We are grateful for all the kind words and good advice. We decided that as it was a sunny day we would go out somewhere. We drove to Fakenham, and parked by the library - where I found 3 interesting craft books. Then we crossed the road to Taylors. This place has changed hands since our last visit. Bob had a breakfast brioche and I had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Good service, a generous portion of fish - but the eggs were not as good as NEPO [North Elmham Post Office/Tearooms]
We drove on to Wells Next The Sea. This place has gone very upmarket. I do not know how the locals manage. We looked at a few menus at the eateries...Sausage and Mash in a Yorkshire Pudding was £18.50. Not eating in a place like that!!
In Sheringham there wasn't anything in the PBHS that interested me. In the Sally Army Shop I bought some West Wing DVDs[because I recently decided I wanted to watch them again. Martin Sheen made a good President] This little pepper pot was £1. But who is he? I left him on the shelf, then another lady bought him. Who is he? I asked- but none of us knew! And where is his salty other half?
It was a truly lovely day out together, driving up through the country roads to the seaside, and along the coast road, then home again.*** We were home soon after 3, and Bob settled down to sort out his CDs, whilst I decided to do my summer/winter clothes swap. I had discovered earlier in the day that the Japanese actually have a word for this biannual ritual [that's twice a year, not biennial which is every two years. I checked it up]
衣替え koromogae
Literally meaning changing of attire [or furnishings] this custom has been around for 1000 years, and traditionally the Japanese people pack away their summer clothes on October 1st, and get them out again on June 1st. If school children have summer and winter uniforms, these are the changeover dates.
I have been practising koromogae for years without realising it had a name [since before I got married]
Do you do a regular clothes swap?
** Very grateful for towns which have good Blue Badge Parking, and seats where pedestrians can stop for a rest. I was saddened by a conversation I had in one shop. I remarked to the assistant that Wells prices had gone up, and he said that Holt is even worse - the town is now split in two he said. The obviously wealthy people [many are wealthy second-home owners, or visitors from London] and the much poorer people [who have lived there all their lives and cannot move] . His friend helps run the Foodbank, and says they really are not very well supported, yet so many people are dependent on their foodparcels. Lord, help us to be more generous.
You are really making the most of your holiday! We did pay 'a price' for sausages and mash at our posh farm shop on Sunday, but my word, it was Sunday Lunch quality; dijon mustard through the mash, caramelised onion, juniper and sherry gravy, a great coil of Italian herb sausage... not 'yer everyday bangers and mash'!
ReplyDeleteI've never ever done koromogae in my life...
That sounds proper quality, the menu i looked at seemed "cheap caff" at posh prices
DeletePs I can order a gift token with my ocado groceries and ocado donate the same value to food backs. So I do.
ReplyDeletePs that's a good scheme. Re koromogae - didn't you do the 100 day dress challenge once?
DeleteYes, I wore the dress off and on over the next couple of years, and then passed it on as I lost some weight
Delete👍
DeleteThat's v sad about Holt. Any decent rural place by the coast seems to be getting this way. Is that not Paul O'Grady on the pepperpot? The former Dame Edna Everidge? So many eateries are very expensive now. Hope all is well with you. X
ReplyDeleteOh you might be right about POG. He was Lily Savage [Dame Edna was from Oz]
DeleteMaybe the salt pot was him as Dame Edna. JanF
DeleteP. S. I do a Summer winter swap but don't have fixed dates for doing it.
ReplyDeleteI hope your busy week at school us going ok
DeleteMy sister lives in Norfolk and she has commented on the divide between the haves and have-nots getting wider especially in the last few years. Her little village still has older people who think a trip to Norwich (28 miles away) is a real event and that's about as far as they have ever travelled and then there are second homers who just come down a few times a year. Wells Next The Sea has become very upmarket. It is all rather sad. Glad you had a lovely day out. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteThere are people in my village who think getting the bus to Dereham (less than 4 miles) is a big excursion!! But even in this sparsely populated county, we now have 4 big Waitrose stores (and one ,"little Waitrose") and their green vans are all over the place. On the other hand, more Lidl/Aldi stores being built, and the Food banks are really busy but under resourced.
DeleteI am so pleased you have been able to get out and about as though you are on holiday. Hope Bob feels better. X
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan. Kirsten's phrase about "freedom from the tyranny of the calendar" is very apposite.
DeleteI do swap my clothes over but I never knew there was a name for it. Your day out sounds lovely, I do like driving through the villages, we took a wrong turn going to Cromer and it was delightful. Prices are high in Holt CS. We were there a week or so ago, I bought nothing and himself bought a book, secondhand for £2.95. I usually pay much less locally. Carole R
ReplyDeleteWe encountered diversions due to road works, and found ourselves on a very pretty road to Sheringham. Yes, I agree, Holt CS do have high prices (but then the clothes are usually Boden and Joules, not Primark or H&M)
DeleteLike Kezzie I thought it might be Paul O'Grady. Maybe its twin was Lily Savage. Or a dog, as he became known for his love of dogs. I do change my clothes over, but I find now that I seem to keep more out as "all year clothes" than before. It's always a pleasure to think "Oh I'd forgotten I had that pullover, or T-shirt..."
