After all their walking, Heather, Ike and the Mr Men were delighted to have a drive out to the coast the next day. They very much enjoyed sitting down and watching the scenery whizz by! Of course, after 2 beautiful sunny days, what did it do today...Poured with rain! This did however ensure that the beach was emptier than expected, so plenty of room for socially distancing!

After eating sandwiches, and waiting for the rain to pass, it did clear up for a little while, enabling Ike and the Mr Men to walk down the beautiful Sandy beach at Runswick Bay.

Right at the end of the beach, using a long lens, so as not to disturb them, they were able to observe and take photos of the nesting birds.

But then it started to rain more heavily, and realising they were now the ONLY ones on the beach, they headed quickly for the cafe, where they sat OUTSIDE in the pouring rain, under an overhang, and drank tea! A very British thing to do, but it gave Ike an opportunity to look at the Rescue Boat House, which was right next door. This is what he found out about Runswick, its history and the Rescue Boat House.

Runswick Bay is one of the Yorkshire Coast's prettiest destinations with its sweeping, sheltered bay and charming red roof cottages. The sandy beach, which once provided anchorage for brightly coloured fishing boats, is now a family favourite for rock pooling, fossil hunting and coastal walks, where you can admire the breathtakingly stunning sea views, (it's beautiful even in the rain!)

The original fishing village was almost completely destroyed by a landslide in 1682. Remarkably, there were no fatalities, as the village was alerted by two mourners at a wake.The village was rebuilt, slightly further to the south, perched on the side of cliffs.

The village ran its own lifeboat from 1866, until it was moved to the RNLI station at Staithes in 1978. The boathouse still remains, and has run its own volunteer rescue boat service since 1982.

After drinking the hot tea, and warming up, Ike and the Mr Men were able to have a little wander and take a few pictures of the pretty village. As they gazed out to sea, they decided that despite the soggy ending....this had been a good holiday! (Especially for COVID times).