Tag Archives: walks

Two good walks in excellent weather

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Halfway through the Sunday walk, Dot, Julia and Dave pause to take in the sun on the path near Wells quay

Have just survived the annual Blakeney weekend with nothing more than an annoying cough and fuzzy head. No real reason for this, because we had a very good time in excellent weather.

It started a day early, really, after I dropped Dot at the hospital for her annual check-up (following a mix-up over appointment time) and drove out to Paston to see Lucy and pick up the costumes she’d borrowed from Dragon Hall (later returned there). Lucy wasn’t too bad, but is about to leave for a couple of weeks away with her brother and sister up north. She wants to buy a house in Mundesley, but the complications of it all are taking their toll.

While I was with her the nurse arrived and waxed eloquent on the appalling slow driving that constantly held her up. Clearly a top nurse, and she did the job well too. I left while she was still in action and drove to the Kelling area to try to find the start to a walk I’d planned. This proved strangely elusive, and I was feeling rather faint from lack of food (possibly) so I stopped for a bap and tea at a garden centre (you can tell how desperate I was) before heading home.

Dot and I intended to look again for the walk start on our way to Blakeney the next day, but we were held up by a series of slow-moving vehicles and in the end went straight to the hotel, arriving in rain. But we were not dismayed: the forecast was good. So we paid our usual visit to the Blakeney Hotel’s upstairs lounge for scone and tea – bizarrely, Lucy was there with a friend. For an ill person, she doesn’t half get around.

I had been told by Sharon – physiotherapist and tide expert – that there were some very high tides due, so Dot, Dave and I walked down to the quay after evening meal, but it was too early. Very inconsiderate tide-plannning by whoever is in charge of that. The next morning were were away from Blakeney before it repeated itself. We parked in the layby just outside Holt and walked through by the Spout Hills path, where we encountered some enthusiastic bracken-cutters. We declined an offer to join them and continued into the town, where we found some excellent but very expensive furniture and had coffee etc at Byfords, as you do.

I fetched the car and picked the others up in town to proceed to the start of the walk, which I had now tracked down on a map and turned out to be about a quarter of a mile from the garden centre I had visited the day before. Very pleasant five miles-plus, walking downhill off Kelling Heath, crossing the coast road at Kelling and reaching the shingle beach by the Quag. Julia, in open sandals, had trouble with the shingle, but we persevered until we reached Weybourne, where we walked up into the town and had lunch at BunTeas (get it?).

BunTea (or Zoie, to give her her real name) proved extremely loquacious. We stayed awhile, then proceed up the road and then by a narrow and rather overgrown path up Telegraph Hill to the railway line. Quite a steep climb in places, but from the line an easy stroll back to the car.

When we stopped in Cley so that the Vigorous Three could look at some shops, I discovered that I had lost the hotel key. After getting a substitute one from the hotel I retraced our steps (the lay-by, the start of the walk, Byfords) without success. I was about to give up when, back at the hotel, I made a last, in-depth search of the car and found the key beside the driver’s seat. It had apparently fallen through a hole in my gilet pocket that I didn’t know was there.

The next day’s walk came courtesy of Dave: it was one they had done previously on their own and took us from Holkham (following the obligatory drink) along the beach to Wells, which was extremely crowded around the famous beach hut area. From there we walked into town along the straight path, pausing for breath at one point on a sunny bench – it was a warm and bright day – and then finding a tiny garden cafe just off the main street, where we had a rather refined lunch.

After considering briefly whether to catch the Coasthopper back to Holkham, we decided to walk it. After a longish stretch on the road we reached a wide, straight  and level path into the Holkham estate, crossing back to near our starting point. Unbelievably the other three had the energy left to look round Adnams’ shop. I found walking across the road to retrieve the car much less exhausting. We ended with an ice cream / lollipop at the cafe.

We then made an attempt to drive through the estate as we had done many times before, but were stopped by  a security man who said this was no longer permitted. Instead we circumnavigated the estate on country roads, establishing that the place is indeed massive.

We all went to bed fairly early. The hotel more or less shut down at about 9pm, but it is still pleasant enough, with good food and comfortable rooms. Next day the others had to leave for home (or in some cases Aylesbury) after breakfast, so we were away quickly too, calling in at Holt to buy two rather nice lamps from Bakers and Larners – Dot negotiating a discount rather impressively.

