Sheringham

 As I was saying to Dave a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to go to the sea before the end of the year.  It is my only visit this year.  

Yesterday I went to Sheringham.  I just got up and decided I might as well go out.  I stuffed some lunch in a sandwich bag, chipolatas and bread, and a bottle of my tap water, into my backpack and went off for the train after breakfast.  

The connection at Norwich was six minutes or one hour.  I told the guard I wasn't too bothered if I missed the connection because I was not in a hurry.  As it was I made the connection easily, out of one train and straight into the Sheringham train on the opposite platform. 

When I  got on the train a friend whats app'd me and I replied to her query adding that I was on a train.  She then proceeded to ring me on a voice call.  Most odd.  Would you do that?  I wouldn't unless it was something urgent.   So I joined everybody else on the train it seemed and talked to her on the phone.  I let her do most of the talking as she wanted to off-load some stuff on me about her family.  I made appropriate noises mostly.  She had already been through it all with me before anyway and families are families, you sometimes have to ignore the bad bits and not let it get to you. 

It is quite a scenic ride of one hour up to the coast from Norwich, via Wroxham and North Walsham and Cromer, and the farming is a bit different and the land is lighter so I enjoy looking out of the train and taking it all in.  (We have heavy and light land in Norfolk and I live in the heavy land of South Norfolk).  

I arrived in Sheringham at 11.45 and went straight for a coffee in a café just outside the station.  The coffee was very good although the proprietor was not friendly which was a bit sad.   

I then walked down the high street towards the sea and first stop was an ironmongers, a good traditional sell-everything ironmongers,  and bought some panel pins, small nails, which I have wanted for ages but as the ironmongers around here have all closed I was wondering how I would get them.  Problem solved. 

I then walked onwards to the sea.  The sea was calm

with hardly a ripple. 

It was a bit of a grey day but not cold.   Some drizzle but not unpleasant. 

After a while gazing at the sea I went back up the High Street and called into a shop selling all sorts of clothing and shoes and I bought a hat, some slippers and some hiking socks.  The proprietor was a nice, friendly Indian man who chatted and then said he had a flat for sale if I was interested.   He said call in anytime and follow it up if I want to.  So I nearly bought a hat, slippers, socks and an apartment.   He knocked spots off the first man in the café who was morose and unfriendly.

 I had two hours mooching around Sheringham and taking in the sea air and a train ride and was home by 4pm.  Not bad for a £9.95 day out. 

Here is a photo of Wroxham from the train window. 

Wroxham for those who don't know is at the heart of the Norfolk Broads.  The train goes along the back of the town passed the bits you don't normally see if you visit the town by car.  Old boats and things on the water and in the nettles.  Wroxham is on the River Bure and at the centre of the Broads. 

Today I have the W.I. Christmas Lunch.