Weather forecast improving we set off after work to Geldeston (again) on the beautiful river Waveney. Coincidentally we meet some friends we know from a nearby village who are coming to experience a jam session. It's a group we love on at The Locks Inn tonight - Murphys Lore. Quick set up and some dinner before heading out and getting a prime seat in the bar. Nice to see some faces who are regulars up there and get an invite to another musical event locally.
As it gets towards 9pm the candles are lit and musical instruments and their owners are gradually turning up, we have the regular fiddle, guitars and bodhram drums but also we a few guest performers we have a banjo and an electronic bass. The performers take turns and tonight we see three or four guests who can sing and play fantastically. It was simply another beautifully atmospheric night. Shame the landlord is often grouchy - the only times we saw him was when he turned us out as quickly as possible (and rudely) at the end of the evening.
We wake up to a pretty nice day, and the marina is quite buzzy today for a change. Chores were light as we had not set up water etc. so we were away quickly and on the road for Kettleburgh. We hummed and harred about the best roads to take and ended up going through Beccles and headed south east to meet the A12 at Yoxford and headed down the A1120 through the pretty villages of Peasenhall, Saxtead, Dennington to Earl Stonham where we turn off to our site for the next few days. Church Farm is caravan club 5 van site with hook up, but no facilities. It sits at the front of St Andrews Church and adjacent to the farm with the resident guard geese. It really is a pretty little place to stay, and the tree blossom and roses were just wonderful.
We meet up with family and friends at the site and head off to The Chequers down the road. The barman is always quite amusing here, & after a drink out in the sunshine we tucked into some good pub fare. Saturday brought warm sunshine, and we headed out on the bikes into Framlingham. We came by the Station Pub where Ed Sheeran treated Nicole Scherzinger to a night out, but all was quiet this morning. The market was on and the town was preparing for a gala weekend, We had a look inside St Michaels church - it was being decked out with blooms ready for a wedding. it's a large and quite magnificent building with a fanned ceiling and wall paintings. After a wander in the castle grounds we sat outside the Castle pub for a relaxing drink, watching the world go round. After an easy bike home, it was pretty warm and time to read the papers and nap.
Sunday brought more sun and a trip to Southwold to get fish for tea. The town was too busy to park up, but we will no doubt be back later in the summer. The discovery on the way back was that Saxmundham has a very good Waitrose where we could get all we need following a trip around every village and town in the vicinity looking for Jersey Royals!
Monday saw the weather cool drastically and Church Farm were again holding an "Auto Jumble". This was something we had never seen before, a sale of a right mix of motor parts along with lots of other strange items. The attendees were numerous and keen, arriving from 7am. For anyone remembering the old Methwold and Swaffham auctions in Norfolk, the clientele were very similar! We headed home on a nice quiet morning, another successful and memorable long weekend, missed not having my sister and brother in law along for this one though, due to my nephew being ill with glandular fever, but we will soon be with them for the Springwatch pilgrimage to Eastbridge.
Monday 13 June 2016
Tuesday 17 May 2016
Dwile Flonking at Geldeston Suffolk 15th May 2016
Moving on...
Smooth Sunday journey from Cambridgeshire to the wonderful Waveney Valley. No driving over the caravan step, no aerial left extended and no flashing from other drivers about anything flapping open...excellent.
When travelling, it never ceases to amaze us how many drivers like to pull out in front of us at the last moment. They must believe we travel at a snails pace, at worst they make us brake suddenly and at best slow us up and stop us getting in to top gear. I blame Jeremy Clarkson.
In the sun we notice that now in mid-May the colour of the trees is staggeringly green and luminescent. The flowers on the horse chestnuts look like lit candles, such a shame that in a few months they will be showing signs of "bleeding canker". Such beautiful trees.
The site at Geldeston looks as peaceful as ever, just one van on site but no one in. Chores done in a few minutes & the bikes are then unfolded. Three quarters of a mile later & we are outside the Locks Inn. There is quite a crowd, many dressed in readiness for their participation in the annual Dwile Flonking competition. This year it looks like there are some newcomers from Loddon, as well as the usual competitors from Bungay. The referee (known as Plumbus - a dull witted person) really is amusing, explaining the rules & how to score. Then teams & the crowd shout together "Here y'go t'gither" & the game begins.
The aim of the game is to hit the opposition with a beer soaked rag whilst spinning in the centre of a moving ring containing team mates from both sides. This causes much merriment. After several bouts, Bungay are announced the winners. The scoreboard is kept up to date by a couple of super children, and as we know concentration can be difficult, so no one really had any idea if this was the right result, but no one was too bothered.
