The morning sailing in Oulton Broad and then some time at The Waveney Leisure Centre before cruising on to Somerleyton in convoy with other boats and mooring at the public staithe so that we could visit this estate village with its shop and post office. Then to visit Somerleyton Hall and first its gardens and maize, its miniature railway and its tea room to complete a very full and enjoyable day without time for the news.
Slept well enough and Di had already put the kettle on to boil when I woke up at 7.00am. She was slower to drink her coffee and get washed and dressed and so the children were upon us and the routine somewhat dented. Things back to normal at breakfast. We all weighed ourselves this morning and seem to be on the better side of our weight targets. After the meal, I went sailing, whilst Di took the girls for their last play in Oulton’s Nicholas Everett Park and Daniel filled The Lady with fresh water. I sailed around the eastern and northern sides of the Broad on this quiet Sunday morning and was impressed on the east side by the quiet backwater where council flats and private moorings enclose a nice area for recreation.
I saw some small boys catch a nice bream as I drifted by. The main private Broad-side houses are on the north/east side and have a fine aspect facing south. This morning started clear, sunny and with a light breeze and the gardens, houses and moorings looked very nice. When I came back, Daniel took out the Blue Peter alone for his first solo sail and did very well. I walked to Jeckells chandlers and, finding it closed, joined the girls in the playground and filmed them with the video. Went back for Daniel and we all had elevenses there before preparing the boats to take off. Daniel and I put away the sailing spares and sails, hoisted the Blue Peter on the davits, then unmoored both our craft and set off back across Oulton Broad towards Oulton Dyke. I put Di in charge of The Lady’s helm and went round the craft, readjusting and cleaning the fenders. We took a detour to re-visit The Waveney Leisure Centre and do much the same as we did on our first visit. We ordered burgers & chips, went swimming and I took video film of the children and boats for our records. The attendants kindly allowed me to plug in my video battery charger whilst we were there. At 1.30pm we had to leave. By this time the adjacent moorings were quite full and it is noticeable how many more privately owned boats, particularly sailing cruisers and motor/sailers, are about at weekends. Then a brisk cruise to Somerleyton, tussling with a few other cruisers for the right to lead a flotilla that formed. By superior rivercraft (hugging bends to avoid tide and wind) The Lady won hands down, though Daniel in Little Lady was nearly sandwiched at one point. Past the Somerleyton swing railway bridge, then moored at the public overnight staithe and had some afternoon drinks before setting off on our walk to Somerleyton Hall. Interesting to see the bridge swing on its axis to let sailing craft through and the process seems to be quite effortless. Few trains seem to pass this way, but once visible they have three carriages on what is obviously a branch line. Loaded up, we set off towards the village, as the clouds cleared again and the weather became quite pleasant. We called at the Post Office, open on Sundays during the period of British Summertime, for ice creams and met the owners, who were most friendly and talkative. They have had the shop for 17 years and it was previously a butchers. Indeed they are just converting the old cold storage room for the Post Office part of the stores and enlarging the shop. The Postmistress was up till 11.00pm last night baking apple and blackcurrant pies, which were all sold this morning regrettably, but we were easily tempted by her cheese straws, flapjacks and rock cakes and we bought some for our tea. The Postmaster came out with us and showed us the best walking route to the Hall and had me stand against an old hinge but in the gate post to see if I was as tall as another visitor he recently had. A very friendly couple, who work 6-day weeks of 18 hours a day and enjoy the visitors, especially children. Good for them. We walked through the village and were impressed by its unspoilt village green area, bordered by Somerleyton estate houses built in the 1890s. Each had the same cross-hatched upper windows to make them as if part of a set. Next the village school was a warm site, thatched and pretty to make you wish we had such to adorn our own village. Onwards to the gate lodge, also thatched, then down a long road to the entrance. We paid our money and enjoyed the gardens first. A trail in numerical sequence, with brown wooden arrows, was most efficient at showing us all of the period features – lawns, shrubberies, pagodas of wisteria, then the Maize, which the children had really come for. They really enjoyed themselves and Daniel & Debbie had races to see who could get in and out first. At the centre, a nice seated folly on a raised mound offered views over the maize. They say this maize is second only to Hampton Court and I will believe it. The hedges are in fine condition, having recently been cut back to fill out with growth and having had their tops peaked for ease of maintenance and protection against the snow. On through many very old and ancient specimen trees and formal gardens, until we came upon the conservatory, where tea and cakes were served and much appreciated. Then I went for a look inside the Hall and was impressed by the antiques, paintings and family memorabilia, all laid out and labelled beautifully. They had an attendant in each of ten or so rooms open to the public, which I suppose is needed for security in this day and age. I then went out through even more partiers and sunken and ornamental formal gardens to join the family for a ride on the miniature railway. Then the long walk back to The Lady, by now thankfully downhill, singing songs to ease the children’s tired legs. We did rest once by the village pond and noticed a fairground roundabout wooden duck in the drive of the house opposite, which tantilised Della. To the boat for a tea of bread, butter and then our ‘Post Office Patisseries’. After, I polished all of the woodwork on The Lady (a task of some 2 hours) whilst the family played a game bought at Somerleyton Hall. Later I wrote up this long passage at the end of a full and enchanting day. The weather and entertainments were good, the company fine and staff friendly. No time tonight for the news and we are no doubt in a better frame of mind for missing it.