Home again

After a cold starry night we woke up with a slight frost on the ground. Compared to last year, when there was snow on the ground and we had to wait half an hour for my windscreen wiper motor to thaw out, this was a minor inconvenience. In fact we had dry sunny weather for the whole stay, amazing considering its the end of November. (PS As I write this blog it is now pouring with rain and blowing a gale outside) 

Farmers market at visitor centre

We went back to the visitor centre and picked up a few things for Christmas presents and some Cox's apples from the Sandringham estate before setting off for home. 

With a little time to spare we detoured thru Kings Lynn, which turned out to be a bit of a non-event, so we shopped at Sainsburys near Peterborough before arriving home around 4 o'clock.

More photos here in WebAlbum

Sunday walk

A view point on the scenic drive

Mike and Margaret were leaving on Sunday so we helped them pack up and get away before the 12 noon deadline and then we walked up to the Sandringham House visitor centre. The path goes up past the C&CC site which is closed at this time of the year and joins the road for the last mile. The scenic drive was closed to traffic but open to pedestrians so we detoured around 'the scenery' which must be really nice when the Rhododendrons are out in spring.



Rosemary spotted a few reasons why we needed to return to the visitor centre shop on our way home, so we just had a toasted beef and horseradish sandwich and coffee for lunch.

Fungi in the woods

We returned the more direct way along Queens drive and back through the woods spotting fungi. Two young deer leaped across our path but they were too quick for my camera (or me) needless to say.

Arrived back on site, after a nice 5 miles walk, just as the sun was disappearing behind the trees and it was starting to get really cold.

Santa arriving by Boat?

Quayside with tree and sea

We scanned the local papers for somewhere to go on Saturday and found that Santa was arriving by boat to switch on the Christmas lights at Wells next the Sea, so off we went to witness the event.

Unfortunately Santa had to wait for the high tide, which was not until well after dark and we could not hang around all that time. However it was nice to wander up the high street and absorb some of the festive village atmosphere (and mulled wine!) and have a fish and chip lunch from the Sea View Cafe over looking the harbour.

Santa meets the wandering Elfs

It was also good to see and photograph a real fishing harbour again as most of our holidays this year have been spent inland.

The Fakenham brass band were playing carols in the street and the children were arriving in numbers as we left - all very festive and very English. Mike drove back along the coast by which time it was cold and dark and we retreated into the warmth of the vans until the morning.  

Christmas Fair

Autumnal view of the woodland path from our van

We went to the fair, which is about a mile away from the site, on the first day and we managed 'to do' the whole thing in just one visit. Did not seem to be so many stalls as last year and not many with a Christmas theme. There were plenty of people wandering around but not too much being spent I suspect. However the ladies managed to burden us down with the usual 'essentials' and we got back to the site before dark.

We had dinner together in the caravan, Rosemary had bought some liver and bacon with her which went very nicely with Mikes grilled pork chops.

Off to Sandringham

Sandringham has a Christmas Craft Fair at this time of the year so we agreed to join Mike and Margaret for a late weekend away. We are about 40 miles further west than they are but our routes converge at Peterborough. Remarkably we both stopped at the same place en route (the Chillout on A47) and arrived within a few minutes of each other. What a surprise to see Mikes caravan parked up as we drove in.
After a very good value lunch we arrived at the Caravan Club site late afternoon and despite the site being almost full we had two pitches next to each other. All's going well so far.

Lunch at The Orchard

The Green Man at Grantchester

Margaret's test were going very well and due to finish earlier than scheduled, so Mike decided they could stay an extra day to make the drive home easier. We were due home at the weekend so we left on Friday and stopped at the pretty village of Grantchester. 

The orchard at the tea house

The tradition of taking afternoon tea in The Orchard tea house, at the former lodgings of poet Rupert Brooke, is still followed by students to this day. They claim to have served tea to more famous people than anywhere in the world. The list in their booklet is certainly impressive. 

The orchard is still set out with traditional deck chairs and tables and the more hardy visitors were eating outside. We were tempted - but it was warmer and just as traditional to eat inside too. Arrived home at 4:30 after stopping at Waitrose.

Grantchester Church

Stands the church clock at ten to three

and is there honey still for tea

 - Rupert Brooke

Another day in Cambridge

River Cam

The Eagle - DNA on menu

Kings College - chapel on right

Took the bus again, a little earlier, to go and see Kings and Queens colleges and a few landmarks. We had a nice lunch by Queens College on the river and then sneaked in for a quick look as it was officially closed. 

We found the same problem (and solution) at Kings College, but I did manage to take some photos of both and we escaped by a side entrance.

We found the pub where the secrets of DNA were announced to the world and the old Rutherford labs where the atom was cracked (or at least split). Finally a little shopping at the market and a coffee at M&S (with coupons of course) before returning just as it was getting dark and a bit chilly.      

A day around the site

Site looking down from Lime Kilns 

The club site is located in one of three old chalk pits and is under the supervision of the Woodland Trust. All three pits have numerous marked footpaths and nature trails. Rosemary went into Cherry Hinton village to have her hair trimmed so I took the footpath alongside the camp site. The path was quite steep and slippery with autumn leaves , so I decided to walk up the road to the end of the path and then back tracked to the site of some old lime kilns. The path actually overlooked the end of the site where we were pitched and Addenbooks was visible just over the fields in the other direction about a mile away.

We went to visit Margaret at Addenbrooks in the afternoon, where we found she was in very good spirits and then returned with Mike.

Fine day for a city visit

Christ College lawns

Christ College

The unusually fine weather was perfect for a day in Cambridge. We caught the bus into the city, which took about 20 minutes and then walked around town from Christ College gardens as far as the Magdelene bridge.

Punting off by Magdelene Bridge

We had a sandwich and a coffee in the Pike and Eel pub just beyond the bridge where we were accosted by the punting salesmen, but we did not succumb. It was actually a very nice day to be on the river. 

Found the tourist information office by the market to pick up some maps and leaflets to use for another day and took the bus back to site.  

Cherry Hinton

A shady spot on a very shady site

The club site is just off the ring road and about a mile from the centre of Cherry Hinton, a village which is essentially a suburb of Cambridge now. Mike left in the morning to visit Margaret and I walked into the village to see 'what was where' and to get a morning paper.

Then later in the afternoon we took the van to the nearby Tesco to stock up on food for the week.

A week in Cambridge

We spent a week in Cambridge with Mike while Margaret was attending Addenbrooks Hospital for a medical  assessment. Stayed at the Caravan Club site at Cherry Hinton which is served by a convenient and frequent bus service into the city, which also calls at the hospital. We left after the remembrance service at Croft on Sunday and arrived late afternoon, just in time for Margaret to go off to Addenbrooks. It took a lot longer to check Margaret into the hospital than expected and Mike arrived back quite late. Not a good start - but it did get better!

There are some photos in and around Cambridge here.