'It inspires me, the sea, the limitless skies, the mud and the burning sunsets and the freedom of a place where more than 50% of the neighbours are fish.' - Raffaella Barker

Thursday 8th August

We'd planned to go to Cromer today, but it was such a beautiful morning that we decided that Cromer could wait and we would enjoy the sun and the beach. This is what I dream of all year, the luxury of time, freedom from routine and the peace and tranquility of the Norfolk coast. The huge Norfolk sky reaches down to touch the sea and rhythmic sound of the waves rolling on to the beach and the cries of sea birds are the mood music of the day.

We walked on the beach. I splashed in the surf and looked at the beauty of the sea washed pebbles glistening in the sunshine while Robbie took photos. The beach is a lot lower this year, it is a long time since I can remember the sand being this low. The beach is different every time we come, the level of the sand changes, sometimes as now the tide leaves pools behind at the back of the beach. My children loved the pools when they were little, and seeing the beach like this again brings back so many memories. 

We sat in the garden all day, enjoying the sunshine, reading and relaxing. I wrote all my postcards and caught up with one or two other bits and pieces of writing too. Despite the factor 50, I still managed to catch the sun a little bit, I have stripes on my legs because I was wearing shorts so I will have to try and even it out in the next few days

A Sense of Perspective

Last Friday was the last day of our holiday. I didn't want the holiday to end, but I was determined that we would enjoy our last day. Robbie jumped at the chance of another visit to Wroxham Barns, so when we had done all the boring things like last minute shopping and filling the car with fuel we took a gentle drive to Wroxham. 

Robbie wanted to have a look around before going to Uncle Stuart's Brewery for a pint of Summer Ale. We looked at jigsaws, Robbie usually has a new one to take on holiday, but this year he couldn't make his mind up about what he wanted so when he sees one that 'floats his boat' we will buy it. He is rather tempted by a design called Grandad's Attic, but in the end he decided to have another think before buying it. There is method in his madness, if he puts it off for a week or two he knows that he will have a good reason to go to to one of his favourite shops Jeys of Earls Barton to look at jigsaws - and of course they have an amazing coffee shop! Anyway we had a good look around at all the shops and we bought one or two things. Then we went to sit in the sunshine while Robbie enjoyed a pint of Summer Ale and I had a cup of tea. I don't need to say that we had a lovely day, the picture of Robbie says more than words ever could!

We spent the afternoon and evening at the bungalow, enjoying the special atmosphere of the place and wishing that we didn't have to return to reality. In the evening I watched the bats circling around and then I stood by the back gate as it was getting dark and listened to the waves lapping on the beach it was like listening to the heartbeat of the earth. Far on the horizon I could see lights from distant ships sparkling like stars on the sea. I felt very small and insignificant standing there in the darkness but in some way it put the world and it's worries in perspective and reminded me of the things that really matter in life.

Magna Est Veritas

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!!

Words From Home

I was very tired after our day on the North Norfolk Railway so we decided to have a quieter day on Thursday. It was another warm sunny day and we were content to stay around the bungalow to enjoy the beach and the garden. We took a gentle drive into Mundesley and had lunch at the Beach Cafe. The beach was packed and as we sat by the cafe window looking out at the beach I saw little children paddling, older children in wetsuits playing on body boards, children with buckets and spades digging holes and building sandcastles and parents and grandparents keeping a close eye on the little ones. It brought back so many memories of holidays with our children as they were growing up. My son loved to dig holes and then he would run backwards and forwards filling buckets with sea water and pouring it into the hole. He would get very angry with the sand for stealing his water and it would take considerable effort to distract him from his futile task, but the promise of an ice cream would usually do the trick. 

