Take time to Reflect

Saturday 10th August

A very early start! The alarm woke us at 5am and Robbie seemed unusually keen to get out of bed. I snuggled back under the duvet for a minute or two, listening to him trotting around getting ready for the day. The ritual of packing the rucksack is a time consuming and from my point of view irritating procedure. Everything has to be taken out of the bag, checked and then packed back into the rucksack in the correct place, then additional items will be added according to the occasion. Throughout this process Robbie provides a running commentary on each item, presumably this is for his own benefit as it is of no interest at all to me. The result is that his newly packed rucksack weighs a ton and contains equipment to deal with every conceivable railway emergency as well as personal essentials. 

I could hear Robbie reciting the contents of his rucksack to himself in the other room so I took the opportunity to beat him to the bathroom. Before long Robbie was showered and ready for the day's adventure and we headed in the direction of North Walsham. He was going to play trains for the day, he likes to do something that he refers to as the drags when we are in Norfolk. By 8am I had delivered him to the station and I was safely back at the bungalow enjoying a nice cup of tea.

I decided to take a drive to Stalham to do a bit of shopping. I bought some lovely treats from the Truly Local shop, strawberries for Robbie, raspberries for me, bread, bread rolls, and tomato focaccia. I popped into a table top sale in the church hall and I bought myself a necklace from a handmade jewellery stall, I really like it, it's made of colourful glass beads with tiny little flowers within the glass. I went back to the bungalow to put the food away and then I took a drive to  Mundesley, it was lovely to enjoy the beach and the sunshine. I had a little look at the shops and sat in the sunshine for a while, then I went to the beach cafe for some lunch. I never tire of the beach cafe, the food is beautifully cooked, the portions are generous and the views across the beach are wonderful. I had fish and chips, it was lovely but it was such a large portion that I couldn't manage to eat it all.

I spent a quiet afternoon back at the bungalow, enjoying the sunshine and catching up with some writing. Robbie sent regular updates throughout the day, his second text of the morning was just one word "Farce!!!" apparently things hadn't gone exactly to plan. Robbie is never deterred for long and he scraped his timetable for the day in favour of Plan B which among other things involved a trip to London. I suppose it is all route knowledge and if it floats his boat why should I stand in his way. I picked him up at 9.45pm. The road from North Walsham to Walcott has lots of twists and turns and at that time of night it was pitch dark, so we took a gentle drive back. On the way I became aware of two sets of eyes at the side of the road and there were two deer looking out at us from the undergrowth. They stood still at the side of the road as we passed, it was a very special moment.

'The Norfolk landscape sends a shiver through my soul....' - Raffaella Barker

Tuesday 6th August

The picture shows the view from our back gate this morning. It is such a lovely day that I would have been happy just to wander on the beach or sit in the garden. However we had a couple of errands to do so we decided to sneak another trip to the Beach Cafe as well. I love it there, it was absolutely packed today but the food was excellent and the service was exceptional. 

As we ate our lunch I watched the people on the beach, the children with buckets and beach toys playing in the pools left by the tide and paddling in the sea and the parents keeping a protective eye on their little ones. It took me back to when my children were little, they loved the beach and they loved to play in the pools left behind by the tide. In one way it seems as if I have blinked and they are all grown up, but at the same time it feels as if it was a lifetime ago because so much has happened in our lives since then.

We went to Stalham for the errands I mentioned and on our way back to the car we found a fantastic little shop called Truly Local. If you are ever in Stalham it is well worth a visit. All the produce is sourced from a 35 mile radius of Stalham and the quality is obvious. We had a bit of a spending spree, we bought some beautiful strawberries, cream, strawberry jam, marmalade with whiskey (for Robbie), tomato focaccia, tomatoes (for me), goat burgers (for Robbie) and a couple of local beers Grain Brewery's Blonde Ash and Hare of the Dog by the Why Not Brewery (also for Robbie!). He wanted to buy some squirrel meat too (apparently it is very popular) but we are on holiday and I really don't want to mess around making a casserole. We were told that it tastes like rabbit and you cook it in much the same way. I don't eat rabbit and I really don't have a burning desire to try squirrel, but Robbie seems to have other ideas! We will certainly go back to Truly Local while we are in Norfolk, I wish we had a shop like this at home.

