After high winds gave grounds for concerns over safety, the New Year’s Day firework display in Cromer was postponed until January 8th. The bucket collection at Overstrand’s Boxing Day Swim raised £500 for the Millennium Playground. Cliff Top Café closed its doors during the month to undergo a facelift, starting with changing the colour of the outside from cream to blue and the insertion of a large RSJ over the windows which overlook the garden and sea. On the 13th there was a storm surge, nowhere near the same magnitude as the surge that hit the coast in December 2013 but still strong enough to destroy a number of the beach huts, jostling others into groups and taking down stretches of the railings on the promenade. Peter received the results of the x-ray on his knee; he has osteoarthritis ranging from slight to moderate to severe. He purchased an exercise bike, started taking glucosamine and commenced physiotherapy. Despite Peter’s painful knee, we started clearing the storm debris on the beach west of Overstrand.

Jostled Beach Huts

During February, NNDC posted proposed changes to the beach access for dogs between May and September. These were completely nonsensical and after letters and a personal representation by two members of the public at their offices, they conceded and agreed to continue with the existing restrictions. Once again our District Councillor got uptight regarding our clearing storm debris from the beach. However, after corresponding with officers at NNDC, they agreed to continue with the arrangement set up in 2011, with Kier collecting the rubbish we bring up from the beach. During the month, I gave two talks, one to a lunch club and the second to our WI group. Later in the month, storm Doris made its way through the village bringing trees down in its wake.

Victim of Storm Doris

In March, BBC Radio Norfolk’s Treasure Quest visited the Belfry Centre for Music and Arts, retrieving their next clue from the café before heading off and continuing their search for the treasure. Snow White and the 7 Twarfs (Twarfs being tall dwarfs) was the title of this year’s village pantomime. Once again the White Horse Players made the most of the limited facilities in the the Parish Hall and provided an entertaining evening. Following the drop of shannocks of crab pots out at sea, Andy opened his shop to sell the first catch of the season and we enjoyed our first crab lunch of 2017. We completed clearing the plastics from the storm surge, leaving the wood to rot. In total we brought up 79.3kgs. On a particularly cold and windy morning, we went with marine medics from Seal & Shore Watch to see rescued seals, which were ready to be released, return to the sea. Towards the end of the month we heard the Parish Council will receive a grant to enable them to effect a much needed refurbishment of the kitchen in the Parish Hall.

Seal Release

At the beginning of April we spotted a black kite, a bird that does not normally frequent the UK. A first for us; I cooked some of the stems of the edible Alexander plant. Peter enjoyed them but I was less enthusiastic about the taste. A walks leaflet, to complement Tim Bennett’s book Overstrand in the Great War, was published and made available in exchange for a donation to the charity SSAFA. Mid-month my dear eight year old hen Cate died, I missed her and still do. With the constant threat posed by foxes, I made the decision not to have any more chickens, instead we dug over a section of the lawn, an area where my hens used have their coop and run, to extend the vegetable plot. The Cliff Top Café re-opened its doors after the completion of refurbishments and soon filled with visitors to the village. There were plenty of colours provided by flowers both in the hedgerows and in our garden plus, the vegetable plot and greenhouse started to fill up with planted seeds and young plants. We cut our first lettuce and enjoyed some new potatoes which were grown in the greenhouse during the winter months.

Alexander

The annual village Fun Dog Show took place on the first Bank Holiday Monday in May and once again proved to be a success with both locals and those from the surrounding area. The Council made a start on repairing the railings on the promenade which were damaged in the storm surge on January 13th. They also created a further area for beach huts making a total of fifty one plots. On a beautiful warm sunny day, our WI group visited Holkham Hall with an opportunity to explore the grounds, tour the interior of the house and enjoy lunch eaten in the courtyard. Temperatures rose to 26ºC which meant we needed to spend time watering the garden each day. NNDC posted up incorrect signage regarding dog access on the beach, admitted they were wrong and agreed to amend them (they used pieces of white tape). We welcomed rain which fell later in the month, moistening the earth and helping Peter’s vegetable plot to flourish. Overstrand Together distributed the funds raised over the past year to the various clubs and groups in the village who had logged an application. The car boots started, the Pavilion bar resumed opening on Friday evenings and what has not been well received by a number of villagers, a chip trailer started trading on the car park.

Flourishing Vegetables

The beginning of June was very pleasant; we woke to the sound of bird song and fishing boat engines putting out at sea. There were plenty of bees and butterflies about and the vegetables on the plot continued to grow well. The controversial subject of the erection of a telephone mast on the flat roof of the village stores came under discussion at the Parish Council meeting. Store owner, Michael Maher, made it known that it made no difference to him whether Waldon Telecom went ahead or not with the installation. General feelings, from those villagers present were; the mast would only be of benefit to tourists and phone companies wanting to get a foothold in the area. Residents use one of the providers that already supply a good signal and service. There was a blip in the weather with wind and rain. When it calmed down, Peter tied up the broad beans and outdoor tomatoes that had been battered and blown about. The good weather returned later in the month, 22ºC first thing in the morning, rising later to 30ºC. Barney enjoyed his walks on the sands in the morning; paddling in the pools at the end of the groynes. A number of sea gooseberries washed up on the beach, something I have not seen before. Ticks were a problem this year and we removed a number of the nasty things for both Barney and Poppy.

