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#whitby — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #whitby, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Outbreak: "Respiratory Outbreak" (Unspecified Pathogen)

    Facility: Aspira Lynde Creek Gardens
    Facility Type: Retirement Home
    Unit/Floor/Area: Independent Living
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0052

    Date: 2026-05-04

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see current and historical data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  2. Outbreak: "Respiratory Outbreak" (Unspecified Pathogen)

    Facility: Glen Hill Terrace
    Facility Type: LTC Home
    Unit/Floor/Area: 3 South
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0017

    Date: 2026-04-30

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see current and historical data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  3. Outbreak: #COVID-19

    Facility: V!VA Whitby Shores
    Facility Type: Retirement Home
    Unit/Floor/Area: Independent Living
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0046

    Date: 2026-04-23

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see current and historical data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  4. Outbreak: "Respiratory Outbreak" (Unspecified Pathogen)

    Facility: The Village of Taunton Mills
    Facility Type: Retirement Home
    Unit/Floor/Area: Claremont
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0009

    Date: 2026-04-18

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see current and historical data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  5. Outbreak: "Respiratory Outbreak" (Unspecified Pathogen)

    Facility: Amica Whitby
    Facility Type: Retirement Home
    Unit/Floor/Area: Independent Living
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0015

    Date: 2026-03-30

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  6. Expansive sands and rocky pools stretch out at low tide along the Yorkshire Coast near Whitby, offering sweeping seaside views beneath a bright sky punctuated by drifting clouds. The distant headland and rolling green hills frame the horizon, creating a perfect spot for coastal walks and quiet reflection. Shallow pools glint in the sunlight, scattered across the seaweed-dappled rocks, enhancing the charm of the low tide landscape. Ideal for those seeking scenic horizons and the natural beauty of the North Sea, this area is a classic highlight of the Yorkshire coastline. #YorkshireCoast #SeasideViews #CoastalWalks #LowTideLandscape #ScenicHorizons

    Taken Sep 2012

    #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #YorkshireCoast #SeasideViews #CoastalWalks #LowTideLandscape #ScenicHorizons #NorthYorkMoorsNationalPark #Whitby #England #UnitedKingdom

  7. Outbreak: #Coronavirus (non COVID-19)

    Facility: Fairview Lodge
    Facility Type: LTC Home
    Unit/Floor/Area: Marigold Lane
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0006

    Date: 2026-03-19

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  8. Nestled on the #NorthYorkshireCoast, Robin Hood’s Bay is a charming #SeasideVillage with stone cottages clinging to the hillside and narrow streets leading down to a wide, sandy beach. The low tide reveals rock pools and seaweed-strewn stretches, perfect for #CoastalWalks along the shore towards the dramatic #CliffsideScenery in the distance. Visitors stroll the beach with dogs, while others explore the slipway and rocky outcrops near the old harbour walls. The sweeping #BeachViews and historic character make it a favourite stop for walkers and holidaymakers exploring the Yorkshire coast.

    Taken Sep 2016

    #ShotOniPhone #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #NorthYorkshireCoast #SeasideVillage #CoastalWalks #BeachViews #CliffsideScenery #RobinHoodsBayBeach #BayToBayWalks #RobinHoodsBay #Whitby #UnitedKingdom

  9. This weekend's photo is best viewed on a large screen. Whitby from Sandsend on a moody winter's day.

    #whitby #landscapephotography #wintervibes #moodyskies

  10. This weekend's photo is best viewed on a large screen. Whitby from Sandsend on a moody winter's day.

    #whitby #landscapephotography #wintervibes #moodyskies

  11. This weekend's photo is best viewed on a large screen. Whitby from Sandsend on a moody winter's day.

    #whitby #landscapephotography #wintervibes #moodyskies

  12. Whitby’s harbour stretches out with a mix of rippling water and colourful boats, framed by rows of historic buildings along the quay. The coastal town exudes seaside charm, with its riverside scenery leading the eye towards the North Sea. A stroll along the harbour offers a classic harbour view, where old inns, fishmongers, and cottages reflect the town’s maritime heritage. Popular with visitors for its #HarbourView #CoastalTown #RiversideScenery #HistoricBuildings #SeasideCharm, Whitby is a gateway to both history and the dramatic Yorkshire coastline.