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. - Francis Bacon

Sunday 4th August

Walcott Sunrise

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, I got up to go to the bathroom then went to the back window to enjoy the beauty of the morning and the sounds of the sea. Then I crept back to bed, I was tired, it had been a busy few days, and there is nothing better on a Sunday morning than listening to Radio 4 in bed. Sleeping Beauty was still in 'the land of nod', he'd stayed up late last night enjoying the freedom to do as he liked without worrying about an early start in the morning.

It was nice to have a lazy start to the morning, but we weren't going to waste the day - and we weren't going to miss the Archers! We drove back to Mundesley at midday, Sunday lunch at Jonet has become a bit of a holiday tradition with us, this week it was roast chicken. Robbie grudgingly agreed to have a few peas but he left all the cabbage and carrots for me - I love cabbage. We spent a couple of hours in Mundesley, then we came back and sat in the garden until about 8pm. It was a beautiful day.

I have a lot of writing to do while I'm here (I'm writing a book) but I want to have fun too so I've brought a book with me called ' From you to me - A journal of a lifetime' my older daughter bought it for me. It gives lots of questions and prompts to write about my life and hers. With a bit of luck it will help to get the 'grey cells' working so that I can get on with my book. I also have my question and answer journal with me (another gift from my daughter), some of those questions are really challenging. Anyway I made a start on the lifetime journal, it is harder than it looks, but I am enjoying the challenge.

“Voyage upon life's sea, To yourself be true, And, whatever your lot may be, Paddle your own canoe”

Saturday 3rd August

The alarm woke me, I could so easily have turned over and gone back to sleep but I wanted to make an early start. I have looked forward to this holiday for so long and I want to make the most of every single minute. Surprisingly 'Sleeping Beauty' got up willingly and trotted off to make a cup of tea.

Usually Robbie finds every possible reason to delay us, but to my surprise we were packed and ready to go by 9am - perhaps the promise of a brief stop at Mc Donald's to get some breakfast helped to focus his mind. I am not a great fan of Mc Donald's but their hot chocolate is very nice as an occasional treat. Dave the cat was in a very bad mood he turned his back on me, refused his breakfast and wouldn't even acknowledge me when I said goodbye to him! Poor Dave, he hates it when we go on holiday but I'm sure My daughter will take good care of him.

I'd already had firm words with Robbie about the Sat-Nav. Last time we went to Norfolk he upset it and the poor thing lost the plot, it was a case of train planner v Sat-Nav and we almost ended up in a field! This time I'd had a good look at the map and I was determined that neither of them should lead me astray. Robbie did very well really, I was somewhat alarmed when I glanced across and noticed that he was using a Quail map but apparently he was just trying to identify a disused level crossing!

We made good time and arrived in Mundesley in time to enjoy lunch at the Beach Cafe, the food there is fantastic, I love going there. Robbie had his favourite lifesaver breakfast and I had fish and chips, it was lovely, beautifully cooked, and such a large portion that I wouldn't want anything else to eat that day! After a couple of hours in Mundesley we took a gentle drive towards Walcott, picked up the key and then at long last we were at the bungalow - I have been looking forward to this for so long, I love this place.

The car was unpacked, everything was put away, and before long it was just like home, our sanctuary for the next two weeks. At last we could relax, enjoy the sunshine and leave the worries of the world behind for a couple of weeks. The view from the back garden is awesome, just sand, sea and sky as far as the eye can see - it certainly helps to put things into perspective! 

Time To Go Home .........................

