Wednesday, August 02, 2006
New approach to my blog writing. I have a mini computer which I rarely used and was packed for selling on ebay - but now I plan to use it on the train so blogs can be written during my 3hour commute.
Summary of last few days:
A mixed weekend. Saturday am spent working on some questions I was given by work shortly before my week's holiday wasabout to start. As a result I was back in the office Monday to finish work, plus Tuesday from home so not good start to the holiday - Helen keeps reminding me I've not had a holiday since Last October so need a break.
Saturday afternoon was spent as usual in abbey grounds in Little Walsingham having late lunch and soaking up the sun. Not sure what the monks of 400 years ago would have made of me in my shorts and deckchair sunbathing in one of the holiest places in Europe at that time. Saturday evening I cooked one of my speciality meals - de-boned and trimmed lamb chump chops in garlic and herbs with courgettes and sweet tomatoes, with roasted butternut squash in garlic. Simple but amazingly tasty.
Sunday afternoon we spent at the White Horse in Brancaster. From the front it looks like a horrible place, but step inside or go round the back and you have one of North Norfolk's best kept secrets. It houses a very good restaurant - the shell fish is kept fresh in the sea at the bottom of the garden - and from the rear terrace where we sat you get amazing views across the marshes. A little later in the year you can sit here, pint or wine glass in hand and watch the geese gather in their thousands.
And then after a bit more/gardening - I'm moving lot of plants around as some ar just too big in current locations - down to the Bull for a aswift couple of pints with friends. Another glorious evening with the sunshining and remaining fairly warm - perfect forsitting olutside.
This week, apart from Monday - will be spent in Walsingham - plan was to be out on the bike most days but the weather here is awful so plans to lose some of the weight I have put on over the last few months(or year's as Helen would probably say) is looking dodgy. I asked Eve if she wants to go out anywhere (Eve's my goddaughter - 11 years going on 15). I think she's at that age now when being out with a 40 something adult is just not trendy - especially if she can earn some money working for her mum. She wants to go to Greenbelt but unfortunately her parents will have to work the bank holiday as they own 2 of the biggest shops in Walsingham.
Monday went to work - had planned a short time there but by the time we had agreed planned answer it was getting late so mad dash across London to Kings Cross - fortunately the train was 20 seconds late leaving otherwise I would have missed it - should add our trains are not normally late!
Tuesday I went to Alby Craft Centre - bit disappointed - to check through papers for work before looking round the place, then back to Holt to my 2 favourite shops - Bakers & Larners of Holt (imagine a department store 50 years ago) and Byfords (the best cafe/coffee shop in the whole world) to check their frozen meals in the deli to see if any new gluten free menus. Afternoon Helen and I went to the Carpenter's Arms in Wighton - just up the road - which has a great reputation for its food - sadly all I had was a packet of crisps.
And today I am sitting in Mary's (mother of Eve) coffee shop having caught up on a week of early starts to London. PM is Holkham Hall craft centre and (very expensive but excellent) wine shop.
I also watched the religious procession this morning into Little Walsingham. This week it is New Dawn here - RC version of Spring Harvest. It's strange having a major youth festival on your doorstep and as I type this the young girls have taken refuge here from the rain, eyeing up Jack behind the counter. Several thousand go to New Dawn - most camp but like Greenelt these days, many opt for local B&Bs and they also use the residential accommodation at Gresham School (where I nearly defected to years ago for the 6th Form but then decided you can't beat a Comprehensive education for a real outlook on life). I seem to spend a lot of time here answering questions about Greenbelt - maybe I should set up a stall to advertise the festival in the future.
Summary of last few days:
A mixed weekend. Saturday am spent working on some questions I was given by work shortly before my week's holiday wasabout to start. As a result I was back in the office Monday to finish work, plus Tuesday from home so not good start to the holiday - Helen keeps reminding me I've not had a holiday since Last October so need a break.
Saturday afternoon was spent as usual in abbey grounds in Little Walsingham having late lunch and soaking up the sun. Not sure what the monks of 400 years ago would have made of me in my shorts and deckchair sunbathing in one of the holiest places in Europe at that time. Saturday evening I cooked one of my speciality meals - de-boned and trimmed lamb chump chops in garlic and herbs with courgettes and sweet tomatoes, with roasted butternut squash in garlic. Simple but amazingly tasty.
Sunday afternoon we spent at the White Horse in Brancaster. From the front it looks like a horrible place, but step inside or go round the back and you have one of North Norfolk's best kept secrets. It houses a very good restaurant - the shell fish is kept fresh in the sea at the bottom of the garden - and from the rear terrace where we sat you get amazing views across the marshes. A little later in the year you can sit here, pint or wine glass in hand and watch the geese gather in their thousands.
And then after a bit more/gardening - I'm moving lot of plants around as some ar just too big in current locations - down to the Bull for a aswift couple of pints with friends. Another glorious evening with the sunshining and remaining fairly warm - perfect forsitting olutside.
This week, apart from Monday - will be spent in Walsingham - plan was to be out on the bike most days but the weather here is awful so plans to lose some of the weight I have put on over the last few months(or year's as Helen would probably say) is looking dodgy. I asked Eve if she wants to go out anywhere (Eve's my goddaughter - 11 years going on 15). I think she's at that age now when being out with a 40 something adult is just not trendy - especially if she can earn some money working for her mum. She wants to go to Greenbelt but unfortunately her parents will have to work the bank holiday as they own 2 of the biggest shops in Walsingham.
Monday went to work - had planned a short time there but by the time we had agreed planned answer it was getting late so mad dash across London to Kings Cross - fortunately the train was 20 seconds late leaving otherwise I would have missed it - should add our trains are not normally late!
Tuesday I went to Alby Craft Centre - bit disappointed - to check through papers for work before looking round the place, then back to Holt to my 2 favourite shops - Bakers & Larners of Holt (imagine a department store 50 years ago) and Byfords (the best cafe/coffee shop in the whole world) to check their frozen meals in the deli to see if any new gluten free menus. Afternoon Helen and I went to the Carpenter's Arms in Wighton - just up the road - which has a great reputation for its food - sadly all I had was a packet of crisps.
And today I am sitting in Mary's (mother of Eve) coffee shop having caught up on a week of early starts to London. PM is Holkham Hall craft centre and (very expensive but excellent) wine shop.
I also watched the religious procession this morning into Little Walsingham. This week it is New Dawn here - RC version of Spring Harvest. It's strange having a major youth festival on your doorstep and as I type this the young girls have taken refuge here from the rain, eyeing up Jack behind the counter. Several thousand go to New Dawn - most camp but like Greenelt these days, many opt for local B&Bs and they also use the residential accommodation at Gresham School (where I nearly defected to years ago for the 6th Form but then decided you can't beat a Comprehensive education for a real outlook on life). I seem to spend a lot of time here answering questions about Greenbelt - maybe I should set up a stall to advertise the festival in the future.
// posted by Dave @ 10:22 PM 
