The weather is beating us down! On this side (north west) of the UK, it’s 16c, wet, 44 mile an hour winds and the area is dismal.

We took a drive out this morning down the coast to Workington and Whitehaven, hoping to find a pretty coastal seaside town but no. Dismal, grey, run down (certainly in Whitehaven) and no sea front fish and chip shops for lunch so we resorted to stopping at Asda and headed back to keep Bessy company.

Whitehaven boasts “Edwardian buildings and a modern marina”, sadly the buildings are in a poor state of repair and the marina has a problem with iron ore staining the waters and boats!

Known as The Cupola this house (below) was one of the most magnificent houses in Whitehaven. It was built around 1710 at an estimated cost of £2400 by a wealthy merchant called William Fevey. He was one of the original board of Trustees that controlled the town and had also became part of a wealthy local family following a marriage. Unfortunately he died almost as soon as it was completed and the house became owned by his wife’s family. In the 1850s it became the Town Hall and is now back in private ownership.

Now it proudly houses a pizza and kebab takeaway, a cafe on the corner and social housing above. I bet William and father-in-law John would both turn in their graves if they could see it now.