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Our last full day’s holiday and the weather had picked up considerably so decided on a trip to Blakeney Nature Reserve, owned by the National Trust and situated at Morston Quay on the North coast.

We stopped on the way for a photo of these wonderful poppies and daisies growing wild in a field by the roadside.  So typical of both Norfolk and Suffolk.

Being members meant that we didn’t have to pay the £3.50 parking charge at Morston Quay and we set out with our cameras past the beached boats at low tide.  The car park had started to get very busy with lots of families who were waiting for high tide so that they could go out on the seal watching boats.

The marshy land was tricky to navigate at times but we managed to walk quite a long way. 

We spotted another Pipit like bird and got some photos.  Again, we think it was a Meadow Pipit.

Hearing a piping call we looked over the marshy ground and saw a bird which looked a bit like a young Snipe. 

After comparing our photos later with the books, however, we have concluded it was a Spotted Redshank.  There was another one a small distance away – probably one of the parents.

We did consider walking nearer to the beach to try the hide out but the journey looked a little precarious and the tide was coming in!

On our way back we passed several boat loads of people  all going out seal watching.  They somehow reminded me of emigrants, packed in as they were. 

There was a fresh crab stall in the car park and we decided to get a sandwich there.  Shrimp for me and crab for Peter.  We took them back to Bessie to eat in comfort.  They were delicious – lots of filling and fresh tasting. We had thought we might go out again but decided to download our photos instead.

We drove along the coast on an extended journey back to Sandringham campsite.  Stopped at Cley next the Sea, a charming little village with a windmill.  All hollyhocks and roses-round-the-door sort of village. 

The windmill turned out to be privately owned (it was a B&B) so we could only see it from outside.

What summed up Cley for me was the little newspaper shop along the main street.  You won’t be able to read the details on the photo here but the handwritten notice says “PAPERS AT WINDOW” with an arrow pointing to the open sash window, on the sill of which lay the Sunday papers.  Presumably you just put your payment on the sill as well – we couldn’t see a pot at all so perhaps you popped it through the letterbox.  We loved that – an assumption that most people are honest, which I believe they are.

The other quirky thing about Cley was the name of this lane:

I could quarrel with the absence of an apostrophe of course, but I loved this name.  You could imagine at some time in the middle ages there might have been some old crone living in a hovel down the track…

The North coast of Norfolk is delightful – many of the houses are of large pebbles set in mortar, whereas the buildings in the Brancaster area of the coast consisted of sandstone pieces in mortar.  Quite time consuming to construct I should think.  The resorts, such as Sherringham and Cromer are in the Victorian style of seaside towns, neat and very proper.

I have to be honest and say that the tables were turned this evening – Peter beat me into a cocked hat at Canasta.  Just when I thought I was invincible!