My son is now nearly eighteen and he has chosen to stay at home under the watchful supervision of his older sisters. Judging by his texts it sounds as if they have had a rather eventful week

"It was only a matter of time until it went to their heads"  Monday

"Your daughters have a serious Napoleon complex!"  Tuesday

"Please educate L that what she says to me, if said to anyone else, will very much shorten her life expectancy" Wednesday

As the week went on there were several more messages of the same type, including one suggesting that my older daughter's boyfriend deserves a medal! I couldn't help smiling at some of his comments, I guess most eighteen year olds are impossible at times and adding Asperger Syndrome to the mix certainly doesn't make things any easier!

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!

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.

Storms batter South West coast as 'monsoon' weather hits Britain - The Telegraph

My younger daughter had spent weeks planning a long weekend in Cornwall with her brother and a friend from university. She really isn't the camping type, but they had arranged to spend the first couple of nights 'under canvas' before moving to more civilised surroundings for the remainder of their stay. She is a confident driver and she has made the journey a couple of times before, but I'm her mum and I can't help worrying especially as she planned to make the journey during the night - and that was before I saw the weather forecast!

"Strong winds, possibly up to gale force, are expected from the afternoon onwards in south-west England particularly Devon and Cornwall," forecaster Mark Seltzer from the Met Office.

When I saw the warnings from the Met Office yesterday I was seriously worried, I wouldn't have enjoyed driving to Cornwall in those conditions and I really wanted her to postpone her journey until the morning.

"Winds will increase this afternoon in Devon and Cornwall and there could be gusts of 60 to 65mph, or even 70mph on exposed coasts and headlands......"

My daughter is as stubborn and determined as her mother and she wasn't going let a little matter of the weather spoil her plans. She is also half Cornish and the call of the sea is very strong - it took her dad years to adapt to living so far from the sea. So soon after midnight they set off on their journey - and I began to worry! I had made sure that they were as well prepared as possible, but I was still worried. It was a very long night but thankfully they got to Padstow in time for breakfast. My daughter said that the journey had been very wet and very windy, so it was a challenging driving experience.

I really wish that they could have had better weather, it sounds as if they had a nice day despite the rain and according to my daughter the sun came out later on. Padstow holds so many happy memories for our family and it is nice to be there whatever the weather. However camping is a different story, I doubt my daughter would have enjoyed it even in perfect summer weather. She wrote on facebook that "Camping is most certainly not for me" and she went on to inform the world that she will be sleeping in the car tonight! Perhaps she will appreciate the comforts of home after this. I hope they stay safe and have a lovely day tomorrow.

From Troubles of the World I Turn to Ducks - Frank W. Harvey

There will be few words in this article because the pictures can tell their own story. It is 2nd October but today was as hot and sunny as a day in July, so Robbie and I went to the park to enjoy the sunshine.

There are several exercise contraptions positioned around the park. Robbie decided to use the twisty one, I think it is designed to work on waist and tummy muscles. It was very entertaining but I am not sure if it did any good!

Robbie spent a long time stalking a squirrel in the hope of getting the perfect shot. The squirrel obliged and posed for a photo, but Robbie accidentally deleted it - the photo not the squirrel! As we walked back from the ice cream van I picked up a conker and slipped it into Robbie's pocket. At the time he was busy eating his ice cream but when he found it a few minutes later he decided to search under a tree for more conkers. There was just one problem - it wasn't a Horse Chestnut tree!!

I never tire of this view. I used to come here as a child to feed the ducks or to fish for tiddlers, So many memories.

You are never too old to feed the ducks. I don't think anyone can sit by the lake watching the antics of the ducks and still feel miserable.

All along the backwater, 

Through the rushes tall, 

Ducks are a-dabbling, 

Up tails all!

Kenneth Grahame

Last of the Summer Sun

When I went to the supermarket earlier this week, it felt as if I had taken a step back to early August. It was very hot with bright sunshine and and everyone was wearing short sleeved tops. To my surprise it has remained and sunny ever since. Of course looks can be deceiving, it may be hot in the middle of the day, but the early morning is dark and distinctly nippy and the long summer evenings have been chased away by the encroaching autumn darkness. I am always pleased to see the sun, but in a way the sunny days this week are a sad reminder of all that has gone. Was it really six weeks ago that we were on holiday in Norfolk? 

