Back from a weekend in Blakeney with the Evetts and the Towns, which left me shattered and cotton-wool-headed. Nevertheless it was a lovely weekend: it was just that for some reason I couldn’t sleep on the Sunday evening. On the plus side, the infection near the root of my tooth seems to be on its way out, which is as well, as I have just finished the antibiotics. Dot is already out taking a head teacher to lunch, and I’m catching up with various things before we both head out to another hotel – the King’s Head at Great Bircham. She is doing an inspection at the school there tomorrow.
The Manor Hotel at Blakeney was as good as ever, if you discount the handle of our room coming off when I tried to pull it shut. It turned out that the handyman had forgotten to put the screws back in after doing some repair work, but he quickly appeared and put it right. The food was good as usual, and the breakfasts exceptional: so much so that I have put back on the pounds I have been carefully losing. Unfairly, Dot has remained the same weight. How can that be right?
We arrived on Friday and had our usual afternoon tea at The Blakeney Hotel, though unfortunately not in the splendid upstairs lounge, which was full. On the Saturday, which was warm though a little breezy, we started with a rather prolonged visit to the village fete, during which all the women bought some jewellery. After a cup of tea we proceeded with the Evetts to the rather posh and lovely Bell at Wiveton, where we had starters only before hastening to Bodham for our walk to Baconsthorpe Castle. We did the full journey (about six miles), including a survey of the ruins and the loop through Baconsthorpe village.
On the way back to Bodham there was a brief shower, which had little effect on us till we reached a narrow path through a cornfield, when our trousers felt the full effect of water lingering on the wheat. Still, they had dried out by the time we got out to the car.
On the Sunday we started by driving to West Lodge, a house on the coast road at the bottom of Sheringham Park which was rented by the woman who sold us the jewellery at the fete (Liz Holman). Overnight she had been making a necklace for Julia and had asked us to pick it up there. Lovely job – and there was a bonus. We could leave the car at her house while we walked up into the park – which we did, and had a really enjoyable walk, taking in the Gazebo, which included a stunning view and four dogs (plus all of us and the owners).
No rain, but it was a bit cooler. Not too cool for a Twister (etc) from the rather cute Munch Buggy, manned by a woman very much like our friend Bridget. There is a beautiful new wildflower garden (The Bower) near the top, and we also called in at the visitors’ centre cafe for a drink. Some people had food, but I didn’t. Obviously that was a waste of care. We walked back to the car a different way and encountered the jewellery-maker’s husband in the garden. Had a chat and then drove to Holt station, where there was a display of classic cars and some very dark clouds, which however failed to deposit rain.
Spent some time looking at the cars and trying unsuccessfully to work out the categories. We also had a look at a steam train and took some photographs of that, plus a movie. Afterwards we went into Holt town centre and had tea and cake at Byfords. It was suspiciously quiet.
After another good meal at the hotel and a woeful failure to sleep on my part, we took leave of the Towns and strolled round Blakeney in spitting rain until we met the Evetts and had lunch with them at Wiveton Fruit Farm. This consisted for me of a rather chunky coronation chicken sandwich and ginger beer. After driving them back to the hotel to pick up their car, we set off for home.