A rather wintry week

It’s been a rather wintry week consisting of a whole lot of cosy nothingness. But you’ll be pleased to know that nothing holds me back from a good ramble!

My favourite thing about this time of year (as irritating as it is) is the way the sun makes no appearance all day, then as soon as it sets, the clouds clear and the most stunning sunsets appear. I’ve been at home for the week on yet another school placement, and the view of sunsets from my bedroom window takes some beating. Of course upon my return home, we headed straight to the beach where we were greeted by yet more beautiful skies. I really can never believe how much the landscape has changed since I was a little whipper snapper racing around the rock pools and not playing ‘too close to the cliffs’. We thought we’d walk along from New to Old Hunstanton for a change, but there was literally no sand left so we ended up clambering across endless rocks in the most undignified manner (mother with her large mustard handbag, quite a sight)!

The evening before I was met straight from the bus and whisked off in the back of the car to a family friend’s house. The family friend in question has always been like another grandparent to my brother and me and she lives in the Fens in the middle of the sticks. I have many happy childhood memories there; having picnics in the motor home and driving a tractor around the garden with my brother in a handmade trailer on the back are a couple of favourites! She’s a little eccentric so nowadays visits are like going back in time as nothing has changed. I love the fact that we still have exactly the same tea every time we visit; the savoury course with bread and butter, salmon, a handful of crisps, salad (loosely) and the same M&S tomato pasta salad, then the sweet course with the lemon meringue pie, the torte and a fruit cake, followed by the other sweet course with the Battenberg, caramel chocolate bars, and French Fancies. Tea followed by a game of Scrabble Cards or Rummikub and forever keeping a close guard on feet in case the cat decides to play with them, what a treat!

https://soundcloud.com/ohdaughter/daughter-tomorrow-live 

Other highlights of my week include a trip to Norwich Arts Centre in torrential snow to see Daughter supported by Lay Low. The bus journey was like being on a 3D ride at a funfair as the snow pummelled the windscreen – scary! Of course they didn’t disappoint, I’m now even more excited for the album. Was very surreal though, had to wear my wellies due to my lack of appropriate footwear for the weather conditions, and the audience was the most attentive audience I have ever experienced at a gig – apparently I’m not the only person whose love for Elena stuns me into silence (she did in fact promise her hand in marriage to the entire audience). Tuesday I met up with old friends, which is always so much fun. I say old friends but we do see each other periodically, just very rarely as a three so it was quite special. There was lots of food, laughing, inappropriateness and drinking soft drinks... showing our age we wonder? Then it was Little Bro’s birthday this week, so we had Chinese and watched Fawlty Towers with his friend who raids our fruit bowl like he’s part of the family... Present from me this year was a rather large supply of Percy Pigs. Best sister award? 

Flotsam

I’m wrapped up in the softest Christmas blanket you ever did feel, surrounded by the pandemonium that is the festive season in the Brockway household! Not even two days back home and already we’ve had a trip to the beach and more importantly, I’ve had a paddle so feeling the need to get all cosy.

                Been off the radar for a couple of weeks while I’ve been buried deep in books and I can’t really believe that the writing has started again now I’m back in King’s Lynn of all places! One of the books I was buried in has the title Flotsam, which has now become my new favourite word.

flot·sam

/ˈflätsəm/

1.     material or refuse floating on water

2.     useless or unimportant items; odds and ends.

So today while I was walking along the beach at Hunstanton I was very aware of the flotsam amongst the seaweed and the endless piles of razor shells – which, by the way, I am slightly obsessed with walking over because the crunch is SO satisfying! Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything at all interesting – well and didn’t really look too closely to find anything anyway – but I really do love just how much there is to see at the beach. Although we often take the same walk, the coastline really changes. Every time you go things are a different colour, or the sand is a different pattern, or there are different things washed up that weren’t there the day before. Only this time last year the whale appeared, and I’ll always remember our shock that so many people had decided to go for a walk on the beach that Christmas Eve, not knowing what would greet us once we reached the sand and having the realisation that it wasn’t us being trend-setters so much as the whole whale-washed-up-on-the-beach situation!

                Today was so sunny and peaceful and we had those reeeeally long shadows, which I always love because they make me feel really tall and leggy! I began to wander out to the sea before realising quite how far out the tide actually was, but it was so worth it. The waves were really lapping the shore and it just sounded so calm. No matter what the time of year, I HAVE to go for a paddle – fear not, I was wearing wellies (so actually it probably doesn’t really count) – while my poor parents just wander along waiting for me to come back.

                As much as I like to think I’m not a huge fan of Norfolk and the idea of having no clue where I’ll be this time next year really excites me, I still love to know that this will always be home. I can’t ever imagine being too far away from the sea, and even less so the Norfolk coast!