What ho! County Council walk arrangers....
Today I followed a walk designated as 'circular'.....
....by the Norfolk County Council.
But I shall call it 'Silly Walk number 62'...
....for reasons which should soon become clear.
It starts of sensibly enough.....
....down a sensible pathway....
....surrounded by sensible fields and woods....
...and these sensible paths...
....lead to a sensible reserve....
....owned by the sensible RSPB....
...called 'Sutton Fen'...
...a very sensible name indeed....
...since it is truly a 'Fen'....
....and its location is in a place named 'Sutton'....
...see?...
...all very sensible....
...so far...
...so good.
Patchy snow showed where sensible hedges...
...had protected the sensible path from silly snowdrifts.....
And now and again....
...the path became obstructed....
...by silly trees and bushes....
...who found the growing weight of the recent snow....
...just too much to bear!
Timber!
Right!...
...Enough of this silliness!
I love the sunlight in Winter....
....harsh....
....but clear and bright....
...it matches perfectly the thin icy air....
As you walk along the path you will pass some boatyards....
....which are based around the Stalham Staithe.....
The Official map suggests...
...that you walk past this...
....and then walk alongside the A149 bypass!
With traffic hurtling past you at 60+ mph....
...whilst you struggle to keep a foothold on an extremely slender and slippery grass verge!
...that you walk past this...
....and then walk alongside the A149 bypass!
With traffic hurtling past you at 60+ mph....
...whilst you struggle to keep a foothold on an extremely slender and slippery grass verge!
Which....to my mind....
...is not only totally bonkers!...
...but very very silly!
And that is why I have named it 'Silly walk number 62'....
(It's number 62 on their list of walks here)
....and if you are the Council worker who designed it...
...then YOU are very silly too!
Who (in their right mind) would want heavy lorries screeching right past their ears at high speed...
...whilst they struggle to remain upright?
...but very very silly!
And that is why I have named it 'Silly walk number 62'....
(It's number 62 on their list of walks here)
....and if you are the Council worker who designed it...
...then YOU are very silly too!
Who (in their right mind) would want heavy lorries screeching right past their ears at high speed...
...whilst they struggle to remain upright?
Unless you are completely tyred of living!
(Har! Har!)
So I nipped over the style..
..and into the deserted boatyard itself....
....which was eerily quiet....
....and anyone who has enjoyed a holiday on a Norfolk Broads cruiser....
....may be interested to see how they look...
...at this time of the year....
...at this time of the year....
Abandoned around the fringes....
...of this hard white expanse....
.... of frozen water...
...which is imperceptibly...
...which is imperceptibly...
....moving ever closer....
...to tighten its icy grip...
...on these stranded fragile hulls....
Lifeless and locked in place...
...by this frosted carpet...
...which now fills their home...
...the secretive waters....
....swirl silently beneath them...
...cut off from fresh light and air...
...until the next thaw....
...until the next thaw....
Moving past the boatyards...
....one walks down a small village lane...
....to the proudly named...
"Museum of the Broads"
...a building which looks as though it has grown organically over the years...
...a building which looks as though it has grown organically over the years...
...to house the bewildering array of artifacts and equipment...
...from boating days of old...
Eventually one leaves the built up area....
....to move into open country side....
....and once more....
...the ubiquitous Norfolk reeds....
... stand proudly to attention....
...as they bravely await the thatchers scythe....
Small country lanes lead one around in a curve...
...back towards the sounds of the roaring traffic....
...and the dreaded A149 once more....
...and the dreaded A149 once more....
But not until one has had one final chance...
...to enjoy sights... like these skeletal fingers....
....straining skywards....
...trying to pluck what warmth they can....
...from the hollow wintery air.
The Council are obviously trying to be very helpful....
...by putting up these signs...
....warning us all that 'Wild Fowl' are ahead.
And they have included a little silhouette of one....
...should you happen to see its shadow first....
...but this sign definately needs updating....
...because when I counted them....
...there was certainly many more...
...than 30!
As I neared the A149....
....I stopped to have a 'mardle' to this fine chap...
...who was chopping up wood in his shed...
...and I could see he had a large collection of wood piled up in his yard too..
I was asking him about wood...
...because we've just acquired our new wood burner...
...and after giving me plenty of advice in that area....
...he also told me he was a retained fireman who covered this area....
....so if our burner catches fire....
...I may well meet him again!
Once one has managed to cross the A149....
...the rest of the walk just takes you through Stalham town itself.
A perfectly nice town...
...full of perfectly lovely people...
...and that gave me the perfect opportunity....
....to nip into a local cafe for a 'Winter Warmer'....
...of delicious sausage casserole...
...and it was magnificent!
Yum! Yum!
Tallyho!
Best Wishes - Lord Noel
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