Saturday was a bright sunny morning, we didn't need to rush as we had until noon to pack up and leave the bungalow. Usually at the end of a holiday it feels rushed and chaotic but not this time, we were relaxed and organised and it didn't take too long to get everything packed in the car and to leave the place looking spotless. I had time to take one last look at the beach and to say a reluctant farewell to the sea. I have spent so many happy times there and some heartbreaking times too, it seems as if I have a very special connection to Walcott.

It must have been about 11am when we drove away from the bungalow. It was a scorching hot day, and I was looking forward to having brunch in Mundesley before heading home. The car park at Mundesley was filling up fast and there was a long queue for the pay and display machine, so while Robbie got the ticket I put the reflective sun screens across the front windows of the car so that the steering wheel wouldn't be 'too hot to handle' when we got back. 

We had a lovely meal and (in my case) a very good pot of tea at the Beach Cafe. It was a nice way to end our holiday. Afterwards we sat and looked out across the beach at everyone having fun and enjoying the sunshine. To be honest it was too hot for me, I don't cope very well with heat and there was no breeze. I decided that it was time to hit the road so that the air conditioning in the car could cool us down. Robbie thought it would be better for us to take the scenic route - which just happens to take us past the North Norfolk Railway! When we got to Holt he asked to spend some time at the railway, but I think we both knew that it was time to bid a fond farewell to Norfolk.
We had a good journey home and we stopped off at my mum's for a cup of tea before going home. Mum is still not feeling too well, but she is making progress.

A Good Drying Day

When I woke up on Thursday morning I was surprised to find that it was already a beautiful sunny day, so I decided to strike while the iron was hot and get some washing out - it was dry in a couple of hours! To be honest I was feeling a bit anxious because today was A level results day and my son had to go and pick up his AS Level exam results. It seemed to take forever but eventually the phone rang and his sister informed me that he had got good grades. My son then came on the phone, for just long enough for me to congratulate him, then he handed me back to his sister, I don't think he has any idea how how much I worry about him at times!

I didn't really want to go anywhere today the garden and the beach are all we need and the weather is perfect, but the lure of the beach cafe drew us to Mundesley for a late lunch. The food was excellent and better still they have mastered the art of making a good cup of tea, in fact their pot of tea for one provided two full cups of tea and the milk jug contained plenty of milk. The beach was busy but the tide was out so there was plenty of room for everyone. I was tempted to go for a stroll on the beach at Mundesley, but in the end we decided to head back to our beach at Walcott instead. Robbie doesn't paddle, but I love it so we strolled along the beach with me splashing about in the shallows and him keeping a safe distance. This year I asserted my independence and bought a pair of Crocs, much to the disgust of my daughters. For years they have told me that it would be too embarrassing for words if I wore Crocs, but I decided that they will just have to come to terms with the embarrassment because I needed some comfortable and practical holiday footwear. They are the most comfortable shoes i have ever worn, so I think I will wear them at home too!!

Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover!

I wanted to have a quieter day on Tuesday (holidays with Robbie are exhausting!) and Robbie needed to have his hair cut so we decided to have a lazy morning and then head into North Walsham for him to 'get his ears lowered'. It didn't take very long and they did a good job, so after having a quick look at the shops we drove to Mundesley because Robbie wanted to try out a new coffee shop.

The coffee shop, called The Corner House looked promising, when we drove past it but sadly looks can be deceiving. My grandma would occasionally describe people 'as all fur coat and no knickers' meaning that they may put on a good front, but that beneath the window dressing the person was 'cheap' - that is exactly what we found with the Corner House, the food was putrid and it was our worst eating experience in Norfolk. I ordered a pot of tea for one and a jacket potato with cheese and Robbie had a coffee with a cheese panini, so there wasn't a lot that they could get wrong - or so we thought! My tea was served in one of those pots that fits into the tea cup, with a silly little jug of milk that did not contain enough to drown a gnat. It is all very well having fancy tablecloths, but if your teapots dribble it really spoils the experience for the customer. I would have been much happier with a normal functional teapot, I would have also liked a jug of hot water so that I could vary the strength of the tea. There were sugar bowls on the table, with disgusting, hard crusty bits of sugar on top, but there were no sweeteners. Thankfully I had my own sweeteners, but the tea was disappointing, like bad railway tea. Robbie said his coffee was OK, but he would have liked sweeteners not sugar. 

