Two short breaks, either side of Denise’s birthday. Both very local, hence the title. Am also aware that I’ve been more than a little remiss on the updating front, although this entry is reasonably timely. The first of the breaks was a fortnight ago and the second was Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. As for the Covid ‘breakout’ holidays of late last year, a little judicious editing will ensure they are chronologically sequenced correctly when they are finally written up. 🙂
General
Oxford (finally)
Finally, because we have long wanted to visit the city and we eventually managed to get there last week, along with our friends from Essex (the China couple, as we have never actually called them). Additionally, the miracles of posting technology means that although I am writing this a ridiculously long time after the actual event, a little musing wizardry means it will appear in the listings in its chronologically correct place.
Midlands Meander
Another late update to the blog. I won’t repeat the twisted logic surrounding its arrival, other than to say that it’s an earlier vacation but an even later entry than the Oxford visit – but still finds its orderly location in the blog. This was a week’s visit to Oundle and Stamford, split as three nights in Northamptonshire and four in Lincolnshire. This was what I would call our first significant foray beyond our immediate environment during the easing of the second lockdown restrictions. The first of our stop-offs was the market town of Oundle.
Catsitting Two!
Up to Sunderland to cat sit for Scott as he took a break with G and family down in Somerset. It now feels like a long journey (obviously, it’s exactly the same length but we’re now doddery old people) so we broke the journey by staying overnight at the Wentbridge House Hotel just off the Al. Wedding on the day we arrived and the next day but we were never rushed or hurried. In fact we had a pleasant chat with the very recent bride and groom in the bar as they took a break before the reception in the Crystal Room.
Return To A Favourite
Back from a return visit to North Norfolk, although this time we had to split the four night trip over two locations, as we couldn’t find a single hotel that could run to a four day stretch. On the plus side, gave us the opportunity to try another hotel!
The Travelogue Continued…
The title might be a slight misnomer (ok, exaggeration) but we have continued to expand our horizons with two further trips in the last ten days or so. On the Wednesday we decided, somewhat on a whim, to visit the market town of Diss for probably only the third time since 1995!
Ickworth House
Took advantage of the decent weather and made a long overdue return visit to the National Trust Ickworth House & Gardens. Couldn’t be sure of the appropriate turn off on the A14, so ended up in BSE where it was then at least sign-posted. As is now customary and blindingly transparent to all who know us, we parked up and went straight for coffee and two shared cakes. The coffee was tasty (as were the cakes) and by the time we’d finished we were ready for the walking (not really).
Rambling Returns
Not, as intimated, a return to the formal rambling group, but an attempt to extend our general lockdown exercise into something a little more extensive. As the pandemic restrictions ease slightly, we decided to aim for around five mile walks using some of our parish walk leaflets that we’ve had for years. We have used them before, but not for many many years, to be honest. So far we have done a few variants based around Martlesham Creek and we then moved on to the Foxhall leaflet, which allowed us to go through the local woods and the on to Purdis Farm, then back along the boardwalks abutting Mill River. All circa five miles and all much lovelier than we remember.
Deja Vu
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 …
Shotley Marina
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.
Bircham Break
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.
Thetford Trek
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.