Editor’s Musings

The beach and lifeboat house at Wells Norfolk

The old lifeboat house at Wells-next-the-Sea North Norfolk

What I am about to write about is a phenomenon that has affected not just North Norfolk. I am sure that other parts of the UK, where tourism forms a significant portion of the economy, will have noticed a marked increase in visitor numbers.

Norfolk’s tourism industry suffered severely during the pandemic, with many jobs lost, business closures and millions of pounds removed from the local economy. Post-pandemic, the recovery has been steady and is accelerating. It is true that UK tourist areas initially saw greater demand because people were wary of travelling abroad. That situation has changed, and more people are choosing to fly to where sunshine is guaranteed. However, COVID-19 and the psychological effects it caused among the population did change the attitudes of many individuals regarding where and how they choose to spend their holidays.

The realisation that a transmissible infection can suddenly appear and cause millions of deaths across the world acted as something of a wake-up call. People now value the important things in life as never before. They feel a greater need to find ways to enjoy life wherever and whenever they can.

So, how has this affected North Norfolk? The first and most noticeable change is traffic. There has been an exponential growth in the traffic volumes using North Norfolk’s roads. I have noticed that the car parks are often full by mid-morning during good weather in Cromer, where I live. The large car park at Runton Road has been at capacity on many occasions this summer – several hundred cars. That used to be the case only occasionally, even during the summer holiday season.

More cars mean more people, noticeable in the footfall in North Norfolk’s coastal towns. Sheringham and Cromer have had an extremely busy 2023, so the local traders have benefitted, as have those at Blakeney and Wells-next-the-Sea. Inland, Holt has had a bumper summer season.

This all begs the question, Is North Norfolk going to become another Cornwall? The area already has a high proportion of second homes, and property prices have been rising steadily for several years. Subsequently, there is an understandable outcry from locals who cannot find accommodation at affordable rates.

What does the future hold for this lovely part of the UK? Will it follow the pattern of places like St Ives in the southwest and Keswick in the Lakes, becoming overwhelmed by the number of people that want to come to and enjoy North Norfolk?

 

 

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I posted an article at the end of 2019 that began:

“Almost there! 2020 beckons and I wonder what that will bring for North Norfolk and the rest of the world. What a year 2019 has been. Political turmoil has gripped the nation this year, in fact for the past three years, but things in that regard should now settle down and we will see less of politicians on our television screens.”

Well, I got that wrong!

A global pandemic and Brexit negotiations; who could possibly have foreseen those two delights conjoining? And, just to round off the year, the virus mutation that appeared in the UK and caused travel to other countries to be curtailed.

An event that was predictable the ‘Great’ conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.  Two thousand years ago the same event could have been the bright star that shone over the stable at Bethlehem. The magi, Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar followed that star and delivered their gifts. If you are not a believer you must admit it is a great story. It certainly started something that has endured to the present day.

I do not have any physic skills, am not a reader of Old Moore’s Almanac or the astrology pages in the newspapers, indeed, when discussing the future of humanity I have been called a pessimist.  I always quote “An optimist is someone who thinks the future is uncertain” (Anon)

UPDATE

Now we see a US divided as never before, with the spectre of a Trump return to the White House in 2024; an aggressive Russia invading Ukraine, a war that shows no sign of ending soon; conflict in Sudan, which is apparently all about who runs the gold mines, and we have a new monarch – King Charles III. God save the king!

We are so lucky to be living in what is still one of the best countries in the world.

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North Norfolk Wells-next-the-Sea town sign

The North Norfolk port town of Wells-next-the-Sea has been named as being one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times.

In its supplement on the 28th of March the newspaper described the location of Wells-next-the-Sea in North Norfolk: “This bewitching stretch of coast has charms of its own  – golden sands, creeks and marshes bathed in ethereal light, endless horizons and wondrous wildlife.”

Wells Maltings arts centre also came in for praise as did two unnamed outstanding pub/hotels.

