My mother and I went up to Yorkshire to visit my cousin earlier this year, and I was delighted when she suggested a trip to Whitby: home of Whitby jet, part inspiration for Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, and thus (probably) the Goth capital of the UK.
First a confession: several years ago I read ‘Dracula’ – part of which is set in Whitby - and was deeply unimpressed (‘The Historian’ by Elizabeth Kostova is a different take on Dracula, and is brilliant). Don’t get me wrong – I have a bit of a thing for certain (fictional) vampires, but it’s rather selective, and they veer away from traditional takes on vampire fiction. I was a HUGE ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ fan – I especially loved Spike; ‘Sunshine’ by Robin McKinley is something of a comfort book for me – baking and vampires (trust me, it’s a strange mix but it works!). ‘Fevre Dream’ by George R. R. Martin (yes, that one) is very humane and adds a Deep South Riverboat twist. As a child I wasn’t into vampires, but I did have a soft spot for witches; Jill Murphey’s first three ‘Worst Witch’ books were great favourites, as was ‘Witch Week’ by Diana Wynne Jones (part of the Chrestomanci series). And not forgetting the fabulousness of ‘The Witch’s Handbook’ by Malcom Bird, with its brilliant and VERY funny illustrations and lots of practical advice on how to be a witch! Possibly slightly worryingly, it was my mother who bought me those books – so it’s definitely at least partly down to her that I’m rather weird… Anyway, the point is that whilst I don’t go around wearing nothing but black and accessorising with bats in my hair I do have a fairly well-developed Gothic streak (possibly also exacerbated by repeated reading of ‘Jane Eyre’ as a teenager). On a bit of a side note, a month or two ago I was in a haberdashery shop when I saw some skull-and crossbones ribbon, which led to a discussion with the shop assistant in which she revealed that when the Halloween displays get put up in shops she wanders the aisles singing ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ to herself!
First a confession: several years ago I read ‘Dracula’ – part of which is set in Whitby - and was deeply unimpressed (‘The Historian’ by Elizabeth Kostova is a different take on Dracula, and is brilliant). Don’t get me wrong – I have a bit of a thing for certain (fictional) vampires, but it’s rather selective, and they veer away from traditional takes on vampire fiction. I was a HUGE ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ fan – I especially loved Spike; ‘Sunshine’ by Robin McKinley is something of a comfort book for me – baking and vampires (trust me, it’s a strange mix but it works!). ‘Fevre Dream’ by George R. R. Martin (yes, that one) is very humane and adds a Deep South Riverboat twist. As a child I wasn’t into vampires, but I did have a soft spot for witches; Jill Murphey’s first three ‘Worst Witch’ books were great favourites, as was ‘Witch Week’ by Diana Wynne Jones (part of the Chrestomanci series). And not forgetting the fabulousness of ‘The Witch’s Handbook’ by Malcom Bird, with its brilliant and VERY funny illustrations and lots of practical advice on how to be a witch! Possibly slightly worryingly, it was my mother who bought me those books – so it’s definitely at least partly down to her that I’m rather weird… Anyway, the point is that whilst I don’t go around wearing nothing but black and accessorising with bats in my hair I do have a fairly well-developed Gothic streak (possibly also exacerbated by repeated reading of ‘Jane Eyre’ as a teenager). On a bit of a side note, a month or two ago I was in a haberdashery shop when I saw some skull-and crossbones ribbon, which led to a discussion with the shop assistant in which she revealed that when the Halloween displays get put up in shops she wanders the aisles singing ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ to herself!
 Fortune's Kippers advert on a wall next to Carol's Coffee Corner |  Whitby jet and silver spider jewellery in the window of W. Hammond |  View of Whitby harbour from the graveyard of St Mary's church |
But I digress. Due to traffic jams and trouble finding a parking space our visit was way too brief, but you really can’t escape the Gothic in Whitby! One of the first things I saw in the town was a big, black, heart-shaped poster on a wall next to Carol’s Coffee Corner – which turned out to be an oblique advertisement for Fortune’s Kippers. The jewellery shops sell Whitby jet – modern and antique – ranging from plain and modest pieces to giant spiders. Something for everyone – as long as you like jet! The fudge shop, Justin’s of Whitby has a flavour called ‘Dracula’s Dream’, and it also sells strawberry truffle chocolates in the shape of coffins.
