WHITBY GOTH WEEKEND – Next Event Dates here.
Warning, this page contains pictures which some readers may find distressing or upsetting. Please do not read any further if you are easily offended.
As a photographer in my home town of Whitby I like to capture a photographic record of all things that happen in our town and immediate area. I now have an extensive archive of most events that have happened here over the last decade. I hope I can manage a decade or 2 more before my days are up.
Any archive photographer worth his salt will photograph all things that happen, not just the good, but sometimes the bad. Not just the light  but sometimes the dark. Over the years Ive photographed many things, some of which have brought me in for a great deal of negativity from some members of the public.
I have photographed Hunting, shooting, fishing and many more local cultures. I try not to express a personal opinion on these events, my aim is simply to capture them and put them down on record. For some reason, some members of the public really don’t like you to photograph the things they disagree with.
Despite never having offered an opinion on fox hunting, I was once threatened with an attack from a baseball bat wielding gang for having photographed a hunt. The idiots who made the threat still have no idea what my personal belief is about hunting. They simply chose to believe I support the hunt because I photographed it. I always find it quite perplexing to try and understand the logic flow of arriving at such conclusions.
Over the past few years I have been photographing the Goth Weekends at Whitby. As someone who enjoys street photography I choose to shoot candid photographs on the streets of my home town. Again my desire is only to capture a record of events. You will struggle to find me on record making any personal comment on Goth Weekend and the people who attend. I prefer to keep my thoughts to myself or between close friends and family.
Each year there is always one photograph that causes some form of controversy. One year I photographed a 7ft giant in a German SS Uniform. I never once made comment on what IÂ thought of his outfit, But I came in for such a huge amount of stick for having photographed the guy.
Im sure some people somehow believed his attendance at Whitby Goth Weekend in such an outfit was actually my fault. Again, I struggle to understand the logic that suggests I photographed him therefore Im in agreement with what he is doing. That kind of thinking is lost on me.
Another year I was walking through St Mary’s Graveyard and happened to notice a young lady sat reading a book with her back propped up against a grave. I took a photograph of her sat there. The outcry was beyond description. Again it seemed that people assumed I was to blame for her sitting on a grave. Once again I was totally stumped by the logic flow of those wanting to give me a hard time. I simply captured a moment in time. I never once said I agreed with her choice of seat.
So I have compiled a Whitby Goth Weekend Hall Of Shock. These are the images that in one way or another have shocked the people who have seen them. They are here as a record of events at past Whitby Goth Weekends.
These photographs are not posted with judgement or any level of negativity or derogatory comments from myself. They are what they are and if people are unhappy with the images they really should leave this page before looking any further
My personal feeling is, that so long as people are acting within the law, they are entitled to dress and behave how they choose and the general public should be accepting of that. Judging people on their dress or personal appearance should never be tolerated.
Whitby Goth Weekend Spring 2012
Every year provides a shocker and spring 2012 was no different. This guy was a giant. Must have been almost 7ft tall, his choice of dress was perhaps not the wisest.
I photographed this gent outside Hammonds on Church Street. A Lot of people were present. No-one appeared to show any kind of distress and no-one I saw registered any form of complaint with the gentleman.
Many people posed for pictures with the guy, most people were smiling and exchanging banter with him. Later when I posted the picture to Facebook I came in for the usual barage of abuse. Somehow the usual suspects decided it was my fault the guy had come to Whitby dressed as an SS Guard.
Many felt I was condoning his presence by taking his photograph. Not once did I give my own opinion or thoughts on what I witnessed, but as usual, others made up their mind about me regardless of the facts.
As always I would maintain that if the guy was acting legally, inside British law, then its non of my business what he weares and where he chooses to go. If he was acting outside of our nations laws then anyone offended should have reported him to the police. I simply take the photos, people should never shoot the messenger. Far to often they appear to want to do that. Ill never stop being the messenger.
Whitby Goth Weekend Spring 2013 – The Year Of The Blood Splattered Baby Doll
Spring 2013 was the first time I encountered the blood splattered baby doll. I assume the blood was fake, and the doll was most certainly not a real baby. The concept of a blood splattered baby really upset quite a few local people when I posted it to social media.
Once again I refused to make comment or judgment, and once again it was somehow assumed I condoned the girls choice of outfit. To this day I’ve never given my real thoughts, and I wont. I feel its such a shame when people are willing to assume something regardless of any evidence in favour of it.
Whitby Goth Weekend Spring 2014
In spring 2014 it was this picture of a girl sat on a Gravestone which sparked anger amongst many on social media. I think somewhere, in a small corner of Facebook one man still might be expressing his anger. Indeed its his right as a UK citizen to do so. Such a fine and tolerant country we live in. Men fought wars so people have the right to complain.
What shocks me is that its me they are complaining about. I simply took the photograph. I was out walking, as I do most goth Weekends, I saw the girl and snapped her. I don’t know who she is, Ive never seen her before or again in my entire life, and I never asked her to sit on the grave. She was there when I arrived and she was there when I left.
Quite understandably the towns people are upset with people sitting on Gravestones. The church and the organisers of Goth Weekend have also expressed displeasure and asked that people do not sit on the graves.
I do think the Church could clarify there position a little better as its not clear what they are and aren’t happy with. Some Whitby people appear to want a blanket ban on Goths in the Graveyard over Goth Weekends.
