Norfolk Road Trip Challenge

Well another blogger challenge and one that is right up my street or should I say 'road' 

Money Supermarket challenged me to go on a great road trip somewhere relatively local to where I live?

We live in East Anglia and its pretty easy to find some great spots to visit. My favourite people to accompany me on my trip have to be Chris,Paige and Conor.

I am a real lover of being by water so a day out is usually to a lake riverside or the sea.

Our favourite seaside haunt is  Wells-Next-The Sea and Holkham.Wells is  a small fishing town on the Norfolk coast. We head out really early as the road can get very busy and we also like to pack a whole day in,stopping on the way for a drink and nosy round.

Once off the  A47at Kings Lynn, we are onto the Cromer road (A148),a lot of people head for Cromer and onto Great Yarmouth but we are going for a place that is quaint, still feels like a vintage seaside place, yet has had a big regeneration in the last year,I'm secretly hoping not too many people find it!!

On our way we pass by cute cobbled stone covered cottages and pubs and past the gates to the back of Sandringham,the queen knows well the beauty of this area. 

We finally reach the turn off for Wells, it passes by the place that is pilgrimage to many people Walsingham, now I must admit to not knowing much more than way back in the 11th century a lady had a vision where she saw Nazareth and was asked to build a replica.Walsinghamis still known as  Englands Nazareth.

I'm not sure what you believe, for some the shrine will be a place to pray and meditate, but whatever you think, the village itself is just so pretty, the cottages worth a look at.  

Finally we arrive we always are torn whether to stop in the town and get the little railway up to the beach,or walk the top of the harbour,it varies depending on weather and tired legs.

Once at the beach its just a sight to see, the skies seems to go on forever here too, the sea comes in and leaves a channel of water not very deep and is where Paige learnt to swim,which makes it her favourite local beach also.

The beach has many unusual features,sand dunes are common to a lot of beaches, however here there are long wide channels of sand with dunes on either side you can climb great mountainous flat sand banks and sit and look down on the sea. 

The water comes around both sides (making the safe swimming channel) the flat banks  make for fab sliding games. To the left of the picture above is Holkham Nature reserve.

  The reserve is usually our first port of call,  now this is not some yawn making place, again there are huge dunes set in a woodland of trees, its a fab place to get out of the sun or rain as is sometimes the case. The start of Wells beach and reserve has cute little beach huts, and as  you climb the views out to the sea are cool.Its a long way off and we know that by evening it will be all the way into to the harbour where we will be crabbing!

But first we have to hunt out the butterflies strange shape trees to climb and the all important rope swings! 

The rope swings, I think local children dot them around, they are serious fun and we all spend quite a while here.

After a walk continuing up through the woods you reach Holkham Beach looking back to Wells you can make out the channel and beach dune now!  Its famous as the beach Gwyneth Paltrow walked on in Shakespeare in Love and apparently its a naturist beach,but we have never seen any hairy butts so all good!

Time to head into the town to grab fish and chips at Plattens (our favorite and  just been finallists in the Fish and Chip Quality awards. They are seriously good here.Locally caught and fresh from the fishing boats. 

Then its time to hit the penny arcades and then a spot of crabbing.

Finally we head  off home, we usually go the long way back through Hunstanton and via the front of the Sandringham estate. Time for a snooze in the back!

Hope you enjoyed my road trip,it may not be Route 66 but I promise you do get kicks!! 


I have taken part in the MoneySupermarket.com £50 Road Trip challenge and was given £50 to fill our tank for our trip.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/competitions/£50-road-trip-challenge/

Are We Losing Touch With the Countryside?

One in four of us have never been to a river and one in 10 couldn't identify a badger, according to new research from the youth hostelling charity YHA (England and Wales).

Many of us look back fondly on youthful days spent climbing trees, exploring woodlands and looking for bugs in the great outdoors, however it seems many of us are losing touch with the countryside. With school holidays just around the corner, YHA is now urging families to get out and explore the UK countryside.

The *survey also found that nearly four in 10 UK adults have never climbed a tree, while nearly a quarter of respondents claim to have never even been to a lake and 16% have never been to a woodland!

