think it is about time that I got on and wrote a proper blog again, it has been far too long now. I shall begin with our little trip to Norfolk, which was thoroughly enjoyable thankyou.

We eventually got away Wednesday before last (the 10th), and headed off via Worcester and the M5, M42 and Peterborough to the wonderful little coastal village of Stiffkey, in between Wells-Next-The-Sea and Cromer. (Famous for its crabs). The campsite was quite large and it took us almost half an hour to decide where best to pitch up, eventually we made up our minds, and up went the tent.  That night we had camp chilli, which is a wonderful quick meal when you are too tired to do anything more than sling a few tins together to heat. Stewed steak, kidney beans and tomatoes with a chopped onion and seasoning, delicious, with precooked rice. Camping can be such fun. Early to bed that night and up with the larks the following morning. Got the shower block all to myself, bliss. Once MLO and I had prettied ourselves up we decided to go to Norwich for the day, as it would give him a bit of a break from driving. All along the North Norfolk coast runs a bus service that goes directly to Sheringham and Cromer,  from where a train could be caught to Norwich. The best bit was though that an all in one ticket was available for just £7, which gave unlimited travel between Hunstanton and Norwich via bus and train. We were pretty chuffed when we found out about it.  

Anyway we arrived in Norwich and headed up the hill. By the time we had got sorted waited for a bus and then train, it was lunch time by the time we got there, so as we were passing MLO said we should go to the cathedral for lunch and a look round. Off to the refectory first of all for lunch. Baked potato, ham and salad followed by lemon drizzle cake yum.  Oh and don't forget the tea. Once we were suitably refreshed, we set off to explore the cathedral. At the bottom of the steps from the refectory was the cloisters, so we started there. So glad I took my nice camera even though it can be a pain to carry round at times. Like they say; no pain no gain.

     

We wandered around the cloisters for a while taking lots of pictures. In the center was a labyrinth which would have been great to walk round, but we wanted to see inside first So off we went along the cloisters to the first door we could find and in we went. Wow. Thats all you can say. mightily impressive. Yet more photographs. After a thoroughly enjoyable few hours looking round the cathedral, it was unfortunately time to head back to the train.

On the Saturday, we went for drive around local villages in the area. The weather was completely perfect, the sky was so incredibly blue and not a cloud in sight. We ended up at Walsingham. When we got there the place seemed deserted, with only an extremely happy smiley nun there. We wandered round the village looking at the various shops, then had a coffee. We then went down to the  Anglican shrine. We spent a couple of hours there, then as time was going on, we left. We paid a short visit to the farm shop  there and bought some lovely bread and meat for our dinner that night. On the way to the shop a couple of buses turned up and the village went from being wonderfully peaceful to bustling and busy in a matter of seconds. We were stood watching all the people that had got off, it was almost funny the difference in the place. We also bought a couple of rolls, some pate and apple juice, and sat in a field just across the road from the farm shop and had an impromptu picnic, which was incredibly enjoyable in the warm sunshine.   

I think I decided I want to live there, it was almost like the village was in a time warp, or surrounded by a little bubble, so amazingly peaceful and calm there.   When we went to Norfolk, we didn't realise that Walsingham was there, so that came as quite a lovely surprise, and gave us a perfect excuse for a visit, when we realised how close it was.