ReplyDeleteI have hunted on line but cannot find POG pepper pots. But yes, lily savage or a pooch would be an.appropriate partner !
DeleteYes, every year, twice a year, I do the clothes swap thing. Even having charity shopped a lot of things before moving there are still things I've not worn therefore need to go.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I ordered cream tea in a farm shop tea room, rock hard scone, mean amounts of jam and cream - £7! I could and do often make nicer at home.
Alison in Devon x
The quality of scones has deteriorated lately...
DeleteI'm glad you are taking time to enjoy each day, even though it wasnt quite as planned.
ReplyDeleteEvery day is being enjoyed
DeleteThat looks like a very 'holiday-ish' day out and sounds like a lot of fun, even if some prices made your eyes water. The pepper pot does look like POG doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteI have practised koromogae for years ... but didn't know it had a name. I forgot to do the coat hanger switching round trick last time. I must remember this time, as I think there's a few items that weren't worn at all. I don't have a specific date though as I would rather go with the weather, however this year the 1st September would have been a perfect date to swap things over, I've rarely felt warm since then.
I originally planned to do it after France, but as it didn't happen, I just got on with it. No dithering!
DeleteI have a small wardrobe and don't change anything seasonally. Just reach for what works today. This is useful when the season keeps changing back and forward, like now -- warm outfit in the morning, cooler one in the afternoon, back to warm in the evening.
ReplyDeleteBeing comfortable is the key thing, whatever the calendar says!
DeleteI was appalled at the price of that meal! It did remind me of the time years ago when we had an excellent senior's lunch with pudding, in a pub in Yorkshire, for a cost that was the same as the cost of the starter soup for a meal in a fancy restaurant that friends in the south took us to later on the trip!
ReplyDeleteLondon prices are higher
DeleteI loved The West Wing! Glad you're getting out and about. I watched Escape to the Country the other day and it was focused on Holkham? What pretty architecture the houses have but it's very evident you need money to live there. In general,our foodbanks are well patronised. There are shopping trolleys for deposit at most of the major supermarkets in the area. The nearest Waitrose is miles away but one of my neighbours works for John Lewis so the Waitrose van delivers to her regularly! Interesting gly, all Xmas delivery slots from Waitrose are fully booked right up.until Xmas eve. Also, my local general store has a Waitrose franchise so able to get some things there. I particularly loved their own brand cheddar cheese which was reasonably priced but they've subsequently stopped selling it and have replaced it with their much dearer organic cheddar. I agree on Paul O'Grady. I just put away my summer gear, filling a charity bag in the process with the stuff I just know will never fit next year and have brought out all my winter stuff which is stored in a large suitcase in the boxroom. Whilst on the school run yesyerday, I was amazed at the amount of Range Rovers and other large vehicles parked in blue badge spaces. They were all
ReplyDeletedisplaying their blue badges, I checked!
Holkham and the surrounding area is pretty - but pricey! It was a shame about the Waitrose cheddar change. I have become obsessive about checking blue badges lately
DeletePs Rev Richard Cole's Murder before Evensong previews tonight 9pm Channel 5. You're welcome 😇
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI agree with everyone else that its Paul O'Grady, maybe Lily Savage as the salt. We've been into Derby on the bus so I could go for my Covid jab. £98.95, I'm glad we can afford it, but feel so sorry for people who can't. In the posh areas round here CS prices are much higher, but I did pick up 2 Emma Bridgewater mugs in a less well off area for 50p each. Glad to see Bob is looking better. Xx
ReplyDeleteWe no longer qualify for a free jab. Not sure if want to shell out that much...
DeleteI have happy memories of visiting Wells next The Sea, on our first trip to Walsingham a few years back. It's horrendous though that folk are struggling to make ends meet and wealthy second homers are driving up the property prices in that area. So pleased you're managing to make the most of your week xx
ReplyDeleteThank you SA. We are enjoying our week
DeleteVery kind of you not to mention quite how many CDs it was that I happened to pick up! (For the curious commenters, it was a collection of 300, mostly (200+) jazz, but the rest classical. We were told they had belonged to a Cambridge librarian and professor. 'Sorting them out' is quite a challenge!
ReplyDeleteDear Anon [aka Bob] Well, we didn't go to France and buy interesting holiday souvenirs, so I suppose 300 CDs from a junkyard is the next best thing!
DeleteI'm so glad that you are enjoying your staycation by visiting places closer to home. Sounds like you had a lovely day out.
ReplyDeleteI don't do much of a seasonal change of the closet, partly because we don't have much of a change. I wear summer blouses under sweaters as I like to layer up when it gets colder.
I did keep three special dresses even when they became tight on me as they were the last three dresses my mother sewed for me. I held on to them for years. I tried one of them on the other day and it fitted me again! In fact, it was a bit too loose on me! I'm glad I kept them. :)
That is a lively thing, to be able to wear that special dress again
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