redandwhiterag

Deja Vu

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Well it’s all being happening. Or alternatively,  very little. We had managed a few walks around Woodbridge, culminating in coffee and cake in Notcutts, which we had used as the start point for the walks. We also visited Aldeburgh on a couple of occasions, which was busy but still pleasant and we consistently finished with a visit to the excellent coffee shop and bakery Two …

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Shotley Marina

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One of the slightly surreal repercussions of the Covid 19 pandemic is the need to ‘discover’ places in the more immediate vicinity to which you have rarely, if ever, been before. We are lucky that at the peak of lockdown we at least had walkable areas that allowed you to exercise without encountering too many others along the route, but enthusiasm did still begin to wane a lttle after a while.

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Bircham Break

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So, this was the big one as we painstakingly reintegrate ourselves into the ‘normal world’. Well, not really but it was our first foray into paid for accommodation, which we eased back into with a return to a lovely hotel that we had first visited in more placid terms around two years ago – The Kings Head Country Hotel at Great Bircham in Norfolk.

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Thetford Trek

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Taking advantage of the good weather yesterday, we planned a day trip that combined a  closer look at Thetford (otherwise known as actually stopping there rather than simply driving through) with a visit to a couple of English Heritage sites; all free anyway, but nonetheless, more of an incentive to seek out less familiar haunts.

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Cat Sitting

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This was the next in the new environment….armed with masks and gel, we made the 307 mile journey up to Sunderland to cat sit to allow Scott a well earned week away. The journey up went remarkably smoothly, helped by a picnic lovingly prepared by yours truly. Managed to catch up with Scott and Gilli before their next day departure and then eight days of us and the cats. It should be said at this point that Mrs. No Name admirably handled virtually all of the domestic cat duties throughout the stay, including a transformed but still tetchy Bingo, who although generally much more placid still managed to showcase disdain and distaste for her nightly medication.

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Audley End

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After the experiment that was Covehithe, yesterday was the next enticing stage in the new normal, a trip to Audley End and to a meeting with friends. Audley was a compromise as it was equidistant for both and had the very real added advantage of being open!

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Covehithe, the ‘Lockdown’ Mystery

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Well hello, it’s been a while 🙂 . I did consider a review of an undoubtedly extraordinary period defined by coronavirus but determined that on the whole, as we were in the fortunate category, I would leave it to those whose livelihood was directly affected, had no direct access to outside space and who were considerably impacted by lockdown, economically, socially and in terms of the potential impact on their mental / physical health. Far better hearing from those more directly affected, who are far better placed than I to comment.

So, here instead is our first step back into the (new) normal.

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A “Socially Distanced” Visit

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Welcome back. In the unlikely event that you are bemused by the lack of posts, fear not. For more, investigate the post following this entry. This was a visit from Scott and Gilli, who were brave enough to drive down from the North East to spend two days in sunny Suffolk. Appropriate distancing measures were put in place, including separate bathroom / washroom facilities (en-suite coming to the rescue).

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Great Hallingbury

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Another two nighter, this time to see friends we first met on our second ever cruise on the Jewel of the Seas in 2007. We stayed at the Great Hallingbury Manor, which proved to be roughly equidistant from our respective abodes. There were two negatives, neither to do with the hotel. The first was the diversion, which added 10 minutes to the journey (and 30 minutes if you end up visiting the M11 in error :-). The second was the flight path. No matter which way you cut it, the hotel is directly (that’s directly) under the Stansted flight path…

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Another Milsoms

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A midweek overnighter at a Milsoms hotel, this time with friends in Dedham. On the first day we had a pleasant afternoon in Dedham itself, prior to the evening meal in the hotel. The following morning, a leisurely breakfast was followed by a morning coffee in the lounge (a liqueur coffee in my case!!) and then a return trip to Flatford. The hotel itself was …

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Christmas and more

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Just back from a lovely Christmas break at Scott’s, blessed with good company and relatively placid weather. On the way up to the North East we had a stopover at the Belton Woods Hotel, which was a significant improvement over our last visit. No Downtown bargain purchases though!

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