Another Day Out

After the brilliant day out in Lincoln on Wednesday, Thursday was a total washout, rain, rain, rain all day. So when Friday arrived with clear blue skies again we decided to make the most of them age have another day out.

We didn't quite get to Vancouver, but to the Vancouver Shopping Mall in Kings Lynn in Norfolk! The town was the birthplace of George Vancouver who spent 5 years exploring and mapping the west coast of British Columbia in Canada.

Lynn has even stolen the hanging flag idea that decorated all the districts of Vancouver, Canada!

After a satisfying hot lunch in the Cafe Roasta we headed for the Museum where I wanted to see the recently installed Seahenge monument.

This view is from a post card purchased form the museum and shows what the monument looked like when it was first discovered.

Back in 1998 this early Bronze Age structure, thought to be a religious site, was uncovered by a receding tide on the beach of Holme Next the Sea in Norfolk. The structure had been hidden for 4000 years and was given the term - Seahenge. Originally built on Salt Marshes before the sea rose and covered the area. The wooden structure consisted of 55 axe split tree trunks arranged in a circle with the bark out side and an upturned oak tree root placed in the center. The site was only visible at low tide and the ancient wood began to deteriorate with exposure to the air. A controversial decision was made to remove the timbers and preserve them.

The timbers were first sent to Flag Fen here in Peterborough then eventually to the Mary Rose site in Portsmouth for cleaning and preservation before being returned to their eventual new home in a special created display in Kings Lynn museum.

We spent a few hours in the Museum and I got chatting to another couple viewing the exhibits. Their accents first attracted me to them. Canadian and Vancouverites. Small world! On emerging into the town we revived with a Costers stop before hitting the shops.

I spent five years in Lynn during my student days when we use to go to the Majestic Cinema. It still survives today despite all the demolition of parts of Lynn to build a modern shopping mall. Above the cinema was a a sprung floor ball room where we use to go to dances on Saturday nights when we danced to live music from dance bands and groups. No DJ in those days.

The Saturday Market Place still remains. Every year around Valentines day a fair called 'The Mart' arrives on the square and that's were Himself and I had our second date so many years ago.

This large open space serves as a car park during the week when the market isn't using the area.

The Lloyds bank has survived in the same building but the building on the other corner is now 'Nandos'!

Along the High Street, the original main shopping street that I remember the building all remain much the same but the shops have changed. The large department store I remember as Jermyns is now Debenhams store. There use to be a shop called Woodcocks, a grocers/delicatessen with an old fashion Tea Room above the shop. They use to roasted their own coffee and you cold smell it on the street. A Purdys cake shop with another coffee shop above was were we use to go after night shift for a coffee and doughnut before retiring to bed for the day. All gone now but there's still a good mix of little individual shops .

The River Great Ouse runs along side the

town edge. Once the site of an important and busy Dock Yard now just a few small fishing boats remain. All the old dockyard have gone and the water side now has modern appartments and houses where the working docks were. I notices all have stout flood gates that would close to defend the properties from the sea.

We just had time to visit a converted ancient 15th century warehouse called Marriott's Warehouse on the Green Quay. It is home to the 'Wash Discovery Centre' as well as a gift shop and cafe.

This unusal sclupture stands along side the outdoor seating area for the cafe. The sun had set and it was getting dark before we headed for the car to hit the road home.