Memories/ Beaches, friends, sand and time out in Norfolk

As the credit crunch tightens its grip I have noticed the trend towards things that remind us of "The Good Old Days" or what we perceive to be the good old days, a leaning towards 1950's fashions, wholesome food, and the good old family seaside holidays.

I was fortunate enough a couple of weeks ago to be invited by my lovely friend Mags to spend a week with her in Norfolk at a small fisherman cottage in Wells-next-to-the -Sea.

I know little of the area but here I was to experience the uplifting feeling that "nostalgia" can give you, a lightening of the heart and mind and emptying of nervous energy that grips me in my daily life and an understanding as to why when the going gets rough, people look back and find the simple things they enjoyed.

There are places in the world that seem to go at a much slower pace than the rest of the world, chugging along in some respects but keeping abreast of the 21st century world on the whole, however they do life at their own pace.

This part of the Norfolk coast has that unique ability of staying still, but having said that its not dull and in need of modernizing its just managed to hold onto the nice things of the past.

The roads are quieter, the people walk slower, they stop and talk, muse about this and that and appear to be unhurried and contented.

Its always easy to say these things when one is on holiday, when you are not in a hurry yourself you notice more but I really don't think this was the case.
I have been to lots of quiet places around the world but the tension of everyday life can still be felt rippling under the surface.

Not so at Well-next-to-the-Sea ( which incidentally is not next to the sea, its next the the estuary but who's counting!), the town was busy when we arrived on Saturday afternoon, there was a buzzing holiday atmosphere, fishermen selling fresh fish, people enjoying ice cream and fish and chips on the quayside.

The tide was out and yachts laid helpless on the sand waiting patiently for the return of the sea, so they could once again bob up and down in their graceful effortless way.

We walked along the sea defense to the beach, and that is exactly what it was beach no sea to be seen, just miles and miles of wet sand.

The dogs loved every moment running in and out of shallow lakes of salt water left behind, the rows of beach huts painted in pastel seaside colours reminded me of the Marks and Spencer advert for their summer collection.
Twiggy and her fellow models rushing between the brightly paint wooden structure singing " I'm going to marry a Lighthouse Keeper" back to the 21st century's search for nostalgia.

We had the most glorious week walking along the Peddars Way from Holkham to Cley-next-to-the-Sea ( which is even further from the sea than Wells) and back again. Taking a boat to Blakney Point to see the seals, even Flora the Explorer enjoyed her trip, keeping an eagle eye on the ocean for pirates and such like.!!

Wet and tired dogs each evening steamed in front of a roaring fire whilst we ate fish and chips and watched TV or read endlessly those books we had been meaning to read.

Our days were filled with sunshine and friendship, wildlife and water, good food and good company who could want and ask for more in these dull and difficult times certainly not me.

I can fully understand why there is a fashion for "nostalgia" when life gets tough because the things that cost very little are the things that help us cope and make us feel much better.

Blossom