Whitby International Pirate Society.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW 
WHITBY INTERNATIONAL PIRATE SOCIETY
CAME INTO BEING


PART 1: THE PANTOMIME

PART 2: THE DAWNING OF W.H.I.P.S

PART 3: THE TAKING OF THE TURK


PART 1

Once upon a time, in a land that time forgot, far, far away from sanity, (well, Whitby actually).
It was a warm summers evening, the sun shone down reflected in the harbour waters, sending dancing lights upon the faces of the many people who had gathered to see a splendid tall ship enter the harbour. Spirits were high as the group of pantomime characters gathered for the first act of the WH.I.P.S. play.
Charmin Isis entered stage left with a co-op carrier bag. Delving in to the bag, she presented, ‘The Boots of Magical Origin’, a pair of shiny black high pirate style boots, and announced, ”Whomever these boots shall fit, they shall become known as a pirate for ever and ever”
All the assembled characters suddenly started to take off their shoes. “Me First”, shouted Pete or ‘Buddens’ as he tried to force his feet into the boots, but alas, they didn’t fit.
Dan was next but it was obvious that they wouldn’t fit his feet. Bill knew that they wouldn’t fit and dejectedly put his shoes back on. Another couple of lads tried the boots but to no avail.
“ohh, come on” said Charmin Isis, hopefully “there must be some other handsome young man who wants to try the boots and become a pirate”? But alas there were none. “I’ll try the boots,” said the long dark haired woman, “ok” said Charmin Isis a bit reluctantly as she was hoping for someone a bit different for her pirate dream. The lady stepped forward and tried on the boots, they were a perfect fit. So from that day she became Rosie Buttocks, notorious pirate.
She was also laid claim to another title ‘Puss in Boots’ leader of the infamous Kitten Club, a strictly feline group with whiskers and tails that slinked around Whitby at that period in history. 

That summer a film that was to change the perspective of so many the characters lives came into being. ‘Pirates of the Caribbean, curse of the Black Pearl’

 

Part two


‘Twas a dark and stormy night, the cold north wind blew the storm clouds inward from the sea. The silver moon hung in the sky with the stars, watching the sea battering the twin piers of the small port of Whitby, on the North Yorkshire cost of England. 
In a tavern on the east side of town, Rosie Buttocks, notorious pirate and Lucy Morals, fiendish highwaywoman, huddled together plotting. They were joined by Deckhand Dan and Bosun Bill, very naughty pirates, the scourge of many a Yorkshire coastal town and village for many years for their crazy antics, bawdy drunkenness and amazing stories of fish and cheese.
Later the company was invaded by Nora Barnacles, a pirate of some renown, who sailed to fame with her father ‘Barnacle Bill’ some years before. With her was Greta Handful a wily pirate wench.
After many tankards of grog, Rosie threw down the ultimate gauntlet. The Lindisfarne Wine Challenge, a drinking competition not for the faint hearted. All agreed in true pirate fashion, commandeering a local hostelry and a crew of hard drinking party loving misfits from far and wide. The drinking challenge was a huge success. Whitby International Pirate Society came staggering drunkenly into the world.

Part three to follow (the taking of the Turk)