After the Storm

Last night’s thunderstorm and downpour freshened the air and cooled things down somewhat. The last week had been so hot, culminating in Saturday’s 30-degree temperature in the garden. Sunday morning arrived giving us overcast, misty but warm weather albeit considerable fresher so we decided to have a day out. So, car loaded with coats and umbrellas, just in case, we set off along the A47 towards the coast.

A misty blue grey haze hovered across the green fields of wheat, barley, beans and rape the effect was to give the fields all the same colour with slightly different shades. The distant trees on the horizon looked like cut out silhouettes, all the same shade of dark blue gray and further away, the trees were the paler they became until they merged into the blue grey sky.

At Kings Lynn we suddenly changed our destination, as I wanted to call at a farm shop with a Yurt restaurant along the coast road between Hunstantan and Wells.

The A47 was busy as usual but luckily as the Children’s half term week was ending all the traffic was leaving the coast instead of heading for it. Through the Sandringham estate the Rhododendrons’ were in flower creating big splashes of purple colour along the roadside and among the pine forest. These Rhododendrons brought in by the Victorian plant hunters and are now considered undesirable, as they are such thugs. They’ve been cleared from great swathed of the countryside where they had self-seeded. Many have been removed from the route through the Estate. I hope one day the pine tree forest planted in a great mass on what was open heather covered heath land will be removed and the heath restored to how I remember it as a child.

Hunstantan was still quite busy. As we walked through the popular Sunday Market this Little Smart Car turned into a novel mini mobile café made us smile. It must hold the record for being the smallest mobile café bar ever. The coffee smelt really good as well.

Lunch beckoned, at the seaside so fish and chips seemed appropriate so we headed for Cassie’s the café overlooking the Green and the sea. The fish was tasty although a slightly different Sunday lunch to the one I had been planning at home. The duck legs in Orange sauce will have to wait until Monday!

As we were lunching a scooter and motorbike contingency powered up to the sea front. It reminded me of the Mods and Rocker groups that would descend on an unsuspecting seaside town on a Bank Holiday back in the 1960’s. In those days there would invariable be a fight between the gangs. I use to be a Scooter rider in the 60’s owning a Vespa 125cc, not a Mod though I hasten to add.

Ah the good old British sea side You can't beat it, Ice cream, Fun fairs, dodgems, the big dipper, donkey rides, candy floss, sandcastles, buckets and spades, sea shells, deck chairs, sticks of pink rock, crabs cockles and winkles, and best of all jumping the incoming waves with your dress tucked in your knickers. Ok so maybe I'm a bit too old for the last bit!!!

Over the years the ice creams have got bigger and fancier the windmills and beach games have evolved. Even the sea itself has got busier. White sails of small yatchs push through the waves, speed boats pull along the water skiers. Further along wind surfers and sail board surfers ride the waves.

The sad things are the Victorian piers that have slowly disappeared from the British coastline with constant battering of successive winter storms and breakwaters are slowly being worn away. Donkeys have given way to ponys. The beach has also altered, Over the years storms have washed away the golden sand leaving wave smoothed rocks from the clifts along the coast and a dark gritty sand.

Moving on round the coast we stopped at the farm shop that has been on the same corner for over 45 years. I remembering having a tray of hot freshly dug and cooked new potatoes in butter and basil from there before any of the kids were born. Oh they were so good. They now have an authentic Yurt that acts as a resturant where they serve home cooked local food. We really must stop for a meal one day. On reaching Wells next the Sea we decided to take our coats and umbrellas with us. Just as well as while we relaxed with a mug of coffee in the Mermaids Purse along Wells shopping street the rain that had been forcaste finally showed up.

Eventually we decided the rain was no fun and headed back to the car slightly damp but not dispirited. It had been a good day out.