Back to the van for some dinner and I start my new book. It's quite a horror shocker, not sure a pitch black campsite is the place to be reading it....
Monday we wake to a chilly start. We decide to have a leisurely ride to Loddon, via the country lanes. We visit Kirby Cane (because I have always loved the name) and Heckington Church (thatched and stunning) on the way.
Loddon is a large village with parking in the centre at the front of the substantial church. You can walk across the water meadows behind the church and wander by the boatyards. The river is The Chet which has only three & a half miles of navigable water. This joins the Yare downstream and links into the broads network. We like it here and decide as there are a couple of campsites we may visit soon.
Quick trip into Beccles to buy the obligatory two slices of chocolate cheesecake (which is gluten-free) from the best teashop in the area - Twyfords. Take plenty of cash as that order came to over £7.00. Then the sun allowed a few chapters of the book outside, whilst R played guitar awhile. Home tomorrow but we are now getting in the swing of our 2016 caravanning. That makes 19 nights this year.
SITE INFO
Caravan club 5 van site Rowancraft at Geldeston Nr Beccles. River frontage and slip way. Some trees. Basic van with hook up £12.00. Shower and two toilets. Canoes and small motorboat hire. Village is sleepy with walks by the beautiful Waveney, Wherry Inn outside site and rustic pub The Locks Inn about 20 mins walk - by the river with moorings.
Smooth Sunday journey from Cambridgeshire to the wonderful Waveney Valley. No driving over the caravan step, no aerial left extended and no flashing from other drivers about anything flapping open...excellent.
When travelling, it never ceases to amaze us how many drivers like to pull out in front of us at the last moment. They must believe we travel at a snails pace, at worst they make us brake suddenly and at best slow us up and stop us getting in to top gear. I blame Jeremy Clarkson.
In the sun we notice that now in mid-May the colour of the trees is staggeringly green and luminescent. The flowers on the horse chestnuts look like lit candles, such a shame that in a few months they will be showing signs of "bleeding canker". Such beautiful trees.
The site at Geldeston looks as peaceful as ever, just one van on site but no one in. Chores done in a few minutes & the bikes are then unfolded. Three quarters of a mile later & we are outside the Locks Inn. There is quite a crowd, many dressed in readiness for their participation in the annual Dwile Flonking competition. This year it looks like there are some newcomers from Loddon, as well as the usual competitors from Bungay. The referee (known as Plumbus - a dull witted person) really is amusing, explaining the rules & how to score. Then teams & the crowd shout together "Here y'go t'gither" & the game begins.
The aim of the game is to hit the opposition with a beer soaked rag whilst spinning in the centre of a moving ring containing team mates from both sides. This causes much merriment. After several bouts, Bungay are announced the winners. The scoreboard is kept up to date by a couple of super children, and as we know concentration can be difficult, so no one really had any idea if this was the right result, but no one was too bothered.
Back to the van for some dinner and I start my new book. It's quite a horror shocker, not sure a pitch black campsite is the place to be reading it....
Monday we wake to a chilly start. We decide to have a leisurely ride to Loddon, via the country lanes. We visit Kirby Cane (because I have always loved the name) and Heckington Church (thatched and stunning) on the way.
Loddon is a large village with parking in the centre at the front of the substantial church. You can walk across the water meadows behind the church and wander by the boatyards. The river is The Chet which has only three & a half miles of navigable water. This joins the Yare downstream and links into the broads network. We like it here and decide as there are a couple of campsites we may visit soon.
Quick trip into Beccles to buy the obligatory two slices of chocolate cheesecake (which is gluten-free) from the best teashop in the area - Twyfords. Take plenty of cash as that order came to over £7.00. Then the sun allowed a few chapters of the book outside, whilst R played guitar awhile. Home tomorrow but we are now getting in the swing of our 2016 caravanning. That makes 19 nights this year.
SITE INFO
Caravan club 5 van site Rowancraft at Geldeston Nr Beccles. River frontage and slip way. Some trees. Basic van with hook up £12.00. Shower and two toilets. Canoes and small motorboat hire. Village is sleepy with walks by the beautiful Waveney, Wherry Inn outside site and rustic pub The Locks Inn about 20 mins walk - by the river with moorings.
Friday 13th May 16 - Wicken Beer Festival
Hello to you reader!
We (Richard and myself) have been remarking that as you progress in years, whilst we remember where we've been, we don't know if it was three years ago or yesterday.
As an aide-mémoire, this blog will hopefully serve us well, and also perhaps recommend others of some great places to visit. We can also share the tales of people we have met on our travels.