    Taken Nov 2023

    #ShotOniPhone #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #HarbourView #CoastalTown #RiversideScenery #HistoricBuildings #SeasideCharm #BridgeStreet #Whitby #England #UnitedKingdom

  13. Whitby Harbour stretches out beneath a clear sky, where gentle waters reflect the colourful fishing boats and the bustling quayside. The historic buildings lining the waterfront evoke the town’s maritime heritage, blending with the charm of a classic coastal town. Visitors strolling along the pier are treated to a serene #HarbourView, with #SeasideScenery framed by the distant cliffs and the North Sea beyond. The working harbour, dotted with #FishingBoats, is a picturesque reminder of Whitby’s long-standing fishing tradition and enduring appeal to travellers seeking #HistoricBuildings and coastal charm.

    Taken Nov 2024

    #SilentSunday #ShotOniPhone #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #HarbourView #CoastalTown #FishingBoats #SeasideScenery #HistoricBuildings #BridgeStreet #Whitby #England #UnitedKingdom

  14. Outbreak: Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (#MRSA)
    Facility: Ontario Shores Centre For Mental Health
    Facility Type: Hospital (Mental Health)
    Unit/Floor/Area: GTU (Geriatric Transitional Unit)
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Date: 2025-12-22

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0029
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.

  15. Whitby’s harbour stretches out beneath a bright sky, framed by rows of red-roofed historic buildings cascading down the hillside towards the water. Fishing boats rest quietly along the pontoons, adding to the charm of the #HarbourView in this picturesque #CoastalTown. The blend of old stone houses, narrow streets, and the spire of a church speaks to centuries of maritime heritage, making it ideal for those drawn to #SeasideScenery and #HistoricBuildings. Visitors often pause here to watch the tide and the working harbour, a tranquil reminder of Whitby’s enduring connection to the sea.

    Taken Oct 2024

    #ShotOniPhone #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #HarbourView #CoastalTown #SeasideScenery #HistoricBuildings #FishingBoats #BridgeStreet #Whitby #England #UnitedKingdom

  16. Sunlight sparkles over the River Esk in Whitby, a historic port where fishing boats and sailing ships line the water under the vast blue sky. Along the scenic riverside, people enjoy a relaxed seaside walk with views of the red-roofed town climbing the hillside, creating a quintessential coastal town atmosphere. The harbour view includes the masts of a tall ship, evoking the town’s maritime heritage and its long history of seafaring. With its blend of calm waters, bustling quayside, and inviting benches, it is an ideal spot for soaking in the charm of this #HarbourView #CoastalTown #SeasideWalk #HistoricPort #ScenicRiver.

    Taken Apr 2025

    #ShotOniPhone #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #HarbourView #CoastalTown #SeasideWalk #HistoricPort #ScenicRiver #DolphinHotel #BridgeStreet #Whitby #England #UnitedKingdom

  17. Celebrating Hild

    Today is the Feast Day of Hild of Whitby,1 patron saint of learning and culture (including poetry), who died on this day in 680, having spent 66 years kicking ass and not bothering to take names. We believe she was originally buried at her main foundation of Streoneshalh, now known as Whitby, but sometime after Whitby was destroyed by Viking raids, her remains were, apparently, translated to…well, somewhere else. No one knows. Various religious foundations have claimed her—not unlike Arthur; saintly relics were (and still are) big business—but no one knows for sure.

    There are several grave markers from Whitby though I have images of none of them (and none are for Hild). However, there are also several from Hereteu, or Hartlepool (where Hild was abbess for a while before founding and moving to Whitby). One intriguing stone, dated ‘mid-seventh to mid-eighth century,’ was found under the head of some skeletal remains. The runes spell out hildi þryþ, that is, the feminine personal name Hildithryth:

    As we don’t know Hild’s full name, it might be tempting to assume this is our Hild’s stone.2 But I doubt it. For one thing it was part of a group of similar burials, and as abbess, saint, and royal advisor I doubt she would have been buried among others. Plus, of course, she was more than likely buried at Whitby. And as Hartlepool was also most likely destroyed by Vikings (as with mos records of this time and place, much was lost in the Viking raids from the late eighth through ninth centuries—all we know is that, after Hild, Hartlepool essentially vanishes from history) no one in their right mind would have transferred her there.

    So here’s how I imagine her pillow stone3:

    You’ll see I’ve made her cross round-ended and equal-armed, more like the kind of cross I think she would have worn, rather than the more traditional long upright and shorter crosspiece of the Hartlepool marker.

