A Foggy Hunstanton

Today we took a trip to Hunstanton so that Polly our dog could have a good run around. She loves it down there on the beach and I'm rather fond of the place also. My favourite poet John Betjeman had a fondness for it also. Such a shame that it was shrouded in thick fog. In fact, the journey there and back was in thick fog.

An incessant northerly wind soon made my face numb and as we reached the cliffs and rocks, we turned around so the wind was behind us. Thankfully I had thought to take my scarf and wear a fleece.
Despite the inclement weather, there were quite a few people on the beach, most of them walking their dogs. It's that time of year when dogs are allowed on the beach - out of season - so we tend to make the most of it while we can.
With the wind behind us, we continued to walk to where the lifeboat and beach huts are. In all the years I've lived here, and in my visits to Hunstanton, I had not actually been to this part of the beach and wouldn't have known it existed until my wife had pointed it out.

There's even a place to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea and a snack. I imagine it is bustling during the summer months, but the fog today did lend itself rather well to giving the place a closed in feeling.
As we walked back along the sand dunes towards the main car park, we passed the little village of beach huts and I felt quite envious of their owners, imagining how useful it would be to own one and use it as a shelter and a place to get changed on hot summer days.

A visit to Hunstanton isn't complete without fish and chips and this time, we tried out a new place my in-laws had spoken highly of. It's a little way up into the town and it was a job to find somewhere to park. We each had cod and chips and a drink and I was shocked to find it costing £19! Either I'm out of touch or prices have gotten ridiculous in the last few years. Despite the cost, they were delicious and being served in a strong box ensured I didn't end up with a lap full of chips, as is the norm on occasions such as these.

The drive back home via King's Lynn for fuel was taken a little more gingerly given the weather conditions and I found myself having to flash other motorists every few minutes for failing to use their lights. I don't know what it is with some people. Surely, the automatic instinct when seeing fog is to turn on your car lights. It seems common sense isn't that common after all.
My Moodscope rating today is 71%, pretty good.

A Last Trip to the Beach Before Winter

Yesterday we visited our 'local' beach at Hunstanton. It's somewhere we go quite often as it's a relatively short drive and an ideal place to take our son and springer spaniel. It also has its own climate. This time it was pleasantly warm and I actually felt quite overdressed in my fleece top and winter coat. The beach was busy with people making most of the relative warmth and bright sunshine. Some were on the sand sunbathing and relaxing, others were in the water. The tide was coming in and depositing shells and seaweed on the shoreline. We collected some of the shells we found so my son could make a picture with them.
It seemed as if every dog walker in the area was on the beach taking advantage of the huge playground of sand and water. Our dog seems to attract others of all shapes, sizes and breeds. She's a flirt really but soon sits firmly down at the first sign of any unwanted attention.

We walk to the cliffs and rocks. This is a fascinating part of the beach and the cliffs show the various layers of compacted rock indicating periods in time gone by. Apparently they are a geological recording of thousands of years and have enormous importance amongst the archaeological and natural science community. It's easy to see why. You cannot but marvel in awe at these rock giants. At their base are huge shattered rocks that over time have broken away and fallen to the beach through natural erosion.
Hunstanton is one of those places that fit into the category of 'just right'. It has everything a seaside resort should have and easily satisfies all tastes. The only thing that lets it down is the extortionate parking charge.
No visit to the seaside is complete without fish and chips. It's all locally caught at Hunstanton. You can see the little fishing boats all the time. There's nothing to beat eating them on the seafront, and that's what we did. A perfect end to a perfect afternoon.

The clocks change this coming Sunday. We gain an hour. But it will start getting dark at 5pm and the mornings will see the sun appear that much later. I actually don't mind the dark afternoons and evenings. It's the final sign that the seasons have changed and that Winter is finally here. Evenings are all the more special and it's good to look forward to home with its energy-saving lights and Economy 7 heating. In this pollution-free, energy saving age it is good to know that we can still have a fire of wood or coal. There's something a little rebellious about lighting a fire. I wonder if one day they will be banned? There have been smokeless areas across the UK for years. An open fire is one of those luxuries we're fortunate enough to enjoy, one of the few liberties the EU hasn't taken away from us... yet. Ah, Europe... now there's a topic for discussion! Not right now though.