Poppy Line Stream Train, Sheringham, Norfolk

28/6/2010

'WE'RE MOVING!! WE'RE MOVING!!' screamed Ellen as the steam train pulled out of the station. Ellen and I were just a little bit over excited - then we heard the train whistle shriek and saw the smoke streak past the window we almost exploded with excitement. Although we have both lived in North Norfolk we had never taken a trip on Sheringham's top attraction: the award winning Poppy Line Railway until now, where an authentic 1940s steam trains make the short half hour journey between Sheringham and Holt (stopping at Weybourne and Kelling Heath holiday park on the way).

Sheringham Station, I love the roof

The train departed from Sheringham Station at 10.30am, and we arrived early so we could have a good look around before we climbed aboard. We purchased our tickets, which were a little bit pricey (£10.50) and then went to check out the noble stead we would be travelling in (pictured below). The station is decorated as though its still 1940, old suitcases and trunks litter the platform and vintage posters and adverts cover the walls, it all looks very beautiful and authentic. We both wished we had dressed up ourselves - although it would have looked a bit odd as we would have been the only ones.

The steam train we rode on

Authentic 1940s accessories

The special Ladies only waiting room

Ellen modelling the carriage

We then found an empty carriage an clambered in, the interior looks exactly like the inside of the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films, there was even a luggage rack above our heads. The seats were upholstered in red velvet and were pretty comfortable/incredibly bouncy as long as you didn't sit on a spring. There was also some olden day graffiti that declared 'I love wayne' and a window that you had to pull down in order to open the door. We were sharing the carriage with 4 proper grown ups (pensioners) who gave us disapproving looks whenever our excited screams grew to loud!

Ellen being a rebel - we weren't allowed to lean out of the windows

On the journey to Holt

We then set off on our epic voyage - it was brilliant! As soon as we pulled out of the station we stood up and leaned out of the windows, even though we weren't supposed to lean out (we were proper rebels!) the clacketty-clack of the train on the tracks and the swaying of the train increasing the excitement of the experience. We went past the most beautiful scenery (one side you could see all the way across kelling heath on the other you could see all the way to the sea) and waved at lots of children in cars as we pulled along side the road heading towards Weybourne, where we stopped to let the Diesel powered train pass. I wish we had been able to get that train home, it looked like a tram and there aren't enough of those about this side of Germany.

We arrived at our destination: Holt Station

All too soon we arrived at Holt where we all had to get off the train while it went to turn around. Except that it didn't turn around. The engine detached itself from the carriages and then reversed down the tracks and attached itself to the back carriage - backwards! So in effect we were reversing all the way home! It was very odd. Ellen and I brought an ice-cream and a postcard apiece and then got back on the train. This time we sat at the front rather than the back and had a slightly more bumpy ride back.

It was a really fun couple of hours out, in our carriage there were some over 60s and on the same train there was also a coach load of school children and everyone seemed to have a great time. 

Poppy Line offers lots of different events throughout the year, it holds a beer festival in July , has its annual 1940s weekend where visitors are encouraged to dress up and ride the trains and it also holds several murder mystery evenings thought the year. 

Passing through Kelling Heath Park on the way home

Weybourne/ Cley

Both sides of the station

Plant holder

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Felbrigg Lake Walk, Norfolk

27/6/2010

After the beach and strawberry picking excitement we still had two hours to kill before Lucy got the train back to Norwich, we decided to go to Felbrigg as it was nearest and walk around the lake. It was still really, really hot and after we walked around the lake we went for an ice cream. In the toilets we saw how sunburnt we were. Then it started to hurt and itch like mad. I hate the sun sometimes.

As we walked around the lake we saw hundreds of teeny, tiny newborn frogs - they were literally about the same size as flies. We tried really hard not to step on them but I fear we may have become frog murderers.

The lake

Reflection of Felbrigg house in the Lake

Baby Frogs! They were so tiny

The orangery

In the shade of the orangery

Overstrand Beach, Norfolk

After the non-event that was Weybourne beach we decided to go explore some place else. I suggested Cromer Lighthouse and so off we went, there was however, one slight problem, I didn't know how to get to cromer light house. We drove along the coast road for a bit, and turned off at Overstand because I thought it might be there. It wasn't. We walked along the cliffs and saw what an amazing colour blue the water was and how beautiful the almost empty beach was and decided to go for a walk on the beach instead of find the light house.

View of beach from the cliff: Look at the colour of the sea!

Beach with the tide going out

I found a massive rock pool type thing and decided to wade across it - bad idea. It was deeper than I thought so I abandoned the mission and we dumped our bags and shoes and scampered off to play in the sea.

Lucy running into the sea - my favourite picture of the day

Jumping over waves

It was so WARM! That must have been a mark of how hot the day was , it actually made the sea hospitable. Lucy dashed off and started jumping over the waves. We walked along the beach for ages, splashing in the waves, wishing we had brought buckets and spades to make sand castles. 

Children in the sea

Mussels on the breakers

The beach was almost empty which I was surprised about, because it was a weekend and I assumed it would be packed on the hottest day of the year. There were quite a few children, but not enough badly behaved ones to annoy us, they were kept well out of our way as they were in the sea and we were just paddling. As the sea went out, we walked around the groins and saw all the mussels stuck to them, I couldn't believe how many of them all stick to one little area, you think they would spread out a bit! Lucy started dreaming of the Moules et Frites she had in France last year.

More beach shots

Weybourne 'Beach', Norfolk

After mine and Lucys strawberry gorge fest, we went to the beach to eat yet more strawberries - this idea was ruined by Lucy announcing that she felt sick again. Bad Lucy ruining all our lovely plans. We went to Weybourne, probably the worst beach of all time. Its made entirely of stones, there is literally not even one grain on sand on the 'beach'. Even though it seems to be some kind of stone sanctuary, people were still sun bathing on it!! ON THE STONES! Why would you even bother? Go to real beach there is one like 5 miles down the road! It must have been really uncomfortable, even walking on them hurt my feet.

Weybourne: Beach of sin

brave sunbathers

We walked about half a mile down the beach and then climbed onto the cliffy bits (more like banks then cliffs) and watched the Muckleborough display day for free. They had tanks and army vehichles whizzing across the fields and incredibly loud 1940s songs blaring out of speakers. We both decided what we really want to do was go back in time and see what war time Britain was like. But not the Blitz part. Just the 'good' bits - because Lucy loves spam.

TANKS!!

View of Cley mill from the beach

Wiveton Hall Fruit Farm , Norfolk

Today was apparently the hottest day of the year, and anyone who has seen my lobster red chest will be able to support that claim. Despite four applications of after sun my chest remains the deep red of the strawberries I picked today. Lucy and I had an adventure day, we went strawberry picking, then to two different beaches and finally to Felbrigg, the car was like being in a suana and now smells deliciously of ripe strawberries.

Strawberry Fields

Wiveton hall fruit farm is ( I assume) part of the Wiveton Hall estate, field after field is decorated with ankle high hedges that bare some of the biggest strawberries I have ever seen, I swear one strawberry I picked was almost the size of a cricket ball. They tasted amazing as well, so much better than shop brought ones, Lucy ate so many as she was picking them that she felt sick. 

Strawberry plants

Strawberry pickers

Our strawberries

Above is the punnet we filled with strawberries, although it may not look it, this punnet was the same size as a large shoe box, and although I don't know how much it weighed, it came to the price of £8.60. I don't know much about strawberries but the price was justified by the produce, and was certainly better value for money that the meagre amount you buy per box in tesco for £3.99 a time.

Shop and tearoom

This is the tearoom area at Wiveton, it serves breakfast, cakes and hot and cold drinks, on friday and saturday nights it also serves dinner. There is also a shop that sells jams other preserves made with the fruit grown and Wiveton, and pottery made by local artists. Emma Bridgewater seconds are also sold there. After our back breaking work strawberry picking, Lucy and I decided to reward ourselves with a slice of cake and a drink.  

Inside the beautiful tearoom, I want this room

Outdoor seating

Moving Day! Sunderland

25/6/2010

Hurrah! It’s moving day! I have at last kissed goodbye to the mouldy shower, creaky stair case and exploding light bulbs of 3 Langton Close and flung my arms wide open to greet the mouldy rooms, pink sofas and ice rink kitchen floor death trap that is 19 Duke street – postcode unknown by google maps. And I will tell you this for free, you can expect some very weird looks if you ever have any need to push two desk chairs and a bike with flat tyres through the streets of Sunderland. This I can tell you because its what I had to experience on Friday, as we pushed out rag tag collection of possessions through the streets the residents of Sunderland showed us their pleasing spring/summer 2010 collection of bemused and miserable facial expressions.

Duke Street

Boys outside the house waiting for the land lord to let us in

So after about 150 trips back and forth between the old and new house, we finally posted the old key back through the letter box and moved into the new house. By all accounts 19 Duke street is a considerable step up from our last home, mainly because this house feels like a home and not an extension of student accommodation. We have nice squishy sofas, REAL carpets (!) and a washer and dryer that aren’t beige with age. We were also left a considerable number of gifts by the generous ex tenants. Computer monitors, tvs, cutlery, crockery, duvets, sleeping bags and pillows have now become our possessions. Infact they had left so much stuff we assumed that a) someone must be coming back for it or b) that someone was still living their secretly in the attic, who would come out to murder us as they slept. 

The most rational theory is that they were foreign students who couldn’t be arsed to lug all their stuff back home so they left it for us to take to the dump for them. In fairness there are several things we are glad they have bequeathed to us, the apron and chef hat (modelled below by socks) and a lovely picture of Jesus are among the items we are planning on keeping as well as a pair of cocktail glasses that I have squirreled away for ‘cocktail Tuesdays’. We then had a celebratory Chi's and watched some dvds.

Free things we found in the house

Nice comfy chairs

Our lovely back yard

Socks trying to get on the roof

On our first night in the house, Socks made the discovery that the previous tenants had been able to get onto the roof (they had left ash trays on it) and became fixated on the idea of following in their foot steps. Above is an image of the 1st of what will surely become many attempts to get onto the roof. I tried to make him promise to only do it when someone else is in the house with him, so that they can phone for an ambulance when he falls to his death.

Socks also spent much of the night spying on the naked man in the house opposite.

My room (there's some mould behind that far mirror)

Although you cant see it, on the window sill are 2 small square tubs of what look like either salt or crystal meth. Either way its nothing poisonous because Socks stuck his finger in it and ate a considerable size lump of the stuff. He woke up next day, but I'm going too monitor him over the next 72 hours just to make sure he doesn't sprout wings or something. We also managed to steal someone's internet as they don't have it password protected, which is a win and means I wont start doing stupid things like climbing out of windows when I'm in the house for a week on my own.

These photos are for the people who care / are too lazy to come visit me in the Arctic north and so will never see this house. Sadly there weren't many surprise gifts in this room (unlike sock's who found £2 , some mould and a lovely splattery stain on the wall) all I found was some extra blinds, the aforementioned potential crystal meth and a set of keys. Though I do have a secret set of doors that leads to an en-suite where I have my very own sink. This may not sound like much, but our only toilet is down stairs, through the kitchen and takes like 5 minutes too get their. Toilet trips are going to have to be planned very much in advance. I hope no drunken vomit attacks happen suddenly or that luxurious carpet in the landing/ on the stairs is going to be a bitch to clean.

Post decoration

It took a lot longer than you would think to stick up all those postcards

My en-suite sink