Martin's Mag.

This time of year we study the weather forecast closely before deciding where to go. This week, the south-east quadrant of the UK came top of the pops. We stayed on the Sandringham Estate, rather like our own dear Queen is at the moment, although social distancing rules prohibited her from popping round.

A nice wooded site, but, of course, still no facilities allowed, apart from water, “waste” disposal (don’t ask) and wi-fi. We didn’t even have mains electricity, but the van’s fridge coped with Sal’s chilled white wine very well. We explored Wolferton, nearby. Can’t help thinking, when the time comes, “Lord Wolff of Wolferton” has a nice ring to it.

We walked, through the Sandringham Estate, to a town called Dersingham, which was a great walk although the town turned out to be unexciting.

We went to a beach and RSPB area near Snettisham, with views over The Wash towards Lincolnshire. Lucy absolutely loved it here as it was safe, and isolated, enough for her to run around madly but keep her eye on us in the distance. This was one of those slightly bonkers places which we seem attracted to. Like The Carmargue or Île de Ré in France, or Severn Beach or Dungeness in England. Because the land is so flat here I’ve rather over-exaggerated the texture of the sky, which makes it look far more “glowering” than it was.

North of Hunstanton we happened upon Holme next the Sea, another nature reserve. Vague memories of childhood holidays.

And, to make the holiday complete, we found a fresh seafood stall (an outpost of http://www.gurneysfishshop.co.uk in Burnham Market) and bought their last three Norfolk crabs and some real East Anglian shrimps!

Paintworks in Arnos Vale is Bristol’s new “Creative Quarter”. We walked around there while the campervan was being serviced at Heritage.

Then we walked past some impressive graffiti, at the end of a Victorian street, and on a building in Arnos Vale cemetery.

We camped on Llangorse Lake a couple of years ago. Apart from the lake itself, with bird hides and footpaths, there was a common with wild horses all amid the magnificent Brecon Beacons. In fact, this time when we got there, the horses had gone and the common had turned into a carpark, and we were only adding to the overcrowding problem. We had a short stroll, some lunch, and then went to Talgarth, a nice little town which I imagined I’d visited forty years ago, but actually recognised nothing.

We regularly visited Topsham on the River Exe when we lived, briefly, in Devon. It was always popular with tourists, deservedly as it’s a pretty town, but it does get crowded in Summer. Even more so now that so many people are “staycationing”. We walked around the town and down the river to Exton.

About an eight-mile walk around this reservoir, not far from Usk, which, surprisingly, we don’t think we have visited before.

The favourite part of one of Lucy’s regular walks is a stretch of beach, which occasionally is covered at high tide.

With the forecast of strong overnight winds, we thought we should pick as many pears (and more plums) as possible before they were blown down. This lot was from one tree. Actually three varieties grafted onto one plant. Frankenstein foods…?

The old VW Golf-Plus (14 years old, one not-particularly-careful owner) was having its annual MOT so we took the campervan to the Cotswolds, where we parked, and walked for a few miles, just above Birdlip.