Failing To Check Addresses, Tides, Routes, Weather, Pronunciations and Chip Shop Closing Times

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My wife had planned on meeting some friends in Norwich, and I'd managed to convince her of the merits of letting me tag along, as I had long-since wanted to visit the Norfolk coast and the Norfolk Boards for some photography.

It's a surprisingly long way to Norwich, although it's a lot quicker than it used to be when I'd been to the coast there several years ago when I'd used to go camping with some neighbouring dads and all our kids. Fond memories. The A11, which was previously single-carriageway from the moment we got to the Norfolk border, has now all been replaced by dual-carriageway. No more getting stuck behind tractors.

I left my wife with her friends for lunch and briefly went to the hotel to see if I could get the key, given that I was not planning on getting back there until late at night. Finding it didn't go well as, it turned out, I'd been given the wrong address (the street number digits were mixed-up). Luckily I eventually managed to spot it whilst driving round looking very confused and no doubt frustrating everyone behind me. And I was also in luck as, despite it being well before check-in time, I was able to get the room key.

My first stop was Happisburgh, which, for some unknown reason, is actually pronounced "Haze-bruh", as I found out later when everyone had a good laugh at my expense. Photography-wise there were two things there, the lighthouse and the sea defences.

Getting there involved some very narrow single-track roads, but everyone was very considerate and we all muddled along. I managed to find a parking space in the small, but busy carpark and someone actually gave me their pay-and-display ticket that was valid for the rest of the day, as they no longer needed it. I like people from Norfolk!

I first went down to the beach and then tried to walk along to the long, wooden sea-defences, which are supposed to be very photogenic. They're particularly photogenic at sunrise, but I wanted to be clear where I was going before coming back here in the dark tomorrow morning (see Mobile Phones Are No Help in Norfolk). One particular reason for being so cautious is the tide. When the tide is in, that part of the beach is completely cut-off, as it was when I got here today. I decided to go back up to the lighthouse and then come down later and try again.

The tide was definitely on the way out, which was good, but it was taking a long time. After a while I was able to get to the sea defences, but it did involve taking my shoes and socks off, rolling up my jeans and paddling through the cold water. It did mean that I had the whole place to myself though.

By the time I'd taken my photos, I was able to walk back without any issues.

I walked along the top of the cliffs for a while to see if there is another way down. There isn't. In fact, much of the coast path is actually missing, having been lost in various cliff collapses. I can see why the sea defences are there, but they seem to be only putting up a small and futile resistance against the relentlessness of the North Sea.

Next I headed to the Norfolk Boards where I wanted to see some of the windmills. I was certainly spoilt for choice as there are lots of very photogenic windmills to choose from. I first headed to the Thurne Dyke Mill and then to the Turf Fen Mill.

After negotiating some more single-track roads, I parked up at Thurne, where there's some parking beside a little marina. The boats are certainly very popular as they were also lining both sides of the river, as people were settling down for the evening, eating and drinking and enjoying the peace and quiet, apart from watching someone trying to find a gap between the boats and setting-up his tripod to take some photographs.

It quickly came to an end though, as it started to pour with rain and, unforgivably, I had left my raincoat in the car.

The Turf Fen Mill involved a 10 minute walk from the carpark and then along the river, which was also lined with people relaxing with some drinks and wondering what I was up to. I heard someone questioning whether I was about to start fishing.

I wanted to be in Cromer for sunset, so it was then a bit of a rush to get up their in time. To be honest, if I had planned it better going to the windmills first would have been a much more efficient route, not least because it would have given the tide more time to go out at Happisburgh.

The sunset was not amazing, but it was enough to make some good pictures. I tried to replicate some of the pictures that I had got in Harris and Lewis where the movement of the waves made patterns in foreground (see Health and Safety is Secondary to Photography). It was reasonably successful.

There were a couple of other photographers there also, trying to get similar shots.

After some more pictures looking down at the pier, I realised that I was actually really hungry and I love fish and chips by the sea (in fact that's what my wife had had to eat earlier). I got to the fish and chip shop at 8.33 and the lady in there seemed to take a bit too much pleasure in telling me that they closed at 8.30. After a bit of walking around, I found another fish and chip shop, but they had run out of everything except chips. They gave me a huge portion though.

I drove back to the hotel and then walked to my wife's friend's house to meet up with them for a few drinks, before walking back to the hotel again.

When we arrived back there, we were met by a Just Eat or Deliveroo delivery driver who was trying to contact someone who had ordered some food. He was insisting that we should be able to give him a code for the delivery, otherwise he was not going to get paid. I would love to have given him the code, not least because that food would have gone down very nicely.

I must say though that it seems very unfair that the delivery guy does not get paid for a no-show customer. I bet Deliveroo or Just Eat or Uber Eats or whoever had been paid for the delivery and would not be refunding it to the customer.

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Photos

Happisburgh Lighthouse
Whilst waiting for the tide to recede.

Happisburgh Sea Defences
Once I was able to reach them.

Thurne Lighthouse
And some of the boats moored-up for the evening.

Turf Fen Mill
Through a gap in the boats.

Cromer
The pier and beach.