My dear Daughter-in-law texted me one evening last week.
"Ha ha!", I replied, " We do know how to have a nice time, don't we?"
We were sitting in our Holiday Inn Extra bedroom, just off the Norwich Ring Road, next door to Asda and with a view of the decaying roof of the local ice rink, through a window that could not be opened...
...watching a TV that chopped people's heads in half...
...after dining nearby.
We were in Norfolk on business, visiting the Norfolk Showground Antiques Fair and, of course, Daughter-in-law knew we would be having a nice time, in our own sweet way.
Our first stop down the A1 had been Burghley House where we received a much kinder reception than former staff.
And, hooray, photography was allowed so...
..we joined the other worshippers of beautiful things.
Then onwards and Eastwards to the village of Castle Acre, with its ruined Priory
and the eponymous Norman Castle.
The Parish Church of St James the Great
We enjoyed exploring the 15th century church with its rare painted pulpit.
A skull peeps out from the upper floor of the sacristy, once used as a charnel house.
*
Next day we got down to the serious stuff
Hev yew got antiques, boy?
Cow to Customer? Farmyard flavours, perhaps. Muck 'n' Mint?
We stayed just two nights, finding plenty of new stock at the
antiques fair - and we also found time to have a very nice time, Norfolk-style...
...at Oxburgh Hall.
And, best of all, up on the North Norfolk coast
at Blakeney.
I was pleased with my close-up of wood pigeons until Mr N spotted avocets
and egrets!
Light fades over the salt marshes and our fun is over - until next time.
***