Tuesday 2nd October – They’re Back, Walking with Family, Marrams Shelter, FAITH Charity Walk, Sunrise Photographers & Chickens at the Gardening Club
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.
Friday morning I joined fellow W.I. members for a circular walk from Northrepps Church, with a break at the Post Office Coffee Shop in Southrepps. Rain during the previous night and earlier in the morning did not deter us but passing through a sugar beet field and across a ploughed field (both official footpaths), resulted in muddy boots. In consideration for the coffee shop’s carpets, we removed our boots before enjoying modestly priced refreshments - just £2.20 for a pot of tea and toasted tea cake and butter. More mud and puddles on our return but an enjoyable way to spend a morning.
Walking back from Northrepps down Madams Lane; well I am not sure how to describe my feelings. Devastated is too dramatic but definitely upsetting to see the field, which has been fallow since we moved to Overstrand and where during the summer months we saw orchids and later butterflies as well as listening to chirping
Wednesday 10th October - Days of Autumn, Herrings and Thank you from EACH
Following on from my last entry; most of our summer bedding plants have been replaced with winter flowering pansies, polyanthus and cyclamens. Both the garden composters and the brown bin are full, plus there are a couple of sacks that will have to remain on the side until after the next bin collection. Peter saved a couple of our early potatoes from the vegetable plot; these were given a false winter in the bottom of the fridge and have now been planted in a box in the greenhouse, using the compost from the tomatoes grow-bags. Peter did this last year and the result was; new potatoes for the kitchen in January (see diary entry for February 4th 2012).
While other parts of the country have not been so lucky, it has been a pleasure here, working in the garden. With the sun our backs it has been very warm at times, although somewhat cooler in the shade. Sunday morning we drove to the outskirts of Norwich, we soon left the blue skies and sun behind as we progressed further inland into mists and fog. This was quite thick by the time we got to the Airport; I wondered if there were any flight delays.
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.
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