Christmas and New Year here at the Riviera Guesthouse
We can’t believe we are writing our Christmas and New Year blog already! Here at the Riviera Guesthouse, we are finding time is going so quickly, it’s hard to keep track.
The festive build-up has now begun, of course.
The shops are filled with gift ideas and tempting treats.
Soon the Christmas lights will be switched on and the usual festive events will take place.
Check out our events page for a list of special, seasonal entertainment!
An Overview of 2021
At this time of year, we nearly always take stock.
A year ago, we had a lockdown announced and of course from early January we had to close until the spring … this seemed a very long time indeed as it coincided with the darker evenings and the colder weather.
Most of us wondered what the future held, including ourselves.
Yet once we could open again, and with our tried and tested Covid-19 safety measures in place, it was all hands to the pumps …
Summer 2021 … the Busiest Ever in Whitby?
For those of you who visited and stayed with us at the Riviera, most of you would have been amazed at the number of visitors that flocked to Whitby.
Day visitors and holiday makers came in their many thousands and ensured the local businesses had a great summer.
It was sometimes tricky to walk along a street as it was very crowded.
And of course, it was such a contrast to the lockdowns, during which many streets were deserted.
All of us had to learn to be patient with the queues and the slower service in restaurants.
Also, our local shops had to keep their stock levels topped up as so many visitors came to Whitby to buy essentials during their staycation.
Of course, our town needed to have a good summer and we are so grateful that people came and stayed.
What About the Parking?
Parking is always in issue in a seaside location.
Unlike landlocked places, we only have 180 degrees of land … the other half is the North Sea in our case!
This is difficult for visitors to get their head around.
Parking therefore was a premium this year and we hear it was the case all along the Yorkshire Coast.
We understood this and we helped where we could.
It is always best to be aware of parking and its limitations during the summer holidays.
What About our Guests?
For us here at the Riviera, we were so lucky that we had many loyal guests return to stay with us.
We also had those who had to postpone their holiday due to the lockdowns.
It was lovely to see the familiar faces (and some new ones too) and hear how everyone had tried to make the best out of a testing situation.
We understand that some of our guests lost loved ones due to Covid-19.
There is always have a listening ear here at the Riviera, and it saddened us greatly to hear about these instances.
What About Events in Whitby?
Inevitably, some events were cancelled and we hope they return next year (2022).
The Whitby Pavilion is now hosting regular events so the entertainment world does seem to trying to get back to ‘normal’.
What About Our Family?
We did notice this year that our children simply shot up in terms of height.
Compared to two years ago, when Covid-19 was just starting to appear, our daughter and son have become very much like little adults.
We had our work cut out with home-schooling and of course back in January, we welcomed Nala, our female cockapoo.
It is fair to say we worked hard over the summer and we’ve got a great team behind us, from updating our NEW website <LINK> to cleaning the rooms.
We couldn’t do our jobs without this amazing team that work so hard in the background.
What About Christmas Celebrations?
Last year, Christmas was a bit of a disappointment due to the restrictions.
We are hoping for a more ‘regular’ festive period but we are making sure that we take care of ourselves and our guests.
Once Halloween is over, we start to think about our Christmas decorations and by the first weekend in November, we’re already putting them up.
As a guesthouse, the festive time of year is the only chance to we get to see what needs sorting in our lovely building. We start to think about renovations and preparing for the year ahead. It is nice, therefore, to get our home feeling Christmassy as soon as we can.
One thing we’ve learned from all of this is that we can do with less.
Fewer presents; simpler food; a few treats (but not too many).
We’ve also come to appreciate things on our doorstep, such as Whitby Abbey, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and the beaches.
We have focussed on the important things, such as our health, our sense of well-being and of course our business.
What’s in Store for 2022?
It is safe to say we’re all hoping 2022 will be a good year.
It’s hard to believe come March, we’ll be entering the third year of Covid-19.
Here at the Riviera Guesthouse, we’ll be working hard as usual.
We’ll be cooking that delicious breakfast you’ve all come to love.
We’ll be cleaning the rooms and making up the beds with fresh linen.
We’ll be checking our towels and ensuring our hallway and stairs are spick and span.
Easter is late in 2022, with Good Friday falling on 15thApril.
And we’ve got the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June, a four-day holiday to mark 70 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth II.
We are hoping events such as the Whitby Regatta will go ahead as usual and while it is sad to see that some businesses haven’t made it, there are new ones ready to meet and greet you.
What Do YOU Want from 2022?
If you are one of the many who’ve not had a holiday for a long time, then 2022 could be the year you take that much needed break! Why not check out our booking link, here?
We all deserve some down time and where better to do this than Whitby?
It could be you’ve re-evaluated certain aspects of your life: your work/life balance; your health; the importance of family; you’ve maybe even changed career.
And with all this change, it is nice to know some things remain the same.
The same friendly welcome at the Riviera!
Our famous breakfast that sets you up for the day.
And of course, the wonderful town of Whitby with its incredible history, location and its many attractions.
The Final Word
All that remains for us to say is we wish everyone an amazing Christmas; we wish everyone a safe and peaceful New Year.
And it is huge thank you to you, our guests, whether you are regulars or newbies.
Have a wonderful festive period, a lovely New Year and we’ll update our blog again in January 2022.
Until then ….
