“The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys”

Wednesday 14th August

A lovely sunny day, we sat outside during the morning and early afternoon. It was lovely to have a relaxed and unhurried day and it was warm and sunny outside. I read a few magazines - Robbie has plenty to choose from, but mostly I just sat quietly and enjoyed the beauty of the moment. The beach looked beautiful and the rhythmic sound of the waves on the shore line felt like the heartbeat of the earth. I would have liked to put time on 'hold' to stop the day from ending, but all I could do was to treasure the moment. 

Robbie enjoyed the sunshine too, but he doesn't like too much sun so he went back into the bungalow a couple of times to play with his toys - he brought Lego,  jigsaws, 'N' gauge railway, binoculars, a ship spotting app, railway DVDs, loads of magazines and a pile of railway books. Today was a 'Lego day' Robbie built a Lego Technic tractor, it took quite a long time and it involved a lot of huffing and puffing but it looks rather impressive

After a brief trip to the shop and a flying visit to Tesco we went out for a meal at the Lighthouse Inn. 

"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. 

'You either get Norfolk, with its wild roughness and uncultivated oddities, or you don't. It's not all soft and lovely. It doesn't ask to be loved.' - Stephen Fry

Monday 5th August

It was another lovely sunny day and rather a lazy day from our point of view. We spent the morning enjoying the sunshine and doing our own thing - in my case I was getting on with some writing and Robbie was absorbed on his railway magazines. It is nice that they bring him so much enjoyment but I wish he didn't feel the need to share every little gem of information with me because it makes it very hard to for me to focus on what I'm doing. I really shouldn't grumble, it is nice that he wants to share things with me.

In the early afternoon, we went for a drive to North Walsham. I love the roads around Walcott and my favourite route to North Walsham takes me past some beautiful countryside and a couple of lovely villages. People say that Norfolk is flat, it is certainly flatter than Northamptonshire but it is not really flat and certainly not boring, it has a unique beauty of its own with stunningly beautiful skies.

The evening sky at Walcott

We didn't eat out today after a walk by the sea we cooked chicken with peppercorn sauce. It was going to be hunters chicken but Robbie decided otherwise. I was a lovely meal, but I couldn't persuade Robbie to eat any vegetables, but at least I tried.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me - Noel Coward

Robbie and I had planned to go out for the day today, but the snow dictated otherwise. It would have been madness to try to go very far today, but I wanted to get as far as the supermarket because we needed supplies and I didn't fancy trying to carry everything home. Robbie went out and cleared all the snow off the car, it proved to be a long and exhausting job. Then when I got in the car and attempted to start it, there was a tiny splutter and then nothing. That dratted car is definitely male - high maintenance and totally unreliable!

We had to jump start the car with the help of my daughter and her Yaris. Then I thought it would be best to take the car for a drive before going to the supermarket. It wasn't a very fast journey but at least we stayed safe. By the time we got to the supermarket Robbie was in a foul mood, I tried to ignore it and keep things pleasant, but it was hopeless. He was in the sort of mood where nothing was right, every item of food that I selected was wrong in some way and as we progressed around the store our trolley remained ominously empty. When we got to the pet food section he even criticised my choice of cat food - apparently he had appointed himself as spokesman for the cat! Having provided a detailed explanation of the cat's likes and dislikes he chose a selection of food that was more in keeping with the cat's (expensive) tastes! At least the trolley was filling up so we were making progress of sorts.

We got to the meat section and it seemed that nothing pleased him so I asked if he would like some gammon for a change. I suggested that it would be nice with new potatoes and vegetables but he said that he only likes gammon with egg and chips, so I said that we would have that instead. I went over to choose the gammon and he turned his nose up. That was the last straw, I abandoned the trolley and left him to have his strop on his own while I regained my composure in the magazine section. That is his favourite part of the shop so I knew he would turn up eventually. He appeared surprisingly quickly still with a face like thunder so I left him there looking at the railway magazines while I went off unhindered to pick up a few essentials.