    Enough about her death. Back to her life: Why is Hild patron saint of learning and culture/poetry? Learning, because she trained five bishops who became renowned for their own erudition—one of whom, John of Beverley, was the one who ordained and mentored the Venerable Bede—the only British person ever to have been learned enough to be honoured as a Doctor of the Church. Poetry, because she pretty much midwived Engish literature: the earliest surviving piece of Old English is Cædmon’s Hymn, composed at Hild’s behest at Whitby.

    I’m not religious but I mark the day because Hild—and Whitby, its abbey, and ammonites—marked my life, in particular my writing life, indelibly.

    My first novel was Ammonite, which was published when I was 32. The author photo I used for that book was taken at Whitby Abbey when I was 30. You can tell from the look on my face how much the place affects me. (And in fact I like this photo so much it forms the basis for the cover of my upcoming book, She Is Here.)

    Nicola Griffith, Whitby Abbey, 1991. Photo by Kelley Eskridge.

    In my third novel, The Blue Place, Aud talks longingly of Whitby—now mostly known for the abbey founded by Hild in 657. In Whitby you can commonly find three species of fossil ammonites, or snakestones—the beach is littered with them. A whole genus of ammonites, Hildoceras, is named for Hild. This is Hildoceras bifrons. It’s what I think of when I think of ammonites.

    Ammonites fascinate me. Their shell growth—developing into that lovely spiral—is guided by phi. And phi (Φ = 1.618033988749895… ), the basis of the Golden Ratio or Divine Proportion, has all sorts of interesting mathematical properties. The proportions generated by phi lie at the heart of myriad things: the proportions of graceful buildings4, the orderly whorl of a sunflower, ammonites, Fibonacci numbers, population growth, and more. (If you’re interested, a good place to start is Wikipedia.) Phi is what creates the underlying pattern in much of nature. I think phi is responsible for what Hild may think of as God.

    There is a legend that ammonites result from Hild getting pissed off one day and turning all the local snakes to stone. The legend was so well-established after her death, that, in the later middle ages and even up until Victorian times, enterprising locals carved heads on the stones and sold them as the snakes she petrified.5

    Here’s what H. bifrons looks like as a snakestone:

    H. bifrons as snakestone

    And here’s a much more finely carved specimen:

    Victorian snakestone—not sure which species of ammonite

    When I was working on my black and white zoomorphic series, I tried to draw a snakestone. It turned out to be remarkably difficult to get the proportions mathematically pleasing. I started with a different genus, a ceratite, with a kind of wavy division to each of its segments, because they seemed to grow in more mathematically predictable ways. They’re just not what I think of as a classic ammonite; they seemed a bit, well, boring. I tried jazzing them up a bit—make them look as though they’re dancing to form a kindof ammonite triskele inside a Lindisfarne Gospels style interlace wreath. Better—but not great.

    So then I tried yet another genus, a…well, actually I forget what it’s called, maybe a baculite? Anyway:

    You won’t find these in Britain, but I like the crinkly look. It had possibilities. So I copied that, and then turned it into a snakestone. Much better!

    Crinkly baculite snakestone

    Earlier this year we were at Worldcon, where we bumped into a friend, Wendy, aka MaudPunk, and got talking about all things metal work—Wendy loves to forge Early Medieval replicas from bronze, silver, copper, etc. (She’s made me several things, including this brooch.) She was wearing a great pendant she’d made, based on the Fairford Duck. Kelley really wanted one. No, she wanted two—one silver, one copper.

    I like the duck well enough, but that’s not what fired up my neurones. Ever since Tor commissioned a lovely enamel brooch/pin for Spear, I’ve enjoyed wearing it on my jacket lapel. I get many compliments (“Is that Tiffany?”). The Spear pin is boldly coloured, which I love, but it does occasionally limit my sartorial choices. So I’ve been subconsciously looking for something more neutral. And I thought: A snakestone! In silver! And wouldn’t you know, Wendy had already designed a snakestone pendant; it did not take much persuasion to commission one as a pin.

    And, lo, just in time for our birthdays, we got a package with what we’d asked for:

    Birthday!

    And here’s the pin in all its glory—straight out of its lovely linen pouch:

    It’s hand-carved in wax then cast in the metal of your choice, then ground and polished by hand. Here it is on my jacket lapel, where it will stay for at least a couple of weeks, after which I’ll probably alternate with the enamel pin:

    So Hild and her ammonite are still bringing me enormous pleasure, and still—as is only fitting for the patron saint of culture and education—helping me learn new things.

