A perspective from Germany 

We’ve been racking our brains at Waitby School about what to blog next. Of course, there’s lots to write about, but it seems to have been a bit ‘us’ centred recently. Then, we had a brainwave: let’s interview some of our guests to find out what they loved about their stay, and to find out what we could do better. 

The view that greeted Simone, Soenke, Lenny and Julius on their arrival at Waitby School
(all photos courtesy Simone)

Our first interviewees (or victims, ha ha) are from Germany as we were keen to find out what our guests from mainland Europe thought of Kirkby Stephen and its environs. The family consists of Simone, her husband, Soenke, and her two boys, Lenny – who celebrated his 11th birthday at Waitby and Julius, who is eight years old. 

When asked why they chose Waitby School for their holiday this year, Simone replies: “We have a great fondness for the UK. After his degree, my husband did a Master’s at a British university; I visited him about every two weeks for a year. We saw an incredible amount during that time, had lots of experiences, went on brilliant trips, met some wonderful people and simply fell in love with the UK. 

“And yes, with British cuisine too – it’s so much better than its reputation in Germany!”

She continues: “In the years that followed, we spent a great deal of time in the UK, with the exception of Norfolk and London. And we simply carried on doing that with our children; our son’s very first flight was to Manchester. It was time to visit the Yorkshire Dales once again; we were longing for the stunning countryside. As always, and based on our brilliant previous experiences, we chose a cottage through Premier Cottages, which turned out to be an absolute hit: Waitby School.”

What were they looking for in a holiday? Simone says: “Peace and quiet, and fresh air! Away from the traffic noise that dominates our home region. Space, three bedrooms, so that everyone has their own retreat. And time for each other, surrounded by beautiful nature.”

Moving into Waitby School for a fortnight's holiday

Was it easy to book? “Oh yes!” she replies. “We sent an enquiry via the Waitby School website and received a very friendly reply from George. And a brilliant information pack. By then, we knew we’d made absolutely the right decision.”

The family drove from Germany, as luggage restrictions mean that flying no longer works for them. Says Simone: “After school finished on Friday, we drove from near Frankfurt in Germany to Rotterdam and caught the evening ferry to Hull. It was all very relaxed; we had a lovely dinner on board (our son always orders a leg of lamb to get into the spirit of things) and then headed to a family cabin. 

View from the Hull ferry

“We used to book a suite on board, but we don’t think it’s worth it; they are always right above the car deck, which can be a nuisance because of the car alarms. So we recommend saving your money and opting for a standard four-person cabin. For a small extra charge, make sure it has a window, it’s so lovely to keep an eye out for other ships out at sea in the dark, and you don’t feel ‘cooped up’. In the mornings, we always arrive feeling relaxed and get straight into our first day of the holiday. On the way to Waitby, we spent a good half-day in Whitby in glorious sunshine.

And what about the weather? “The weather in the UK has a bad reputation in Germany. We think that’s unfair. Of course it rains now and then – but that’s part of it, and it’s actually wonderful. We’ve had some of the most amazing experiences precisely because we thought we had to  flee from the rain. And it certainly rains more in the Dales than on the east coast of the country. But you get so much in return, and we’ve also had quite a few brilliant rain-free days. With sunshine!”

The family spent two weeks at Waitby which, Simone says, was “wonderful,” adding, “We could easily have stayed for another week. But we’ll simply make up for the few things we didn’t manage to do on our next visit. For example, we absolutely must go and see the Silver Swan in Barnard Castle and, while we’re there, pop into the brilliant butcher’s shop...”

And then I ask the question that always brings about a frisson of nerves, but is extremely important in our aim of continuous improvement: Did it meet your expectations? What did you particularly like? 

The lambs were a big hit

Gratifyingly, the answer is overwhelmingly positive: “Absolutely. Everything, without a doubt. Above all else, we enjoyed the natural surroundings; in the evenings, we’d sometimes just step out onto the street in front of the house and look around. And every time it looked different – the clouds, the light… And those magnificent old trees in the garden are something quite special too. There are so many brilliant restaurants and pubs in the area.”

When asked if anything surprised the family about Waitby and Kirkby Stephen, Simone says that initially they were surprised at how remote and quiet the location seemed: “We commented on every car that passed by because there were so few of them – but you can actually reach so many different destinations quite quickly. 

“We visited the Lake District several times (and were always glad to be able to drive back to ‘our’ peace and quiet from there), but we also went to Swaledale and Sedburgh, to Appleby, Grange-over-Sands and Cartmel, and even as far as Blackpool, because we were absolutely determined to see it. And we went to Bedale to have a meal at Ruth Hansom’s . Sometimes, though, we just hung about locally – Kirkby Stephen is a lovely place: with a wonderful surprise in the local church (do look out for the old stone right by the entrance to the nave), a short walk along the river, a nice butcher and a tiny pub. Oh, and the nicest post office clerk you could possibly imagine.”

Each member of the family has different highlights of their holidays: “My husband still raves about the walk near Sedburgh (for the rest of us, it was a lot of uphill and then a lot of downhill). I loved walking from Keld to Muker – there was a really lovely old ruin along the way, still with its chimney and an old tin bath (we took the Little White Bus back, for the children’s sake, which was lovely too). Oh, and there were some beautiful handicrafts on sale in Muker church. Our older son loved the fireplace, and our younger son misses the one-pound shops and the sheep right on our doorstep.”

Walking from Keld to Muker

The children also enjoyed a visit to Lowther Castle and its park: “Best of all, it had tree swings and the best adventure playground we’ve ever been to,” she says. “We do recommend taking a picnic with you, though, and just buying drinks and ice cream there.”

So, does she have any advice for fellow travellers from the European mainland? 

“The fact that the UK is an island is always a psychological barrier,” she replies. “In practice, it is much easier to overcome than you might think. As mentioned, we recommend travelling by overnight ferry; make sure you allow plenty of time to get to the ferry, as the Netherlands is prone to traffic jams and the speed limit is 100 km/h. But it’s always worked out for us. And remember that, for some time now, you’ve needed an ETA to enter the country, which you should apply for in good time. Otherwise, just grab your passport and off you go!”

Summing up, we ask if there’s anything else Simone would like to tell us… “We’d like to say thank you – for making Waitby School such a special place, which you share with us, your guests. And for the spa bath, which gave us many peaceful moments every evening while the children unwound in it after their day. “It really is a very special house in a very special place.”

Walking from Waitby School

 With a massive thank you to Simone, Soenke, Lenny and Julius. And, rather belatedly, Happy Birthday, Lenny!