The calming effect of railway magazines should not be underestimated. When I returned to collect Robbie he was 'mellowing' and by the time we got home he was keen to find a way back into my good books. It took me a little longer to 'thaw' but before long harmony was restored. The snow on the other hand showed no sign of thawing, in fact it looked as if there was plenty more to come.

Dragged By a Rat and Pulled by a Gronk

Robbie was getting withdrawal symptoms after a few days without trains and he was very keen to go to the North Norfolk Railway on Wednesday. We planned to drive to North Walsham and get the train to Sherringham, but the car park was full so we drove to Weybourne instead, it is a nice drive but a bit narrow and scary in places. We were there in time for the 10.44 train that Robbie was keen to catch. 

The highlight of my visit was as always the beautiful station at Weybourne, the amazing bookshop and the incredible toilets - they are a work of art in their own right. One of the benefits of travelling by car and parking at Weybourne was that Robbie was able to buy a whole shopping bag full of books and magazines and we could put them into the car rather than having to carry them around with us.

We travelled between Weybourne, Sherringham and Holt so many time that I can't remember how many trips we made, but we travelled in a selection of Mk 1 carriages, a Kings Cross Suburban coache and a standard corridor coach. There were two engines out for most of the day, a J15 loco and a Black 5, both were amazing in there different ways. Towards the end of the day they had a DMU 101 on the route but one of the engines failed between Sherringham and Weybourne so they had to get a Class 25 type 1 loco off the shed to drag the DMU. Robbie found this unbelievably exciting, but I didn't enjoy being surrounded by badly behaved brats (compartment coaches have a lot to recommend them!). Robbie insisted on staying for the last trip but I escaped at Weybourne to the relative tranquility of the car park, It really is a beautiful station

The Bus Spotting Begins

We were awake fairly early on Monday morning, that suits me very well, it is so nice to get up and have time to enjoy the beauty of the morning and the luxury of time. We didn't do much this morning, it was such a nice day that we were content to stay close to the bungalow and enjoy the sunshine. Robbie is missing his trains already but he has an app in his i-pad to identify all passing shipping and I have caught him several times standing in front of the window (in his knickers) talking to the ships on the horizon. He should be ok we are a bit too remote for the men in white coats!

At lunchtime we took a leisurely drive to North Walsham to buy some cards and to have a look around. I like North Walsham, it still has a distinct character with small shops instead of the same old chain stores that you find on every high street. Robbie kept drifting off to do a bit of bus spotting, he just can't help himself. Robbie's legs were misbehaving today so we didn't stay out too long, but we visited our favourite shops and he had time to buy a stash of magazines. We enjoyed a cup of coffee and a cake at the coffee shop before heading back to enjoy the afternoon sunshine.

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.

Getting a word in edgeways

On Sunday evening Robbie, my son and I were sitting in the lounge, they were watching something boring on television and I was chatting to someone on the internet. The adverts came on and I commented on one which really annoys me. Rather than making me want to buy their products it makes me want to shop elsewhere to punish them for such irritating adverts. My son who was sitting on the other side of the room said "Mum, speak with your inside voice!"
Robbie was sitting in the corner trying to hide the fact that he was giggling like Mutley. He and my son are like two little kids, each takes great pleasure in seeing the other one get into trouble, but at other times they gang up and tease me. I overcame the urge to dash across the room and grab him by the throat, preferring instead to let him hear considerably more of my 'outside voice'. 

I pointed out that I had put up with a lifetime of drivel from my son. I had smiled sweetly during his 'dinosaur phase' while being subjected to more information than anyone could ever need to know about the life and times of the dinosaur. Then there had been his Denis the Menace phase, his spy phase, the Superman phase. Not to mention his obsessive interest in all things film related - and I do mean all things film related, he nearly drove me mad with the myth of the hanging Munchkin. Then we come to Robbie, I don't know where to start when it comes to his obsessions, he shares Lego, Dr Martens, Indie music, Hornby, railways in general, buses, books, magazines ......... and that really is the tip of the iceberg. I can assure you that he doesn't hold back when it comes to sharing his enthusiasm about all these subjects - even at the most inappropriate moments. Thanks to Robbie I know so much about the workings (and failings) of train toilets that I could choose it as a specialist subject on Mastermind! I have never once asked either of them to 'speak with their inside voice' and I have put up with both of them having the attention span of a gnat when it comes to anything I want to talk to them about. Well the worm has turned! Prepare to be bored rigid boys, you are going to hear a lot more of my voice, as they say, if you can't beat them join them!!