    Tonight I will raise a glass to Hild, to ammonites, to Whitby, and to all things beautifully made and perfectly proportioned. wes þu hal! Or maybe wæs hæil! I dunno, Old English is not exactly my forte—but drinking and merrymaking is :)

    1. At least it’s her feast day in the Roman Catholic Church. The Anglican Communion celebrates on the 18th. I’m not a practising Christian but was raised Catholic, so tend to follow their dates. No one knows when Hild was born, but long ago I decided it was some time in the last half of October. At some point I’ll pick a day, and then I’ll have two dates to celebrate! ↩︎
    2. Hild means ‘battle’, and thryth translates to something like ‘strength’ or ‘power’, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. There again, I’ve always preferred the idea of Hild being Hildeburg, that is Battle Fortress: obdurate, adamant, immovable. ↩︎
    3. Yep, it would have made more sense for it to be square, or more landscape than portrait format, but, well, I didn’t think of that until just now… ↩︎
    4. Ever wondered why Georgian mansions feel so gracious and pleasing? Their formal rooms follow the Golden Ratio. ↩︎
    5. The legend is so well established that it forms part of Whitby’s coat of arms. ↩︎

    #ammonite #brooch #CædmonSHymn #feastDay #hild #jewellery #MaudPunk #menewood #oldEnglish #phi #pin #snakestone #theBluePlace #whitby

  18. A lively scene unfolds at Whitby’s harborside, where market stalls with colorful canopies attract visitors browsing bags, scarves, and seaside souvenirs. A historic ship replica, decked in blue and gold, rests along the quay, adding to the charm of the #HarborViews in this bustling #CoastalTown. People stroll and relax under the bright sky, enjoying the #SeasideScenery framed by red-roofed buildings and the distant ruins of Whitby Abbey. The blend of #MarketStalls and #HistoricShip creates a vibrant hub for tourists and locals alike.

    Taken Sep 2025

    #ShotOniPhone #UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #HarborViews #HistoricShip #CoastalTown #MarketStalls #SeasideScenery #TouristInformationCentre #LangborneRoad #Whitby #England #UnitedKingdom

  19. Larpool Viaduct: The Brick Monument of the Esk

    Larpool Viaduct at Whitby stands today like a brick-red monument to an age when Victorian railway engineers thought artistically, even as they fought mud, tides, and buried forests. Completed in 1884 to carry the Scarborough and Whitby line across the deep valley of the River Esk, it was built entirely of brick, a de ...

    fhithich.uk/2025/10/13/larpool

    #RiverEsk #whitby #history #railway

  20. Smoke over Whitby — The Sandsend Bogey

    The coast lies quiet beneath a sky heavy with cloud. Small waves slide up the beach with the ebbing tide. It is early yet; the crowds have not arrived. But beyond the headland the scene darkens. A wall of orange-stained smoke rises from the moor, its glow outlining Whitby and the Abbey. The fire on Fylingdales had flared ag ...

    fhithich.uk/2025/08/26/smoke-o

    #Sandsend #whitby #YorkshireCoast #folklore

  21. Throwback Saturday - Looking for a photo for a #smooth theme I remembered this one from a trip to #Whitby in 1917. This would have been shot on a Canon 80D.
    .
    .
    #photography #coastphotography #rocks #rockpool #bluehour

  22. Whitby Abbey: Holy Vows, Pagan Wars, and the Problem of Easter

    I usually try to avoid posting touristy photographs, but in this case, my resolve faltered. This one was taken looking back as we wandered towards Ruswarp, along the River Esk, with the ruins of Whitby Abbey brooding in the distance. A cliché, admittedly, but quite picturesque in a ruin ...

    fhithich.uk/2025/04/08/whitby-

    #RiverEsk #whitby #folklore #history

  23. Outbreak: Streptococcus Pyogenes (Group A #Strep/ #GAS )
    Facility: Whitby Hospital
    Facility Type: Hospital (Acute Care)
    Unit/Floor/Area: 4WW
    Location: #Whitby #Ontario
    Date: 2025-02-26

    Public Health Unit: Durham Region Health Department
    Facility Tracking Hash: #DRHD0005
    PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObDRHD

    Click or follow tracking hashtags to see data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.