We caught the bus to Staithes and arrived at 9 a.m. I had thought that a bit early, but it was actually sensible. Staithes is so picturesque – and this is the holiday season after all – that it quickly began to get busy. At the end of the nineteenth century it was popular with plein air artists, known as the Staithes School. Laura Knight lived here for a number of years both before and after her marriage, learning her trade and often burning her drawings to keep warm.

And then the long walk along the coast into a headwind back to Saltburn. En route we passed Boulby mine, which is not just a mine but also an underground laboratory. I shall think of it as a British mini-CERN.