My mother, sister and I were walking the Cleveland Way, and while still a few of miles out of Saltburn – our designated finishing point for the day – the storm clouds started massing out to sea. Tired and footsore, we hurried along the cliff tops as best we could as the thunder and lightning moved ever closer. It was a race we lost with still about half a mile to go.
The storm was directly overhead as we fair-sprinted for safety, wind gusting and rain lashing down in torrents. A final, terrifying thunderclap with almost simultaneous lighting chased us down the slippery steps and through the door of The Ship. The staff barely flinched at our drowned, gasping appearance as we dripped all over their floor, ushering us in to get changed and making sure we were fed and watered.
It could have been that glad-to-be-alive-so-everything-tastes-amazing feeling, but the memory of the wonderful fish and chips we had for tea that night remains strong. Fast forward to 2025, and inside The Ship is now almost unrecognisable. After a takeover by Greene King, it underwent a revamp and reopened in the summer of 2023 complete with outside bar and new fish and chip shop.
Inside, gone is the dark wood and horse brass, replaced with tropical patterned wallpaper and quirky furniture. My sister Claire, who works nearby, has enjoyed drinks with her workmates in the summer at the new outside seating, and with such spectacular sea views, it's no wonder that it is so often busy. There were not so many.
