"Book lovers never go to bed alone" - Unknown

Tuesday 13th August

We'd planned to make an early start this morning because we were going to Cromer, but it proved harder than expected to get up and get organised, so it was 10am before we left the bungalow. It didn't really matter, we had an enjoyable drive and we found a parking space without too much difficulty. 

Our first port of call was the tourist information centre, it has an Internet hot spot. We have missed having a reliable Internet connection while in Norfolk, so we took the chance to catch up on email, facebook etc. While there we bought a pile of railway poster postcards - Robbie likes to collect them. 

 We wandered in the direction of Jarolds, but we didn't get that far, I had forgotten about Robbie's need to stop and photograph every bus that he sees - he even used his phone to take photos as he was crossing the road! I had also forgotten  about the hardware shop, Robbie absolutely loves that shop, he has a bit of an obsession with crockery. I waited and waited until I was so bored that I told him that I was going over the road to the second hand bookshop. I was in heaven! I had forgotten about this shop and I spent a very happy time looking at all the children's books. When Robbie saw the Ladybird books I thought he was going to burst with excitement. He bought the Ladybird book about the railway, he had a good look at the railway book section but he didn't buy any, instead he chose two hardback Snoopy books - one of them is in French!

We finally got to Jarolds where Robbie indulged his passion for pens and erasers as well as books, Playmobil, purses and postcards. We were hungry by now but Robbie still had another bookshop on his list so we walked across to the bargain bookshop and Robbie checked out the transport section - they had bus books as well as railway books so I knew I was in for a long wait! I found a fantastic book which contained all the Britains model catalogues of the 1970s. We bought that book as well as a railway book that Robbie just couldn't resist. 

At long last it was time to eat, we found a little restaurant called the Garden Street Grill. I loved the meal, the service was prompt and friendly and the toilets were excellent. It was good value and I would definitely go there again. 

Relaxing on the Railway

We had decided to get up early and drive to the North Norfolk Railway on Wednesday, but even the prospect of trains didn't encourage Robbie to get a wriggle on. We set of quite a lot later than we planned, but as it was Cromer Carnival I hoped that people would be heading to Cromer rather than Weybourne. As it turned out everyone seemed to have shunned Cromer in favour of the railway and we couldn't park at Weybourne. We drove to Holt instead and we found a fairly convenient parking space, it had the added bonus of giving Robbie the chance to take countless photos of Holt Flyer, the old Routemaster bust that runs between the station and the town centre.

Holt station is nowhere near as nice as Weybourne, and the toilets are disappointing but Robbie likes Holt because it has fairground rides and a little museum, which gives Robbie the chance to take lots of photos. We made lots of trips between Holt, Weybourne and Sherringham and there was the inevitable and very long visit to the railway bookshop at Weybourne. I don't know where we are going to put all his new books and magazines when we get home!

We had taken a picnic lunch with is and we ate it in the sunshine at a picnic table at Holt Station. The forecast was for strong wind and torrential rain, but it did not materialise, there was a brief shower which only lasted two or three minutes in the early afternoon, then it was calm and sunny again until we were back at the bungalow and we had a sudden heavy shower which lasted for less than five minutes. We have been very lucky with the weather it has been dry and sunny every day and I don't think I have worn a jacket or cardigan for the whole fortnight.

Spiral Archive

Robbie was very excited about Saturday, he had looked forward to it all week, but if I'm honest I wasn't keen. We were going to the Spiral Archive, record shop which is also a bookshop. I love books and the idea of spending ages checking out all the books in this shop was very attractive. However the shop contained two of the things that I really don't like, music and coffee, so I was apprehensive. I am not good with the smell of coffee, I really can't cope with loud Robbie type music and I knew that Robbie would be in there for ages. 

As it turned out I coped better with the smell of coffee and the music than I expected. I really enjoyed sorting through the books and I found a few treasures that I absolutely had to have. I have to admit to getting bored long before Robbie was ready to go, but that is not surprising because he was there for almost 3 hours!! I think he could have easily spent our whole annual budget, but in the end he came away with a bag full of treasures and a huge grin on his face. His purchases included Hatful of Hollow, Veruca Salt (7"), Altern 8 Activ-8 (7") and Altern 8 various remix's (12") as well as a couple of 1970s Hornby catalogues. It really was Robbie's idea of heaven, a shop that sells railway books as well as a huge selection of vinyl records. 

He Got The Call!