To summarise, the article finished with these words. “You’ll love living here if you like upmarket seaside living without the upscale prices and pressures.”

The journalist (who has probably never been to Wells) failed to mention the town’s galleries, the excellent fish and chips, the lovely harbour and the useful shops.

Now that the national lockdown has been eased the permanent residents of Wells need to brace themselves for an influx of summer visitors. The summer of 2021 could well be the busiest holiday season on record in North Norfolk and places to stay in North Norfolk will be in short supply.The beach and lifeboat house at Wells Norfolk

So, that’s the opinion of the Sunday Times. But is there an underlying problem?

In the last twenty years, the popularity of North Norfolk as a holiday destination has soared. That, of course, has been advantageous for those running hospitality venues and holiday accommodation such as cottages, B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels. Also, the service industry and suppliers have seen their businesses grow. What’s the problem then?

As has happened in the south-west of the UK, the North Norfolk district has become far more attractive to those that would like to live in beautiful seaside resorts like Wells. An added attraction is what are considered to be low property prices when compared with other parts of the UK. The buyers hail from busy urban centres, many moving upon retirement. Others have invested in second homes in the town. Of course, they have every right to do so; however, that has undoubtedly changed Wells and the lives of the individuals that were born and grew up there.

Back in 2012, I wrote a detailed article about the problem. You can read it here.

Since then, the situation has gradually worsened. Demand for upmarket housing is now greater than ever due to the pandemic that has prompted some people to seek a better life away from the hustle and bustle of urban conurbations. The main conclusions I reached at the time are listed below:

  • Individuals with family roots going back several generations in these villages and towns cannot afford to live there due to the acute shortage of rental and reasonably priced accommodation.
  • Many Norfolk coastal towns and villages have numerous properties that are empty for a large part of the year. Owners of second homes do not visit during the winter, apart from the extended holiday periods over Christmas and the New Year.
  • Norfolk holiday cottages have killed village life. The heart of the communities has gone, along with the schools and young people.
  • Savvy incomers quickly realised the importance of becoming involved in local politics to protect their interests. Many now sit on parish councils throughout North Norfolk.

Some of the planning approvals granted by the North Norfolk District Council in recent years have been questionable. The large house in the form of a wooden box that appeared beside Newgate Green at Cley is just one example. Concerning Wells, an inappropriate housing development outside the town’s boundary was approved. Quite frankly, it looks ridiculous, isolated as it is in what was once a farmer’s field.

A new trend when buying coastal properties has recently become noticeable. That is buying an ideally situated property requiring improvement with no intention of doing the work. Instead, the perfectly good house is demolished. The site is then cleared, and a new architect-designed house is built on the plot.

A few facts about the housing situation in Wells-Next-The-Sea:

  • A 2-bed flat at the Granary sold in 1997 for £48,650. In 2020 a buyer paid £650,00.
  • A buyer recently paid £1,375,000 for a house at the East End.
  • The average price for a property in Wells in the last twelve months, £509,047.

Of course, you can’t stop change, but you can control it. That is where the planning authority is letting down the people of North Norfolk. Few affordable homes are being built for young people to buy or rent, causing them to move away from their local area. That is a great shame.

 

 

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Snowdrifts in UK 1962A North Norfolk Road during the ‘big freeze’.

For many people of my generation, 1962 will be memorable for the ‘big freeze’; however, it was quite a trying year in other ways.

I was still at school in 1962 and can remember the anxiety caused by the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the USSR and the US to the brink of nuclear war. In October, that political crisis was resolved to everyone’s relief, only to be followed by the severe winter freeze that started to show its face in December that year. It snowed and it snowed and it snowed! In fact, it seemed to be snowing all the time. The sea at Cromer froze in the shallows and snowdrifts as high as 20 feet blocked the country roads of North Norfolk. The blizzards eventually eased; however, the temperature didn’t climb above freezing until March 1963.

