Tag Archives: hemsby

30 March 2008

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Yesterday we swapped the new sidelights for the sitting room, which had proved to clash with the new paint, and decided to go for a walk. Earlier it had been bright and promising, but by the time we reached Hemsby it had grown rather dull, and it was very windy. We negotiated quite deep water at the entrance to the car park and then walked along the valley and up into the dunes, where I took this picture with my mobile phone. I hadn’t really gone prepared: I think I thought we’d be going home before walking, so I had no camera and the wrong shoes. We walked back along the valley, and not long after we got back to the car it started raining.

As it was a day for taking things back, we called at Sainsbury’s and swapped a bright blue bath mat for something browner.

I had been feeling pretty brown the previous day – very down, in fact. It had rained all day and been extremely grey. Several things got on top of me, and it just felt like a wasted day – not part of real life. Strange, because the previous evening we had had a lovely time, going out for a birthday curry with Heather and Sam, who was 14, and some of their friends. Excellent food and company, and the weather had been good enough to walk to and from Ali Tandoori’s on Magdalen Street.

Today the weather was much improved. It could almost be described as warm, which was appropriate as it was the first day of British Summer Time. Happily I remembered to put the clocks forward, unlike LD, who arrived at church with her guitar and looked astonished to find that the service was well under way. It’s always nice when someone does that (he said sadistically). One day I will do it myself. Anyway, we decided to go for another walk – down by the river beyond Heigham Street – a path I’d discovered a couple of weeks ago after visiting the chiropractor. Quite a pleasant three-mile walk (back along Marriott’s Way) but although the river level has dropped dramatically, the edges and fields are still very wet.

In the evening almost forgot to go to Ambient Wonder, but made it in time. Seemed to go well: Annette liked my poems, which is always nice.

16 March 2008

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Andrew taking a look at our parents’ new gravestone on Saturday morning. An unusual aspect of the picture is that it shows the Rosary open to High Green following the demolition of the fence by high winds. We had a good look round the cemetery and found several friends’ graves.

After lunch we drove to Hemsby, which we found shrouded by a thick mist. There can’t be a village anywhere more totally desecrated by cheap and tatty holiday development, but still you can walk along the valley toward Winterton and find yourself quite isolated in an area of wild beauty. The feeling of isolation was heightened by the mist, and as it was not at all cold, the walk we did was very pleasant. We climbed over on to the beach to find that what used to be gentle dunes had become a sand cliff practically all along the beach between the two villages. I still find the area magical, including the Glebe area behind the second row of dunes where we used to holiday when I was a child. We looked for the two bungalows we used to stay in, and may have found them – but there have been quite substantial changes, including a tarmac road where there used to be an earth track. I remember the greengrocer’s truck coming round regularly.

In the evening we went down to the Nelson for a meal, which was very pleasant, though I think the restaurant is aimed at a somewhat younger clientele – and of course at the residents at the Premier Inn, which adjoins it. Not much we could do today outside because of the abysmally wet and unpleasant weather, so we watched a couple of videos. Norwich and Spurs both lost this weekend, and Wales deservedly won the rugby grand slam. Delighted to see Hamilton took the Australian grand prix.

Last week Dot did a school inspection at Eccles, near Attleborough, and the governors took her for lunch – at her cousin’s restaurant: Peter Beales Bistro. I’ve been busy devising and writing invitations to a party we’re holding in August to mark our ruby wedding anniversary – this one for friends rather than relatives. Also writing an Easter Communion service. All very hectic. Oh, yes – I also went for a pre-op check-up at the hospital and found I was probably fit enough to withstand general anaesthetic. Of course by the time they actually administer it – April 16, incidentally, and not the 17th as previously reported – it could be a different matter.

Ruth and Steve have had a baby girl – Beatrice Norah.