Tuesday 14 November 2017

Wild and wandering in Wells next the Sea

Weekend away in Wells next the Sea in a stonking great big house for very little money. 9 rooms sleeping 14 for about £300. Perfect.


Wells has a most delightful Library


It also has a working harbour, several boats in with  a variety of port of registration prefixes. Blucher is local as from Kings Lynn. And is not a large battleship of the Admiral Hipper class.. General von Blucher did rather well at Waterloo in cahoots with Wellington. He also a characteristic one cut vamp shoe  named after him after a boot he helped design for his damp footed soldiers. Think DM shoe as favoured by Tony Benn. A bit more stylish than an old welly boot anyway. Sorry Wellington, #justsaying.


This must be the fisherman's version of the Non-League Football paper. Niche.


No crabbing  (or gillies  specifically in Wells) today, no water and cold to boot. A long way down into the gloop for an over eager little'un. And a fierce tide too.


And yes, turned up Dickies are quite the thing in London Town so say the Metropolitan Elite.




Looking down on the port from the gantry of the old Granary must be quite pleasant, I think it is a games room now. 


I am sure they see many stop here. Makes  a change from the Yarco hot dog. And I bet well polished in parts.



Park life.



Who doesn't love a swing?


Or think they can shoot a hoop? (They can't)


Now this must be one of the bleakest, coldest places to play football bar none. The wind is evil from the right quarter, all the way from the Steppes with nothing but a few beach huts and pines on the Holkham Estate to stop it. Even with the poshest ad hoarding ever. Holkham has a massive land footprint, made possible in no small part by the advent of the railway allowing  produce to reach the well heeled in London and later the Victorian tourist trade which grew the seaside towns. Not that Wells next the Sea is next the sea anymore.  Holkham Hall is a truly Palladian pile. One time home to Turnip Townsend,  he of crop rotation fame continued by the Cokes. The previously dubbed Viscount Coke is the Earl of Leicester these days.


Though the sea is  a good next the sea mile away now  it can come in very high at times. High enough to dump trawlers on the quayside. It is well defended now but god fear the day it reaches the top of that recorder.

Everyone has heard of French's.


And the Pop Inn amusements. Hideous things amusement arcades. I hate them.


Golddigga indeed. The boxes are too big to fall down the chute by the way......


Up in town the Howell dynasty is following the PadStein model of land grab.



He is a baker too but not  a candlestick maker.


And if it ain't Nobby's it ain't worth a... (Cue Stiff Records innuendo).


For the hoity toity, not the hoi poloi.


Given we had got the place for a song we felt we should get the caterers in.



Food, wine, what more do you need?




Crew dem


A post-prandial kick about it seems.


And for me a sozzled foray for some hand helds in the Buttlands. Steady on boi.

The Buttlands used to be an archery range. It is a large beech lined green surrounded by a quad of rather well to do Georgian town houses. Shot hand held at 800 ISO with fill-in. I am afraid I was on P so shutter/aperture anyone's guess.  Meh.





Back down through town.







Sunday dawned bright but not for long.as the rain and hail  foreshortened a planned hike to the mile distant sea and a hasty retreat.  A corking weekend none the less.



















6 comments:

  1. Lovely stuff BB. Strange place Wells-next-the-sea. We're away to Aberdeen shortly so no posts. John

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    1. it is an eclectic mix to be sure John. perhaps cos the sea is that mile away? Enjoy Aberdeen. I passed through en route to the Shetlands many moons ago. Could have seen the infamous split up of the Banshees on my way back but onky had 2p in my pocket so no hope of another bus and train back the next day.

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    2. Not an enjoyable visit I'm afraid. Sue's brother died last Saturday so it's a funeral trip. A friend is house-sitting the two Terriers but we do at least fly from Norwich. I'll try and fish tomorrow but I think it's a slim chance. I'll be glad when 2017 is over!. John

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  2. A hoose in Wells that sleeps 14 for 300 quid for the week ? Blimey Charlie.
    Interesting post, you have a very distinctive writing style. Very wordy. Anthony Burgess meets that ponce Martin Amis. I do like north Norfolk muchly.

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  3. Just two nights but a steal. My writing is mostly inflenced by blood alcohol levels.

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