I was prompted to write about those events that took place so long ago after hearing the writer Juliet Nicolson speaking on the radio about her book Frostquake: the frozen winter of 1962 and how Britain emerged a different country. Her account of how the events of the early sixties led to such profound changes for us all was informative and fascinating.

The swinging ’60s

The ‘swinging sixties’ were beginning, and the old-guard, epitomised by the old-Etonian prime minister, Harold Macmillan, was losing its grip. A political scandal involving the Secretary of State for War Jack Profumo didn’t help. He had an affair with the 19-year old model Christine Keeler (something he initially denied in the House of Commons), who also happened to be sleeping with Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché. That situation created a severe security risk and Profumo had to resign. The affair’s political fallout was partly responsible for the Conservative government’s election defeat in 1964 when Labour’s Harold Wilson became prime minister.

By the early sixties, young people regarded the political establishment as discredited. They wanted change, and it was indeed coming. Fed up with the racism prevalent in society and the same old ways of running the country that favoured the well-heeled, the youngsters started to create social change through their music, fashion and modern attitudes to life. The contraceptive pill was approved for use in 1961 (initially on prescription only to married women), liberating young women from the fear of pregnancy. The so called ‘sexual revolution’ had begun. The Beatles then arrived on the scene and the phenomena that became known as Beatlemania started to spread around the world. Mini-skirts, Carnaby Street, the Mini car, mods and rockers and, of course, the wonderful Twiggy all played their part in changing the country’s culture and the attitudes of the people.

With the youngest president ever in the White House, things were changing throughout the developed world. Of course, not all for the better, but the seismic changes in society in the ’60s would morph and develop to directly influence how we lived our lives in the decades that followed.

If you are old enough to remember the big freeze or were a raver, mod or rocker in the ’60s, perhaps you would like to share some of your memories.

https://youtu.be/62Fy25NgXuQ

 

 

 

 

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Field at Gresham in North NorfolkGresham North Norfolk © DPH

North Norfolk is steeped in folklore, local myths and legends, from Black Shuck to the laughter and calling of long-dead children sometimes heard echoing across Horsey Mere. However, some strange things said to be factual rather than fanciful have happened in the area. An example is the ‘Gresham Incident’, of which few people are aware. That is because the locals only talked about it late at night when the pub (now closed) had a lock-in and a large quantity of beer had been consumed.

It is said that the film The Wicker Man was based on an incident that occurred in Gresham in North Norfolk in the latter part of the 19th century. Some of the villagers had been drinking the local cider all day to mark the summer solstice, and in their drunken state, they decided to kidnap the village constable. Admittedly, he wasn’t well-liked. Anyway, they dragged him to a field, tied him to some hay bales and set light to them. They danced around as the poor bloke went up in smoke.

There was an inquest, of course. It was held in the Chequers, the village pub, as was the custom those days. The coroner owned the land around Gresham and employed most of the villagers who formed the jury. The constable’s wife, who, incidentally, had been having an affair with the coroner for several years, was called as a witness. She stated under oath that her late husband was notoriously careless with matches and had once set their bed on fire. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the verdict was accidental death.

They say that on that night each summer, if the weather is particularly warm, screams can be heard coming from a field near the church. Nobody dare go to see the cause.

 

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Photographers, professional and keen amateurs alike, all have a few images in their library that are special to them for a variety of reasons. It could be where, when or how the picture was taken, or a reminder of a particular time in the photographer’s life when things were going particularly well and photographs of loved ones, now so treasured, or beautiful locations were recorded. It can also be for aesthetic reasons when impressive images bring particular pleasure. This photograph was taken on a bitterly cold morning at Burgh-next-Aylsham in North Norfolk near where I then lived. The early morning mist was hanging in the trees along the banks of the River Bure and the frosted grass crunched underfoot as I walked. It was very still and quiet until the swan decided to take off to head up river.