We also visited Wells next the Sea that day too which is the only town along the north part of the Norfolk coast which is still navigable by sea, all the rest along that stretch of coast having silted up and tuned over to salt marsh. Other towns and villages along the north coast are practically landlocked, if you can call saltmarsh land, that is, and places like Cley-next-the-Sea, aren't, Blakeney with it's enormously impressive church. You know me and churches by now, well, I couldn't resist asking MLO if we could go and have a look.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 Blakeney church really is quite huge, and oddly enough has two towers one at either end, although you cant see it on my picture, sorry about that. It was a lovely church inside and out. I think the reasons that the churches along this part of the coast are so large is down to wool, and the fact that so much of the English wool was sent over to the low countries via ship, and these villages and towns having once been quite major ports, a large proportion of the wool was shipped out from here, and as such the wool traders and merchants made lovely profits, some of which went into church building and renovating. The churches at Cley, Wiveton and Salthouse are similar.   
On the Sunday morning we decided to brave the natives and go to the church at Stiffkey. We had visited it the previous evening to check there was a service the next day, and what time if there was. It was lucky for us that there would be a service at 9:30, so we went to that one. When we entered a lovely man greeted us, and handed us a reading sheet, the service booklet and hymn book, then explained that due to the fact that they currently didn't have a vicar looking after them, that it would be a family service, and that we were to sit in the choir stalls, facing everybody. Aargh, I thought, I don't like facing other people to much like that, but too late to back out now I thought, so MLO and I went to get seated. A lovely lady there said hello and welcome to us, and showed us a seat. A few minutes went by and a couple of other people arrived. The man who had greeted us then stood up to do the service. We had a couple of hymns, and a lady read something that she had read in a book, and two others did the readings. The service itself only lasted half an hour. At the end, the man who had led the service said thankyou to the organist, which was a lovely thing to do, and in return the organist played something else, at the end of which everyone clapped. MLO and I were unsure as to what to do next, whether to make a bolt for it, or hang around looking like lemons if no-one spoke, but as we wandered up to go, the lady who had shown us a seaat told us that there was coffee and biscuits and we would be extremely welcome to stop and have some if we wished. We couldn't turn down such a lovely offer. We got talking about all different things, the people there were so lovely. We started talking then to the man who had led the service, and he asked us where we were from, and whether we were on holiday. When we told him we were from Herefordshire, he said "Really, what part" so we told him a few miles east of the city. He then said that he knew a few people in Herefordshire, and then mentioned Tarrington, where MLOs Mums church is, and where the farm used to be, turns out, he knows people that MLO and his mum also know very well. Small world.
Half an hour later, after much talking, we decided we had better go, and so said our goodbyes. The lady whose name we found out was Helen, who had shown us our seat, actually thanked us for visiting their church, and said that she hoped we would be going again. We promised we would whenever we were next in that part of the world, and went on our way back to the campsite.
Later that day, we went along the coast towards Hunstanton, which we weren't particularly impressed with, but when we drove through we maybe missed the nicer parts, but it reminded us a bit of a small version of Rhyl. As we headed back along we thought we had better stop for lunch at some point. We came to the village of Thornham, and turned along a little road towards the sea, and came across a lovely looking pub called the Lifeboat Inn . Just in time for Sunday lunch,  marvelous.  It was lovely and the food was good too. As we were eating there was the sound of bells coming from outside, so we looked out, and a troop (is that the correct word?) of Morrismen had turned up to dance, along with an enormous green felt dragon, who kept peering in through the windows and frightening people, which was highly amusing. 

Once Lunch was over and we were well fed and contented, we went on our way back to the campsite, and stopped at Burnham Deepdale to get some water from the shop. There just happened to be a church across the road, with a round tower, so, obviously, it required further investigation.   In the porch is a pair of lovely medieval windows, one depicting the moon, and one the sun. Inside there is a lovely font showing twelve scenes from a farming year.  The res of the church was quite interesting, with a tiny little chapel of sorts in the round tower end of the church.    

I have written enough for today, I think, and will finish off tomorrow, and bring myself up to date, so for now, goodbye.          

I have retrieved the phone now, which contains the pictures, so can put them up on here. 

As I said yesterday, mum and I went to Northampton on Saturday, and spent a bit of time whilst there looking round churches.There were three that we visited, the first we came across by chance, as we were walking into the town from the train station. This was the church of St Peter, and although it is still used, it is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.  We had to go up the road to a local hotel in order to get the keys to open up the church, which we did after them taking ID etc. We then spent about an hour looking round and taking pictures. As we were leaving I heard someone at the gate outside, which we had locked up behind us, they wanted to come in. I had to explain that I needed to take the key back and sign it back in, before they could have it, and as such needed to follow me up the road so they could then sign it out.  The man and the woman seemed a little miffed that I couldn't just give them the key, but I had no idea what would happen if I didn't take the key back.

