October 1st - 15th 2012

Friday morning and we heard, for the first time this year, the Pink Footed Geese as they were flying inland towards the fields. Unfortunately large nearby trees blocked our view but come the evening our line of sight was not inhibited and we watched three large skeins as they headed back into the sunset; to the marshes for the night. These are always a spectacle to see, first hearing their ‘chatter’ before they come into sight.

Heavy traffic made our son and his fiancées journey here from Bucks on Friday evening slow. But once here they were able to relax for the weekend. On Saturday we walked along the cliff tops to Cromer, bussed to Sheringham and then back to East Runton. Here we ate a fish and chip lunch before walking back to Cromer along the beach. We ‘admired’ (a bit of sarcasm here) BBC Countryfile’s handiwork on the Marrams shelter before walking round the town and then back down to the beach and home to Overstrand. We taxied back to Cromer in the evening to eat at the Bella Vista; if I choose a Pizza again I will order a half with salad. A whole Pizza was far too much and a salad would add variety of flavours and textures.

East Runton

Sunday afternoon we all drove to FAITH Animal Rescue at Hickling for their annual charity walk. We took a village friend with us and met up with our friends from Northrepps. This made a group of seven of us; walking Barney, our friend’s dog and two dogs from FAITH’s kennels, who were looking for new homes. This is always a social event with plenty of time to look round the centre after the walk and enjoy the refreshments provided. We spent so much time at FAITH’s that we only had a short window of time when we got home for showers and changing before we walked to the White Horse in the evening to enjoy dishes from their ‘Strictly Norfolk’ menu.

Theatre & LIfeboat House

The past couple of weekends we have seen photographers on the promenade area, cameras at the ready to capture the sunrises. No disappointment on Sunday when the skies were on ‘fire’ but if they had been on the cliff tops they would have also been able to photograph the moon too. I have posted two photographs on Overstrand Life’s Facebook page (see Welcome page for the link)

Tuesday afternoon and Ben Potterton entertained gardening club members and guests with a selection of his chickens; all carefully transported in cardboard boxes. He has a flock of around 100 of various types who live alongside other types of birds, including a breeding flock of cranes. I was a little disappointed he did not cover some of the more practical aspects of keeping chickens but it was an interesting talk all the same and Ben certainly kept everyone’s attention.

Marrams Shelter

Saturday 6th October - Resignation, Macmillan Fund Raising, Walk with the W.I., Orchids under the Plough, Committee Social and in Autumn Mode

Mr John Driscoll’s letter of resignation, from his position as an Overstrand Parish Councillor, was read out at the council meeting on Wednesday. Mr. Driscoll’s ability to see matters under discussion from an alternative aspect; was just one of his strengths and is something I will personally miss. In due course, the vacancy will be posted on the noticeboards in the village, with the option to either call an election or co-opt a replacement Councillor.

The staff and proprietors of the Foundry Arms in Northrepps should be proud of their fund raising coffee morning at the end of September; this raised just under £850 for the Macmillan Nurses. An impressive sum from a small country pub – Well Done Everyone.

Post Office Coffee Shop

crickets; has been ploughed. Their habitats are now lost. I must keep things in perspective; although this area is in constant use by dog walkers, it is not a public right of way, it is privately owned and its owner is within his rights to plough it up. But oh, I am so going to miss those orchids next June.

The Overstrand Gardening Club’s committee met for a social evening at the Cliftonville Hotels, Bolton’s Bistro in the evening. Cromer’s Cliftonville Hotel with its imposing Victorian architecture has an enviable location in the town with views to sea and across to the Pier and although the Bistro’s décor is modern, some of the older original features are still very much in evidence. It is worth noting here that the hotel’s website describes the building as Edwardian. However, it was built in 1894 with later extensions in 1898, so by my calculations (Queen Victoria died in 1901) that makes it Victorian. Both service and food were good but I thought the menu was disappointing and lacked imagination; the dishes were not as I would have expected from a hotel of this calibre. There is another restaurant in the hotel, The Westcliff; this offers an a la carte menu but at the time of booking we were told this is for dining residents only.

The garden is moving into autumn mode and it won’t be long before it will be time to consign the summer bedding plants to the composting bin, replacing them with pansies etc. and planting new bulbs. Some of the pepper, aubergine and tomato plants in the greenhouse have been composted and Peter has dug out a row of runner beans and one of the courgette plants. I have potted up my favourite geraniums and moved them into the greenhouse and once there is a threat of a frost the fuschias will join them. There are still plenty of vegetables in the garden with tomatoes in pots, spinach, chard, beetroot (huge this year), carrots, lettuce, spring onions; with leeks, Russian kale and parsnips to follow on.

Herrings are back on our menu again. Anthea, who runs the Lobster Pot fish stall in the Mundesley shoppers car park, says they are earlier this year. Early or not, they are certainly bigger; two each was plenty for us, with some for Barney’s dinner too. I have already mentioned our love of Herrings in my diaries (entries for 9th October 2010, 18th October 2011 and 1st November 2011). Unfortunately a lot of people are put off by bones but as I have said before; cooked properly we rarely have any problems and for us their flavour surpasses most other fish.

I have been forwarded the East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH) Autumn/Winter Magazine. Once again they have thanked those involved with the Overstrand Open Gardens Day in June this year. This generated £5,286.80 for the charity and as they said - ‘Incredible’.

Saturday 13th October - Summer Packed Away, New Shelving and Four Years Today

Although temperatures in the middle of the day have been quite pleasant; the time has come to pack away shorts, t-shirts and other lightweight clothing. I decided this was a good opportunity to empty wardrobes and drawers and give them a clean, not only in readiness for thicker clothes but also to throw out any worn out items that had been washed and put away, only to gravitate to the bottom of a drawer! I am on a ‘roll’ and all cupboards and drawers are now under scrutiny.