The image was recorded on Kodak Tri-X 400 and the film was developed and printed in my home darkroom. I decided to tone the top of the print and I did some bleaching work on the swan’s body to increase the contrast between it and the dark water of the river. This image is now framed and is on the wall of my office and when I look at it my memory flashes back to that time, now many years ago, that was a particularly happy period of my life.

 

 

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Cromer Lighthouse in the snowAlmost there! 2020 beckons and I wonder what that will bring. What a year 2019 has been. Political turmoil has gripped the nation this year, in fact for the past three years, but things in that regard should now settle down and we will see less of politicians on our television screens.

I hope that the image of Cromer Lighthouse doesn’t turn out to be prophetic. Weather-wise, the summer of 2019 proved somewhat unpredictable but business was very brisk at the coastal towns and villages of North Norfolk. Visitor numbers are increasing – something that has been helped by the positive publicity North Norfolk has received over the year from the BBC and in the travel sections of quality newspapers. Cley Windmill was featured in the Guardian travel supplement, as was the Dial House Hotel at Reepham.

The business owners at Cromer, Sheringham, Holt and the coastal villages are busy refurbishing premises where necessary and hopefully are resting up for what is likely to be an even busier summer season of 2020.

It is now the time of year when we that are lucky enough to live here can get our boots on to enjoy walking on quieter North Norfolk beaches, through the woods of Felbrigg Hall and Sheringham Park and at the coastal marshes of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Reserve at Cley. If you are visiting for the holiday why not get out and take a walk on Boxing Day to burn off some of those Christmas lunch calories.

Thank you for subscribing to the site and I hope you have a very merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2020.

The Village Hall Dance

(New Year’s Eve 1967)

The clock’s been counted down
kisses exchanged at midnight
The Last Waltz has been danced
And the DJ has left for home

The chairs are stacked away
glasses collected and
the clattering from the kitchen stopped
The lino has been mopped
The lights turned off and
The doors all locked

A Morris Traveller is loaded
with the final box and crackling
on frosted gravel draws away
as the bark of a hunting fox in
Felbrigg Great Wood is carried
on the crisp night air

( Sung by Engelbert Humperdinck, The Last Waltz was at No 1 in the UK charts for five weeks in 1967.)

 



 


 


 


 


 

			


			

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Aren’t smartphones great! We all love them – some of us perhaps a bit too much – and the cameras now built into them are capable of achieving superb results whether or not the user has any knowledge of the finer points of photography. That is, of course, why at family occasions, such as weddings and birthday parties and when on annual holidays, numerous digital images are recorded and stored on the little devices. What concerns me is what happens to the photographs after the memories of the happy events have faded. Are they transferred to social media or hard drives or are they made into prints to be kept in a drawer at home or lovingly placed into photo albums? I fear that in the majority of cases the former two are the most likely.


Gone are the days when exposed films were posted off to be processed and everyone excitedly pushed in to see the prints when they were returned. Remember the long queues at Jessops, particularly during the lunch hour, to pick up the packets of 6 x 4 prints? That is something we were all glad to see the back of; however, are the changes brought about by the switch from analogue to digital photography altogether positive? Yes, it is very convenient but are the results valued as much as they were in the analogue age?


With treasured portraits of relatives that are no longer with us, pictures of the children at all ages, new babies, schooldays, beloved pets and numerous family occasions, prints form a valuable and unique record of a family’s travel through life. That is why I think it is so important to have photographs printed and preserved for future generations to see and enjoy. Reminiscing about past events while looking through photo albums is a wonderful way to spend an hour on a wet Sunday afternoon. Do you remember that day in Devon when…? Where on Earth did she get that hat!?


Now for a trip down memory lane. Two videos that take you back to the glory days of film photography.




https://youtu.be/-W5OTvIPkVU


This photograph is of my wife’s father and his parents taken about 70 years ago. They lived and worked in Norfolk all their lives. As far as I am aware this is the only photograph in existence of the three of them together. This is why I believe that having prints made from our digital images is so important.


A family photograph

			


			

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