North Norfolk - Deepdale SMCF

The weekend started with terrible weather, so after meeting up with Paul, Sue, Jim and Jane, we abandoned plans for a walk and stayed in the van apart from a brief trip out to the courtyard to visit the pizza wagon. The gales kept up all night and only dropped late on Sunday.

Saturday was still wet and blowy, so I got a day rover on the Coastliner bus and hopped to Wells Next the Sea, Walsingham, and Burnham Market. These were charming, bizarre and plastic in that order.

Wells Next the Sea still had traces of its malting and fishery past, and still some old-fashioned independent and traditional shops.










Walsingham was full of churches, icons, pilgrim souvenir shops and seemingly little else. The shrine itself was worth seeing just to marvel at the weirdness.









Burnham Market was a pretty green surrounded by over-priced and snotty boutiques, dining 'experiences' and irrelevant gift shops with about 10 things in (but the fantastic hat shop was a sight).








In the evening we went off to the Jolly Sailors to sit just out of earshot of the bands playing. They all seemed to be singing shanties so it was a narrow escape

Sunday brought blue skies so I drove off to RSPB Titchwell and saw avocets,marsh harriers, shelducks, redshanks, Brent geese, something with a blue bill, and more. Curry for lunch then a quick trip to Old Hunstanton to pick flints up from the beach and a coffee and cake.

In the evening, an early night after all the fresh air and walking.

Bury interesting

A visit to see the world-famous Your Illuminations at the Deaf Institute in Manchester. I parked tha van up at a CMC site in Burrs Park, Bury, and took the tram down to the gig.

The site was right next to a station on the East Lancashire Railway, and I was woken on Saturday to the sound of a steam train making the first trip up the Irwell valley,

I took the train in to Bury and went to the transport museum, had a photoshoot with Victoria Wood and spent ages in the Bury Museum and Art Gallery.

I spent so long I only just got the last train back, and didn't have time to get off at any of the stations on my steam run to the campsite, but need to revisit to call in at Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall, and do some walking.

Garden House gig

Down to Holbeach Hurn, near Sleaford to see Cardboard Fox at Paul and Sue Thomas's house gig. Held in their house, about 50 in the audience. Fantastic house, lovely people/food/beer and a smashing band. Bliss.