My jacket potato arrived before Robbie's panini, it looked alright but on closer inspection it was ruined before it even go to me. When you order a jacket potato with cheese you don't expect someone to contaminate it with onion, but that is exactly what they had done, what passed for a side salad had been scattered over the plate and that included chopped onion and pepper as well as coleslaw. I picked every bit out and heaped it on the side of my plate but it was too late, the taste of onion had tainted the whole meal. There were no condiments except salt (in a dirty salt cellar) and pepper, I would have liked mayonnaise, but there was none available. The potato itself tasted foul, it was powdery and disgusting, I got Robbie to taste it to prove that it wasn't just me moaning, he said it was horrible. His panini was thin, flat and seriously anaemic, he said it was just about edible but only just.

The food wasn't the only problem with the Corner House, the music was absolutely dreadful, I don't want that sort of row when I go to a coffee shop. The seating was very uncomfortable and they allowed dogs in the coffee shop. Over all it was a very unpleasant experience.

We enjoyed a nice relaxed evening at the bungalow, I love the big Norfolk skies and the red sky in the evening is beautiful - 'Red at night shepherd's delight'.

Bat Watching

Sunday was the most amazing day, hot, sunny with just a slight breeze, it was a real beach day but I wanted to fit a couple of other things in as well. We went to have a look at the car boot sale in Stalham, it was a bit too hot and crowded for comfort and despite his protests that he was okay, I could tell that Robbie was in a lot of pain, so we didn't stay too long. We didn't buy much, but I couldn't resist buying a couple old annuals. Treasure was one of my favourite comics when I was little and 50p per annual it was a small price to pay to rekindle old memories. 

After the car boot we took a drive to Mundesley for a wonderful roast dinner at Jonet. I had a feast of vegetables because Robbie only wanted a few peas and carrots so I had all his cauliflower, sweet corn as well as my own vegetables. There is something extra special about a roast dinner when you haven't had to cool it and I really enjoyed it.

We spent a little while in Mundesley, enjoying the beach and soaking up the sunshine, then we took a gentle drive back to the bungalow. We had a walk on the beach and we sat in the garden for a little while. I didn't stay outside for too long because I was afraid of getting burnt, I had sun block on but I still caught the sun a bit.

At dusk we stood outside and watched the bats flying around the garden, I love watching them. They are so quick that it is hard for my eyes to keep up with them, but there is something soothing about watching them

Sunday Lunch

We were up bright and early on Sunday. It was a warm and sunny day and we had time to enjoy the morning before going to a car boot sale in Stalham. Robbie bought a couple of dvds but I steered him away from the books and magazines – we have more than enough junk at home already. After the car boot sale we took a drive into Mundesley and enjoyed Sunday Lunch at Jonet, one of our favourite restaurants. It was lovely, roast lamb with cauliflower, broccoli, peas and carrots as well as roast potatoes. Robbie isn’t really into vegetables so he had a few peas and carrots and left all the broccoli and cauliflower for me, it was beautifully cooked.

We came back to the bungalow for Robbie to watch Andy Murray win the gold medal in the men’s singles. I am not into tennis and very definitely not into the Olympics but I was quite contented sitting in the other room writing another chapter of my ‘memoirs’. Then in the evening we enjoyed a walk along the beach, there is something so special about the sounds and smell of the sea, and the sky in Norfolk is beautiful.

Delaying Tactics

The alarm roused us at 5.30am and by the time Robbie emerged from the shower I had the car packed and I thought we were ready to hit the road – we weren't!  Still in a state of undress, Robbie decided that this was the moment to catalogue his Hornby magazines. I must be mellowing because instead of wanting to harm him I smiled indulgently at him sitting in the middle of the lounge floor like an eccentric garden gnome surrounded by magazines. I took the time to check through my packing list once more to make absolutely sure that we had not forgotten anything. 

