A Traumatic Move to Kessingland & the Boys Join Us - 26th Aug ‘19

Another moving day ... another scorcher!

The pack up went quickly and smoothly. The pitch was a bit of a disaster- I think a case of over confidence kicked in? I will expand later...

We left Seacroft Cromer at 11 and arrived at White House Beach Kessingland at about 12.45. Pros and cons of Seacroft will follow but firstly the tale of woh ...
1) I didn’t plan the trip (again!) so the postcode on the sat nav took us to a housing estate! We had to a couple of very tight turns to get out and then climb into the van to get the site book to get the correct directions!
2) We had lots of pitches to chose from but for some unexplained reason I panicked and just took the first one we came to!
3) I tried to back Brunnehilda on, failed dismally so had to motor move her. I had her stuck in the middle of the road with a guy waiting to get by and I couldn’t engage the mover for ages!
4) Once I got her moved, I placed her too close to a tree - Isabella wouldn’t fit in - so I had to put the corner stays back up and move her over a few inches.
5) Turns out I should have moved her over a couple more inches as the porch is now rubbing on a branch and the next door neighbour is going to struggle to get his electric hook up out as Isabella is right on top of his wires!

Laura arrived with the boys at about 6 pm just as I was putting the finishing touches to Isabella - pegging her out and putting down the carpet. Earlier we had to take a break from putting her up in the sizzling heat for me to take dip in the sea to cool down. This site is right on the beach - literally across the road. About 5 mins from door to water.

                         

The beach was very atmospheric - I think the heat was causing a bit of a heat haze effect? The water was about perfect although I would have personally preferred sand than Suffolk pebbles buy hey, you can’t gave everything!

Once we got the beds ready in Isabella, we headed out to Southwold for the evening. I took the Twinnies to the beach while fish and chips were purchased from the same chip shop we went to last week. The Twinnies built up an appetite by pebble chucking. Of course they managed to get their feet wet which grandad got the blame for!?

We ate the chips overlooking the sea with the Southwold lighthouse lightening the sky. Finishing quickly to enable us to get an ice cream from H&J’s before they shut at 9 - and a bloody nice one it was too. Kim had Mango which was very special.

Back to Brunnehilda for the beds up, jarmers on and to bed routine. Kim and I are in Isabella, Laura and Harry in the main bed with Charlie and Finners in the dinette bed.

As promised, pros and cons from Seacroft Club Site, Cromer:
Pros:
1) Great position for walking to Cromer (15 mins) and East Runton beach (10 mins)
2) Superb facilities. Perfect loos and showers and even a swimming pool - although we didn’t use it!
3) Good 4G
Cons:
1) Price - the most expensive one so far
2) Not very friendly folks around us. I have a theory which I will expand on some time soon
3) Busy road to pull out onto - especially if turning right
4) Pitch didn’t allow awning

A day out in Cromer - 25th Aug ‘19

Another exhausting day of doing very little in the sun!

It started with a lunch time trip to Tesco’s at Sheringham. The morning was taken up with the usual tea in bed, leisurely breakfast and personal grooming!

Today was pretty much a reverse of our first day. A walk into Cromer via the cliff / road and then back hone via East Runton along the beach.

We were keen to get lunch from The Bucket List and it was worth it! https://m.facebook.com/Chipbuckets/ A bucket of fries with homemade toppings. I had The Nugs Bucket which had virtually everything on it! Kim’s was a much more modest affair but nether the less equally as delicious. Also needless to say my bucket was emptied - Kim’s wasn’t!

Cromer was absolutely heaving but it had a nice relaxed vibe and the crowds were well spread so seemed fine. We walked toward the Overstrand Beach side. We found a quiet bit of beach for reading, relaxing and swimming. A family did encroach on our space - which is bloody annoying. You try and give those around you a good 5 yards clearance and then the bloody Flintstones come and sit on your lap!

Back home via Cromer Pier and a lot of people watching on the beach while eating ice creams. We were fascinated by a family on the beach with 2 twin boys - about 7. Like our Twinnies they were like human dynamos and with the same fascination for picking things up and chucking them as far as they could. Funny how you can call it “people watching” when it clearly is just being nosey!?

The walk back along the beach with the sun setting and all the day trippers heading hone was lovely.

When we got back to Brunnehilda I caddied a smoked salmon and we had the vegetable paella heated up with it for dinner. Well, to be accurate, I had the fish while Kim has kept her veggie diet going all this holiday - apart from one fish and chips in Southwold last week.

We settled down at about 9 to enjoy a cup of tea and watch a DVD - Goodbye Christopher Robin. Not holding out much too but hey, you never know!?
To be fair we were driven in from enjoying the pleasant evening air by the act in the clubhouse just over the fence (they must have all the windows open!) We’ve just had Neil Diamond, ABBA and now Chuck Berry murdered - enough is enough!

Visiting Nicky and Andy at Stiffkey - 24th Aug ‘19

The blogging discipline has dropped again! Writing this on a bright sunny Bank Holiday Sunday after a glorious hot and sunny Bank Holiday Saturday.

The longest spell at the campsite today. We didn’t leave Brunnehilda until after 1.30pm. The time was taken up with the normal hectic schedule of breakfasting, abluting and relaxing. CL sites are certainly a lot more friendly than Club Sites like this. Not that anyone is unfriendly or that we’ve made a particular effort - apart from the obligatory smile and good morning (unless it’s the afternoon!). I have noticed that there are a lot of families from Leicester / Nottingham - I’m guessing it is quite a traditional holiday place for East Midlanders?