It has been almost a week since I last wrote the blog. Robbie and I have had time off work together and it has been really special, we have had such a good time that the blog just had to wait! So I have a bit of catching up to do...........


Saturday
I was determined that I would not let the day slip through my fingers as so often happens on a Saturday, so I set my alarm to wake me up at a reasonable hour and I made my mind up to enjoy the day to the full. The alarm went off and as soon as I popped my head out from under the covers I knew that it was distinctly chilly. I managed a brief dash to the bathroom before retreating back under the covers. It was nice to sit in bed snug and warm with my laptop while listening to the radio. There is something very special about the luxury of time and the freedom to do whatever floats your boat. In my life, time is a rare commodity so it is extra special to have days of total freedom stretching ahead of me. Robbie made good use of his time - snuggled under the covers exploring the land of nod!


After a very enjoyable morning and a lazy lunch the phone rang and Robbie's eyes lit up when he realised who was calling. It was the optician to tell him that his new glasses were ready for collection. I have never seen him move so fast, one minute he had been trotting around the house in his 'smalls' Homer style, the next he was 'fully booted and spurred' and ready to go and collect his glasses. We rarely go to town on a Saturday (I don't cope well with crowded places) but it was a very pleasant couple of hours. Robbie's choice of glasses was fairly reserved by his standards, both pairs have a little hint of the unconventional, but you have to look carefully to spot it. Once we'd collected the glasses we had time to visit the bookshop and then enjoy a visit to Costa. 

On the way home Robbie spotted a sign for a shop that sells vinyl records. The excitement was almost too much for him, it was too late to visit the shop that day but it is high on his 'to do' list for the week ahead. 

A room without books is like a body without a soul - Cicero

I had such a good time on Saturday. For me it was a Robbie free day because he was out playing trains - nothing new there! A couple of months ago my friend took me to visit the most amazing place, it is called Astley Book Farm and it is the largest second hand book shop in the Midlands. I loved it and I promised myself that I would go back when I had plenty of time to brose. I told my daughter Emily about it and she wanted to go as well, so we planned our trip for Saturday. To say that Emily shares my love of books would be an understatement, I have never seen anyone so excited about visiting a bookshop! 


It was a nice morning and we had a nice drive to the book farm, we got there fairly early so that we had plenty of time to explore every section of the shop. It is an amazing place, just when you think you have got to the end of the shop you find a doorway or turning opening on to another section. Emily soon found the English language section and she was in her element, crouched on the floor looking at every book that took her fancy. I wandered off and soon I had found two or three books that would make perfect Christmas presents. I was having a great time and I felt virtuous too, it is only September and I have started my Christmas shopping! 

Emily was still sitting on the floor reading text books when I wandered past ten minutes later. She excitedly offered me a book, it was a dictionary of vulgarity in 
old English, that girl is passionate about language. I left her surrounded by a pile of books and headed up to the children's section in the hayloft. Who needs anti wrinkle cream when you can visit a place like this. Soon I was sitting on the floor rediscovering treasures from my childhood including Sam Pig, My Naughty Little Sister and many more. Emily came up to join me and we rekindled memories from her childhood too. 


Considerably later I made my way down from the hayloft and headed for the transport section clutching the pile of books that I intended to buy. There was a whole section on railway books so I happily whiled away another half an hour looking at some amazing books. I selected a book about the railway companies pre nationalisation, it is a lovely book and it was very reasonably priced.


By then my friend had arrived so we paid for our books and put them in the car before going to the coffee shop for a cup of tea and a natter. Afterwards we had a last look around and we bought a couple more things before going back to my friend's house for a while. I really enjoyed the whole day, it is nice to spend some quality time with my daughter, and I always enjoy spending time with my friend. The added enjoyment of the bookshop turned it into a perfect day. I must take time to do more things like this.

To dare to preserve the randomness of mind which in children produces strange and wonderful new thoughts and forms - Gordon Webber

Robbie has been keeping up his reputation for randomness, this afternoon he asked me if it was true that gooseberries were green. When I told him that they were he expressed amazement and said he had never known that. We have been together for quite a few years now and I am certain that the subject of gooseberries has never cropped up until today, the odd thing is that he went on to tell me that he doesn’t like them!

Robbie showed a marked reluctance to get up this morning, so we didn’t go to the North Norfolk Railway, we went to Cromer instead. Cromer is not very big, but it has two very nice book shops and both have a good selection of railway books so it will not come as a surprise that Robbie bought a couple of books, one was about buses and the other is about British industrial locomotives. We also bought a board for Robbie’s jigsaw, he has brought two jigsaws on holiday with him and predictably both have a railway theme.