Eventually we were ready to go but Robbie demanded a diversion via Mc Donalds to pick up some breakfast for him (I would rather starve than face that first thing in the morning). Finally we were on the road when Robbie startled me by shouting out to express his pleasure about something.  I was confused because we were nowhere near the railway line so he couldn't have seen a train, apparently his whoop of joy was because his sausage egg and cheese bagel had been constructed in the correct order. Oh well whatever floats his boat.

Despite Robbie’s delaying tactics we were early enough to get a good run and soon after 11am we were in Walcott. It was a beautiful day and we had a lovely relaxed lunch at the Beach Café in Mundesley, looking out across the beach. After all that had happened in the last week or so it was hard to believe that we are finally here with two whole weeks of freedom stretching ahead of us. We drove back to Walcott and set about unpacking. At last everything was put away, we were both exhausted and we had a very early night.

A Reluctant Farewell

I was awake very early on Saturday morning, I had to get up early but I woke even earlier. I went over and looked out of the window and saw the first silvery light of the sun rising over the sea. In the garden the bats were circling and I watched fascinated, I had never seen them flying in the early morning before. All too soon I had to drag myself away and attend to the pressing matters of real life. Before long I was washed and dressed and getting on with packing all the luggage into the car and cleaning and tidying the bungalow. Robbie took a few minutes to walk along the coast path to the shop to buy a paper and he took a lovely early morning photo of the beach.

Finally everything was packed into the cars and the cleaning was done. Robbie and I left mum and David and set off for Mundesley for a much loved breakfast at the beach cafe. We made a brief stop at the shop for Robbie and as I sat in the car looking at the sea I noticed that the gulls sitting on the groynes, they looked almost as if they were sitting in formation.

As I looked at all the familiar sights of Mundesley I couldn't help wondering when we would be back and how many things will have changed by then. After a delicious breakfast we returned to the car and drove back past Stow Mill, then Bacton and on through Walcott, we passed the shop, the bungalows and the beautiful church. Then on passed the turn to Happisburgh and a final glimpse of the lighthouse. Further on towards Stalham passed the now harvested fields and the familiar village signs. A series of reluctant farewells, then on to the wider and faster roads that would lead us home. 


We had a good journey traffic wise, but for me there was a feeling of sadness. We seemed to be leaving the summer behind us and heading back to face the worries and uncertainties of real life. There is one good thing about getting home, I love my own bed! 

Norfolk Here We Come - Again!

Robbie set the alarm on his Blackberry to the time that he wanted to wake up, so at a stupidly early time the alarm went off. For a small phone it makes a very loud noise, it could wake the dead, but it doesn't wake Robbie - apparently that's my job!  The alarm went off and sleeping beayty didn't flinch, I shouted at him to turn it off and he said yes but did nothing. I yelled louder, this time he obeyed and turned the alarm off, but he didn't wake up! This process was repeated ever 5 minutes until 5.20 by which time I was ready to kill. I made dark threats about the fate of his Blackberry and he woke up sufficiently to turn the alarm off completly before pulling the covers over his head and going back to sleep. I went off and had my bath and got on with my morning routine before trying to wake him again, but after a series of insults (from him) he finally got up and waddled off to the bathroom to have a shower. 


By some miracle we were ready to leave the house at 8.20 and after a quick detour for fuel and to buy Robbie some breakfast we were on the road just before 9am. heading for Norfolk. This time we were going to collect some of my mum's luggage to make her journey home a little easier on Saturday. Traffic was fairly heavy but we made good time and we were at the bungalow just after 11.30. It was so nice to be close to the sea again, to look our across the beach and to listen to the rythum of the waves, to me it seems like the heartbeat of the earth.