We wanted to get a plant from the area - as we did in Devon. Kim had her eye on something called Agapanthus, which seems to be abundant in this part of the world. North Norfolk is not awash with garden centres but the 2nd one we tried was a little (actual not so little!?) gem. As well as getting the aforementioned agapanthus’ we also managed to buy a garden table - it was too good a bargain not to! Methinks Brunnehilda is going to be full to the gunnels for the trip home!? The place was called Holt Garden Centre http://www.holtgardencentre.co.uk/ - ironically more in Kelling than Holt. A fabulous place who also, as they all seem to, did a mean cup of tea and slice of cake.

We followed the coast road around to Nicky and Andy’s place at Stiffkey. There were some wonderful little places en-route like Cley, Salthouse and Blakeney.  Definitely worth an explore but I doubt we will have time- this time round! This part of Norfolk is very different to the “seasidy” resorts of Cromer and Sheringham. It is very pretty and we were also amazed at how hilly Norfolk can be?

Nicky and Andy’s house(s) are wonderfully old and characterful. Around every corner and up every staircase (and there are 4 of them!) there is something to “wow” at! Period features is an understatement and the bits they have completed really show what a fab place(s) they will have when all the building work is finished.
But the garden was the real showstopper - not huge but very secluded with the river Stiffkey running through at the bottom. They have made great use of the river with a summerhouse and a nice seating area to watch the otters play! Andy does some writing from the shed - no one could fail to be inspired in such a setting.

We went on a pleasant circular walk towards the sea and then back via the local pub where we managed a very welcome pint in the shade of the courtyard garden.

Back to Wagtail Cottage for a tasty home cooked meal of stuffed peppers, falafels and chicken. Plus of course Nicky’s homemade tzatziki (sorry about the spelling!). We ate in the garden so by the time we made our way hone it was very very dark (and quiet) - another benefit of life at Stiffkey?

A 40 minute journey hone and then a quick catch up on line and to bed. Cobblers lost again but hey, if you let that spoil your day you’d never get of bed from July to May!

Beach Walk to Sheringham (and back) - 23rd Aug ‘19

A nice hot day today. Not a cloud in the sky and just a gentle sea breeze to prevent any potential “over heating”. To borrow a footballing cliche ... this was definitely a day of 2 halves!

It all started well enough with a leisurely breakfast and a welcome shower. The plan was to get on the beach at East Runton and walk the 4 miles along the beach to Sheringham. A good enough plan assuming you have checked the tide tables first. Turns out it was high tide just about the minute we set foot on the beach. What that meant is that the walking was particularly difficult. At high tide the beach is a pretty miserable mixture of sand and rocks. No easy walking with or without shoes.

After grunting and groaning our way as far as West Runton we decided to abort, climb up onto the cliff and finish the walk into Sheringham via the Norfolk Coastal Path. This was a far better plan, providing us with some hard but easier (if you know what I mean?!) walking and some bloody splendid sea views.

Sheringham was busy but we struck lucky with our 3 food and beverage choices during the afternoon.
Firstly a splendid sea view, cup of tea and scone at Whelk Coppers.https://whelkcoppers.com/
Then a magnificent wrap (Kim) and nachos with homemade hot sauce (me) at Fat Teds. https://www.fatteds.com/
Finally a very adequate locally made ice cream from Ronaldos. https://www.ronaldo-ices.co.uk/

We started the long walk back with some trepidation but it was now low tide (6 ish) so we felt more confident as the nicer sand was available to us. It did turn out to be a much nicer walk back. I even managed a quick swim between East and West Runton.

We were both pretty knackered though when we got back to Brunnehilda!
One thing is certain ... no beach tomorrow!!

Moving to North Norfolk / Gorgeous Evening in Cromer - 22nd Aug ‘19

As with most moving days, today was a glorious hot and sunny one.

Breakfast and then up and at ‘em. The pack up process ( minus Isabella) is a breeze and the current Mrs Pitts and I hurry through the process steps like a couple of old pros. On the road by 11.15. See my pros and cons list later in the blog for Hill Farm Darsham.

Straight forward journey around Norwich and arriving at Seacroft Cromer at about 1.15pm. We have a non awning pitch so with a bit of motor moving (the pitch was much too challenging for my current reversing competence!) we were soon settled. It’s a full club site so it has all the facilities- including a swimming pool! It is situated just off the main road on the Sheringham side of Cromer. The sea is about 1/4 mile away - over a road and another campsite.

After a trip to Morrisons to get a few provisions and a bite to eat we enjoyed a bit of sunshine sitting outside Brunnehilda. Kim read and I watched the Test on my i-phone.

Dinner was vegetable paella on the Cadac - absolutely scrummy. Made even more so as I made it - well under strict instruction from the head chef that is!

After dinner we set out for a bit of a walk - need to get the steps registered! We walked out of town to East Runton to get onto the beach. From there we walked along the beach back into Cromer. There was a lovely atmosphere with lots of folks BBQing on the beach. There was a gorgeous red sky sunset as well that added to the ambience.

Coffee and chocolate just by the pier and then up into Cromer town centre - just in-time to see the annual carnival parade through the streets. Nice idea to have it at night with all the lights.

We walked back home along the main road and were then treated to the carnival firework display which we watched from Brunnehilda’s front door.

Canasta was a bit of a walk over tonight but modesty prevents me from giving you the full details.

Hill Farm Darsham CL Site:
Pros:
1) Fabulous position for Southwold and Aldeburgh
2) Fresh eggs readily available
3) Our own personal water tap
Cons:
1) Road noise from very busy nearby A12
2) We didn’t have an awning pitch. Lots of room but not allowed to pitch on hard standing
3) Facilities - while they were clean (ish) they were far from pleasant to use
4) No view - could have been anywhere
5) WiFi, although free, was awful. And no 4G!