A FEW weeks ago I described a blue Dr Who Tardis-like police box which I found near Huddersfield, writes RON FREETHY.

John Hawkins, who lives in Scarborough, has the Evening Telegraph sent to him by his son.

John told me of another blue box on the quayside at Scarborough and he also told me about a most unusual lighthouse overlooking the harbour.

This week I visited the East Coast resort, found the police box and also enjoyed a tour of the historic harbour, which now has a heritage trail running around it with information plaques set into the walls.

The Romans had an observation fort at Scarborough and the Vikings also developed a harbour from which they could launch their longboats to ravage the coast.

Many local fishermen go to sea in little vessels called cobles and most historians agree that the design of these follows the Viking blueprint. More than 20 cobles still fish out of Scarborough, along with about 25 vessels called keel boats. They catch fish and shellfish, especially between March and September, but they will put to sea in winter if weather and tide permit. The lobster and crab are famous here and the baskets in which they are caught can be seen on the harbour-side in their hundreds.

While I was there, parties of schoolchildren were exploring the old port. This is by far the best way to learn history.

The harbour is tidal and almost dries out at low water. This is why the lighthouse serves a unique function. Its flashing light does not indicate a warning to ships but the flashes tell the fishing vessels that the water in the harbour is deep enough for them to safely land their catch without going aground.

The lighthouse was attacked and damaged by the German fleet during the First World War and a "battle" is re-enacted during the summer at Peasholme Park, near the North Bay. When the catch is being landed there are viewing galleries for visitors and fish can be purchased. For those on their way home it is a good way to stock the freezer. Different sizes and species are laid out in boxes and they are then covered in ice to keep the fish fresh as it travels by van to markets as far away as London. Scarborough has a lot to offer in addition to the harbour. There is a wonderful beach, a magnificent castle and a parish church, in the cemetery of which is the grave of Anne Bronte.

These days we are all waiting for the Millennium but Scarborough was there first. It was established in 966 by the Vikings, so the town's Millennium exhibition refers not to the year 2000 but to 1000 years of history.

Some say that Scarborough means "the burg on the rocky hill" and comes from the Icelandic. However, most now agree that the settlement's name comes from the word skarthi - which means hare lip. Thorgil the Viking had a hare lip and it was he who was the bravest fighter and defended the town against all comers.

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