My mum and stepfather took us for lunch in Mundesley, it was very nice, lamb shank with vegetables and yorkshire pudding. Afterwards we took my mum shopping in North Walsham while David (my step father) relaxed back at the bungalow. As we set off for North Walsham a butterfly fluttered across the windscreen of the car and then it fluttered alongside the passenger window until we reached the end of the lane. Then as we travelled along the very pretty country road to North Walsham Robbie noticed that we had a stowaway, a grasshopper was travelling on the windscreen wiper. Foolish as it may seem I had vague worries about it not being able to get back to it's correct habitat, but by the time we reached North Walsham my attention had been taken up with other things. 


We spent a happy couple of hours in North Walsham, Robbie bought some railway magazines and a couple of prints of old railway posters but I had more practical matters in mind, I bought some oven cleaner! As we drove back Robbie made a series of excited squeals and pointed out of the window. Usually this signals that he has seen a train, but as there was no railway line nearby I realised that it must be something else. He wasn't pointing out of the window he was pointing at the window, the grasshopper was hitching a lift back on the passenger window! I think it bailed out at almost the same spot that we picked it up!


Robbie had a bit of a sulk because I was unable to stop at exactly the spot he requested to enable him to  take a photo of a tractor in an adjoining field. He got over it eventually and it was such a nice day that we were able to go and sit in the garden with a cup of tea, or in Robbie's case a cup of coffee. Later on we went for a walk on the beach and I found a lovely 'wishing stone', if only it really could make my wishes come true.


We sat outside and watched the bats flying around the garden for a while, but then Robbie decided to go and have a shower because he was too hot. I went in and chatted to my mum, then after an hour or so we realised that Robbie was 'missing in action', he hadn't made it to the shower he was sprawled across the bed fast asleep. He didn't surface again, so when I went to bed I had to wake him up and ask him to move so that he wasn't blocking the entire bed. He answered me, but when I asked him to move he lifted his legs in the air, peddled vigorously and then resumed his original position. It took consiberal effort to shift him but eventually he went off to have a wash and get ready for bed. I stood at the window looking out at the moon on the sea and wishing that I could hang on to the precious times that sometimes seem so fleeting.

Soon Robbie was fast asleep again. I snuggled under the duvet, but it was a long time before I fell asleep. I lay there listening to the sounds of the sea and remembering the many happy times and a few sad ones spent here. This little bit of Norfolk will always hold a special place in my heart.

Homeward Bound

Sunday morning dawned and I woke up much too early, for a while I just lay there listening to the sounds of the sea and wishing that I could turn back time. I wanted to see my son and daughters, but the prospect of returning to the real world with all its worries seemed daunting to say the least. Before long I was busy packing up our last items of luggage and our holiday was well and truly over. There wasn't very much to pack so I took time to take a little walk along the coast path to say goodbye to the sea. I stood for a moment to try to imprint all the sounds and smells of the beach on my memory so that when I look back at my photos I will be transported back to this time in my mind. 


All too soon it was time to leave the bungalow, but we had one last treat to look forward to, Sunday lunch in Mundesley with my mum and step father. It was roast beef, my absolute favourite, Robbie likes it too, but he is not too keen on vegetables, under pressure from me he made a token effort and added a teaspoon full of peas to his plate leaving me to enjoy a lovely selection of vegetables. After a last look around Mundesley Robbie set the sat nav to 'home' and we set off on our journey back to reality. 


The sat nav took us on an interesting and attractive route that was suspiciously like the route we took the previous week when we went to the North Norfolk Railway. Sure enough the sat nav led us to Holt and right past the turning to the railway, we didn't stop but Robbie had time to see the double decker bus that they have. He swears that it was just the way that the sat nav chose to take us, but I am not so sure. I think he has found an application that takes us past as many railway landmarks as possible. We passed level crossings, railway bridges and various other railway related points of interest - next time I will take control of the sat nav!