As for flora and fauna, many of us have little idea what's out there. Eleven per cent of those polled believe they might bump into a wolf or a skunk on their ramble through the British countryside, while one in 10 wouldn't recognise a badger if they saw one. Additionally, 60% of UK adults are unaware our coastal waters are inhabited by sharks, whales and dolphins.

In total, 38% of respondents have either never been to the countryside or go only once a year or less - something that YHA wants to change.

YHA (England and Wales) Chief Executive Caroline White said: "This survey shows that a large part of the population are losing touch with the countryside - and missing out on so much. England and Wales has an abundance of things to explore and discover – better still; most of it is free or low cost, which, in the current economic climate, can only be good news.

“Giving people the chance to experience the great outdoors means more of us can find out all about what is out there and is also good for our health and happiness."

For more information about YHA, or to make a booking at any of its hostels, visit www.yha.org.uk.

Silent Sunday

Jungle Formula Outdoor & Camping Review

Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping – it’s not just for the jungle but if you are having to step into one it helps. My family and I have been taming the wilderness of my Granny's garden.

This is just a small sample of the work we have started above and while we work we have disturbed some real nasty biting insects. My first journey through the trees and shrubs that have just grown wild along with brambles and elderflower trees left me with some really nasty bites.

I do get bitten each year, I seem to be the one who has a sign on my head " Here I am get your dinner here!"  The bite site  is always swollen to quite bizarre sizes, I even had a doctor mark on on my stomach one year and said if it went past his circle I would have to go into hospital. 

The garden we are working on has possibly made may mosquitos very happy! One bite left me limping all weekend recently. My foot swelled up, then my ankle, it felt bruised, hot and achy. It was extremely painful to walk on and  the heat coming away from the bite was amazing, the bites  on my legs were keeping me awake  at night and the relief creams are often too late to help.

Reading the info from Jungle Formula who sent me their new insect repellent spray is quite disturbing. There are 30 types of mozzies in the UK and I think all 30 species have been having a cheeky chew on my legs. 

But our climate now (turn those lights off and stop this global warming!!) is providing suitable conditions for the Asian tiger mosquito which is known to spread tropical diseases and has already been reported in France and Belgium. The Health Protection Agency even has a mosquito recording scheme that tracks the presence of mosquitoes in the UK, recognising the growing menace.

At the moment these UK nasties just cause itching, burning and pain, that is more than enough for me and I am now armed with my Jungle Formula. I like the easy application, I am spraying it on after I wake up, as the little suckers (literally) get me early morning too!! Applying again 6 hours later gives protection from all biters and stingers including wasps and midges. Its far easier than lotion which  gets a bit tricky to apply, when you are working in tougher conditions, have dirty hands or even on a sandy beach, the spray makes it far more user friendly. 

I have not been bitten as long as I keep the spray topped up. Love this little bottle of pain saving formula! I can enjoy tackling the garden and be bite free. Highly recommended  by me, for those who are prone to reaction to bites, or who fear wasps!!

Louise White, Jungle Formula spokesperson comments: “Summer 2012 sees the Great British outdoors come into its own so we feel the time is certainly right for a product geared towards repelling the type of insects we come across the most in the UK.  Olympic events are taking place all across the UK; millions of people are taking to the streets to celebrate the jubilee; festivals are now, more than ever, a staple of the summer while staycations and camping holidays have never been so popular.  We hope Jungle FormulaOutdoor and Camping helps people enjoy all that the UK summer has to offer without having to worry about pesky insects spoiling the family’s fun.” 

New Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping has been specifically designed for use in less extreme climates such as the UK and northernEurope and contains IR3535, which is shown to repel insects by inhibiting their receptors to the smell of humans.  It has excellent skin tolerance and has been approved by the World Health Organisation for personal use since 2001.

This year, Jungle Formula has introduced an Insect Repellent Factor^® (IRF^®).  Similar to selecting a sun cream to suit skin type, the IRF^®allows consumers to choose which repellent from the range is right for them. 

Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping (IRF^® 3) can be used by adults and children from 12 months old and is available in a 75ml pump spray with a RRP of £6.99.  It provides up to six hours protection and is available from all good chemists and supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Superdrug, Wilkinsons and independent pharmacies.

Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping – it’s not just for the jungle.

Silent Sunday