Whatto! Once Again......
As one of my personal new years resolutions was to 'get out more'....
...mainly for the purpose of taking a walk....
...as a way of improving my fitness....
...whilst enjoying some of the local sights...
...I headed orf to the North Norfolk Coast....
...where I gather the ex-Prime Minister John Major has come to live....
...but when I called round on 'spec' to see old 'Johnny boy' (as I like to call him)
...he'd gone out!
...and there was a sign on the front door....
...which read....
"Just nipped out for a curry"
I bet you have!...Johnny Boy!! Har! Har!
It may come as a terrible shock....
....to some potential North Norfolk holiday makers....
...that the only 'beach' along this part of the coastline....
...comprises entirely of rounded flint stones!
It's difficult to see how anyone....
....could get at all comfortable sunbathing on that!
But this town is from an old fashioned era....
....when people didn't sunbathe...
...in fact they would avoid the sunlight at all costs!
....and the quaintness of the town is still demonstrated....
....in the innocently naiive juxtapositions...
...which would be unheard of in these more 'enlightened' times.
The starkly bright sunlight...
...made it a beautiful day for a walk along the beach front....
....and when I came to the conclusion of my prambulations...
...a strange sound beckoned me away from the sea front...
...to another tourist attraction....
...which lies a little inland from the beach....
....The famous 'Poppy Line Railway'!
Wonderfully restored and run...
...by a jolly gang of willing volunteers....
...the beautiful old building harks back to a bygone age...
...when the Railway was King!
I enquired at the ticket office as to the timetable for today...
...and was surprised to learn that the next train was running...
...in just a few minutes....
...and it would be the last one....
...until February!
This was indeed fate...
...shining on me in all her glory!....
And although it's not strctly 'walking'....
...I felt that the walk I'd already had along the promonade....
....sufficiently eased my conscience in that regard.
It was thrilling to see the old steam engine...
..puffing it's way along the tracks....
...ready to couple up with the waiting carriages...
...to pull them away down the line....
It's such an evocative sight and sound....
...and I am old enough to just about remember my mother taking me onto a footbridge....
...which ran over a railway track...
...when I was very young.....
...and we'd look down as the train passed underneath us...
...while the smoke billowed up all around us...
...with it's distinctive cokey smell.
The carriages beckoned....
...so without more a do....
...I clambered on board...
...the final 'Mince Pie Express' of the year!
After the shrill sound of the familiar railway whistle was blown by the station master....
...the engine began it's reassuring chug chug chug....
...and we drifted....
...almost silently....
...out of the immaculately maintained station....
...and onto the line that led to todays adventure.
As soon as we were going...
...the ticket collector began to pass down the carriages....
...checking and clipping each one of the reassuringly thick cardboard tickets in turn...
...with his old fashioned metal clipper.
Outside....
...the picturesque coastal scenery rolled by....
...still showing signs of the recent snow falls...
...which have made the whole area remain quite Xmassy...
And that feeling was added to quite wonderfully....
...by a lovely old lady....
...dressed up in festive hat...
...and carrying a big tray of home made mince pies...
....which were completely succulent to taste...
....to which she added...
...for us 'Adults'....
...a small tot of pale sherry....
....to wash it down with!
At last!
I got to have some lovely sherry in peace!
The countryside slid slowly past....
...and with it...
...some familiar Norfolk signs....
I must admit...
I was entirely enjoying every second of this brilliant experience!
But all things must come to an end....
....and as we slowed down gradually....
....a station platform came into view....
...and we came to a complete....
...Holt!...
We all alighted here...
...and spent time exploring the station...
...and it's lovely little charity bookshop...
...which had an honesty 'Milk Churn'....
....to put your money into!
Our ticket inspector stood near an office...
...looking resplendent in his crisp dark uniform....
Until it was time to move on once more....
...and everyone climbed leisurely back onto the train....
...there's no rush here...
...the customer is King...
...as the whistle once more...
...heralded the slow chug of the steam engine....
...and we began our return journey to Sherringham...
Rather unexpectedly....
...we stopped on the way back...
...at a place called Weybourne...
...which had an extra attraction set up for all of us lucky passengers!
Santas Grotto!
"Could this get any better?" I asked myself....
You have to appreciate that to someone like myself...
...who has the joyously childish mind of a five year old...
...this could well have been Heaven!
I passed eagerly into the grotto...
....which led down a long passageway...
...past some specially created 'scenes' in display cabinets alongside it....
...and I was thrilled to see....
...that each section depicted a part of the '7 Days of Xmas' song!
Each display moved quite jerkily....
...as automatons often do....
....and I was delighted to see that instead of seven swans...
...they only had three!
But the 'Partridge in a pear tree'....
....was something wonderous to behold!...
Gold and shimmering...
...as it twirled slowly in the murky light of the Grotto...
At the end of the passageway....
...the path led through to another room...
....and in this room was a fire and a big old armchair...
...with a sign on the door saying 'Santas Room!'...
I can honestly tell you...
...that I was now almost delerious!
To think that I might get the chance...
...to have MY picture taken...
...whilst sitting on SANTA'S KNEE!
After all the times that I have been Santa...
....and had others sitting on MY knee....
...this would indeed be a turnip for the books!
But Alas!...
...it was NOT to be....
...for there on the wall....
...was a short but succinct note from Santa himself!
....saying.....
"Gone back to the North Pole to get ready for Next Christmas!...
...Be good...Love Santa xx"
Oh well!
You can't win'em all! Har! Har!
So after all that excitement...
...it was time to reboard the train one final time....
....and with one last whistle the train trundled away from Santa's Weybourne Grotto....
....to it's final winter resting place....
And as the train pulled into Sherringham station....
...and I savoured those last few nostalgic moments.....
..on the platform...
...beside this rugged old beast....
...I trundled back across the icy platform to my car....
...feeling very happy about....
...the way this particular day....
..had turned out...
Thank you Fate!
Tallyho!
Best Wishes - Lord Noel
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