Sheringham 1940's Weekend 2018

Spending a day exploring a few Norfolk beaches in Norfolk last year, we ended up at Sheringham, where we all suddenly felt like we had slipped through a Goodnight Sweetheart time portal into the war years of the 1940's. It was quite an eerie sensation, I can tell you. 

As it transpired, there was no need to panic as all we had really done was to visit Sheringham during its annual 1940's Weekend.

It was a surreal afternoon/evening but the experience was amazing and afforded a fantastic opportunity to photograph something just that little bit different.

 

And big kudos to Sheringham for having the biggest sense of community spirit I have ever encountered. Cheers for a truly remarkable day. 

Getting Back In The Viking Mood

Starting work on the second draft of Berserker! means I am well and truly back in the Viking mood :)

Sheringham

The above photo was taken in Sheringham in Norfolk last year. My afternoon there was a bizarre experience, as I will explain in my next post...

Elveden Forest, Norfolk

Elveden Forest

Elveden Forest is believed to be alive with faery magic. Passing the forest on my way home from my holiday weekend in Norfolk, I could not help myself but stop off here to stretch my legs a little, despite my recent back injury. I was unable to walk very far into its magickal terrain, but I hope I captured a sense of its beauty and enchantment in the few photographs I took of the forest.

Sunshine Seeping Through The Leafy Boughs Of Elveden Forest

There have been numerous reports in Elveden Forest of faeries luring travellers away from their paths and into the faery realm. Beguiling music, the tinkling of bells and strange ethereal laughter have all been reported beneath the boughs of this magnificent forest. Such is the strength of this faery folklore that the forest even takes its name from these strange, alluring tales:  Elveden - literally the den of elves. 

Be Careful Not To Be Pixie-Led in Elveden Forest 

A Father's Day Evening in Burlingham

My last evening in Norfolk. It was a lovely birthday weekend and it was fantastic spending some time with my daughter again :) We (my wife, my daughter and myself) sat around the camp fire chatting and making the most of our time together.

Chilling and Chatting Round the Fire

Unfortunately, whilst I was collecting wood for the fire I did my back a bit of a mischief, the consequences of which I wouldn't feel until the next morning.

Yours truly collecting wood for the camp fire

Despite the lower back pain that was waiting quietly to plague me in the morning, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and will treasure the memories of my birthday weekend :)

Warming up our yurt for the night ahead

A Norfolk Dawn Chorus

Whilst holiday in Norfolk for my birthday weekend, we were woken early each morning by incredible dawn choruses. The lead vocalist amongst them, an extrovert blackbird, even perched on top of the yurt we were staying in to blast out his song! Here is an audio recording I made of the little fella and his choir. It's long but is beautiful in the complexity of all the different birdsong recorded!

 

Horsey Gap

We chose Horsey Gap as our second beach to visit in Norfolk on my birthday. Not as pretty as the nearby Winterton-On-Sea, but we did get to see some wild seals. Now, as anyone who had read my novella Lore (shameless plug) will know, seals are not always all things sweet and nice but it was great fun seeing these guys enjoying themselves so close to the beach :)

Seals Engoing The Waves at Horsey Gap

It was difficult to make an audio field recording here but I did manage to get some brief audio of the waves by tucking my Tascam DR-40 recorder down amongst the rocks at the base of this beach groyne: