Thursday 5th April 2018 – Easter Monday, Seal and Parish Council Meeting

Easter Monday’s weather was the worst of the four day holiday period. It rained and rained and only stopped late afternoon. We felt sorry for those who were holidaying; you can still get out and about when it is windy and cold but who wants to go out in the rain and get soaked. Needless to say, the weather perked up on Tuesday and in the afternoon we took a walk along the beach where we saw the fishing boat, Jayne Marie had been launched for the first time this year. Maybe we will be able to enjoy the first crabs of the season this weekend. As we walked towards Cromer we were alerted there was a seal on the beach ahead of us. As we are Seal & Shore Watch ‘watchers’, we did our bit by phoning for someone to come and check it over and then advised people to keep a safe distance and to keep their dogs away, so this young harbour seal was not harassed in any way. A family stayed nearby too; the daughter was brilliant, running off to tell owners of approaching dogs that they should put them on leads. It’s a pity they were holidaying and not locals, as she would have made a valuable addition to the Seal & Shore Watch

Seal

‘watchers’. Our village marine medic was out on another call down the coast at Sea Palling, so it was two hours before she eventually reached us. To my uneducated eye the seal looked fine and was bananaing, which is always a good sign. I have been told if the eyes are dry and not very moist to the point of running, then the seal can be dehydrated. This seal had fairly dry eyes but our marine medic Alison informed me this was probably down to it being out of the sea for a time and that a dehydrated seal would have crusty deposits round the black rims of its eyes. Alison decided it had come up on the beach for rest. Assuming it would go out on the incoming tide, she marked it before leaving the seal on the sands. This was not the end of the story; Alison informed us the seal was still on the beach yesterday but further back on an area of flints. We wait to hear today, if it has moved off.

Waiting for Jayne Marie

(declaring enables them to claim the reduction in Council Tax) then they are not included in the 17% figure. Under the scheme land, not set aside for housing e.g. in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Conservation or agricultural land which is normally cheaper, can be purchased through a Community Land Trust and then leased to a housing association which build and manage homes. These homes will only be available to local people and will not be allocated on a ‘needs’ basis. Nicky’s presentation left the Parish Council with plenty to think about, as to the practicalities and availability of suitable land for a Community Led Housing development to go ahead within the boundaries of the village.

There were a number of other matters covered and reports given during the meeting but I am not going to say any more here. It’s time to move onto other things, starting with ‘three firsts’. Since we finished eating the leeks a few weeks ago there has been nothing coming off Peter’s vegetable plot and into the kitchen but last weekend we had our ‘first’ picking of purple sprouting and since then two more pickings. Our second ‘first’ was a BBQ on Saturday evening which was a relaxing way to round off what had been pleasant day, most of which was spent in the garden and walking Barney. Finally, following a long cold wet winter, is our third ‘first’ – we had crabs for lunch yesterday. I don’t know if this is the latest date in living memory for the boats to start hauling pots but it will certainly reduce the fishermen’s season for earning money; money that has to last them during the winter months. To round off today’s entry, an update on the seal. It finally moved off into the sea and has not been seen since. All that is left of its presence is an area at the foot of the cliffs where I saw the well-defined marks made by its flippers in the sand.

First 2018 Crabs

Friday 13th April 2018 – Overstrand in the Mist, Parish Meeting and Guillemot

For four days, Overstrand has been trapped in a veil of mist. Not just Overstrand but the surrounding area too. Today started misty but by mid-morning it lifted. Let’s hope this is the end of such miserable conditions. As if the mist was not bad enough, it has been cold too. We are still wearing our winter lined trousers and I need a scarf and gloves when we take Barney out. Plants in the greenhouse are just sitting there with little or no growth shown over the past week. Even though the mist has now lifted, the sun is still blanketed out by a layer of grey cloud. It is very depressing and everyone we speak to agrees we have had enough, what with the long winter and now this.

The Parish Meeting had a better attendance on Wednesday evening, than in the previous couple of years. Clubs etc. had an opportunity to set up displays and the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Clerk of the Parish Council along with our District and County Councillors, all gave reports. Those present were advised, residents will shortly be receiving a copy of a Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire. I took one of the copies available at the meeting and since then have perused the questions, which cover a wide range of topics. The deadline for submitting the returns is 31st May, after which hopefully the villagers will be provided with the results and their interpretation.