We very much like to make the most of our free time by setting off straight after work, and on this weekend we did even better, by taking the van to our site at Wicken Cambs, on a Thursday evening and going to work on Friday from the van. This method does require me going to work with "caravan" hair, but no one seemed to notice, and work was exceptionally busy and stressful on this Friday. Getting back to the van, when it was already set up was a real treat. My sister and bro-in-law, Jane and Alfie were already set up and then the Mills Family van arrives. After a flurry of activity, a football appears for a knockabout and we snuggle in the heated awning (it's still pretty chilly). Morrison's rib-eyes with easy salad is on the menu, and then a visit from our niece and her husband whose hall window overlooks the site. Good time had by all.
Next day we all had our own agendas, we visited nearby Soham, which now has an Asda as well as a good Co-op. Also butchers and baker and chemist. Today on site, we met a couple from Leicestershire. They were visiting family nearby and recommended a site at a livery in East Walton up in Norfolk. They enjoyed carriage riding and mentioned the site sold quail eggs and also had a stream nearby with abundant watercress. As the chap was a chef he had rustled up a meal with both ingredients and gave us some ideas too.
Wicken Beer Fest day is historically always freezing, and today was no exception. We all wrapped up warm and took blankets too. Cider seemed the most popular choice in our group, and the girls particularly enjoyed Spinney Abbey's "Nun Behaving Badly" which was still and quite apple juicy but still over 5%. Our friends in the local band the 142's entertained us, but the cold was too much for some of us to bear, so back in the van for hot buttered toast and the last part of Eurovision. Next day onwards to Suffolk
View from site
SITE INFO
Caravan Club 5 van site on Church Rd Wicken. Hook-ups no toilets, very big grassy area for games. Secured by locked gate - code supplied on booking. Price at time of stay £10.00 inc elec. Village is very attractive with greens, a working windmill and a decent pub - The Maids Head. Wicken Fen Nature reserve is a short walk away - you can find this on National Trust webpages. Also if you are into geocaching there is a good series of a few miles accessing straight from the paths on site. Nearest shops Soham. Ely close by too with lots of interesting attractions.
We (Richard and myself) have been remarking that as you progress in years, whilst we remember where we've been, we don't know if it was three years ago or yesterday.
As an aide-mémoire, this blog will hopefully serve us well, and also perhaps recommend others of some great places to visit. We can also share the tales of people we have met on our travels.
We very much like to make the most of our free time by setting off straight after work, and on this weekend we did even better, by taking the van to our site at Wicken Cambs, on a Thursday evening and going to work on Friday from the van. This method does require me going to work with "caravan" hair, but no one seemed to notice, and work was exceptionally busy and stressful on this Friday. Getting back to the van, when it was already set up was a real treat. My sister and bro-in-law, Jane and Alfie were already set up and then the Mills Family van arrives. After a flurry of activity, a football appears for a knockabout and we snuggle in the heated awning (it's still pretty chilly). Morrison's rib-eyes with easy salad is on the menu, and then a visit from our niece and her husband whose hall window overlooks the site. Good time had by all.
Next day we all had our own agendas, we visited nearby Soham, which now has an Asda as well as a good Co-op. Also butchers and baker and chemist. Today on site, we met a couple from Leicestershire. They were visiting family nearby and recommended a site at a livery in East Walton up in Norfolk. They enjoyed carriage riding and mentioned the site sold quail eggs and also had a stream nearby with abundant watercress. As the chap was a chef he had rustled up a meal with both ingredients and gave us some ideas too.
Wicken Beer Fest day is historically always freezing, and today was no exception. We all wrapped up warm and took blankets too. Cider seemed the most popular choice in our group, and the girls particularly enjoyed Spinney Abbey's "Nun Behaving Badly" which was still and quite apple juicy but still over 5%. Our friends in the local band the 142's entertained us, but the cold was too much for some of us to bear, so back in the van for hot buttered toast and the last part of Eurovision. Next day onwards to Suffolk
View from site
Beer Fest entertainment
SITE INFO
Caravan Club 5 van site on Church Rd Wicken. Hook-ups no toilets, very big grassy area for games. Secured by locked gate - code supplied on booking. Price at time of stay £10.00 inc elec. Village is very attractive with greens, a working windmill and a decent pub - The Maids Head. Wicken Fen Nature reserve is a short walk away - you can find this on National Trust webpages. Also if you are into geocaching there is a good series of a few miles accessing straight from the paths on site. Nearest shops Soham. Ely close by too with lots of interesting attractions.
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