Whitby pub crawl on Easter Saturday celebrates 25th anniversary

A Whitby pub crawl which takes place every Easter is hoping to attract 100 people for the first time as the event celebrates its 25th year.
By Duncan Atkins
Published 15th Mar 2024, 09:41 GMT
Updated 17th Mar 2024, 19:58 GMT
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Drinkers will meet up on Easter Saturday (March 30) for this year’s event, with the aim of having one alcoholic drink in each of the 28 pubs and clubs on the circuit.

The event is organised by Lee Waring, who runs Waring Building and Roofing, and he explained how it all started.

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“Me and my sister’s boyfriend at the time were chatting and saying how we could do every pub – we named them all and got to 27,” he said.

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Whitby pub crawl drinkers at the White House.Whitby pub crawl drinkers at the White House.
Whitby pub crawl drinkers at the White House.

"We said ‘why don’t we do it at Easter so we’ve got a long weekend’.

"We put a sign up in the Dairy canteen where I was working at the time so pretty much everyone [on the first one] was from there.

"If you added up all the people who have come over the past 20 years we must have had hundreds but never a hundred in one event.

"It would just be great this year as we’ve been so close.”

Photo taken at The Elsinore, 1999, on the inaugural Whitby pub crawl.Photo taken at The Elsinore, 1999, on the inaugural Whitby pub crawl.
Photo taken at The Elsinore, 1999, on the inaugural Whitby pub crawl.
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Previous pub crawls have seen people in fancy dress – some as Willy Wonka characters and Oompa Loompas, while another year the event coincided with St George’s Day and some turned up as Knights of the Round Table.

This time, some of the girls will be going round the pubs dressed as grannies.

This year’s pub crawl gets under way at 11am at The Little Angel on Flowergate.

With some pubs closing down, three clubs have been added to the crawl this time – Friendship Rowing Club, Fisherlads Rowing Club’s Oars and Hops bar, and the Fishermen’s Football Club on The Cragg.

Drinkers at the White House, Whitby, on the 15th anniversary in 2014.Drinkers at the White House, Whitby, on the 15th anniversary in 2014.
Drinkers at the White House, Whitby, on the 15th anniversary in 2014.
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Because part of the route is spread out, Fudge’s Taxis will be running people between pubs for £1.50 per person, per run, up to four runs.

"It’s the happiest day out,” added Lee.

“You get a lot who have been at work all day and then join on the evening.

"Everyone’s a bit tentative at the start, there aren’t many happy, joyful smiles to begin with but then it’s ‘get my photo, get my photo’.

“It’s more about the friendships and the day out and it attracts people from far and wide – we’ve made lots of friends from away and we even go over to where they’re from during the year.”

Visit the Whitby pub crawl Facebook page for the full itinerary.

Related topics:Whitby