Staithes Festival Heritage Talks: From Mermaids to Dark Matter (and Everything in Between)
- Staithes Museum
- Sep 6
- 3 min read
The Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage is famous for filling our little village with music, colour, and plenty of Yorkshire charm. But one of the hidden gems of the festival is the programme of heritage talks – where history gets a microphone, legends get fact-checked, and even Dark Matter gets a moment in the spotlight (don’t worry, you don’t need a physics degree to enjoy it).
And here’s the best bit: so many of these talks tie directly into what we’ve got tucked away at Staithes Museum. It’s like the festival and the museum have been swapping notes behind the scenes.
Artists with Mud on Their Boots
Adam Chadwick kicks things off with Staithes: Life, Light and Landscape, all about the Staithes Group of artists. These weren’t pampered painters lounging in Paris cafés – they were tramping through Staithes mud in search of the perfect light. Their canvases are echoed in the artworks and stories on display in our museum. So if you like your art with a bit of sea spray, you’re in luck.
Captain Cook: The Boy Who Looked Out the Shop Window
Then there’s Dennis Buck on Captain Cook – the lad who started off gazing at the sea from a Staithes shop doorway and ended up mapping half the world. We’ve got Cook coins, commemoratives, and curios galore in the museum, proving that you never know where a summer job might take you. (Note to teenagers working in shops: don’t underestimate your daydreaming time while sweeping the cobbles.)
Gertrude Bell: More Maps than Google
Gordon Hetherington is back with the story of Gertrude Bell – archaeologist, mountaineer, explorer, and the kind of woman who probably had “Queen of the Desert” on her business card. At the museum, her story feels right at home alongside our exploration collections. She’s like Captain Cook’s spiritual little sister – only with camels instead of ships.
Sutcliffe and Tindale: Say Cheese (or Don’t)
Mike Shaw will be showing off Frank Meadow Sutcliffe’s photographs of Staithes life: raw, moody, and definitely not Instagram-filtered. Then David Tindale brings us the quirky tales and photos of his father, John – post-war photojournalist and all-round character. Between them, they prove that everyday Staithes life has always been worthy of a gallery wall… and the occasional chuckle.
Mermaids, Saxons, and a Bit of Dark Matter
Professor Sarah Peverley dives (pun intended) into the legend of the Staithes Mermaids – a story that has bobbed around for centuries. Meanwhile, Dr Stephen Sherlock reveals Saxon princesses and ancient salt pans just up the road, showing that Staithes has been a hotbed of drama since before Netflix. And then, just when you think it couldn’t get bigger, Chris Toth whisks us a kilometre underground at Boulby mine to hunt for Dark Matter. (Spoiler: he hasn’t found any mermaids down there yet.)
Staithes Stories: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
And to finish, John Cole, Colin Harrison, and Bill Hinchley swap tales of Staithes life – fishing, lifeboats, village characters, and the kind of local knowledge you won’t find in a guidebook. It’s exactly the kind of thing we collect at Staithes Museum: stories that make you laugh, nod in recognition, or say, “I never knew that!”
So, whether you’re into explorers, artists, legends, or science that bends your brain, the heritage talks have something for you. And after you’ve been inspired, drop by Staithes Museum – where the exhibits connect the dots and the stories keep on going.
Bring your curiosity. And maybe a notebook. And if you see a mermaid on the way, do let us know – we’ve got a display case waiting.
Tickets £4 here. And catch their free taxi up to the village hall
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