(Cheese is today’s tenuous link to the title, but only right at the end and it’s a leap of faith for which I apologise).
We were tired last night (old man Toby especially so). We survived the lovely gaff we’re staying in until close to 11pm before calling it a day & going to bed.
Turns out we have switched off mentally. Even Toby had a lie-in and we only really got going at about 11:30. Riddled with zero guilt, we then had a light toast-based breakfast and even crocheted (I left that to Jane) for half an hour before sorting ourselves out and making a very loose plan for the day.
If you’ve suffered these blogs before then you’ll know there’s at least one where it’s ‘padding’. Thing is, for us, it’s us at our best, our most together, most ‘us’. We do the stuff we really like.
We decided to get all Pet Shop Boys and “Go West” as far as we intend before coming home in a couple of days and headed to Wells (“Next The Sea”) or WNTS as it will be known as.
Not 100% sure why, other than we are trying to work out where a past memory was actually created.
Charlie as a little ‘un. Bought a crab like and bucket & some bait. A harbour wall with shops very close to it. A lighthouse or RNLI something on the left. Ice creams, tat shops behind us. I thought there was a harbour wall that curled around from the right to enclose it but suspect I’m thinking of somewhere in Pembrokeshire.
I had a vision. This is it. I’m fairly confident.
What I absolutely do remember about it is that we packed up, enjoyed our holiday and came home. But about 3 months later I discovered the crab bait in a bag, in a bucket, in a cupboard, in the camper van (why we sold it probably).
Jane’s not so sure even after my visuals.
Well, we got there (45mins) and went all the way in and parked at the “most dog friendly cafe in the UK, or the south east or Norfolk). It does seem to earn its name despite my sarcasm! Puppuchinos, water, sticks and toys to play with. What’s not to like if your a dog (or immature like me)!
The rest of the headland is “dogs not allowed” though when you go beyond and head to the beach.
Here’s the crunch. It’s for a very good reason. All along these beaches and marshland beyond, there are amazing birds and other wildlife that are laying eggs/bringing up offspring. They need peace and time to hunt, gather, fend off natural predators.
Dogs are fab, miles better than many hoomans. But they do like to nosey, if not controlled. If mam and dad flee a nest to shoo away a well-meaning doggo, there’s a good chance a harrier or stoat nips in and then there’s a slight imbalance in the ecosystem. They compile and sometimes become big. So dogs on leads and don’t moan if you can’t stomp through a nature reserve at time a of the year. Public Service Announcement over!
There’s a Lifeboat Station at the end of the headland and it’s pretty slick and new. Built in 2022 (I think) it has some fancy stuff going on! RNLI 13-46 is stationed there (I know because I read it off my photo), and it’s a steep exit into a very challenging tidal mess, so big up to them!
When it arrives back from its heroics, there’s an equally impressive bit of kit that sets it back in place to go again. Some massive four-track thing that has a humongous engine that it’s happy to flip a peek to, if you ask nicely & don’t touch, of course.
The non-dog-friendly beach meant we accepted that fact and instead walked down the headland path back to WNTS.
It’s another birdie-brilliant walk if you look. Jane being the best at this, she had the ‘bins and I had the camera with a long lens on. Nothing mega, but we did see loads of exceptionally young fluffy birds looking awkward whilst waiting for parents to bring them food.
At the end, we nipped into Two Magpies Bakery and Jane bought an enormous croque monsieur, whilst I remained outside dealing with a separation-anxiety laden Toby & an older-than-me bohemian couple with two dogs that had muzzles and strong harnesses on. They held a very pleasant conversation with me, whilst I kept taking Tobes out of the Black Labs firing line. (Shots were fired, so I was on edge).
Turns out the Two Magpies forgot to reheat the crocque so it took ages. We’d only paid the £4 for 2h, rather the £8 for 6, so we were then on the clock to get back.
Lovely crunchy bread, nice cheese but that ham was very salty for me. Binned some off partly down to salt, mainly down to the walk back and definitely because you can’t feed the seagulls. (Don’t fiddle with ecosystems folks and then wonder why you don’t see sparrows, but you do see seagulls parakeets in south Manchester).
Jane and Tony meandered back. I tried to do so but with gusto. It didn’t work. My arthritic knees just complained. But we did get in the van at 16:02, so we’re only 2 minutes late. I’ll probably still get a ticket though.
From there we had an even better plan than the non-plan we came up with at the beginning of the day. Drive the coast towards our accommodation and stop if we see nice things. A kind of non-non-plan.
I set off. We got to Cley and remembered the smokehouse & a windmill. So we stopped. Parked up, and “straight to the smokehouse as it was close to closing”.
So we went to have a look in a nice art gallery shop before looking in ‘Made In Cley’ windows and watching people actually throw pots on a wheel that they then end up selling in the same place.
Oh, smokehouse! So Jane went in whilst I restrained the dog that thinks ‘if I can’t see his mum he’s been abandoned for life’. Jane just bought loads of smoked stuff in a make-your-own-platter type way.
We did then head home without further distraction.
Back to our lovely AirBnB, we unpacked today’s purchases, fed Toby, and then tea got laid out on the table so that we could plough our own furrow through the eclectic gathering of (some cheesy) comestibles on show.
The evening was lovely and we were back at 6:30ish, so by the time we finished phase 1 of tea it was around 8pm.
I’d been eating outside on the patio table, whilst Jane was inside on the sofa in front of the patio doors.
Jane was telling and asking loads. My crap hearing obscured by the door meant I kept asking her to repeat. It eventually went quiet and I felt a bit ignorant.
I went inside to apologise.
Toby was full-length laid out asleep on a throw on couch number 2, where I’ve sat. Jane was (& still is as I write this) fast asleep on couch number 1. I do love her.
So, it’s 9pm. Jane’s asleep. Toby has gone to bed. I’m not that far away from thinking it’s a good idea as well, so on this very happy and relaxed note, that wa ma today!
Much love & thanks to those that read this nonsense, as always it’s written to help me be present. Which is a good thing & worth a try.
Take care & be kind
x