Sea Gooseberry

During July, Overstrand was anything but quiet. The sound of pile driving on the Hopkins Homes development on Mundesley Road travelled throughout the village and was a great annoyance to those living in the immediate vicinity, when items in their cupboards ‘bounced. The Pleasuance, former home of Lord and Lady Battersea and now a Christian Endeavour Holiday Cente, opened its doors once again to paying guests. Peter completed the annual bat survey in three different locations within our square on the map but did not expect good results from the readings taken in our garden. However, when he received the results, we were both heartened by the increase in the types compared to the previous couple of years. The Yard Sale was once again a success, attracting hundreds to the village in search of a bargain. Later in the month the Summer Fair was dampened down in the afternoon when rain set in but not before visitors had an opportunity to enjoy the games, buy handicrafts etc. from the stalls and we had made a good amount on our stall for Seal & Shore Watch. At the end of the month I was ‘wowed’ when I went on local wildlife expert Carl Chapman’s Butterfly Day. We visited three locations and managed to spot twenty three different species of butterflies, not forgetting a border bee hawkmoth.

Red Admiral and Silver Washed Fritillary

The thumping from the pile driving on the Hopkins Homes site finally stopped at the beginning of August and peace returned to the village. Our vegetable plot was very productive with an amazing yield of 5.1kgs of carrots from one short row. I made eight pots of jam from our raspberries, we ate a retro dish of pears with stilton and soured cream using our pears but our first crop of apricots was devoured by bugs. Visitors flocked to the village, some more caring for the surroundings than others. The bins were unable to cope with the buckets and uneaten chips the new chip van produced. Fortunately, Kier cleared this mess away. I noticed some of the wildflowers dying back and setting seed while the sloes, elderberries and blackberries started to colour up. We celebrated Peter’s birthday, first with dinner and an overnight stay at our favourite haunt, the Saracen’s Head, followed a week later with a family party in Bucks when we were also able to meet our new grandson, born earlier in the month. The Bank Holiday saw, what seems to be the norm, large amounts of litter left on the beach and left us once again with the question as to why people come to Overstrand and abuse the beautiful surroundings.

Raspberry Jam

Once the children returned to school in September, the village was noticeably quieter. On the first Sunday in the month, we relaxed in the evening in our conservatory and enjoyed a Greek meze comprising of seven dishes I had cooked and prepared. I was delighted to see the flowers on nicotiana plants I grew from seed attracting convolvulus hawk moths into our garden. Peter helped with the erection of the marquees ready for Rockstock. Unfortunately, for the second year, the weather let things down and despite the marquees providing shelter from the afternoon rain, the turnout was poor. By the evening the rain had stopped but it was decidedly cold. This did not stop us from enjoying the music from some very good bands, whilst enjoying drinks from the bar. The amount and variety from the vegetable plot reduced, leaving us no longer needing to eat twice the recommended ‘5 a day’ to keep pace with our produce. By mid-September it felt as though we had plunged into autumn and I packed away most of my summer clothes. As compensation, there were some stunning sunrises and towards the end of the month, the temperatures rose making ideal conditions for our afternoon walks.

September Sunrise

Early October, we welcomed the erection of new fencing on both sides of our back garden. Prior to this I had removed summer bedding and cut back shrubs and Peter had taken down the runner beans; giving the fencers ease of access to our boundaries. Fungi can be difficult to identify but one spotted on a footpath with such an unusual shape proved easy; it was a helvella crispa. After seeing on Facebook some signage a Bournemouth resident had erected to try to encourage visitors to use litter bins, I asked NNDC if I could, at our expense, put up signs in the same format on and near the paths down to the beach. My request was refused on the grounds of health and safety but they did say they would try to incorporate some wording onto new dog fouling signs being prepared for 2018. We enjoyed an Indian summer later in the month and with temperatures of 22ºC Peter cooked our final BBQ dinner of 2017. An orange murk enveloped most of the country, it was so dark we had to have the lights on indoors in the afternoon. The murk was down to Hurricane Ophelia bringing with it, sands from the Sahara, picking up debris from the forest fires in Spain and Portugal on its way. A meeting was held in the Parish Hall to gauge interest and obtain volunteers to set up a community group who, in the case of wind damage, prolonged power failure etc., would be able to direct emergency services to vulnerable residents.

Proposed Signage

Each November we help the British Legion Poppy Appeal with door to door collections in the area near our home. This year I was also involved with counting the monies collected within the village from homes which totalled just under £1,100. Mid-month we had the first frost, this was very early and we wondered if it was indicative of a bad winter to come. There was disruption along the Cromer Road as the footpath on the south side was widened. The works were funded by Hopkins Homes and designed to provide a wider area for children walking from the new homes to the Belfry School. This was followed by Anglian Water starting to lay new mains pipes through the village and onwards to Mundesley. Village resident David Thornton’s book Echoes of History was published by Poppyland Publishing. David has spent a considerable amount of time researching into the history of this area between 1883 and 1914. The book is a must for anyone who wishes to learn more about this part of North Norfolk.

