Day Minus One
Here goes with another picture diary about our annual week on the English Coast. This year we are holed up in a static caravan at Long Beach, Hemsby on the Norfolk Coast. We stayed here four years ago but I didn’t blog then. Very hopeful for some partially decent weather.
It’s a 3.5 hour ride from home which is mainly A & B roads. Norfolk is good at B roads. We are unpacked and heading out for fish & chips any time soon.
Day One (Official)
Starting with some pictures from yesterday.
Today the sun is currently up, wind chill is mild to jumper needed. Packed and camera’d up – heading slightly north to Winterton-on-sea, although given the coast line I’m not sure where else it would be.
Back in the wheeled home. We have hiked some serious sand miles today. Failed the find the Winterton seal colony but had a great time in the freaks hair and fortuitous sun shine. The following pictures are from Winterton-On-Sea, a beautiful huge stretch of clean and largely unpopulated beach and quite right rightly an area of outstanding natural beauty.
My little friends had a jolly old time, leaping around and yapping like puppies at the waves.
……and more from the phone cam. Today I’m packing the Sodermalm Hipstapak and a little HDR Pro for the photographic professionals out there.
These are utterly over blown – get shades.
And the last ones for today. Action shots.
Day Two
Not so bright and sunny so debating the days activity. Looks like a road trip.
First though a few bits of photographic play time. These are done using the Panorama feature and getting the boys to run or jump around which they are very good at.
I quite like the one with the dis-attached shadow.
The one below is over processed in Snapseed. It reminds me of a landscape element from a Francis Bacon painting.
And back in the room, caravan, whatever.
Despite miserable mizzel this morning we took a road trip down the coast, past Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft to the mystical land of million dollar beach huts – Southwold. I’m not sure what I expected but it probably wasn’t what it is. As the patience and attention of my little companions is variable we have to have either glitz, noise or ice cream for a truly successful trip.
The main little picture set today uses Hipstamatic lens ‘Jane’ and ‘Ina’s 1982’ film. Probably one of their classic combos.
Most of the pictures are of the distracting and really quite individual bits of visual noise around the pier.
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The pier is privately owned and is themed with a lot of galvanised metal and quirky homespun entertainments. There was a press to crush 10p pieces and the ‘Under the pier show’ of strange amusements.
At the entrance wall there’s a mural / graffiti depicting George Orwell who it seems spent a couple of brief periods of his life in the town.
Last but not least, the mythical beach huts. To be honest there are far more and equally as attractive ones in Sutton-on-Sea but I guess proximity to the smoke counts.
So that’s it for Day Two. I think we’ve all learnt something from this.
Day Three
UK holidays are mainly based on weather opportunism. This morning the sun was out but it was blustery. So, dodging the beach we headed in land for a little light boating. Potter Heigham was recommended and we managed to find it after only a small number of detours. Whilst slightly more expensive than I’d imagined we took a little electric vessel on a float about on the Broads. Today is was pak’ing the John S lens and several early release films including Kodot, Blanko & Inas’.
I really like some of the more ‘in country’ waterside habitats. Cheaper than Southwold beach huts and triple the real estate.
These ones from the big camera. The black vignette is from a wide angle add on lens. I wanted the Tamron 12-28 but this one was £20.00. You gets what you pay for.
From the Broads we went on to the Horsey Wind Pump and stopped for snacks. Then, recovering Wednesdays fail we went on to the seal viewing point on Horsey Dunes. I was rally quite impressed by this. They have a small car park then a mile or more walk down a gravelled path then a hope over the dune bank. There lives a colony of 50-60 seals (I’m no expert, just the mid sized doe eyed type). They are calm and seem used to the vertical monkey visitors hanging around nearby. Really quite a special event, the boys came away suitable impressed.
And a few more, Akira/Kodema combo.
Day Four
Another road trip today to the land of the king crab, Cromer. 22 miles up the coast on the B1159, a mainly single track road populated by farming vehicles. Jollied on by the mythic crab population we purchased crab buckets & nets and headed to the pier. We caught zilch, not one, even a little one. Disappointment heaped on disillusionment.
So we quit and went and dropped nearly £2 in the arcades and had a crab sandwich for retribution.
Cromer pier is of course the scene for the closing scenes in the Alan Partridge movie ‘Alpha Papa’. The decking has been repaired and not a single bullet hole remains. They are also well on the way to recovering the damage caused by storms in the winter of 2013. These also responsible for scaring away the crabs (still carrying this I’m afraid).
On the plus side there is a second hand vinyl, cd & DVD market in Cromer on a Saturday. There was a lot of metal in there and I ‘could’ have spent a lot of money – but I didn’t and I’m happy with my little haul.
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Day Five
Sunday, generally clement weather, breezy, stayed local. G bought a £2 kite yesterday so we took that out. They played happily for a couple of hours, even though the sun was out there’s an autumn chill in the air. J buried his feet, D rolled down a hill, I messed around with cameras.
These are a few from the big camera. I also ran through two 120 films on the Holga, mainly double exposed panoramics. I’ll share the results when they get washed.
From the beach we headed into the beach resort for donuts, hotdogs and arcades. I’m happy to provide disincentivised arcade experiences, there are far better vices than gambling.
The rest of the day was lazy other then some fun with barbecue smoke and late afternoon low sun. Tomorrow is the last day so let’s cross fingers for sun shine.
Finally some Hipstamatic pics from the BBQ. Dali & Golden.
Day Six
Our last day and whilst not a complete wash out, more than a little damp. We took the coast road down to Great Yarmouth and managed an hour or so of walk about before the rain set in. On the plus side, J got his donkey ride.
We managed a walk on the pier but didn’t get to take any rides.
Tomorrow we pack up and head home. And really great time we’ve had.
Home Time
Back home now and back to our respective school & work environments. Closing down this page with a few final pictures.
On Monday night we had a pub meal in a little village (East Somerton I think). The little blokes behaved well and made the purchase worth while. They behave like real people with agendas, personality, humour and intent. I’ve no idea who encouraged this kind of dangerous free thinking. I’m going to have step back and think about it for a while.
On Tuesday it was time to leave. They played while I sorted the wheeled box home. We took a final walk down to Long Beach, did a little digging, a bit of snappery and shouted at some waves. That looks like this.
The Norfolk Coast is a great place to visit and I have really enjoyed the time with the little blokes. England is a funny old society and very messed up, iniquitous and deficient in broader worldly views. It does still have great landscapes and admirably small communities. Places like Norfolk, Devon, Cornwall and parts of Wales are testament to this. Often undervalued but indicative of the best of the nation.
Back next year with more beach based revolution.
adrian4 