Sunday, September 17, 2006
Well I reached the weekend in one piece. Friday was spent high up in a forest working out how to get from one tree to the next. I went on my Extreme course and must admit it was quite hard at times. But it was also good fun and did wonders for my fear of heights. The final part of the course is 80 feet up where you walk off the edge of the platform and fall! A counter weight system kicks in and slows the decent at the bottom - similar to a parachute jump. This was followed by a 1000 foot zip wire trip through the forest. The most scary bit was when we were literally catapulted into the air (from about 60 feet up) - didn't know what was going to happen as our team went first. Definitely classifies as a dangerous sport - except for the safety harness - just in case!
Friday night was a boys night out. I usually try and get one night out during my stay here with Paul, father to my goddaughter Eve. He runs one of the main shops in Little Walsingham - is an expert on Ikons and is probably the biggest supplier of them in Europe. He has possibly the smallest shop in the village but manages to have one of the highest sales per square foot of any business. Opposite, Mary, his wife, runs the biggest shop in the village.
So Friday night Paul and I went off for a meal - this is the only time I get a chance to eat out in the evening here so we try and find a decent place. We spent the first hour driving round North Norfolk looking for someone not fully booked. Friday nights here you have to usually book well in advance.Eventually we opted for Binham and the Chequers pub.Fortunately they had one table free. I had baked cod done with mustard and herbs - delicious. Desert was the best bread & butter pudding I can remember having - never too heavy and withpassion fruitadded to give it a slightly different taste. Got seriously overcharged but was resolved and then off to The Bull in Walsingham for a drink or 2. Eventually I opted out and went home as an allnight card game was underway and I didn't want to have too late a night as busy following day.
I enjoy talking to Paul - very Level 5 - we are very chalk & cheese but somehow hit it off when we were stranded at a pub for about 4 hours during a church youth weekend - after 4 hours drinking you tend to be everyone's best friend! He's an amazing artist - one day I will blog some of his paintings (done in wax and then shapes carved out) - he once painted the Madonna - but known as the Madonna with Big Rosy Lips - probably my favourite picture as I saw it being painted from scratch (I spent most of 6 months on the dole at his studios giving my views on what worked etc - usually complete garbage!). The painting is now owned by Dot & Charlie of Lies Damned Lies. They saw his work when he exhibited at Greenbelt. Sadly Paul stopped painting when they moved to Walsingham but he is now talking about starting again - I think depends on him having ideas that he wants to develop. He's not someone who simply starts with a blank canvas. There is also talk of them coming to Greenbelt next year - to run a shop in the village selling stuff similar to that which the pilgrims buy - plus a selection of Ikons - will depend in part on pitch price as bank holiday very busy in Walsingham so have to arrange staff cover. Hope they make it as Paul would be a good addition to the Level 5 group.
Friday night was a boys night out. I usually try and get one night out during my stay here with Paul, father to my goddaughter Eve. He runs one of the main shops in Little Walsingham - is an expert on Ikons and is probably the biggest supplier of them in Europe. He has possibly the smallest shop in the village but manages to have one of the highest sales per square foot of any business. Opposite, Mary, his wife, runs the biggest shop in the village.
So Friday night Paul and I went off for a meal - this is the only time I get a chance to eat out in the evening here so we try and find a decent place. We spent the first hour driving round North Norfolk looking for someone not fully booked. Friday nights here you have to usually book well in advance.Eventually we opted for Binham and the Chequers pub.Fortunately they had one table free. I had baked cod done with mustard and herbs - delicious. Desert was the best bread & butter pudding I can remember having - never too heavy and withpassion fruitadded to give it a slightly different taste. Got seriously overcharged but was resolved and then off to The Bull in Walsingham for a drink or 2. Eventually I opted out and went home as an allnight card game was underway and I didn't want to have too late a night as busy following day.
I enjoy talking to Paul - very Level 5 - we are very chalk & cheese but somehow hit it off when we were stranded at a pub for about 4 hours during a church youth weekend - after 4 hours drinking you tend to be everyone's best friend! He's an amazing artist - one day I will blog some of his paintings (done in wax and then shapes carved out) - he once painted the Madonna - but known as the Madonna with Big Rosy Lips - probably my favourite picture as I saw it being painted from scratch (I spent most of 6 months on the dole at his studios giving my views on what worked etc - usually complete garbage!). The painting is now owned by Dot & Charlie of Lies Damned Lies. They saw his work when he exhibited at Greenbelt. Sadly Paul stopped painting when they moved to Walsingham but he is now talking about starting again - I think depends on him having ideas that he wants to develop. He's not someone who simply starts with a blank canvas. There is also talk of them coming to Greenbelt next year - to run a shop in the village selling stuff similar to that which the pilgrims buy - plus a selection of Ikons - will depend in part on pitch price as bank holiday very busy in Walsingham so have to arrange staff cover. Hope they make it as Paul would be a good addition to the Level 5 group.
// posted by Dave @ 10:41 PM 