I love the summer, I don't need the weather to be too hot, just warm and comfortable, but mostly I love the long days and warm pleasant evenings. I think my favourite month is May when there are so many wild flowers and it warm with long lazy evenings and the summer stretches ahead of us. September is my least favourite month, it feels as if the darkness closes in around us with dark mornings and encroaching darkness in the evening with the promise of worse to come. We all have little triggers that remind us of past sadness and for me it is the sound of conkers falling to the ground from Horse Chestnut Trees. I remember the excitement of getting up early to go and collect conkers when I was little and I did the same when my children were little, so there are some good memories. However they are overshadowed by the memory of sitting in a hospital room, looking out at the beautiful grounds and hearing the conkers fall from the trees with a thud on to the grass below. In the quiet of the night the thud of the conkers falling seemed very loud. How odd that something so insignificant can sound so loud when a human life can slip away noiselessly.

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

We had a beach day today, it was lovely. The sun was out, there was a gentle breeze and the only cloud on the horizon was the man next door. The sight of him in Speedos (again!) was more like a total eclipse than a cloud but we did our very best to ignore him. The beach stretches on as far as the eye can see, so when we went down to the beach and spotted him in the sea we took a brisk walk in the opposite direction and we found a nice section of beach all to ourselves.

Robbie sat and watched while I wandered around taking photographs. He was enjoying the sun and for the very first time this holiday he allowed me to take a photo of him. He is very unhappy with his hair at the moment because he was so busy before we came away that he didn’t have time to have his hair cut. Hopefully we will put that right in the next few days .


This evening we popped into Tesco for some milk, but Robbie really struggled to walk around the shop, the pain was almost beyond endurance and it has continued to be really bad all evening. He tries so hard not to make a fuss, but you can see that he hardly knows how to move. I wish I could do or say something to make him feel better, but it is usually better to say very little and not to make a fuss, the last thing he wants is sympathy. He will have to go back to the doctor when he gets home, he can’t go on like this.

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.

Cold Feet

Thursday 3rd June

The weather forecast was very good and it was a shame to waste a good beach day, so we got ourselves organised and headed off to Padstow early so that we could get a good parking space (which didn't involve walking up a very steep hill). Sam wanted to buy a present for his girlfriend and Laura wanted to buy some rock and have a look at the clothes shops. I just wanted to get some nice photos and to enjoy the atmosphere in one of my favourite places. Robbie bought a pastie, but Laura and I preferred sausage rolls and Sam insisted on a chocolate brownie instead.

On the way back we made a quick trip to Tesco to get more capsules to treat Robbie's 'man flu' and a few other essentials. Robbie has now infected Laura and me with colds, he is still sniveling but now he has another injury to take his mind off it. This morning he sliced a lump off his lip while shaving, his cry of agony was a little over the top, but it does look painful.

We were back at the beach by lunchtime, it was almost too hot to sit outside for long but the sea is still a bit chilly until you get used to it. Robbie and I went for a walk along the beach but I was the only one who got my feet wet!

In the Sea

It was so hot today that the beach was the best place to be. I loved going into the sea, and eventually Robbie broke his own rule and paddled, and surprise surprise, once he tried it he liked it and he wanted to do it again!

We found several wishing stones on the beach (stones with holes going all the way through them) and I took lots of photos of the beach and of Robbie. I had to make him put his bag down while I took some photos, because he looked like Roy Cropper (from Coronation Street) standing there on the beach with his bag!

I have put a number of holiday photos on the blog and if anyone has noticed that Robbie seems to wear the same clothes on different days. Don't worry, he doesn't smell, I have washed his clothes every day because he and Sam both like to to wear their favourite things over and over again – yet another of Robbie's Aspie traits!

