Hairy Bob's Cave

Hairy Bob's Cave, Marine Drive, Scarborough

Tuesday 7th July 2015

A visit to Scarborough today, shopping! I have always tried to leave my father's house in Scarborough with a journey down Columbus Ravine to Peasholm, then around the Marine Drive, across the Foreshore (sometimes a pause for ice cream at the Harbour Bar), up the Valley onto Seamer Road and home. I just get a buzz from this journey, whether it is harking back to my childhood or an inner sense, I don't know, but I love it. Always on the lookout for an image, I was on the Marine Drive today, when I saw the sun shinning on 'Hairy Bob's Cave'. Hairy Bob's Cave is a large boulder that no doubt many years ago rolled down from the top of the Castle hill (above). Someone unknown (Hairy Bob?), carved out a door and a couple of windows in the rock and legend has it that it was home to none other than Hairy Bob (whoever Hairy Bob was). It is for me, an iconic image of the Marine Drive, but to many tourists, they park in front of it and never see it. Now there is a fantastic skatepark in front of it and named after him! It still looks spooky to me, perhaps it is the echo of my late mother, who, when I was very young would say, "Behave yourself or Hairy Bob will get you". Cruel may be, but this rather scarey image of the cave is forever embedded in my mind!