Railway termini are our gates to the glorious and the unknown. Through them we pass out into adventure and sunshine, to them, alas! we return - E. M. Forster

The weather forecast for Norfolk told us to expect a heavy rain today so I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to get up, but when I looked out of the window it was sunny so Robbie decided that we should get organised and go to the North Norfolk Railway. Suddenly our life was set on fast forward and somehow we managed to catch the 10.13am train from North Walsham to Sheringham. It is a pleasant journey with some lovely costal views and for a time I was happy to stare out of the window lost in my own thoughts, but after a while I chatted to Robbie about various things. As we pulled into Cromer I sensed that Robbie was not really listening, he seemed to be on auto pilot so I casually mentioned that there was a tiger on the platform, the man sitting opposite looked a bit worried, but Robbie just said ‘yes dear’. I wish he would drag his attention from that blackberry for five minutes!

I enjoyed the North Norfolk Railway. For me the highlight of the day was a visit to the Ladies loo at Weyborne Station. It is a lovely little station, very clean and beautifully kept, it is clear from the many little details that this is a labour of love for all those involved in running this station. The ladies toilets are amazing, very old fashioned with heavy wooden doors, but they are kept spotlessly clean and the walls are decorated with metal posters. The area around the sink is fascinating, like a mini museum, there is a big display case on the wall above the sink filled with all sorts of interesting items and to the side is a display of old money and various other interesting posters. It makes a visit to the ladies a very pleasant and memorable experience.

Robbie enjoyed taking photos, looking at all the stock in their yard and of course travelling on the trains between Sherringham, Weybourne and Holt. His rucksack got heavier as the day went on because he bought a number of magazines from the wide selection of back numbers available at the shop. I enjoyed the views on the trip to Holt and I liked the compartment coaches, it felt like travelling back in time. Robbie wants to go back again on Sunday, I don’t really mind. However if he thinks he is dragging me out to travel behind 47s between Norwich and Great Yarmouth all day on Saturday he can think again, he can go on his own, I have better things to do.

A Quick Flash

Robbie was sitting at the table reading one of his magazines the other day while I was chatting to a friend online..He made several appreciative grunts and sighs which caught my attention  and when I looked up his expression told me that he was up to no good. He was unusually silent when I asked asked what he was reading and he looked as guilty as a kid caught with a top shelf magazine. He said that the photo on the centre page was awesome, grudgingly he lifted the magazine and opened it to give me a quick flash of his guilty pleasure - a milk float! That man needs help!

An Early Night!

Robbie often promises me an early night but for all sorts of reasons we don't get to bed until much later than planned. So earlier this week it was a nice change to find ourselves in bed reasonably early. Robbie went through his usual rituals including setting the alarm on his blackberry so that it would wake the alarm clock up. Then he reached across and picked up a yellow A4 folder containing early copies of Model Rail magazine, he proceeded to tell me about the history of the magazine, the variations in content over the years - he even listed the issues that were missing from his collection. I was wide awake when I went to bed, but it is surprising how quickly I fell asleep!

A Pain in the Nose!

Robbie abandoned me this weekend to go and play trains somewhere in the deep north. To be strictly accurate I told him to go - I needed some respite, wall to wall Robbie is a bit much to cope with at times. He arrived back after lunch today and talked non stop about his trip, when he finally ran out of words he started on a variety of sound effects of the train going over different types of track. Maybe they will take him for a week next time!!

