7th January 2025 and we set off for a couple of days in Norfolk. We are booked in to Le Strange Arms Hotel, a beach-side hotel in Old Hunstanton but have a couple of stops planned en route; surprisingly neither of these was a Greggs breakfast stop which, at least to me, was a bit of a concern!
First planned stop was Skears Photographic in Northampton to see if my backup Olympus OMD EM1 Mk11 camera, which appeared to have developed a fault, could be repaired. The satnav took us into Northampton via Daventry which was extremely fortuitous as it also took up past The Oval Service Station which just happened to house, amongst other things, a Greggs and seating for about 20 people of which about 20 seats were empty. With breakfast sorted we headed into the centre of Northampton and were soon parked up outside Skears Photographic. Initial signs were not good; the door was locked but on closer inspection it was necessary to ring the door bell to gain entry. Luckily there were no other customers in the store and about 15 minutes later my camera was "fixed" (i.e. the function button on which I had inadvertently changed position had been reset). "How much is that?" I asked, "Oh nothing, we've only fiddled with a few knobs" came the reply. Excellent service from a "proper" photography store. I have added their website in my links section.
Next planned stop was Rutland Water, a new location for me. I wasn't sure exactly which area of the reservoir to go but we passed a sign for the Anglian Water Bird Watching Centre so decided to go there. £8 covered entry for 2 half-day "concessions" and car parking and we set off to visit just a few of the many hides scattered around the water's edge. Despite being equipped with my 400-800mm lens there were no images of note but the highlight was the sighting of a marsh harrier (we wouldn't have known this but there were 2 experts in the hide with us!)
After a couple of hours we set off for Old Hunstanton with a stop in the Hunstanton Lidl for essential supplies (biscuits, crisps and wine) and checked into the hotel at about 4:30. A pleasant dinner and a few drinks in the hotel brought the day to an end.
Day 2 started with a nice hotel breakfast followed by a stroll down to the beach where there a plenty of waterfowl (if that's the correct term). It was very cold but dry. We then set off to travel along the coast; first stop was Thornham where we spent quite some time walking around the marshes and the small harbour. We saw plenty (as in hundreds) of geese, oyster catchers and curlews and may also have seen another marsh harrier Next stop was Burnham Market but not before 2 unplanned stops as Mrs. Manley has spotted deer, firstly what we believe was a water deer and then a muntjac. A quick walk around the village followed by a pint in The Hoste (a lovely old fashioned pub / hotel with a roaring open fire) and we moved on to Burnham Overy Staithe where we have stayed before. A quick walk around the harbour and a (non-alcoholic) pint in the Hero, another nice pub, and we set off back to out hotel stopping for fuel and essential supplies on the way.
Day 3 again dawned dry and after breakfast we checked out of the hotel and had another stroll along the beach, this time getting as far as the wreck of the Sheraton which I had photographed in 2019 and which appears in my East Anglia Gallery. Interestingly whereas the wreck was previously surrounded by sand in 2025 the sand has disappeared. Before we completely froze we set off for home stopping for lunch at Worzals Garden Centre and Farm Shop which was pleasant but a bit more "up-market" than your average garden centre. Overall an enjoyable couple of days, there are some images in the East Anglia Gallery.