My Birthday In Filey

It was my birthday on Saturday. Eleanor was working, Daniel was playing cricket and Jacob was on a late shift, so Mick booked a table at a local Italian restaurant on Friday night so that we could have an early celebration and everyone could be there. Afterwards, we went for cocktails before all heading back to our house. It was a really lovely evening.

With everyone busy on Saturday, Mick and I had the day to ourselves. We haven't really planned any days out this year, we've just gone with the flow, and this is what we did on my birthday. We had a leisurely morning, I opened my cards and gifts and then we got in the car without knowing where we were heading. We haven't had many days this year at the seaside so I thought it would be nice to have a day by the sea so we set off in the general direction of the east coast.

Filey is somewhere we've never really explored. Even as a child, it was one of the seaside towns which I was never taken to so it was finally settled, that's where we'd go.

As with most of the locations on the east coast, Filey operates a dog ban on the beach during the summer months, but there was a spacious area where dogs are allowed.

Archie was happy to be at the seaside again, he loves it on the beach, though he's never as enthusiastic nowadays as he used to be, he's happy to trot by our side or go for a paddle in the sea rather than racing around in the wide open spaces.

We saw a huge jellyfish on the beach. The poor things dry out and die when they're on land as they're unable to breathe, how sad.

Filey Brigg lies about a mile to the north of Filey. There are steep cliffs and below, the promontory continues as a blade of rock, barely above the waves.

There's a few snack bars and shellfish kiosks by the beach but this part of Filey isn't anywhere near as busy as other seaside towns along the coast, such as Scarborough or Bridlington. I'm not sure what it's like further along the front as we didn't venture very far from the beach where Archie was allowed but it's somewhere I'd like to explore more.

Archie did very well before he began to tire. We try not to keep him out too long these days otherwise it knocks him out for the next few days.

Before we returned home, Mick and I shared a tray of chips, before I indulged in a cup of tea and a doughnut. I say doughnut but when I opened the bag, there were two in there. We'd only asked for, and paid for, one as Mick doesn't like them, but I'm not complaining. They were freshly cooked so they were warm, and delicious.

We hadn't been home long before Eleanor finished work and came round. Daniel and Jasmine arrived once cricket had finished, it had been a long game away from home, and then later on, after 9pm, Jacob arrived. He'd been on a late shift but had managed to get away early. I had a lovely birthday, celebrated with the people who matter, good food, good company, lots of laughs, a lovely day out, and I was given such wonderful cards and gifts. I feel very lucky.