Puzzled

Robbie came to bed very late last night or more accurately I should say this morning, so when I got up he was still in the land of nod - and he remained there for half the morning! He was late coming to bed because he had got carried away with doing his jigsaw of the Flying Scotsman. I am not a jigsaw person but there is something about an unfinished jigsaw that demands your attention and spent a peaceful couple of hours with Radio 4 and the jigsaw. When Mr Sleepy finally woke up he wasn't best pleased, but he hid it well. We went out for lunch at Mundesley which was a nice treat. After that we had a bit of a potter around before heading back to the bungalow. I went for a walk along the beach, but Robbie stayed behind with his jigsaw, he made it very clear that my help was no longer needed. I was very happy out on the beach, I found a wishing stone and I wandered along noticing all the little details that you only notice when you are on your own.

Robbie completed his jigsaw, it looked amazing, now he has the next one out and he is planning to start that later this evening. It has pictures of old Hornby models on it, it looks really difficult but apparently he doesn't need any help! I have really enjoyed today, it has been fun, it is so nice to have to relax without the day to day world crowding in on us.  

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation. To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgement. - Leonardo DaVinci

Robbie had a plan to get up early and drive to North Walsham to catch the train to Sherringham to spend another day on the North Norfolk Railway. All this rushing around to catch trains is getting suspiciously like our normal routine, I would have liked our holiday to have been less 'timetabled' but I guess that life with Robbie means that almost everything is timetabled! I was very pleased when late on Saturday evening he decided that he would rather go out for Sunday lunch than go to the railway. Like Scooby Doo he will do almost anything for food..

It was a lovely sunny day and we had a leisurely morning listening to the Archers and enjoying the luxury of time. By midday we were at a restaurant in Mundsley having Sunday lunch. The vegetables were served in a dish, cabbage, peas, carrots and leeks, but Robbie rejected all of them and tucked into roast pork, apple sauce, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and lashings of gravy. Oh well, at least I enjoyed the vegetables!

After lunch we decided to go for a drive and I surprised Robbie by driving him to Weybourne so that he could visit the station bookshop. I let the sat nav guide me to Weybourne, it was a lovely journey but there were lots of twists and turns and it was scarily narrow in places. We got a lovely view of a windmill and there were beautiful costal views.

Robbie spent an eternity choosing books and magazines and he darted around taking photos of the trains. He was like a kid in a sweet shop, books, magazines and trains, he didn't know what to do first! We came home with a bag of magazines, books, maps and catalogues, and Robbie has spent most of the evening reading.

The sea hath no king but God alone - Dante Gabriel Rossetti

According to the forecasts Friday was to be wet and miserable but Norfolk weather has a mind of its own and the ominous dark cloud was chased away by the sun leaving a lovely bright sky. We decided to make the most of the nice day and had a wander around the car boot sale, Robbie bought a cd but apart from that we enjoyed looking at all the goods on sale without giving in to temptation. By the time we had finished at the car boot sale Robbie’s tummy was rumbling so we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the beach café in Mundesley. There were lots of people on the beach and we enjoyed looking out at the sea as we ate our lunch. To my considerable relief Robbie passed on the onion rings this time, I can’t stand the smell of onion.



After lunch Robbie suggested that we should take a drive to Horsey Mill. It is a nice drive and it takes us past the lighthouse at Happisburgh as well as several beautiful churches and other buildings of interest. Horsey Mill is rather spectacular and Robbie darted about taking photos before his attention was taken by the shop – they had several interesting railway books! We took a gentle drive back towards Stalham so that Robbie could buy supplies for a packed lunch. He was determined to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning to go and play trains – again. I was equally determined that I wasn’t going, but I didn’t mind dropping him off at the station.

It is the false shame of fools to try to conceal wounds that have not healed - Horace

We are on holiday and we should be away from the everyday cares of the world, but the news over the last few days has been so appalling that it has been impossible ignore it. News of the rioting and looting in London and other cities has made me feel so ashamed of my fellow citizens. There really is no excuse for mob violence, they have made people homeless and devastated countless businesses. They don’t seem to care that people have lost everything, homes, livelihoods and jobs are gone and so many communities have been deeply scarred.



