Passions

Tuesday was already planned out for us by Robbie. He suffers withdrawal symptoms if he is away from trains for too long, so we had to indulge his passion with a trip to Norwich by train. He kept a running commentary about each different train that he saw, but I was really well behaved and smiled indulgently as he jotted down numbers. Usually when he does that I pretend that I am travelling alone but I just happen to be sitting next to a random weirdo! I even stood quietly and waited while he took endless photos of trains when we got to Norwich.

We had a lovely time in Norwich, except when we went to Boots. Robbie needed hair gel and I needed the items that I didn't get at Tesco the day before. There was more choice at Boots which caused Robbie to be more vocal about what I wanted, he knew I was embarrassed but he was determined to tease me. I chose quickly and hurried him away as another shopper gave him a very disapproving look. A couple of minutes later we were selecting a different product when the same customer passed us again. She gave Robbie a withering look that was completely wasted on him. He announced (too loudly for comfort) that she was jealous and she probably wished her husband was just like Robbie!

Robbie is a man of many passions, trains are perhaps the most obvious obsession, but there is much more to him than that, so we set about indulging some of his other desires. What could be better than Costa Coffee in Waterstones? It was wonderful sipping coffee (from a mug that was so big that I could hardly lift it) while surrounded by books, the anticipation of browsing was almost as good as the experience itself. We finally managed to drag ourselves away from Waterstones, but t seemed that he hadn't had enough pleasure for one day, so he steered me in the direction of PaperChase. As he looked at all the products he became so excited that I thought he would explode, he was like a kid in a sweetshop. I love stationary too, but I manage to be a little less vocal about it than Robbie!

It was a really enjoyable day out that was only spoiled by the rudeness and poor service of the station staff at Norwich. It used to be a really nice station to visit, but over the last couple of years it has really slipped.

Time To Go Home

All good things must come to an end but we were sad to reach the end of our holiday. Saturday was bright and sunny with a clear blue sky so when we had packed the car and cleaned the bungalow we decided to enjoy the sunshine. We took a walk along the coast to the shop, then Robbie decided to give the car a good wash and I went for a last walk along the beach and paddled in the sea.. I will miss the freedom and thinking space that Walcott allows, but we have to go home and get back to the usual busy routine.

So what will I remember about this holiday? The beach, the seals, the ladybirds and the butterflies of course, but mainly I will remember Robbie's antics. The time when he behaved so badly in Norwich that he was banished to Marks and Spencers, he thought I hadn't noticed that he'd bought an unspeakably hideous tie and hidden it in his underwear draw. It is so loud and so red that it like looking at a party political broadcast! I can guarantee that it will be lost within a week.

Then there was the trip to Wroxham when I was casually looking at skirts while waiting for Robbie to return from the loo. He walked over to me and said emphatically “Er No!” and he shook his head at the skirt. I didn't like the skirt and I had no intention of buying it, but his comment made me so mad that I almost bought it just to spite him. Who does he think he is to give advice on fashion, he is not exactly a role model when it comes to sartorial elegance! With his baggy shorts loud T shirts and converse boots he looks as if he takes his fashion inspiration from Bart Simpson!

On the same day at Wroxham I lost him in the toy shop, he was in there for so long that I almost abandoned him there. He found a vibrating Mr Tickle with a seriously irritating laugh and he was seriously contemplating spending £29.99 to by it. I gave him a look and he grudgingly left the shop, but when I wasn't looking he darted back in to get himself a Playmobil catalogue!

A Cheerful Chap?

Would the person who has stolen Robbie and left me with Victor Meldrew please send the real Robbie back, it really isn't funny any more! The day started well, Robbie had been agitating to go to Norwich, so today we got up early and headed to North Walsham to catch the train. The problem started just as we were leaving, he went to the fridge to get the can of coke that he'd chilled over night and he found that Sam had taken it earlier in the morning. I let him rant for several miles, but when he showed no sign of getting things in proportion I had my say. I reminded him that we had two cases of cans and it had been selfish of him to only chill one, if he had chilled several he and Sam could both have one. I also reminded him that we haven't yet become so anal that that we have to put labels on things in the fridge proclaiming ownership of various items. A family should be able to share!

It seems that just as Popeye needs his spinach, Robbie is incapable of functioning without a cold can of coke, he was still bleating about it when we got to Norwich. He seemed to lack enthusiasm for anything, he just stood outside the shops looking sullen. I thought that suggesting lunch at Subway would cheer him up, but it just made him even more impossible, so after lunch I decided that enough was enough and I dropped him off for a couple of hours at the 'man crèche' – otherwise known as Marks and Spencer!

Sam and I did more looking than buying, but 3 t-shirts and a decidedly dodgy tie seemed to cheer Robbie up no end. We went to Costa for a coffee and he managed to be almost civil, and a foray into Smiths and Quicksilver cheered him up even more. Unfortunately my happiness factor was set to plummet. Robbie led us back to the station at such a brisk trot and I had to run to keep up, then when we finally got the train it was full and standing with people spilling out onto the platform and bikes blocking the aisles. We squeezed on to train but it was swarming with unaccompanied youngsters behaving like brats. The train was dirty, disgusting and smelly, when a disabled person in a wheelchair wanted to use the train it was a total fiasco and it was quite obvious that the train was unsuitable for use on that line. The train crawled most of the way to North Walsham and I can honestly say it was my most unpleasant train journey ever. If this is the best National Express can manage they should hang their heads in shame and leave the railways to those who can do a better job. If we go back to Norwich next week, it will be by car rather than by train.

Robbie is a more cheerful chap this evening, lets hope he can keep it up!