EVERYTHING CHANGED

When I first embarked on my travels in my motorhome, over fifteen months ago,(wearing the T–shirt my sister gave me as a leaving present)  I was so excited and I was eager to go with the flow. My plan was to have no plan. Just to seek out interesting people and places. But obviously because of COVID all that has changed. With lockdown and various Tier systems in place, it is impossible not to have some form of a plan because I have got to protect myself and other people from COVID 19. 

I am restricted as to where I can travel to. I have encountered the wrath of locals who want to know what someone in a motorhome is doing camped up when there is a pandemic. For the first time in my life I really encountered fear for my safety and wondered if what I was doing was foolhardy.

Thankfully I have been fortunate enough to have kind hearted people who have looked out for me along the way. I have now come to the conclusion that I will continue to find the positives in what I am doing even though the situation has changed.

I am enjoying ageing in a different way, not being conventional and experiencing the uncertainty of life on the open road. 

I love finding new places to explore and during this last fifteen months I have done a lot. I have visited  parts of Scotland, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District, Lancaster, the Cotswolds, Malvernhills, Lincolshire, Kent and Sussex. I have written about those travels in my blogs, several magazines and guest blogs. I have also spoken regularly on BBC Radio about my motorhome madness.

 At the moment I am staying put and spending a few months on the North Norfolk coast, where I am blown away by the beauty of the local villages. I suppose one of the positives of lockdown and the tier restrictions is that I am getting to see places without the crowds of tourists that would usually be filling the streets. 

I have done some wonderful walks to Cley next the sea, which has an 18th century windmill and a nearby nature reserve, set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Despite it's name it has not been next to the sea since the 17th century, due to land reclamation. 

But the walk from the windmill to the shingle beach is wonderful and I love to sit on the beach and reflect on what I have done, what I a doing and what I hope to achieve.

There is also the  Grade 11 listed Medieval church of St Margaret's Cley. It's huge nave dates from 1320-1340. It is amazing to see all the bits that have been added onto it throughout the years, you have to take a good walk around it to really appreciate the beauty of it, it is truly breathtaking.

  

But despite it's imposing structure I found it very calming to wander around.

Cley was once one of the busiest Ports in England and did a lot of trade with the low countries. The Flemish gables in the town are a reminder of that. There is a wonderful pottery where you can see them making the pots through the window. Nearby to that is a small smokery shop.

I also really enjoy the walk from Blakeney to Cley. It starts at the picturesque harbour in Blakeney and goes along the North Norfolk Coastal Path by the salt marshes and the river Glaven. Even in November the sun was shining and it felt exhilarating.

Blakeney started its life as a busy Medieval commercial port, until the estuary began to silt, up preventing crafts from entering it. It is surrounded by an area of outstanding natural beauty, the nature reserve gives uninterrupted views of the coastline and it is wonderful for spotting seals and migrating birds. There are always people dotted about staring through their binoculars, trying to catch a glimpse of the various migrating birds.

At the harbour you can book boat trips to go and see the Grey seals, but if you sit on the shingle beach near Cley you can spot them swimming back and forwards along the coast and some even pop out of the water to say hello.

Another activity that seems to be very popular, when there are not COVID restrictions, is Crab fishing. People line up along the Quay in Blakeney with their crab hooks, nets and big buckets. It is known locally as "Gillying". 

There are lots of signs up asking people to put the crabs back gently when they have caught them so that they can see them again another day, which I though was lovely.

Having lived in places all my life that are full of light pollution one thing that excites me every single night it is being able to open the door of my motorhome and to gaze up at the stars in the sky in the pitch black. I wrap up warm, grab a blanket, hot water bottle and a cup of tea and I sit on the step of my motorhome and just stargaze. I have even been treated to shooting stars and made a few wishes.

One of those wishes has already come true. My daughter Sammy and her little dog Frank are going to join me for several days over Christmas in the motorhome. 

I am beyond excited and I have got the tub of Quality street ready (I did have a chocolate orange as well but temptation got the better of me last night and I started eating it!) and I have begun planning the Christmas dinner menu and the games we will play, including hide the thimble, which has always been a favourite of hers to play at Christmas.

Even though life has changed and we are feeling anxious about what it happening. The vaccine gives us all hope that things will eventually return to some kind of normality. In the meantime I hope that everyone stays safe and well.