips will set you back £13.50.

Robin Hood’s Bay

This tiny fishing village sits on a clifftop overlooking the bay and it’s considered one of the most beautiful seaside spots in the country.

It has winding roads, hilly streets and pokey little shops selling the likes of books and souvenirs.

Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski described the village as “something from a fiction tale or a North Yorkshire postcard.”

She continued: “In summer, you’ll find dogs sprinting along the sands, while owners tuck into fresh crab sandwiches from the beachside hut and little ones fish for treasures in the rock pools.

“I prefer the village in winter, though, when visitors can stroll the rows of higgledy-piggledy boutiques and cafes dishing up wedges of homemade cakes piled high with buttercream.

“What’s more, there’s a restriction on visitor vehicles and cars are even banned from the harbour area, making it a great place for a car-free

Scarborough

Scarborough, which is known as England‘s first seaside resort, is split into two bays – the South and North Bay.

Each is worth exploring with the South Bay having most of the shops, restaurants and amusement arcades.

Meanwhile, the North Bay is much quieter and is a great place to simply enjoy the beach or go for a surf.

Senior Feature Writer for Fab Daily, Alex Lloyd went on a family staycation to Scarborough in summer last year.

She described it as the “perfect family day out” where you spend “hardly any money.”

You can rent out a beach chalet from £50 a day and have a go on the cliff-railway for £2.50.

If you’re lucky enough, and bring a pair of binoculars you might spot bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and minke whales.

There is plenty of entertainment too and Alex explored the South Cliff Gardens, a hillside adventure playground and the arcades at Olympia Leisure.

Yorkshire Dales National Park

The Dales are known for glorious views and dramatic scenery and it is seeing a boom in popularity thanks to its appearance in Wuthering Heights.

The new film starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi certainly had Brits talking when it came to cinemas last month.

Travel Writer Tracey Davies explored the gothic region and said: “Heathcliff is not the only mysterious, brooding beast in Yorkshire. The scenery provides just as much drama as the Wuthering Heights character.”

She added: “Largely shot on location in the Yorkshire Dales National Park — amid the landcapes of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale valleys and the peaceful village of Low Row — the movie shines a well-deserved spotlight on this glorious corner of England.

“With its scarred limestone hills, scattered with rocks, and rolling green pastures, criss-crossed with drystone walls and peppered with honeyed-stone villages, this region is the picture of a period drama.”

For more on Yorkshire – here’s a ‘world famous ice cream and a hidden beach that’s paradise‘.

And here’s one quaint English village that everyone should visit – says one man who walked 10,000 miles through British countryside.

In this picturesque North Yorkshire town, famed for its seafood and imposing abbey, I indulged in fish and chips, admired the views, and enjoyed a walk up a particularly famous set of steps

A seaside town with award-winning fish and chips, friendly locals, and a literary claim to fame can be summed up in one word. In an enviable assignment last weekend, I paid a visit to the picturesque North Yorkshire harbour town of Whitby, famed for its imposing Gothic abbey ruins, prominent links to Dracula and Captain Cook, and, of course, its nationally renowned fish and chips.

As I drove into town on a bright Saturday morning in March—one of the first truly sunny days of the year—I couldn’t help but notice a sign proclaiming Whitby as the “Home of Scampi” (or words to that effect), which immediately raised my expectations for the day’s task.

Whitby’s reputation for seafood is well known, with an abundance of chippies to choose from. Among them is Trenchers on New Quay Road – the proud winner of this year’s Best Restaurant at the prestigious National Fish and Chip Awards.

In what was perhaps a testament to Trenchers‘ recent culinary acclaim, I was surprised to find a long queue already forming outside the restaurant when I arrived at around 10.30am.

Accompanied by my excitable cocker spaniel, Luna, I opted for Trenchers’ takeaway next door, where I found myself in the company of just one other patron, who was quick to praise the quality of Whitby’s seafood.

Opting for cod, chips, mushy peas and a side of curry sauce for £16 in total, I sat on a bench opposite the eatery and took in the seaside scene, where market traders catered to the busy foot traffic at pop-up stalls.

Quickly polishing off my chippy lunch, a delicious serving of fish with light, crispy (albeit slightly pale) batter and golden chips, I found myself hard-pressed to find anything to criticise, mentally awarding the meal a comfortable 8.5 out of 10.

Having disposed of the rubbish, I decided to take a stroll into the harbour area towards Whitby Swing Bridge over the River Esk, so I could access the other side of the town and the looming abbey on the hillside.

As I breathed in the sea air and admired the views across the water, my attention was drawn to an impressive ship, which I later discovered was The Whitby Endeavour restaurant.

Luna and I set off on a walk to the bridge, only to discover that it was temporarily closed. It meant that I had to walk some distance around to reach the other side, according to some friendly locals, but I was keen to walk off my meal, so we set off.

As I crossed a larger bridge, I was offered spectacular views over the entire town, the river flowing beneath me and many boats resting on the bank next to the train tracks awaiting their next outing.

I eventually worked my way around to the other side and passed the Tolkien-themed Middle Earth Tavern as I entered the narrow, shop-filled Church Street. There, I found myself ogling the many books, trinkets and baked goods on display.

Next, I made my way to the famous 199 Steps on Whitby’s East Cliff, which lead up to St Mary’s Church and the breathtaking 7th-century Whitby Abbey beyond.

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the titular vampire takes the form of a dog and bounds up the steps to the church. In similarly exuberant fashion, Luna hauled me up all 199; though, in my case, it was likely a blessing for my fitness.

Stopping for several photos along the way, I couldn’t help but be left awestruck by how beautiful Whitby is; it’s something that you really notice as you ascend the steps, each level revealing a different angle of the town.

Once you arrive at the church, its distinctive Gothic atmosphere is palpable – dozens of gravestones overlook the town below, while a sharp sea breeze envelops you as you admire the coastal vistas.

Whitby Abbey is also a sight to behold, a majestic ruin that’s sure to inflame the imagination of any visiting history buffs, and to top it all off, there was a dog-friendly café nearby.

After a quick latte and a Twix – while Luna enjoyed some water and a few meaty dog treats – we made our way back down the steps, just as the crowds began to gather in the early afternoon.

In a surprising but touching twist that may offer some insight into the beauty of the town, I even spotted a man going down on one knee and proposing to his girlfriend outside the church.

Once we were safely back in the car, I ultimately found myself wishing that I could have stayed longer. Whitby has found itself a lifelong fan, one who will most definitely be returning.

And, if I had to sum it up in one word, although this is a hard task with a place I like so much, it would probably have to be stunning.