Friday 25th March 2022 - Busy in the Village, Americano Coffee and New Ventures

The weather has been fantastic for late March, there’s still a chill in the air and most days, a fret out at sea but all in all, no complaints. However, we do need to make the most of it as next week is not looking so bright.

Noticeably, tradesmen are busy in the village. The Clock Tower in the grounds of The Pleasaunce is being painted, plus some properties are undergoing various works ranging from extensions to renovations. MacKinnon are progressing on the slipway at the east end of the promenade. Due to the tides we were unable to walk along the promenade for a few mornings but today’s photo gives an idea of how things are coming on. NNDC said they would provide me with details of the repairs to be carried out and the timespan for these but this has, so far, not materialised.

Together with a friend, I went to the Potting Shed Tea Room, situated in the Garden Centre the other morning for a coffee and a catch up. I am not a great fan of coffee, particularly instant, and I am quite ignorant of the various types now available in cafés and restaurants. When I do drink coffee, all I want is a straightforward well flavoured black coffee. The Potting Shed’s Americano ticked the boxes and was not expensive either. The café was busy but the staff coped well and when people left, a cheery ‘goodbye’ was extended to them.

Covid has, for the most part, kept me out of the shops in Cromer. On Thursday morning I popped in to visit a new shop; New-U in Brook Street. This is a fairly recent charity but before you gasp, ‘not another charity shop’, this is one with a difference which may prove of interest to local ladies. I won’t go into detail as full information can be found on their website. I noticed there are several other relatively new ventures in the town. Some may have been there for some time but what with Covid and not being a great one for retail therapy, unless they are plants, to me they were new. It is good to see these shops offering unique items and products, rather than those seen in chain stores, so I hope they will survive the forecast increase in prices of just about everything.