This evening I haven’t been able to get two words out of him, he has been busy reading his Bus book and reading bus timetables that he picked up in Cromer. There is no hope when he is not train spotting he is bus spotting and when he runs out of buses he stands at the window with his binoculars spotting ships!

To dare every day to be irreverent and bold. To dare to preserve the randomness of mind which in children produces strange and wonderful new thoughts and forms. To continually scramble the familiar and bring the old into new juxtaposition.

Gordon Webber

Manchester Piccadilly

When diplomatic relations had been restored on Saturday morning we decided to go out on the train to have lunch at York. All was going well until Robbie decided to change the goal posts and started chatting to his friend (via blackberry) about alternative places to go. I don't like it when he tries to change the arrangements in that way. He came up with all sorts of crazy ideas about places to go, it didn't really matter where we went because we were only going out for lunch but I was getting increasingly irritated with all the silly suggestions. An old library, a hat museum (whoever wants to go to a hat museum?) and assorted ancient or historical places - were they trying to say that I am an old relic?


In the end I agreed to go to Manchester but just for lunch, not to the library. When we caught the train at Birmingham first class was packed, but we managed to find a seat. Robbie said that it was probably busy because everyone was going to the Labour conference. If that is the case judging by the elderly occupants of our train the Labour Party will probably die out within 15 years!


I liked the station at Manchester, but as soon as we got outside I was scared and I didn't want to go far because it was so noisy and crowded. As it turned out we has a lovely time, we went to the Ian Allan bookshop, I could have spent hours in there it was brilliant! Finally we had to drag ourselves away and we went to Costa before heading back to the station. It was a nice day.

A Day in Cromer

Thursday.

We had decided to get up in good time and head into Cromer in time to find a parking space, but the reality proved a little different. Neither of us were in any hurry to get up, maybe it is the Norfolk air, or perhaps it is just the luxury of time, but getting out of bed didn't seem a very attractive prospect. When we finally got to Cromer it was early afternoon, but luck was on our side and we managed to park without too much difficulty.

Whenever we go to Cromer there are certain places that we have to visit, and as usual high on the 'must do' list was a visit to the book shop. You can tell how important it was because Robbie wanted to go there before we ate - very little comes between Robbie and food! This bookshop is special, it has a very good range of railway books at excellent prices, and we always enjoy browsing. To be honest we almost always come away with a few books, but until we get another bookcase we have to limit the purchases because the present bookcases are groaning under the weight of books! Robbie was reluctant to be dragged away, but the prospect of fish and chips at our favourite restaurant finally got him out of the shop. We enjoyed our meal and after a look at the beach and the pier we headed back. It doesn't sound like such an exciting time, but we had a lovely day, it was unhurried and we just enjoyed being together. I suggested that Robbie may like to stop off for a drink on the way back, but he was content to just go back to the bungalow, it really is a very special place, so relaxing.

Crimes Against Fashion!

Having had a fairly lazy day yesterday we decided to get up early and spend the morning in Newquay. It was a lovely morning and by 10am we were in the book shop looking at railway books , then for a little light relief looking at railway jigsaws! It was nice just to potter around for a couple of hours, I refused to go to the surf shops to look at clothes with Robbie because I am still adjusting to his recent purchases. A couple of days before we went away he went shopping unaccompanied (not recommended) and he came home with the loudest shorts imaginable, they are brown with luminous yellowish green in a large flower pattern. I can't provide a photo because I am worried about my camera, but today's photos feature Robbie's new cerise T-shirt, as you can see he is fairly unmissable when he wears it! Sam said that he is wanted in several counties for crimes against fashion!

Double Trouble

Double Trouble Tuesday 21st August 2007

It was cold last night but by morning it was warmer and calmer, not pleasant but tolerable. It was one of those damp grey days that refuse to brighten up, but it was good enough to go to Cromer. As usual we sat in the car for ages waiting for Robbie, his lateness really frustrates me, I can't imagine why it takes him so much longer than anyone else to get ready.