Anyway, from there we carried on our way towards town, when mum saw a signpost for one of the other churches that we wanted to see, but it was heading up along the side of a very big and busy road, so we decided we would get into town and have a wander round there first. We went off to find the tourist information first to get a map of the town, and found the way to the church. So off we went to St Sepulchre church, one of only four churches in Britain , where the round church part is still standing.  It was surprisingly huge inside, but lovely. 

From there we left to go and find lunch somewhere, and ended up in M&S for a cheese and mushroom toastie, which is delicious. Suitably refreshed we set off into the own again, There was a huge market there so we had a mooch round that, then round some of the shops. We had enough a little while after and headed back to the station, but a different way to the one we had come into the town, and passed the church of All Saints, and as it was open, had to go in.  What a lovely building, with probably the most comfortable pews  I have ever sat on. Everything that could be was either painted, mainly brown or covered in gold. 

Well, we left there eventually, and made our way home. Didn't do an awful lot in Brum once we had got back. 

This last week has been quite an enjoyable one for me, not sure why, it just has. Monday was spent at home getting washing and things done, Tuesday was a day at work. Wednesday was MLOs birthday, so we went to one of his favourite food pubs for a celebratory lunch. Just outside Raglan by Monmouth, the Cripplecreek Inn, who do lovely roast lamb with mash and veg, swiftly followed by the largest individual berry pavlova I have ever seen in my life, thinking back I wish I had taken a photograph of it, as it was truly gargantuan. Once MLO had nobbled most of the cream, which I am not too fond of, I have to say it was utterly delicious. MLO had a rather more mundane piece of apple pie, which was only spectacular in its ordinariness, but as MLO is the worlds biggest apple pie fan, he was completely contented. We went to Monmouth afterwards but didn't stay long due to torrential rain making it pretty unpleasant going, especially so as we only had the one umbrella between us, and neither of us were wearing a jacket. We went home then after that. MLOs mother was away up in the peak district Wednesday and Thursday, so a blissfully quiet couple of day were had at home. 

Thursday was work again, as was Friday, Saturday and again this morning (Sunday). 

During the week, I finally sorted out whether I could have the few days of next week to go camping in Norfolk, and I am glad to say I can. So camping preparations are going at a great pace, time has crept up on us and overtaken without so much as a by or leave, and we have found that due to the fact that we are both working straight through to Tuesday evening, and  with MLO having a meeting on Tuesday night there is practically no time to sort all the stuff out. We did manage to get our tent out and put it up in the back garden,to check to see if it was still waterproof. Being a heavy cotton canvas one, we weren't about to take any chances, so with MLO standing inside, and me totally drenching it with the hose outside, we couldn't find a single drip or leak, so good to go.  

As I had work this morning, we could only get to the evening service. On the way to church, I had the strangest feeling that something was happening again, quite apart from my rumbling tummy, and got to church in a far more cheerful happy mood than I have done of late. Was a good service, quite amusing in parts, especially the part where the vicar sprang a new hymn on us, and the entire first verse was sung in silence and whispers as no one could figure out the tune, even the vicar was quiet on that point.  Eventually someone sang out in the second verse, and everyone else gradually joined in as they got it. By the fifth and final verse we were going great guns. At the end of the service we said the usual goodbyes etc, then he mentioned the weather and we talked about going camping, then all of a sudden, he said that he was finally sorting out some dates for confirmation classes, but just had to finalise a date with the Bishop.  All I could do was grin like a Cheshire cat and say thank you, and positively skipped out of church and back to the car. Still haven't stopped smiling yet. I had almost begun to think he had forgotten, but just when I feel something is going to happen, it does. Totally cool. Woohoo, yay etc.  God really is Great.  :-) 

I have to be up early again for work tomorrow, and want to get quite a lot done there, so I must go for now. So TTFN. Good night etc.