Kept At Arms Length

We expected Friday to be dull and showery as predicted by the local weather forecast, but clearly nobody had told the weather what it should be doing and it surprised us with another beautiful sunny day. We went to the car boot sale again just to have a look around, it was fun, but we didn't buy much. Sam bought and ancient camera, he is becoming obsessed with photography and he liked this old camera because it is the box type where you look at a viewfinder on top in order to line up your photo. In typical Sam style, when he develops an interest in a subject, it takes over his whole life and he has to know absolutely everything about it!

We went to Mundesley for lunch, there were loads of people on the beach and it was nice to sit in the café looking out at the beach while enjoying our meal. Robbie's meal came with a pile of onion rings so I will be keeping him at arms length for a few days!!

Wishing Stones

It was a lovely sunny day so we enjoyed the garden and the beach. There are still lots of ladybirds and butterflies and as I sat in my garden chair I watched a couple of crickets jumping around on the lawn. I could hear a lot of them, but I could only see two.

We went for a walk on the beach and I enjoyed wandering around taking photos. I found my first wishing stone of the holiday too, a wishing stone is one with a hole all the way through - maybe I should buy a lottery ticket tomorrow!

Robbie managed not to be Mr Angry for most of the day, but when it was time to get our evening meal ready he fell out with himself about garlic bread. For some reason he the thought of garlic bread popped into his head and he did the full Rumpelstiltskin dance of rage because (according to him) I will not let him eat it. He can eat what he likes as far as I am concerned, but he will not be coming anywhere near me afterwards! He continued with his man stress while I harboured evil thoughts of putting a whole bulb of garlic into his evening meal, but I restrained myself (this time).

I sent him off for a walk to calm himself down, I'm not sure if he came back happier, but at least he was quieter. Later in the evening he was sorry and he tried to get back into my good books buy showing me pictures in one of his new railway books - of train toilets!! Help!

Time to Get Up!

As soon as I woke up I could tell it was a beautiful day, the sun was streaming through the bedroom window and when I wandered through to make contact with the kettle the view of the bay was incredible. I went back to bed, but 'Sleeping Beauty' just grunted and went back to sleep, I had no chance of dragging him down to the beach before noon so I left him to it.

I got up, showered, had breakfast, washed a couple of towels and some clothes and hung them out to dry, but still the men in my life were not sufficiently awake to form a coherent sentence. Robbie promised that he would follow me down to the beach in a little while, but he must have been working on Cornish time because it was almost two hours before he turned up. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, I wandered

down to the rock pools and took some photos, then I read my family history magazine while relaxing in the sunshine. I love this place, I can't think of anywhere I would rather be.

Robbie finally turned up to enjoy the beach, but I made the mistake of telling him that my family history magazine was focusing on railway history. He was especially interested in the article about 'Steaming Ahead' the recently opened museum and railway resource centre at Darlington. He said he would like to find out more about his grandfather's work as a signal man. He spent the next half hour working out train times and connections to Darlington. I finally managed to stop him talking about trains, but when I put my magazine down it vanished, I think Robbie must have added it to his collection.

A Room With a View

Today was lovely and sunny, the perfect weather for a holiday. When I walked into the lounge and saw the wonderful view of the bay from our window, the world seemed perfect. I love coming here, I think this part of Cornwall is the best place in the world. Robbie was surprisingly reluctant to get up this morning, but when he finally graced us with an
appearance he was wearing red shorts with such a loud pattern that I am surprised he didn't frighten the sun away. We spent most of the day on the beach enjoying the sunshine, Robbie didn't venture into the sea, but Sam swam and I dipped a toe in – it was colder than it looked! I took several photos of Robbie, so that you could get the full glory of his shorts, unfortunately all but one provided a view up the leg of his shorts and I didn't want to scare anyone, so you will have to make do with this picture.































Here is one of the photos I took yesterday evening when the lifeboat came back to the boat house.