Whitby Gothic Weekend
This twice annual gathering of gothy types in the English seaside town of Whitby is not a netgoth event as such, but regularly has a good number of netgoths in attendance, and they're generally welcoming to newbies and lurkers. The event is officially focused around two to three band nights in the clifftop Spa Pavillion, but not everyone bothers to go to this. Other focal points for activity include pubs The Elsinore, The Resolution and The Little Angel, the graveyard at St Mary's Church, and the famous ruined Abbey (from out of Dracula). Plus, at any given time, you'll find a fair number of us just hanging around on street corners.
Also happening at Whitby is the Bizarre Bazaar, the biggest gothic shopping opportunity of any event. This includes a bring and buy stall for those with less cash to spend. Furthermore, all the charity shops in local towns save up their gothy stuff for six months to bring it out at WGW events, and the town has acquired several gothy shops which thrive on that twice-annual custom and on the town's goth-friendly reputation.
Whitby is a very safe place to be a goth, no matter how outrageously one prefers to dress. The locals are very welcoming, though many refuse to believe that we also dress like this at home. Parties of little old ladies have been known to visit from nearby towns to ogle young men in short skirts.
There are usually several netgoth parties at Whitby, and netgoths often get together to hold a beach party. There used to be a formal netgoth meal, organised by GothPat, but this has not happened for several years. More recently,there has been a small-scale netgoth pot luck meal.
The Next Event
The next Whitby Gothic Weekend will be happening at the end of October. The following netgoths are expected to attend:-