Getting spooky at Whitby’s big, biannual goth get-together

Vampire weekends — Twice a year, a loyal legion of goths descend upon the North Yorkshire town to kick back and hang out by the seaside. Photographer David Severn captures the pilgrimage in all of its pitch-black glory.

Even before you factor in its famous connection with Count Dracula, the North Yorkshire town of Whitby has the sort of dark ambience that might appeal to those of a Gothic persuasion.

Squally sea frets roll in unannounced and shroud the town in the sort of mist that sets the mind a-whirring; a ruined Gothic abbey and its film-set graveyard sits atop a cliff that looms over the town’s harbour; the shorelines below, meanwhile, are dotted with fragments of Whitby Jet, a polished black gemstone that was used as mourning jewellery in the late-Victorian times.

Doubtless, all of this found its way into Bram Stoker’s mind when it came to him writing Dracula. After all, the town’s library is where he first came across the name he’d eventually bestow upon his iconic character. Similarly, a passage in the book describes the count shipwrecked off the coast amid a terrible storm, before finding his way into Whitby harbour where he appears in the form of a black dog.


As a result, it’s fair to assume that Whitby’s role in the Dracula mythology forms a large part of why a loyal legion of goths flock to the secluded town for a dedicated, twice-yearly get-together – a tradition that first began in 1994, when a group of 40 pen-pals picked it as the location for their first big goth meet-up.

One such is David Severn, a 27-year-old photographer from Nottingham who was part of his local goth subculture as a teenager growing up in nearby Mansfield. Now, in a new book aptly titled Whitby Goth Weekend, he has documented this peculiar biannual pilgrimage in all of its pitch-black glory.

For Severn, his fascination with the event is an extension of his broader interests. “My photography is often concerned with themes of leisure, work and landscape,” he explains.

“I’ve previously made work about performance and entertainment in working-class communities, and this project gave me an opportunity to explore the relationship between recreation and self-expression. I think people feel more freedom to be themselves during their time off and Whitby Goth Weekend is a perfect reflection of this.”

‘Being themselves’ for the goths often simply means doing mundane, everyday seaside things: buying sticks of rock, window shopping, or eating fish and chips from polystyrene trays – albeit in outlandish garb. In Severn’s photos, there’s a palpable tenderness and warmth when it comes to the meeting of two seemingly incongruous worlds, and he depicts it with a lack of both voyeurism and distance.

“I was fascinated by the idea that many of the festival-goers are not goths in their everyday lives, but enjoy the sense of occasion and getting dressed up. That mix of enthusiasm, alter-ego and fantasy really appeals to me.”

“I also loved the spectacle and sense of theatre the goth weekend offered ─ how the mass gathering of goths turns the streets of Whitby into a scene resembling a costume drama. There is a humour and eccentricity about the contrast between the goths and the gaiety and simple, quaint pleasures of the British seaside.”


Whitby Goth Weekend is available now from Beam Editions with a limited run of 200 copies. 

See more of David Severn’s work on his official website

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Crowd of silhouetted people at a nighttime event with colourful lighting and a bright spotlight on stage.
Music

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Indoor skate park with ramps, riders, and abstract architectural elements in blue, white, and black tones.
Sport

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme

Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Black-and-white image of two men in suits, with the text "EVERYTHING IS COMPUTER" in large bright yellow letters overlaying the image.
Culture

Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?

Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.

Written by: Emma Garland

A group of people, likely children, sitting around a table surrounded by various comic books, magazines, and plates of food.
© Michael Jang
Culture

How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography

The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Silhouette of person on horseback against orange sunset sky, with electricity pylon in foreground.
Culture

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth

Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Couple sitting on ground in book-filled environment
Culture

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’

Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.