The church wardens have said to me on a couple of occasions now that they don’t want to close the Graveyard and they are happy for it to be used for Photographs in a respectful manner. I tend to think this is a very fair request as it would be a shame to close the beautiful graveyard because of a lack of respect shown by a minority.
Admittedly in the past I have taken posed shots in the Graveyard. After speaking with the church wardens I no longer do that.
Here is the picture that caused such anger and aggression in some. Again.. Please don’t shoot the messenger.
Goth Weekend – Spring 2017
This year I was walking on Whitby Swing Bridge with Helen and my son Riley. I noticed a couple stop in front of several photographers who were taking their photographs. I captured the scene from behind and posted it via social media.
The couple came in for quite a lot of stick about their attire and personal appearance. Some Whitby people said they shouldn’t be walking around with so few clothes on. Some people said they would not want thier children to see such things on the streets of Whitby. Others made derogatory comments about the girls personal appearance. Anyone who knows me well will tell you this doesn’t sit easy with me. I don’t like to see anyone harassed about their clothes or personal appearance.
I was quite appalled by the comments some people made, I was upset and felt bad for the couple. Then for some reason the couple turned on me and accused me of bullying them. In the end I got fed up of them and I had to block them from social media as their comments were becoming quite silly.
My personal feeling is, that so long as people are acting within the law, they are entitled to dress and behave how they choose and the general public should be accepting of that. Judging people on their dress or personal appearance should never be tolerated.
Well said for setting out your viewpoint (pun intended). Generally members of the public fail to realise that the photographer is a recorder of events, an observer who collects moments in time for those who were there for,and in, the experience. And for those who were not there to see, second hand, what happened. He or she is (generally again) not about expressing opinion or judgement, solely to record time, place and atmosphere to the very best of their skill, equipment and ‘heart’. Thank you for doing all that, and for being there.
I think your photography artsy, each person entitled to an opinion due to freedom of speech and while there is social media there will always be 1 person who out to cause trouble and contriversity via hype and opinions and happy to get attention that way.
As for the pics you have taken…Iv actually seen worse on posters for a fright festival at kirkletham for Halloween or circus of horrors or even rocky horror theatre show, as for scantily clad…clearly they never been out in a major town on a weekend as there a lot worse sights that your artistic eye presents in picture form, so I say let the ignorant people hate and people who appreciate your art enjoy it…
It a record of factual events and what brings people together can divide them but let people express themselves…if people don’t like certain events then why go to them or look at the pictures of them!? And if they entitled to an opinion then why are others not entitled to express themself via dressing up, the world a stage we are just actors acting out our lives.
So I say enjoy what you do and express yourself whether by dressing up, photography or opinions but if your being vocal think before you speak and if you are that desperate for attention try dressing up yourself, you might amaze yourself how liberated you actually feel, as for photography yours is sublime artistic and shows flair and insight into how people choose to live their lives..if you did not do this how would history be recorded!?
Great blog Glenn, telling it like it is. I agree with you re not shooting the messenger, people are too quick these days to assume things.
Don’t stop the photo’s you are capturing a moment in time that will someday be part of Whitby history
FAB PHOTO’S AS ALWAYS GLEN PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BY NOW ON GOTH WEEKENDS, THE PEOPLE LOOK GREAT AND ITS A GREAT CHANCE TO GET DRESSED UP AND ALWAYS MAKES ME THINK OF SOPHIE LANCASTER, A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO WAS KICKED TO DEATH FOR BEING HERSELF AND LOVING HER CLOTHES AND BEING DIFFERANT. S.O.P.H.I.E. STAMP OUT PREDUDICE HATRED INTOLERANCE EVERYWERE KEEP TAKING GREAT PHOTO’S 🙂 JILL
If comments / furore did bother you, instead of saying nothing you could sum up what you’ve written; that you only take the pics, you don’t create them? Then again, people might still misdirect anger, sometimes you can’t win, especially in the rabid world of online commenting. I really like the girl with the red hair, last pic; she’s like Boudicca, warrior Queen 🙂
As someone who has been going to the music festival for 15 years could you please come and photograph the event that is Whitby Goth Weekend at the Pavilion or at least have the professional courtesy to distinguish between the people on the old town side as people in Whitby for Goth weekend and actual people who are attending Whitby Goth Weekend that is all we ask thank you.
Hi Paul,
As a photographer I am totally objective and photograph what I feel like capturing on the day, which this Goth Weekend turned out to be the sea due to my lack of inspiration and interest in your event. Unless paid to photograph something in a specific way at the request of a paying customer I present my take on what is happening here in our home town as I see it.
The October Half term is always a busy week here at Whitby, with Day Trippers, People on holiday for a week of What Whitby has to offer, The Illuminated Abbey, Halloween, and finally Goth Weekend which I see as encompassing the whole town not just your inclusive events at the Spa which are only a small part of what happens here in Whitby over this week.
I find the desire of some attendees at Goth Weekend to have some sort of separate event and to seek to differentiate themselves and attempt to take the moral high ground over anyone who dares to walk along the towns streets, visit the pubs and enjoy the towns ambience to be quite sickening.
For that reason alone I have no desire to photograph your event at the Spa Pavillion, and my only thoughts on professional courtesy towards your event being your very much welcome to your own little party on the west cliff, I wouldnt want to be there.