It was nice to have a look at Cromer again. Robbie wanted to look in Jarrolds, they sell books, very nice jigsaws, stationary and art and craft materials, in fact it is just the sort of shop that could tempt me to spend a fortune. I restrained myself and just bought a couple of Christmas presents after that we wandered through the side streets towards the restaurant that we like and we treated ourselves to a welcome lunch. Usually we would have wandered down to the sea front to have a look at the pier and enjoy the view, but we gave it a miss yesterday, fearing that we would probably blow away if we ventured down to the front. Anyway Robbie had another goal in mind - his favourite book shop. As usual it didn't disappoint, Robbie was thrilled to find a book about Walsall's engine sheds, another about British Railway's Workshops and yet another called London Midland Then and Now. I was equally thrilled - because that lot would almost certainly guarantee me an evening of peace and quiet!! Cromer is quite a pleasant little town, but it is let down by three issues that impact significantly on visitors. The public toilets are grim, the car parks are not well designed or well signposted and road layout is dangerously chaotic and it appears to have been designed by a toddler or a lunatic!

We had a nice quiet evening, Robbie was happily reading his books and doing his second jigsaw, Sam watched something gruesome on DVD leaving me to get on with my writing and to enjoy the peace and quiet. Unfortunately the peace was short lived, as the evening went on Robbie and Sam managed to lower the town of the conversation until they were rolling around convulsed in laughter like little boys at primary school! I don't understand those two, one minute they are competing for my attention and arguing about the most ridiculous things, then all of a sudden they are allies, giggling at rather dubious jokes and encouraging each other in further wickedness. I guess it is true, little boys never really grow up!

If Only You Could Freeze Time 31.05.07

We decided to have a day in Padstow and we all split up to follow our own interests. Robbie made straight for his little bookshop and the girls headed off to buy presents and to look at clothes. Sam hadn’t completely given up on the possibility of buying a super soaker water gun – no way! He had lots of other things in mind too – all equally unsuitable but we had a good look around the shops anyway and he didn’t go home empty handed

Robbie has established a tradition of buying a tee shirt or top from Padstow each year. This time it was a white tee shirt, I don’t recall what was on it, but he seemed happy with it so that’s the main thing. We had a nice lunch in Padstow before heading back.

This evening we walked along the coast path towards Harlyn and the skylark field. It was warm and still and we were able to stand and listen to the skylarks as they soared high in the sky and sang as if they were bursting with enthusiasm for life. If only you could freeze time. As always I had my camera with me, I didn’t have a long enough lens to have a hope of capturing a picture of a skylark, but I did get a rather pleasing picture of a snail – they don’t move quite as fast. Robbie has learned a fair bit about wildlife since we have been together and he is even starting to recognise bird song now.

An Early Start 26.05.07

The demands of GCSE and A Level exams have restricted our holiday in Cornwall to one week this year, so I was determined that we should make the most of our time. I have never enjoyed the ‘pleasures’ of a packed motorway and Bristol is always a black spot as it seem to be the cone storage capital of UK. I decided that we would get everything ready on the Friday, go to bed early and then set off at 2am on Saturday morning.

Everything went more or less according to plan apart from a bit of procrastinating from Robbie in the morning. Believe it or not he had to ring control to check on the progress of his ‘empties’ at 2am! He wanted us to leave a bit later as he calculated that we would then have a chance of seeing one of his trains as we went along the motorway. He got his wish, as we didn’t set out until 3.15 am and I did indeed see a train as we travelled down the motorway, but Robbie (who intended to stay awake to keep an eye on me) was ‘Z’ing by the time we passed Oxford and he dozed all the way to Cornwall, so he missed it. He said it was the wrong train anyway. I also saw a fox cross the whole motorway, but everyone else was asleep and missed it. We had an excellent journey; we arrived at Padstow just after 8am having made one comfort stop on the way. That gave us plenty of time to explore all the shops and to enjoy brunch at one of our favourite restaurants.

Robbie and I headed for the little bookshop that we love, he was very restrained and only bought one book, but I bought two, A Pictorial Survey of Great Western Branch Lines and A Portrait of the Atlantic Coast Express. I was dragged away by Laura and Emily; they had been checking out the designer shops and wanted to ‘show me’ what they had found. They jointly purchased an Animal handbag which they intend to share, but both have their eyes on other clothing as well. Maybe we should have stayed at home! Sam bought a decision dice and a gruesome pen that defies description, but he has his sights on greater things too!

We got to the caravan by mid afternoon, it has been upgraded since last year and it is absolutely beautiful. By the time we were all installed and tidied up and the shopping had been fetched and packed away, I was exhausted. I went bed before Dr Who, leaving the ‘boys’ to enjoy the flat screen LCD TV.