Norfolk n’good?

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Surely a 'local' wouldn't classify going to the North Norfolk coastline as a destination worth travelling to, right?

Wrong. In my eyes, if a place steals your heart and you consider it to be your go-to location in your home country, I don't think it really matters. The fact is this: I drive from my home in Lincolnshire to the beaches in Norfolk virtually every weekend because that is exactly where my heart belongs. Although I’m technically not a local as I don't live there, I might as well be.

Recently, I presented my Year 10 class with a piece of nonfiction writing entitled ‘Family Holidays in Norfolk’ in an attempt to stimulate some thought as to how authors use language devices to entice the readers, but the problem that I found was not the use of devices but the subject itself. The verdict was pretty much unanimous: Norfolk, to the teenage masses, is ‘boring’. One bubbly student of mine also suggested that Norfolk ‘smells’. When I contested this, she said “But Miss, when I stepped outside my caravan it stank of seaweed all the time!” Even eating outside the chip shop in Heacham’s North Beach last weekend demonstrated this sentiment. A frustrated young girl, eyes on her mobile phone, walking several metres behind a pair who were clearly her grandparents, was the perfect personification of this ideal: a complete lack of interest and not wanting to be there.

But people travel from far and wide across the UK to visit Norfolk, a lot of whom return every year, so where lies the appeal?

Obviously, the first thought that springs to mind is the beaches. Friends who I have met in different countries have frequently belittled the UK beaches, and I can see how the beaches of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have much more of a pull factor, but I still maintain that there is something special about them which probably derives from my childhood: the clashing senses of calm and excitement that you get whenever you think of the word ‘beach’.

Most people who don't live in Norfolk, but who know the county relatively well, may automatically think of Hunstanton or Wells-next-the-Sea at this point, but Thornham really is the needle in the haystack. The village itself really is rather quaint and, as you arrive from the Hunstanton direction, you are greeted by the Thornham Deli. I find that place absolutely irresistible, and just the thought of their food makes my mouth water. I've started to get into this habit which I cannot kick, a habit of taking away a cheese, spinach and mushroom tart, a scotch egg and whichever cake takes my fancy on the day. Most of the time it has something to do with chocolate. Looking through the glass counter makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop; everything looks AMAZING. I want it all and I want it now. A lot of people tend to sit in their newly-expanded restaurant, but my favourite thing to do is wrap the food up in a bag, have a quick browse at the clothing and tee shirts designed by Shaggy (who works behind the counter), and then eagerly take my doggy bag of treasures, hop into my car, leave the car outside the harbour, walk down to the beach and savour every last morsel as I listen to the sound of the waves rolling towards me. If that doesn't attract you to Norfolk, I don't know what will. Furthermore, Thornham is a photographer’s paradise. After you've digested your food, you should don your wellies, walk past the old boat house and venture into the marshes. There, you will discover old fishing boats, abandoned by the tide and stranded in the mud.

Exploring the skeletons and ruins of the boats awakens the child within me. There are always adventures to be had, and discovering a shipwreck is always high on your list when you are a child. But what brings me back to being an adult is the soundscape, the calls of various different types of birds as they swoop across the long, golden grasses. This may seem like a strange comparison to make, but whenever I am there I get taken back to the Amboseli in Africa. If any of you have ever been to the Amboseli, you will understand the immense sense of peace and tranquility, the sense of completeness and feeling at one with your inner self, that you get as you stand peacefully and watch the elephants, wildebeest, zebra and hippos graze and you listen to their calls. Well, Norfolk is no Africa that's for sure, but it certainly gives you a feeling of relaxation and wilderness in its own little way.

But if relaxation is not your ‘thing’, the beaches are rife with windsurfers, kite surfers, kayakers and sometimes the occasional quad bike and, for the little ones, there's always the Wash Monster (if you want to go seal spotting) and the beach ponies of course! The kiters and windsurfers will vary their location depending on the tide and wind, but there is always something to do in Hunstanton. You could drop by Hunstanton Watersports and inquire about lessons, or give Les at Hunstanton Kayaks a quick call and he will loan a kayak to you for an hour or two for an affordable price. Whilst some people I know like to kite, for me there is nothing like kayaking, having a paddle and pushing yourself hard against the flow. Plus, having attempted kiting on the shore and being nowhere near good enough to try it in the water yet (including being dragged along the sand on my stomach on a training kite and getting sand in my pants. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being serious; it was hilarious), it's safe to say that kayaking is more accessible and provides me with boosted confidence. That's not to say that kiting isn't fun though; once you get the basics of doing a few tricks on the shore it gives you nothing short of a smile. Les is pretty friendly and, if you fancy a bit of a laugh, he will attach a Go Pro to his helmet and take a few pictures of you (although with me, being a massive photography geek of course, it would have been nonsensical to not have brought my own Go Pro along anyway).

Hunstanton basically has something for everybody, literally for the old and new. For those who enjoy leisurely walks and nice scenery, the beach, lighthouse and shipwreck at Old Hunstanton tick all boxes; for those who enjoy the more active life, New Hunstanton has more to offer. The fairground makes for an entertaining couple of hours of old-fashioned fun, especially when you go on the Ghost Train and scream sarcastically at everything that jumps out at you (although there was one time when I genuinely did let out a blood-curdling scream as something suddenly dangled in front of my face and trailed over my head, leaving my companion crying with hysterical laughter and unable to control himself. Ground swallow me whole).

Also, this might sound like a typically tourist thing to do (but if you read my previous blog on Bangkok, Cambodia and Vietnam you will already know that I am a massive child, easily excited and, well, let's face it, a bit of a geek), but I LOVE going to the Sea Life Centre . Whenever I go there, it is almost like I get Sea Life Centre Tourette's; I cannot contain my excitement and I call out at everything I see. They know my face in there. No, really – I mean it. I love watching the sea turtle, seeing the Asian Short-clawed otters at feeding time (they really are the most adorable of the otter species) and marvelling at the axolotls. I actually used to have an ‘axie’ of my own and find them incredibly fascinating. Did you know that they are using the females’ eggs for cancer research? This is because of the axolotls’ amazing regeneration abilities – they can regenerate entire limbs!

Anyway, I digress. My point is this: the North Norfolk coastline is not Norfolk n’good (you have the shops at the Burnham Deepdale Market to thank for that pun); it is so much better than ‘good’! Ignore the prejudice of locals and other people in the UK about UK beaches. Norfolk is full of variety and is the place to be! And, on that note, I'm going to leave you with a picture of a seriously cute seal that I took at the Sea Life Centre as, let's face it, everybody could do with having a big smile on their face!

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Photos

Thornham Harbour
Courtesy of Kayleigh Fung Photography (www.facebook.com/kayleighfungphotography)

Thornham Fishing Boat
Courtesy of Kayleigh Fung Photography (www.facebook.com/kayleighfungphotography)

Hunstanton Kayaks
Courtesy of Les at Hunstanton Kayaks.

Kite Surfer
Courtesy of Kayleigh Fung Photography (www.facebook.com/kayleighfungphotography)

Playful Seal
Courtesy of Kayleigh Fung Photography (www.facebook.com/kayleighfungphotography)