Laura was moaning at me yesterday because my preferred make of toilet paper smells funny and gives her a headache. I would have thought the smell of the paper was the least of her worries, but I kept my thoughts to myself. She went on to complain that new magazines smell so bad that it makes her feel sick, she said she has to get her friends to read her magazines first to get rid of the smell! Poor old Laura, I know she has an exceptional sense of smell, but I couldn't help laughing at the the thought of her having he magazines read for her!

Porn?

Robbie hasn't exactly covered himself in glory this week and after yet another man stress he was sitting at the table talking to himself . I couldn't see exactly what he was doing because his laptop was blocking my view, but he seemed to be looking at a magazine. His lips move when he reads and being Robbie when his lips move noise comes out. Usually I ignore the constant muttering but my ears pricked up when I heard him mention "master and slave" then moments later I clearly heard the word "hump". I jumped up and demanded to know what sort of filth he was reading. With a huge grin he held up the Hornby magazine, he had been reading about hump shunting at Tinsley! He made me look at lots of pictures and he explained the whole process in meticulous detail - twice!

Too Much Detail

Robbie rang me yesterday to apologise for the frying pan incident, I think he'd got the message loud and clear. He was very cunning about buying it on Sunday, I was going to wait in the car because he (allegedly) only needed to buy a couple of things. He gave me his copy of Rail Express to read so that I wouldn't notice how long he was in the shop. While he was gone I had time to read a long article about the Virgin Trains service from Euston to Holyhead, it was an interesting read, and the pictures were great, but I didn't like the writing style and it became irritating after a while. The choice of words was more 'Boys Own' than railway magazine, terms like “we spied” were out of place, what is wrong with saying 'we saw, we noticed or we spotted'. When Robbie got back into the car he distracted me again by talking about model trains and the pros and cons of buying weathered or pristine models. It wasn't the most exciting subject and I found myself wondering if this was really the best he could manage in terms of conversation, after all he hadn't seen me since early on Friday morning! As I explained yesterday conversation he last thing on my mind when I discovered the frying pan!

I was really exhausted when I got home last night and all I wanted to do was eat and sleep, but Robbie wanted me to stay awake long enough to listen to him talk about an upsetting incident on his journey to work. From his expression and the way he was speaking I thought something really bad had happened, perhaps he'd had another fall or something; he had my undivided attention. The so called upsetting incident was nothing of the kind – someone had sat in Robbie's seat! It completely disrupted his routine and he had to sit in the opposite seat and glare at the 'intruder' all the way to Birmingham. He has now decided that we have to get up even earlier in the morning so that he can be absolutely sure of getting 'his' seat! I thought I could escape to bed, but he embarked on a long and to be brutally honest boring monologue on the refitted Cross Country HST. Unfortunately I find it hard to get excited about the performance of HST toilets at any time, but it was after midnight and I just wanted to sleep! In the end I wandered off to bed leaving Robbie still talking (to the cat) about trains. This morning I felt like screaming, he got up and resumed the conversation from the previous evening!

How to Measure Time

Holidays are measured out in toilet roll, we start with a large pack tucked into the cupboard under the sink and gradually the pack becomes smaller until only a single roll remains and the holiday is almost at an end. We glance at the contents of the fridge and wonder if we will manage to eat it all without wasting food and we make absolutely certain that we don't run out of tea bags or coffee! However there is one cupboard whose contents has not diminished, in fact what started as a little pile of magazines has grown significantly over the fortnight. Robbie loves his magazines and newspapers and he is extremely reluctant to part with them. He promised me yesterday that he would sort through his pile and get rid of as much as possible, but unsurprisingly the pile remains un molested and Robbie is finding every excuse under the sun to avoid 'doing the deed' and if I'm not very careful he will sneak the whole lot into the car to be taken home. What possible use are copies of last week's Guardian, in fact more to the point what use is today's Guardian! They are certainly not going to be taken home with us!

Robbie has been busy with his jigsaw and hopefully he will finish it today. I enjoyed taking photos yesterday, I managed to get some shots of some of my favourite shops and landmarks in Padstow, then in the afternoon when it was low tide I got some lovely shots of the beach. I love taking photos, and it is lovely to look at them later and relive all those happy holiday memories.