Robbie and I have reacted differently, I don’t want to look, I just want to cover my eyes in shame, and Robbie on the other hand can’t stop checking for the latest updates. His work place has been affected, other rail companies have been badly affected, nearby shops have been looted and damaged, big city centre shops have suffered serious damage and normal life has been brought to a halt. I am thankful that we are on holiday because I would be so scared for Robbie if he was at work, it may sound selfish, but because of his spina bifida if he got caught up in any trouble even a relatively minor injury to his back could mean he would never be able to walk again. I just keep wondering why such young children are on the street running wild, what on earth are their parents doing?


Apart from keeping in touch with the news we managed make the most of the day. We went to Mundesley, there were lots of people on the beach despite some rather impressive waves. The highlight of Robbie’s day was a visit to the Beach Café for lunch, their food is excellent and the portions are so generous that even Robbie can’t eat any more. I am making him keep his distance because he had onion rings with his lunch!


We visited Stalham on the way back, we had to pop into Tesco for milk and bread and supplies for our packed lunch tomorrow - Robbie is determined that we have to go to the North Norfolk Railway. Oh well at least there is a nice bookshop there!

Mixed Feelings

Sunday

Despite having to head home, today was a lovely day. We had a lazy morning then my mum and step father took us to Mundesley for lunch. I had a roast dinner with my absolute favourite carrot and swede (as well as cabbage, peas and runner beans - I love runner beans too). Robbie is a man of many passions, but that does not extend to vegetables - he decided that good food could wait and he had an all day breakfast! After lunch we said a fond farewell to the sea and reluctantly set off for home.

I felt a strange mixture of feelings, I was very reluctant to leave Walcott and the bungalow and I really didn't want the holiday to end, but I had missed the children very much and I really wanted to see them again. We had a leisurely drive home, no radio, just chatting, it was really nice. When we got back there was the inevitable cleaning tidying and food shopping but we didn't let it get to us. The challenge now is to adapt to reality again while preserving something of the closeness we enjoyed on holiday.

Just Looking

Friday

We had to get up earlier this morning because we wanted to go and have a look at the car boot sale and it started at 11am. It wasn't such a difficult target when you consider what time we get up on weekdays when we are at home, but still we had a last minute rush, in fact it looked as if Robbie would be attending the car boot sale in his lounge wear!

It was a sunny and very warm morning and we enjoyed walking around looking at all the stalls, it was fun. In the end we didn't buy anything, I think we both know that we have more than enough junk in our house and we need to be getting rid of things not buying more!

After the boot sale we went to Mundsley for the afternoon we enjoyed the beach and we had a lovely meal. I am so sorry that we are going home on Sunday, it has been such a wonderful holiday that I would like to pause time for a while and just enjoy being together - but I have missed the children and I am longing to see them again.

Red Faced

Today was a lovely day in every sense, it was sunny and warm with just enough breeze to make it comfortable. Robbie and I were able to enjoy the luxury of having nothing to do and no reason to rush anywhere. It is so nice to just be on our own for a few days, we really should make time for ourselves more often.

We decided to take a drive to Mundesley and on the way Robbie announced that they were probably having a lovely quiet week at work without him. Perhaps they are, but I am sure he will make up for lost time when he gets back! This morning a casual glance out of the car window set him off on a long and detailed monologue about the history and evolution of water towers, so I am sure he will treat everyone at work to that little gem when he returns.

We had a very happy and chilled time in Mundesley, in fact I was so chilled that I agreed to Robbie having onion rings with his lunch - so we had to drive with the car window open on the way back. We took a slight diversion to Tesco to pick up a few essentials, all was going well until we got to the section with the toiletries and Robbie held up a product and very loudly discussed my requirements. There are some things that you just don't want to draw attention to - unless you are Robbie. I decided to do without the product for now and I made a dash for the checkouts to avoid further embarrassment.

I love spending quality time with Robbie, but a fortnight of undiluted Robbie may be a bit much even for me. So I am sending him off for some respite at the weekend - he will be playing trains among other things.