Goths out in force for seaside festival

Whitby Goth Weekend began in1994 and is now one of the largest in the world

Hundreds of Goths have descended on North Yorkshire for the Whitby Goth Weekend.

First held in 1994 the event has grown to become one of the world's biggest events celebrating the subculture.

Founder Jo Hampshire said the festival was created to make a home for those who struggled to find others with similar interests.

"It's always been a community event, but this weekend we've got so many families who are here with young kids. Kids can learn so much in a day at Goth weekend about not judging a book by its cover than they ever could at school," she said.

Whitby was chosen for the festival because of its association with Dracula

The now bi-annual event draws thousands of people to the North Yorkshire coast

Famous for its medieval abbey and association with Bram Stoker's Dracula, Whitby is now almost as well known for its popularity with goths.

Held twice a year in April and October, the event includes live music, discos and markets, with more than 100 stalls.

Ms Hampshire said before the Whitby Goth Weekend she knew very few people who shared her interest.

"It was before the days of the internet. I came from Barnsley. When I was growing up in the 1980s I loved Boy George and Steve Strange, I loved fantastical looking people, but there weren't any in Barnsley.

"I thought 'how am I going to get to know any?' So I put an advert in NME magazine in their pen friends section."

She said she received about 100 replies and began letter writing with 40 other goths.

"We decided to meet in Whitby because we thought they would be used to seeing people like us," she told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"But when we got there it became apparent they had never seen people like us, and they had never run a Dracula convention.

"We turned up all in black and they were like 'who are these people who have come to town' but we were so well behaved they took us to their hearts. In 1995 there was 200 of us and it's grown organically over all these years."

Founder Jo Hampshire said some people dressed in full goth outfits to take the kids to school or pop to the shops

The festival also attracts "goth spotters" according to founder Jo Hampshire

Ms Hampshire said the festival has now become an attraction even for non-goths.

"After a few years we started to get goth spotters coming along," she said.

"These would be people like Ernest and Mildred who have come for their day to see the goths, and then because they would talk to us, and because we were polite, well-brought up young people, they were interested to know what this thing was and why we looked the way we did."

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