Wishig Stones

Wishing Stones Sunday 19th August 2007

This morning I woke Robbie early to send him off to the shop for a newspaper, I was determined to avoid a repeat of yesterday when he had me driving miles in search of a Guardian. He got up reluctantly and after looking lovingly at his railway magazines he grudgingly agreed that he would walk to the shop for his newspaper. I reached for my computer and Robbie commented that I was so attached to my laptop that I would probably want to be buried with it. I reminded him that I wanted to be cremated and if he had me buried I would come back and haunt him. He said that he hoped I wouldn't have him burned and I replied that I certainly would as it was tidier. He retorted "over my dead body" to which I quite reasonably pointed out that of course it would be as I had no intention of having him burned alive!

The weather was a bit grim today, warm but wet. We went out to an antiques fair, it was fun looking but we didn't buy anything much. Later on we went for a walk and then after a very heavy shower we went walking on the beach looking for wishing stones. I love the beach whatever the weather and today provided a good opportunity to take photos because the light was good but there was no direct sunlight to complicate things. There were lots of wishing stones, these are pebbles with at least one hole going all the way through the stone, I am not sure what causes this beach to contain so many stones with holes worn through them, but ever since the children were tiny we have collected them. I cannot guarantee their ability to grant wishes, there have been times when I have wished with all my heart for things to be different to no avail, but I am still fascinated by the stones.

I don't want the holiday to end but I miss the girls and I want to be back in an environment where women are in the majority. The two men in my life have been causing me serious concern regarding the bathroom, one leaves the seat up while the other puts the lid down, either option can be catastrophic in the middle of the night when I am not fully awake. If they start those tricks at home, the girls will soon be on their case!

Withdrawal Symptoms

Wednesday 15/8/07 Withdrawal Symptoms.

Robbie was suffering withdrawal symptoms - from trains, he must have told me 8 or 9 times yesterday that it was 6 whole days since he last travelled on a train! I let him think that he was getting his own way, but actually it was the poor weather forecast that made me think it would be a good idea to go to Norwich by train today. North Walsham to Norwich is not a bad journey by train if you can cope with the embarrassment - Robbie does tend to draw attention to himself! This morning he was dressed in purple Dr Martin boots, jeans, his Ordinary Boys T shirt and a light weight coat that looked like Paddington Bear's summer uniform. If that wasn't eye catching enough he stood there on the platform in the rain with his bright orange notebook jotting down the unit numbers and details. I chose that moment to pretend that I was invisible, or at the very least to pretend that I was travelling alone.

It was a good day in Norwich, the heavy rain didn't materialise and for most of the day it was lovely sunshine. We were able to visit all our favourite shops, for me that was Waterstones and Hawkins Bazaar while Robbie couldn't resist a foray into Marks and Spencers, I don't think he has worked out yet that they sell the same stuff in every M&S - or maybe he leads a double life as a mystery shopper! Sam visited his favourite haunts too, he bought a couple of new T shirts - and of course he had to wear one as soon as we got home! Robbie struggled back to the train carrying the equivalent of his body weight in railway magazines - a special treat because we are on holiday. He doesn't know it yet, but when we get home there has to be some serious recycling because magazines are taking over the house.

Under Plain Cover

There are three special little words that Robbie says almost every day. Those little words are "did you know........" then follows a detailed (usually very detailed!) explanation about the latest thing that has caught his attention. Last night he uttered those three little words and then treated me to an in depth analysis of the game of marbles. I have no idea why that little gem popped into his head!

Like me he loves magazines, I don't really mind his railway magazines, in fact I quite enjoy reading. I wish he didn't hoard so many old copies - we will need a bigger house soon! I can tolerate him reading NME and even that limp lefty thing that he calls a newspaper, but there is one title that he smuggles into the house and he thinks I don't know about it. No, it isn't anything from the 'top shelf' it's The Grocer! I can't imagine why he reads it, I guess some people find their thrills in the weirdest places!!!