Sculpture in Staithes

All through winter, guests at Dunsley Cottage and visitors to Staithes have been in for a surprise: an extra bench on the promenade above the beach, forming part of an exquisite artwork. Relative Treats, a steel sculpture by Durham-based artist Ray Londsale, is a life-sized model of a grandmother and her grand-daughter. Portraying the link between generations, it shows the woman offering her open handbag to the child, who searches for sweets for herself, and a painkiller for her Gran.
 The detail is breathtaking: the lines on one face and youth on the other; the warm hat clamped onto one head and the bouncy ponytail of the child; the creases on clothing and angle of strained coat buttons, and especially the body language between the two.
 Relative Treats is on display, courtesy of Scarborough Borough Council and Ray Londsale, until April 19th. It is an absolute delight: don't miss it!

Romance at Dunsley

Dunsley, our holiday cottage in Staithes, is a much-loved destination for romantic escapes. We have been delighted to host couples for honeymoons, wedding anniversaries, birthdays, special occasions such as celebrating retirement, even marriage proposals.

 So, we thought we would offer something extra-special: the option to have the ultimate in romantic gestures waiting for you and your loved one, when you arrive at your new home-from-home.

FRENCH CHAMPAGNE & SWISS CHOCOLATE: £25

Louis Danremont Champagne, Grand Reserve: we buy this in small quantities in France - you won't find it in a UK supermarket, that's for sure! Dry and delicious, served chilled in one of our special champagne flutes

Swiss chocolate hearts: 20 individually wrapped hearts in a ribbon-tied box. Choose from gold foil hearts with a silver ribbon or red foil hearts with gold ribbon.

BOUQUET OF BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS: £30

Delight your loved one with a hand-tied bouquet of seasonal blooms. Let us know any favourite colours and,our florist will do her best to include them. Flowers can be presented in an open bouquet, or boxed so they can be easily taken home with you.

 

Wonderful country pub

On the advice of friends in Staithes, we've just paid a visit to The Fox Inn, in Roxby. We were staying at Dunsley, our romantic holiday cottage in Staithes, for Duncan's birthday. It's about 7 minutes drive inland from the coast, through Dalehouse and right up onto the moor top. A small, very traditional country pub in a tiny village, it was taken on just over a year ago by Carl and Alison: Carl works the bar and front of house, while Alison conjures up fab food in the background. The restaurant is quite small, with a wood burning stove; ditto the bar. Emphasis is more on service, food and atmosphere, than decor. There's a strong local customer base - I had to duck beneath a gent playing darts, to reach the toilets! There was one real ale when we visited (January 30th), an excellent Black Sheep. The food is wonderful: well priced, beautifully cooked and presented, and interesting. We had tiger prawns in a Thai dressing - fat prawns, well cooked, perfectly seasoned - and fish-3-ways as starters; then one of the day's specials, pork fillet in Stilton sauce, and chicken stuffed with cream cheese and garlic in a roast pepper and tomato sauce. Veg were spot-on and we had home-made chips and new potatoes. Duncan managed a dessert - a really superb, light, apple strudel with ice cream. Add a bottle of wine, 2 beers, and the bill was just £55. Bargain! We will definitely be back! Thanks, Carl and Ali, for a lovely evening for Duncan's birthday.
The Fox Inn, Roxby, TS13 5EB, Tel: 01947 840548. Closed Tuesdays.