Country Life in Norfolk

Mid-May Sunday Musings

~ beetleypete ~ 18 Comments

The end of a good week. A trip to Suffolk, which I have already posted about, and an easygoing time with nothing too dramatic happening.

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The weather was the star of the show, with sunny skies and high temperatures most days, followed by first-time sightings of the Northern Lights on Friday. The mud has finally dried up on my walks, though that might change with the chance of thunderstorms later tonight. There may also be a dramatic fall in temperatures by up to 10C during next week. But by English standards, we have had a taste of Summer, so that’s a real positive.

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I find it incredible that I am still meeting people on my walks who did not know that Ollie has died. One lady was so upset by the news that she engaged me in conversation for more than 30 minutes, and she doesn’t even have a dog. He is certainly remembered by all, and missed by many.

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Julie has been working extra shifts to cover unexpected absences at work. But on her day off she went straight back to baking, and is already planning new bakes for next time. Her twin daughters have their birthday tomorrow, so later today she is driving over to see them with their gifts.

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Have a great Sunday. Doing what you want to do, where you want to do it.

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Old Friends

~ beetleypete ~ 29 Comments

From Wednesday, when we went to meet up with friends in Suffolk. The photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

By the vilage green at Pin Mill

I am standing at the back with Kate. Julie is sitting, with Kate’s husband Tony, and Roland. Roland’s wife Christine is taking the photo.

This time Christine is sitting, and Tony is taking the photo.

On the path by the River Orwell Estuary.

The Northern Lights At Beetley

~ beetleypete ~ 54 Comments

Unusual solar flares gave many parts of the world a treat last night, a rare viewing of the Northern Lights in the sky south of Scandinavia. We didn’t expect them to get as far south as Beetley, but they did! Close to midnight, Julie ventured outside with her phone to take photos. Here is a small taste of what she was able to see.

(They look much better on her phone than they do on my large monitor screen.)

An Enjoyable Day Out

~ beetleypete ~ 52 Comments

We left Beetley just after 10am yesterday to make the 70 mile drive to visit friends in Suffolk. Some other friends who live on the Isle of Wight were over too, so it was a chance for us to all meet up. Fortunately, the weather was very nice, and after cups of tea and catching up on news, we went to the coastal village of Pin Mill on the estuary of the River Orwell.

The Butt and Oyster at Pin Mill. (Not my photo)

There we had a leisurely lunch at the waterside in the Butt and Oyster pub, watching the tide go out and various boating-related activities. Once back at the house we sat outside again for a while, until a freshening wind sent us inside. Around 6pm, we decided to leave and said our farewells. It was still light when we arrived home just before 8pm.

Meeting old friends when you are all getting on a bit generates some interesting conversations. Medical ailments or impending surgery compared, memories of beloved friends now deceased. Plans for holidays, home improvements, photos of grandchildren shown around on phones, and some occasional nostalgia for when we were all so much younger.

One thing I enjoy about getting old is seeing that circle of life begin to complete. It was not how we might have expected it to be when we were 18, but overall it’s been pretty wonderful.

You can tell I am not used to long drives and being out for ten hours these days. I was in bed before 11pm, and feel really tired this morning.

Sunday Musings In May

~ beetleypete ~ 43 Comments

The weather finally decided it was Spring earlier this week, and I was wearing shorts walking around in a balmy 21C with lovely blue skies. It actually felt like Summer on my walks, with real heat in the sun. Then on Friday I was reminded that I live in England, when there was an 11C drop in temperature overnight, and torrential rain that included a short hailstorm. I soon hurried back from my walk that day, I can tell you.

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Otherwise a quiet week, with the national news dominated by a local and regional elections disaster for the Conservative Party. Although I am personally convinced that the forthcoming general election will change little other than the name of the party in power, it will be good to see the back of the corrupt robbing bandits who pretend to be the current government, as they grab as much dirty money and lucrative contracts as they can before they are kicked out of office.

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On my walks, I am still encountering people who do not know that Ollie died in February. That made me realise just how many dog-walkers I have met during the last 12 years. It is to be expected, but I really wish they would stop asking me “When are you getting another dog?”

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The busy birds and light mornings mean I am waking up much earlier. Not a complaint, but I was awake before 6am a couple of times this week, and this morning I have been up and about since 7am. It made remember the times of my childhood when I would wake up early, read my comics, then go back to sleep until midday. I often read that old people need less sleep, and have no idea if that is really true. Perhaps we just don’t want to miss out on any of the short time left to us, so force ourselves to wake up?

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I hope you had a good night’s rest before you are reading this, and that your Sunday is everything you hoped it would be.

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A Day Trip To Cromer

~ beetleypete ~ 65 Comments

Monday was bright and sunny, and also felt warm, with a forecast temperature of 17C. (63F) After such a long period of cold weather interspersed with rain, we decided to make the most of it and drive to the holiday town of Cromer, 45 minutes away on the north coast of Norfolk. For anyone who would like to know more about the town, here’s a link.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromer

We arrived at lunchtime, parked the car, and headed off. I was keen enough to be wearing my shorts, but we also wore warm coats, as the coastal winds can best be described as ‘blustery’. Out of season, and with the children at school, it was very nice to see no crowds at all.

Clicking on the photos will take you to Flickr, where they can be enlarged.

Cromer Pier has a popular theatre presenting plays, shows, and live music. It is a good spot for crab fishing too, and was recently completely refurbished after storm damage.

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Julie heading onto the pier.

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The streets of the town have some very old houses in different styles.

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In the town centre is the imposing 15th century church of St Peter and St Paul.

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The town sits high above the beach and promenade.

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Stopping in the open air for a coffee, we could feel the heat of the sun when sitting out of the wind. Before leaving for home later, we had a drink at The Red Lion, a very nice pub that also offers luxury hotel rooms with sea views. https://www.redlioncromer.co.uk/gallery/

This was followed by a meal of fish and chips at Cromer’s sea-view restaurant, Number 1. (Not my photo)

All in all, a great day out. Spoiled only by returning home to discover we had no heating or hot water, so I have just contacted the heating engineers this morning!

Last Sunday Musings For April

~ beetleypete ~ 82 Comments

If one word can sum a week, then that word is COLD. I have felt cold all week, and the heating has been on in the house for 14 hours a day, every day. Some days have been dry, but walking outside felt like winter, in a biting wind all the way from Norway sweeping down the east of England. The weather is set to warm up next week so they say, but with that comes ‘occasional heavy rain’. Hard to believe it is almost May. The front Beech hedges are still bare branches, and there are not many leaves on the two Oak trees.

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I am still coming across people who don’t know that Ollie died in February. Recounting the story of his last days yet again keeps the pain of the loss going, like twisting a knife in a wound. But people are only being kind and sympathetic, so I have to endure it.

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Julie had two extra days off during the week, and used them to good effect by baking cakes, bread, and savouries. I featured that in a post earlier, but since then we have also enjoyed some scones she made on Saturday. She certainly has the ‘Baking Bug’, buying lots more flour over the weekend, and constantly looking for ideas in her recipe book.

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My mood is still up and down. I tried to start reading again, and chose a new book on my Kindle. But I only managed 15 pages before giving up. I might go back to it, though I have no idea why reading books suddenly became so difficult fro me during the pandemic lockdowns. If there is such a thing as ‘Reader’s Block’, I definitely have it.

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It is raining heavily here as I type this, though the temperature has jumped to a relatively balmy 10C. (50F) I hope the weather is more pleasant where you are, and that you have the kind of Sunday you wish for.

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