Cross her palm with silver and she'll tell you what the future holds for you.

ON THE west side of Whitby harbour, near the fish market, next to the whelk stall, is the cabin of Lee Ester Alita Lee, fortune teller, clairvoyant and medium. Inside, the cabin is like a gypsy caravan, cheerfully cluttered with flowers and ornaments, crystal balls... and a mobile phone.

The outside is decorated with pictures, faded photographs of wonderfully painted traditional gypsy wagons, their owners standing proudly in front of them.

"Those are my parents and grandparents, Missus," says Mrs Lee, "They were true born Romanies and so am I. I was born in that big wagon, a Reading wagon we called them, because that's where they were built.

"We travelled all over the country. Sometimes we'd meet up with friends or relations. Sometimes when we were on the road we'd just find a field or a lay-by and unhitch the horses. We'd get water from a stream or a well, get the fire lit. My mother would cook us something nutritious over the fire and that was our home.

"It was an exciting life. Every day was different. My mother looked after us girls, me and my sisters. I remember her brushing our long hair and then she would put it into plaits.

"I never learned to read and write but I was born with the gift. Us three girls all were. It's just something you pick up and know how to use. My mother had it, my daughters have it and now my grand-daughter too. I read faces - you can tell so much from looking at a face - and hands. I do crystal readings too, that's where you get the deeper readings.

"No it doesn't frighten me. It's just what I'm used to. If I read a lady's hand and I see bad news, I don't tell her outright. I put it in a nice round-about way, try to help her, prepare her. Sometimes people want reassuring. Or when people have questions, problems you can guide them a bit, help them decide what to do. The Lord helps those who help themselves and you can encourage people to do something instead of just worrying about it.

"To be honest, Missus, I'd be worried if people didn't come back to me. But they come because they know I can help them and I believe that's why we're put on this earth, to help each other when we can. I don't go to church but I believe in the Lord up there. We're all God's children.

"We have a lot of opposition now, of course. There are people in the papers who say they can tell the future. You can hear it on television or just ring up. It's everywhere but it's not the same. It makes it harder for us to earn our bread and jam and I have to earn my living, I'm a working woman. But people can try it, then they come back to us.

"I was born in Castleford and we went all over England but I'd always liked Whitby and the people here so I live here now. I've got good friends here and a good name. It's a nice town. I'm a widow woman and I'm 63 and it's not safe for me to be travelling on my own any more. And it's not the same on the road as it was when I was a girl You can't just stop the wagon in a lay-by the way you could and the roads are so busy.

"And other people have spoilt it for us. New Age Travellers and the like causing trouble and upsetting people. People who aren't Romanies are giving us a bad name.

"But I still get about a bit. I can't stay in one place all the time. I'll go to Appleby fair and maybe down to Stow on the Wold for the gathering there. It's a chance to see my family and friends, but I'll come back to Whitby. People expect to see me here now and I might be able to help them. We have to help each other."

There's a stool outside the cabin where prospective clients can wait if another reading is in progress. Be prepared to spend some time admiring the boats in the harbour. Mrs Lee doesn't rush the future and gives clients plenty of time. There is no false mystery, just a friendly, down-to-earth woman making the most of her gift. And is she accurate?

Well, she told me I was close to a brother I don't have. On the other hand she also said I was married to a generous man who was a workaholic perfectionist and who would be utterly lost without me - which was absolutely spot on.

As for the future, only time can tell. And Mrs Lee, of course.