On the East Cliff the ruins of Whitby Abbey loom in a picturesque fashion, and it really is worth climbing the 199 Church Steps to St Mary’s church (on the way to the Abbey) to see a wonderful view of the harbour. I have M.E/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and am not a fan of stairs, but these were easier than I feared they would be, partly because I have a walking stick, partly because they were deliberately made shallow to make it easier for coffin-bearers to carry coffins from the town up to the graveyard. It’s these stairs that Dracula (in the form of a dog) ran up after his arrival in Whitby. The graveyard itself is wonderfully windswept and atmospheric. As for the Abbey – a casualty of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries – it really is magnificent and beautiful in its ruined state. The broken and jagged edges fit well with the cliffs and the bleak beauty of the North York Moors (it was so atmospheric that I found myself humming ‘Wuthering Heights’ on the car journey back to my cousin’s house!).
On the East Cliff the ruins of Whitby Abbey loom in a picturesque fashion, and it really is worth climbing the 199 Church Steps to St Mary’s church (on the way to the Abbey) to see a wonderful view of the harbour. I have M.E/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and am not a fan of stairs, but these were easier than I feared they would be, partly because I have a walking stick, partly because they were deliberately made shallow to make it easier for coffin-bearers to carry coffins from the town up to the graveyard. It’s these stairs that Dracula (in the form of a dog) ran up after his arrival in Whitby. The graveyard itself is wonderfully windswept and atmospheric. As for the Abbey – a casualty of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries – it really is magnificent and beautiful in its ruined state. The broken and jagged edges fit well with the cliffs and the bleak beauty of the North York Moors (it was so atmospheric that I found myself humming ‘Wuthering Heights’ on the car journey back to my cousin’s house!).
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Last weekend Whitby played host to thousands of Goths, Steampunks and vampire fans at its October Whitby Goth Weekend (there’s another WGW in April), in all their spooky finery. Of course, every Gothic outfit needs accessories, and Whitby is world renowned for the quality of its jet and its history of jet jewellery-making. Whitby jet is the 182 million years old fossilised remains of an ancestor of the Monkey-puzzle tree. It can be carved, it polishes to a high shine, and is light to wear; it is ideal for jewellery. A lot of people say that it is warm to the touch; I would say that it’s more room temperature, or ‘not cold’! It is also rare, which gives it added status and interest value. Jet occurs in other parts of the world, but is often softer and less durable than that from Whitby. One way to tell if you have the genuine article is to gently drag the piece of jet across a slightly abrasive surface, such as unglazed tile (choose a discrete/hidden spot on the jet, because it will leave a mark); if it leaves a ginger or brown mark on the tile it is most likely the real deal, if it leaves a black mark it is a softer type of jet. You also have to beware of Victorian imitations such as Vulcanite and Gutta Percha – which are types of moulded rubber (Vulcanite will also leave brown marks in the abrasive test); sometimes there will be visible mould marks or crazing on such pieces. Other imposters are pressed horn and bog oak. And then there’s French jet, which is black glass; it’s colder, heavier, sparklier(?) and cheaper than real jet.
 Raw Whitby jet |  Carved Whitby jet book |  Brown marks left by Whitby jet |
The heyday of jet jewellery was in the Victorian era. Until very recently I thought that most antique jet jewellery was intended for mourning, but that wasn’t the case. Although the Victorians had very elaborate mourning rituals sometimes black was just a fashion statement; perhaps Queen Victoria wearing mourning for forty years after the death of Prince Albert made the wearing of black a more every day occurrence. For visitors to Whitby a piece of carved jewellery would have been (and still is) an interesting souvenir from a pretty seaside village/town – a chance to literally take a piece of Whitby away with you. Jet jewellery ranges from very minimal spheres and cabochons to wonderfully intricate creations of carved links with acorns dangling from them (I would LOVE to own such a piece some day!), so as long as you like black there’s something to suit most tastes. The links, and the faceted beads of the Victorian era are probably my favourites. Of course, the vast amount of symbolism of that time is also evident - jet lockets house photographs and/or locks of a loved one’s hair. Forget-me-nots, crosses, hearts, stars, moons, anchors and many other designs express love and devotion to the departed. Nowadays we view the rigidity of protocols for Victorian mourning as rather over the top, but I think that we in the modern world could take a few tips from our ancestors. When a loved one dies they leave a gap; that loss can take years to come to terms with, and a formal period of mourning allowed the loss to be felt and expressed. Wearing a piece of mourning jewellery was a tribute to someone dear and an indication to others that the wearer was still in an emotionally fragile state.
 My first Victorian Whitby jet beads - bought from Robinson's in Whitby |  Typical shapes of Victorian Whitby jet beads |  French jet (black glass) beads |  A French and a Whitby jet faceted bead |
It’s possible that the ancient Earth energies of jet might have helped mourners who wore it - healing properties attributed to jet include: psychic protection; alleviating grief; releasing negativity; balancing emotions and alleviating depression. It is often paired with Baltic amber (indeed, some people call jet ‘black amber’) as the two have many properties in common, and look stunning together. A note of caution, though: I don’t know if Whitby jet provides any protection against vampires…!
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