We were home at lunchtime, and both of us pretty tired. Dot organised her lamps, of course, and I unpacked, but after that we did a lot of sitting down, savouring the twin delights of Vettel dropping out of the British Grand Prix while in the lead (recorded)  and Serena Williams being knocked out of  Wimbledon by Sabina Lisicki (live). Laura Robson could have got through to the next round, but she made a hash of it.

Few other human beings

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Big sky over Winterton beach

Unusual week, in which we have seen few other human beings, except in passing. Mainly because Dot has been recovering from tonsillitis and has been staying at home (except for a visit to Godfreys, though that’s more or less obligatory), but also because I’ve taken the opportunity to catch up with a pile of tasks I’d set myself. These included sending David some poetry and stories for him to work his design magic on; printing out some more copies of my Lent poetry book and sending two (with an introduction) to Roger and Chrissy; editing and updating the new Paston website; writing two more poems; sending various messages to people trying to persuade them to preach at St Augustine’s; and all the usual paperwork, shopping, banking and so on.

Doesn’t sound all that much, but it was time-consuming, especially when I decided to install a couple of software updates, which took about 90 minutes. I’ve also finished reading The New Confessions  by William Boyd, which was a complex and very well written account of the journey of a “failed genius” of a film director through the first half of the 20th century. Did a nice job of combining education – in the best sense – and enjoyment. A big book.

And I have also managed to get out for a reasonably long walk every day. Yesterday I did 3½ miles, including Carey’s Meadow, Pinetrees, Lion Wood and the Rosary, thus neatly avoiding the riots in London and Manchester. Not much lawlessness in Norwich, though the litter bin has been thrown down the steps again (at 1.50am on Monday) and then rolled over from its new home against the wall at the top of the road, and into a parked car. I blame the parents.

Could it be the Mottram walk?

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Eddie
Little Eddie working hard in the garden

Quite a busy week, and warm too – until today, when it’s cooled off a bit. I’ve done a couple of longish walks – the first, 3.2 miles, was to the sorting office, then through the Rosary and Lion Wood, crossing Plumstead Road to Hilary Avenue, then through the alley into Mousehold and back by the usual route, taking in St James’ Hill and finishing along Riverside Road. Could call it the Mottram walk, because it passed Ralph Hale Mottram’s grave in the Rosary, and then his memorial skyline plaque on St James’ Hill. The second – 4 miles – started with a walk into the city to pay in the cheque for selling some of Dot’s shares, and continued down Tombland and past the Puppet Theatre, up Silver Road, along Mousehold Street on to Mousehold Heath (pause for ice cream), then across and into the Heartsease Estate to pick up pills from the chemist. Then along Witard Road and part way down Plumstead Road before I was picked up by Dot in her sports car, hopefully before she reached the area covered by the sociopathic speed camera van. That was yesterday. Feeling pretty tired today, with strange pains in my head. Shurely no connection?

Have managed to free padlock fastening long ladder to side wall. It had rusted in, but copious amounts of WD40 and persistent twisting eventually shifted it – just in time for neighbour to some round and say he didn’t need it yet. Job worth doing, though.

Cousin Eddie and family spent Tuesday afternoon with us. They are staying at Caister on Sea for a week. Grandchild small Edward has just turned three, and though he has lost his fantastic black curly hair (now browner and straighter), he is still delightful. Also present: Chris, her sister Maureen, Edward’s mother Jo (my Facebook friend) and her husband Stuart. Jo has gone from blonde to red: almost didn’t recognise her. Fun afternoon: should have invited them for meal, but didn’t get my head round it quickly enough – partly because we were out in the evening at the parish agm, which included a scrumptious meal prepared by Karen Wimhurt and friends, a certain amount of wine and some entertainment from a Congolese gospel choir. Again, a really enjoyable time.

The following evening we were out again, walking up to the Playhouse to see The Caretaker, by Harold Pinter. Splendidly acted: most rewarding. Met my “agent”, Tony Cooper, who introduced me to a potential stand-up comic who he said I might be able to provide material for. Left him my e-mail address and phone number, but am not convinced the PS-U was on the same wavelength. We’ll see. At least the author whose book I’m editing is happy with what I’ve done; so I will forge ahead with that.

Have just spent a couple of hours playing chess against my nephew Joe, with less than optimal results. Good practice, though. Would now be preparing for weekend trip to London to see the the Coomes, but astonishingly, and in completely unprecedented manner, it has had to be called off. This time very sadly too, as David has to travel north to visit his father, who is in a bad way, having fallen over recently. He has had to go into hospital, and the prognosis is not very good.