This year we took our spring holiday in north Norfolk, being that part of the coast stretching from King’s Lynn in the west to Cromer in the north east. It forms the southern edge of the wide expanse of North Sea sand banks called the Wash, which has the Lincolnshire town of Skegness on its northern-most shore line.
We stayed in a cottage between the villages of Dersingham and Snettisham owned by the family from the medieval Hall at Ingoldisthorpe. Pronounced locally as Inglesthorpe it is a few miles from the Queen’s favourite home Sandringham House. We had not been to the area before and the first impression was of a landscape where each village had a flashing traffic sign notifying drivers of their speed, and of the countless posters announcing the immediate availability of locally sourced Crab and Lobster.
As those two crustaceans are my favourite sea food; needless to say I ate nothing else all week. Along with various salads, olives, mushrooms, herbs and new potatoes, fresh lobster or crab takes some beating. I say ate nothing else, but that is not quite correct because one evening we ate at the fish and chip shop in Wells next the Sea where we sat at a wooden table covered with a red and white chequered oil cloth and shook vinegar and salt onto our meals. We ate in the company of locals who proclaimed this as, “the best chippie for miles around.” Mind you, fish-n-chips is not what it was! In my childhood, both were deep-fried in beef-dripping which gave them a wonderful flavour and texture and my grandfather’s home, which was also a chip shop, was a much visited establishment during the war years.
But back to Norfolk; We spent the entire week in a leisurely meander through picturesque towns and villages stopping frequently to visit a church or historical site and to soak up the atmosphere of Britain’ s two thousand years of recorded history.
We visited the village of Walsingham which has a Shrine much loved by Catholics around the world. On the way, we had lunch in Burnham Market and also viewed a hat shop which claims to stock more than 4000 creations for both men and women. The range for women was vast, but I was tempted to buy myself one of those Panama hats that can be folded up in a pocket and which instantly spring back into shape. However, the young shop assistant was not confident that it would withstand being trampled underfoot by a flock of sheep or of being run over by a tractor with topper attached.
The sea-side town of Cromer was a disappointment although, to be fair, it has really set itself up to be an attractive location for families with young children. However it would be difficult to be disappointed with the dozens of small towns and landscapes which were a delight. The farmed land was mainly arable with thousands of acres of horticultural products. Not much livestock was around but we did see some very large outdoor pig units.
When not sightseeing we read books and did the Telegraph crossword. I say did a crossword when I really mean to say that we tried to do it! As we eat out for lunch most days we have to choose restaurants with sufficient table space for the crossword on which we scribble in a joint attempt to defeat the compilers.
We attended Sunday morning service at Snettisham and was interested to note that the church had two flying buttresses set inside the two side aisles and which prop up the central tower. As I sat listening to the sermon, the thought crossed my mind that these buttresses must have good foundations and be very strong to hold up the tower and stop it tilting and falling down. But then another thought came in which I imagined that the weight in the tower was like a moving stream of energy running down to the ground. Immediately it was clear that in that scenario the buttresses not strong in their own right but only because the energy stored in the tower flows through them down into the ground.
How like us humans I thought! Some believe it is their strength which holds up great things, but others believe that they are strong because power and energy flows down.
Seeing things from a different perspective reminds me of a current art exhibition in London over which critics have waxed lyrical.
It contains a blank piece of paper which an artist has stared at for 1,000 hours and a movie that was shot without film in the camera. Gallery director Ralph Rugoff said, “Works of fifty artists exploring invisibility and emptiness will be on show making it the best exhibition you’ll never see.
Interested readers will not be able to see what they would be missing, if they go to the Hayward Gallery at the Royal Festival Hall London until August the 5th. Visitors will not however be able to pay with invisible money as entrance costs £8.
They don’t say if the Emperor’s clothes will be on display but as an old friend used to say. “Nothing surprises me these days.”
View from the Pew 