David Thornton's History Book

As usual December was a busy month for everyone with preparations for Christmas. In general the month was cold and wet but there were windows of sun when walking on the beach the sun’s rays on the sea gave altogether different hues to those we see in the warmer months. The Garden Centre held a Christmas Market and Overstrand Together’s Christmas Bazaar extended this year to four venues; The White Horse, Methodist Church, Parish Hall and The Conservative Club. Peter and a fellow Sports Club Committee member spent a lot to time over the past weeks repairing and painting damaged areas of the fence round the field’s perimeter. A number of people stopped him to comment how good it looks. Santa’s tour of the village in his boat was extended this year to include the Carol Service at the Church and on Santa’s return to the White Horse there was an opportunity for children to have their photo taken with him. We spent a very enjoyable day helping with the Sports Club lunch in the pavilion. Everyone was welcomed with a drink which was followed by a buffet lunch, raffle, quiz and bingo. We spent our first Christmas since we moved here

Wintery Sun on the Sea

away from home. We travelled down to Bucks on Christmas morning for a day with our family; two had travelled all the way from New Zealand! It was a memorable day and one of a handful of Christmas’s since we’ve been married that I have not cooked. It did feel strange but it did leave time to enjoy the company of our family, in particular our two grandsons.

The final few days in December and those, so far, in January have been quiet but not uneventful. Ice on the paths and roads on the last Friday in December called for care when we took Barney out for his walk first thing. By the time we returned it had started raining and I thought the ice had melted. Wrong, when I went to open the gates ready for Peter to drive us down to Mundesley; one minute I was upright, the next flat on my back. No real damage just a bruised elbow. I was not the only one, a neighbour fell too.

With so much rain, we were not surprised to hear there have been two cliff slumps in Overstrand. We took a walk down to have a look at the west slump on Saturday (30th). This was below the car park and has covered the access to the beach behind the revetments, as well as spilling over the rock armour. In the evening I spoke with the Coastguard who wanted information so they could notify the District Council. Nothing has been done about the slump with regard to signage, warming people not to climb over it. The other day, we watched a

Cliff Slump

family with their dogs negotiating their way over but not without some difficulty. I really could not understand why they persisted as it is so much easier to walk down the ramp to the beach in front of the revetments.

On New Year’s Day I started a head cold. Determined not to let it get me down, I set to and cleaned our home except for the lounge. I saved this room for the following day, taking the decorations down first. After going through a whole box of tissues on the first day and generally feeling fuzzy with a headache, I did my best not to pass it onto Peter. So far Peter has not exhibited any symptoms. As they say, ‘there is a lot of it about’ but everyone I have spoken to has had different experiences; maybe there is more than one strain of this virus about. I gave the Parish Council meeting a miss on Wednesday evening rather than risk passing my cold onto the public present as well as the Councillors and Clerk.

After being enveloped in grey for some days, Friday was bright with plenty of sun and blue skies. It did start to cloud up in the afternoon but this did not stop us enjoying a walk we did a couple of weeks ago; up to Northrepps, on to Hungry Hill and then back down into Overstrand. The gulls were making the most of the bugs, worms and grubs that were coming to the surface as a tractor pulled a plough across the field adjacent to the turkey farm. The buildings that house the turkeys were being cleared out; not a pleasant task with the farm workers wearing masks to avoid inhaling the dust generated. The snowdrops on what is known as the ‘snowdrop walk’ are pushing their way up with some already showing buds. To round the day off, we treated ourselves to dinner in the evening at the Sea Marge where unusually for us we chose different dishes for all three courses.

Friday Afternoon Walk

We have been down on the beach in the mornings. It has been virtually deserted while we litter picked and kept an eye open for anything interesting. Yesterday, we watched a fox wandering from the bottom of the cliff, down towards the sea before returning. The day before, Peter found a £5 note, this is the second in the past couple of weeks and goes to show litter picking ‘pays’.

There has been plenty of coverage on social media recently from the Marine Conservation Society about the amounts of plastics polluting the seas. Last week our Prime Minister, Theresa May, put forward a long term plan to reduce the amount of one use plastics and eradicating all avoidable plastic waste in the UK by 2042. This has come under considerable criticism from individuals and organisations, mainly because twenty five years is considered to be far too long and the plan has no legal standing and therefore, cannot be enforced. I am in agreement with the criticisms; you only have to look at what we pick up, either on the beach or round the village, to see the rubbish is predominately plastics of one sort or another. Strong measures need to be taken now. On the plus side, following concerns for marine life, microbeads have been banned and can no longer be incorporated in products such as cosmetics and cleaning products. These small non-degradable spherical beads, when washed down the drain, often slip through waste treatment plants, making their way into the seas, transporting their toxic chemicals into marine life.