A weekend in Norfolk

We decided to take a long weekend in Norfolk as the Company that we have purchased our caravan from was having an open weekend. Why we decided to buy our Caravan in Norfolk approx 150 miles away when the local Bailey caravan dealer is only 30 miles away is a long story and not for here.
So we headed off on Saturday morning to Dereham where the Caravan Retailer is based and spend a pleasant couple of hours browsing and eating bacon sandwiches. After this we headed off to Cromer and looked around the town and pier which has been restored. Were surprised at the artist appearing in Cromer, see some of the pictures on the PHOTO BLOG, including Joe Brown and 'The Bruvvers' and Marty Wilde. I though they were dead!
We then headed back to the Hotel we had found on the web. This was called the Barnham Broom Golf and Country Club which is outside of Norwich and surrounded by rolling hills and two golf courses. This was a great find, they Hotel was very nice and also quite cheap, Bed, Breakfast and 3 course evening meal for £105.00 for two people. The food was excellent and so was the Hotel and we will return.
On Sunday we went to Wroxham and a few miles we parked and did a long walk through the country before heading to the coast and have a quick bite of lunch. The weather was not to bad, a bit breezy and some sun every now and again but we enjoyed our walk and the views. This area is very quiet in January compared to the height of the season when it is packed with holiday makers.
Back to the Hotel for Dinner, which was again really excellent. Monday saw us doing a four mile walk around the Hotel and Golf Course and then down to the local villages. A very pleasant walk indeed in very nice countryside. At about 1130 we left to visit the home of The Essex Pig at
Jimmy's Farm, for those who watched the BBC TV series it was about a East End London boy who decided to run a farm and revive the 'Essex Pig'. So we visited the farm and bought some meat for later use. Then we headed to the dreaded M25 early to try and avoid the traffic which we were successful in doing.
A very pleasant weekend indeed and one that we will repeat.

The Hillier Gardens in Hampshire

The weather today was bright, although on the chilly side, and after many days of rain and wind and more rain and wind it was time to get out of the house and do something.

We had previously stumbled upon this large garden whilst driving in Hampshire a couple of years ago and so it seemed like a good idea to re-visit and spend some time there. We arrived after a slow drive in the countryside and immediately hit the restaurant for a cup of tea but changed our minds when we found that bangers and mash were on the menu.

Afterwards we looked around the estate of about 180 acres and although is was mid January there were winter daffodils already out and also the camellias were starting to show.
This garden would be great to visit later in the spring when everything is growing and this we shall certainly do.

Noel took a few photos which can be seen on the Photo Blog if you are interested.

The web site for the garden is http://www.hilliergardens.org.uk/ this place is well worth a visit and the Bangers and Mash are great to.

A pleasant drive home through the River Test Valley where there are some beautiful homes.

New Year's Day London Parade 21st Birthday

What a beautiful morning after a very good night at our friends Gerry and Toni Wensley. Together with some other neighbours and friends we celebrated New Year's Eve in a fine way.
We decided to visit the London New Year's Day Parade again as we had missed it last year as we were in Florida. So we caught an 'earlyish' train up to Waterloo Station and headed across Westminster Bridge to join the massive crowds.
We found a good spot near the start and the sun was shining down although it was low in the sky which did cause me a few photo problems. Anyway enough of that.
Around 10,000 people took part in the parade with at least 1,500 visiting from the United States of America. There were cheerleaders as well as many marching bands. Some of the bands carried out great choreography whilst delivering their music, a fantastic sight to behold and much appreciated by the growing audience.
Apart from the many bands, there were floats from many of the London borough councils.
Of course the pearly Kings and Queens were there.
The Parade started with the Choir from Walker Valley High School in Tennessee singing the British National anthem followed immediately by the Honda Goldwing Club of Great Britain. The parade lasted almost 2.5 hours without a break and some of the floats were truly great whilst some of the Chinese dancers were terrific.

The colourful outfits worn by many of the participants are seen on our Photo Blog site.
It was a really great way to spend the first day of the year and the weather stayed bright and blue for most of the day.