Oh, We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

During the last week my brother and I have been giving Mum a bit of a holiday, taking her out for days to various places which she enjoys; the Bressingham trip was part of this. We also visited my aunt and uncle for tea and biscuits, went out for Sunday lunch, took a stroll by Grafham Water and visited Mum's brother in London - no signs of rioting, looting or vandalism any where we drove through by the way (just in case people think the whole city is ablaze!). So yesterday, in spite of uninspiring weather forecasts, we went off to the Great British seaside, namely Cromer on the North Norfolk coast.

Cromer Pier

Cromer, like most seaside resorts in Britain grew up during Victorian times when the railways suddenly made the coast accessible to the inland population. It still has its pier - so many coastal towns have allowed their piers to fall, first into disrepair, then into the sea! At the far end of the pier is the lifeboat station, then comes The Pavilion Theatre which still hosts the usual kind of Seaside variety shows. The posters promised not only the "Bon Jovi Experience" (a tribute band, of course) but also The Searchers. The poster showed a picture of the aging rockers - I could recognise and name two of the 60's line-up (John McNally and Frank Allen) - how sad is that? There was also a restaurant on the pier serving first-class fish 'n' chips.

The next Open Champion?

You have to have putting greens and gardens at the seaside and Cromer has both. It also retains some of the nooks and crannies which always make fishing ports so delightful to explore.

Some small fishing boats still operate out of Cromer, but seem to have seen better days.

 

But for children Cromer is all about ice cream, buckets and spades, sandcastles and paddling in the waves.

There's also a very fine church with interesting glass in the windows.

They've also solved the problem of uncared-for graves by sowing flowers over the lot.

And, of course I couldn't resist a photographic moment or two among the brightly painted beach huts.

Take care.