Tag Archives: banningham

Idyllic walk out to the Bure and St Benet’s

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Sunset near South Walsham.
Sunset near South Walsham.

Strangely, the eye test turned out to be nearly as traumatic, though not as painful. Everything seemed OK, and the ophthalmologist said my eyes were healthy, but then he noticed  something at the top of my left eye, which he wondered about. He thought it could be a problem with the retina. On one hand he said it was probably nothing, and he was just being cautious, but on the other he said that if I got a shadow in my eye I should rush to A&E, in case my retina had become detached, which could blind me in that eye. Yippee.

I also needed two new pairs of glasses, in which I was assisted by a very nice girl called Becky, who was a trainee but very thorough and determined to get everything right. I eventually chose two new frames and ordered them. They will be ready next week. I also have a hospital appointment to look at my eye. This is on December 31, which may or may not be a good idea, but the next option was well into January. Needless to say I have had funny feelings in my eye since then, but I’m sure they’re just psychosomatic.

Back at the dentist, this morning’s session was even worse than the first one, and when Allison asked me when I wanted to come back, I said: “Never.” The procedure was pretty painful, and the idea of using three different toothbrushes to clean my teeth is pretty unrealistic. The hygienist is a fanatic: I think I shall go back to Ross for the check-up in three months’ time. Or four. Or five. Or eighteen.

The next day (Wednesday) I had my hair cut, which was totally painless.

Thursday was Dot’s day in London with Anne, and they had a great time, particularly the afternoon tea at the Bloomsbury Hotel. I surprised myself by going for a walk, starting at South Walsham staithe and walking along the bank of the dyke out to the Bure, opposite St Benet’s Abbey. I got some really good pictures and in many ways it was idyllic: not too cold, very still and the light fading, with mist over the marshes. I didn’t pass anyone after I left the metalled road. The only problem was that the path was very muddy – I couldn’t make up my mind whether it was a result of the damp weather we’d been having (and are still having) or if the recent hight tides had overtopped the bank. Still wonderful, though.

On Saturday I went out to Mundesley for the second writing workshop, which was good again, and then met Dot at North Walsham rail station, taking her to Jessie’s, where we had a cup of tea before going to the Banningham Crown for an evening meal. This was another very good meal. I had a steak and ale pie, which was probably a mistake in terms of getting a decent night’s sleep, but it tasted good. Also there were Roger and his girlfriend Debbie, who is very easy to talk to. The service was again excellent.

Sunday turned out to be very sporty. Dot and I watched the Davis Cup final, in which Murray won the decisive match, accompanied by extremely noisy spectators, and then we watched the Norwich v Arsenal match on Sky, courtesy of NOW TV. Good game too. The result was 1-1, and City could easily have won. After supper, or possibly during it, we then watched the highlights of the final F1 race of the season.

Historic pump brought in from the cold

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Happily, Linda did turn up and we had our hair cut. Pretty exciting. The next day we drove down to Burston to have a very nice lunch with artists Annette and Mike: excellent bread cooked by Mike, among other tasty things. It was a bit of a rush, as we then had to drive into Diss to see their shop – Designermakers21 – before racing back to Brooke, where Dot had to attend a feedback session at the school, earlier than expected at 3pm.

The shop was impressive though a little chilly, and Dot bought a cushion and candle shade. It was even colder outside. We dropped Mike off at his home and then Dot drove up to Brooke, arriving about eight minutes late, but only a minute or two after they’d actually started. However, she was in such a hurry that she left the car with me right outside the school gates, forgetting that I had had wine for lunch. Magically, I managed to park it without committing an offence.

On Friday Dot was out much of the day, but returned in time to greet the Hendersons at about 6.30pm. We had a drink, then supper at Prezzo’s, which we finished just in time, as Maryta walked out in protest at the language from an adjoining stag do. They came back to ours for coffee.

Yesterday I walked Dot to Carrow Road, where she was disappointed to see Norwich City lose to Brentford (1-2) and afraid of being labelled a bad-luck charm. She has certainly not been fortunate in the matches she’s seen this season. She now has to decide whether to continue to have a season ticket next year.

The day was not spoiled, however, as we then travelled to the Banningham Crown for an excellent meal with Roger and Jessie. The pub has been much extended, with new car parking and paths, and the staff are as pleasant and welcoming as ever. The pump where Dot’s mum used to sit and eat crisps in the 1920s while her father was in the pub is now incorporated in extra eating space, where we happened to sit. I had Guinness and steak  pie, followed by a superb pavlova, which had a predictable effect when I went to bed, and made for an uncomfortable night. Lovely evening, though.

Today is slightly milder, but not a huge amount. I took the morning service, with Howard preaching, and we had four children present: Beatrice and Benjamin, with their mother Ruth; and Amy and George, with their mother Vicky and her mother Helen, down from Yorkshire. All good. We had thought of going for a walk this afternoon, but in the end it didn’t happen.