"For solace and relief I flee to Bradshaw or the ABC, and find the best of recreations In studying the names of stations." C L Graves

Sunday 11th August

We had another early start and once again Robbie was eager to get up and get ready. Before long he was showered, shaved, the picnic was packed and we were ready to go. The things I do for Robbie, I'd agreed to give up The Archers, a trip to the car boot sale and Sunday Lunch at Jonet so that Robbie could go back to the North Norfolk Railway on a day when the bookshop would be open. I didn't mind all that much really. 

We arrived in Holt bright and early, the station was only just waking up and Robbie got some lovely photos of the station while there were no people in the way. My early start was rewarded with a nice cup of tea and we caught the first train to Weybourne. Robbie rushed around taking photos as usual, not just photos of trains, he stood by the door with his head out of the window to get photos of the harvesting in the fields near Weybourne (he is a closet tractor/combine spotter!). It was a beautiful clear day and he got some lovely shots. You could see the sea with the wind turbines in the far distance, I tried to count them but I gave up there are loads of them and I don't think they spoil the view at all.

Robbie spent an eternity in the bookshop, he added a number of magazines to his enormous collection, then he found several books that he absolutely had to have and the crowing glory to his shopping spree was an old copy of Bradshaws from 1954. Thankfully I'd packed a heavyweight shopping bag and we took the bag which was now full to capacity and impossibly heavy on the train to Sherringham (we had a non corridor compartment coach - probably my favourite coach of the day) and all the way back to Holt. There was just time for a quick picnic in the sunshine before we were off again heading for Sherringham again.

We travelled backwards and forwards all afternoon making sure that we were in Sherringham in time to see the Class 37 arrive and to take lots of photos. It was awesome, definitely the best part of the day. Another couple of journeys followed but I may as well have been on my own because Robbie had his head out of the window taking photos and listening to the powerful growl of the engine. We stayed for the very last train to Holt and then headed back to the bungalow tired but happy. 

The Story of the Old Empty Barn

Tuesday was a lovely day, the weather forecast had predicted cloud and showers, but the they were wrong. We woke to a lovely sunny morning and the sunshine continued through the day. We took a drive to Horsey Mill, it is a nice drive with lots of things for Robbie to look at along the way. Happisburgh lighthouse, a water tower, pillboxes, interesting village signs, several beautiful churches and one or two other old buildings. He does his best to get me to look too, but the road dictates otherwise with lots of twists and turns and narrow bits.

On the way back from Horsey Mill we stopped off at Waxham Barn. It has a nice little restaurant and we enjoyed a hot drink and a snack before exploring the barn. It has a fascinating history going back to 1500s. It was very interesting to see that on one side of the building the barn has very high double doors so that carts piled high with harvested crops could be driven straight into the barn to be unloaded. Then the cart could be driven out of the doors on the opposite wall which are a more normal height. I was keen to find out about the wildlife around Waxham Barn. A colony of Natterer bats spend the summer at the barn, roosting in the rafters by day and venturing out at dusk. We didn't see them but it was fascinating to find out about them. 

When we got back the weird man next door was out in the garden wearing speedos, a terrifying sight, there should be a law against it!