Saturday 1st June 2024 - Something to Think About, Windy, Cold &Wet and My Latest Vlog

Given the weather over the half-term holiday, I don’t think anyone could blame parents for going abroad, rather than booking a holiday in the UK.  Maybe I should define that more precisely.  Other parts of the UK may have enjoyed wall to wall sun and blue skies, over the past week, but not so here on the North Norfolk coast.  Without looking into the exact costs, an all-inclusive package deal where you don’t have to put your hand in your pocket to pay for anything and the weather is almost guaranteed to be warm and sunny had to have been a better option to holidaying here.  I mentioned in my last blog about the places we visited, when our family stayed last weekend.  What I didn’t cover was the entry costs.  I’m not saying the entrance tickets were overpriced because, given the overheads of running them, they weren’t.  However, for a family with two children and trying to keep them amused, when the conditions are far from beach or other outdoor activities weather, paying for attractions must mount up to quite a lot.  It’s certainly something to think about, holidaying in sunnier climes but not being eco-friendly by flying, or risking grotty weather but supporting local attractions and businesses by putting your hand in your pocket.

It's been very windy, cold and wet; a couple of times I’ve worn gloves when out on our walks.  It’s dry today (so far!) and the wind is gradually dropping.  I had to move my pots of lilies into the laundry room, otherwise they would have been wrecked.  Fortunately, nearly all of the vegetable plants are either protected or not big enough to have suffered any damage.  However, the foliage on the potatoes, growing in bags, have taken a hammering.  I noticed yesterday, someone’s lupins in their front garden had been flattened and there were reports of similar damage on garden Facebook groups, from those who live in Norfolk.  Is there a plus to this weather?  Well, believe it or not the answer is, yes.  It’s been too cold for the slugs to come out!  I only picked nine over the past two nights.  I am sure, once it warms, they will be out in force again.  When they are, we will definitely be clearing slugs from our garden and I will be counting them, adding the numbers to my current running total of 2289.

I have posted my latest vlog on YouTube, covering the first Car Boot Sale of the season and our family visit over the Bank Holiday weekend.  Today’s photo was taken at the Muckleburgh Military Collection, last weekend, of a selection of the model ships and boats on display.