SwanR

Lovely photos Ian. Haven’t ever been to Leeds Castle but have thought about it many times. We just never seem to go south these days!

Hope your weekend goes well Griff. I can't imagine being apart from my husband for that long.

That would be my choice as well, every time. You can take away or eat in their restaurant side.

Sounds like an amazing boat Carole! :)

Here's a little photo to encourage you ...

As ever, I have put a little video together with some clips and photos from these two days out. Only a few minutes and whilst only the first clips are the Broads, I thought there might be some people interested to see what Winterton is like and also an alternative view of Great Yarmouth. We are taking advantage of Ferry Marina's current offer to have a week afloat in October so watch out for another holiday tale later in the year.

Trip number 2 ... I know, I keep going back there ... but it had to be Potter Heigham. Don't ask me why ... something about it that I love. A walk around the boats for sale, a look by the bridge and coffee in Bridgestones. It was actually chilly and windy that morning so we didn't stay too long. But the weather brightened up later in the day. On our way back to Lowestoft we diverted off to the North Denes end of Great Yarmouth. More nostalgia as we have stayed at the Seashore holiday camp there but it doesn't look that inviting now with a derelict pub on the corner of the seafront. The primary school that featured on Panorama recently is at that end of Great Yarmouth as well. We drove a little way along the seafront and parked where it was free just before the newly reopened Venetian Waterways. Might go back for more of a walk around there next year. On this occasion we walked across the dunes to the sea and had a walk along the shoreline. There's a video on this BBC webpage which shows you aerial views of what the coastline is like up here, away from the better known sandy beaches and amusement arcades. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-49397188

Well, we're almost at the end of our third season as caravan owners, but we squeezed in another few days at the start of September as I had a week off work. The weather was lovely and we spent a good deal of time out on our deck, watching the world go by ... and the antics of some of the other residents and hirers that were there. We had a couple of days out that I thought I would tell you about. Trip number 1 ... we ventured up to Horsey Windpump. Didn't pay to go inside but sat outside with coffee and scones bought from the little shop. Then we had a walk down the dyke to look out across Horsey Mere. A few boats around. We then went for a walk along the footpath that led into the countryside. Very pleasant but time was getting on and we fancied a spot of lunch. So we headed for Winterton-on-Sea as we had never been there. Beautiful coast but a bit of a mistake to turn up on a warm sunny day at lunchtime. Plenty of parking on the road in the village, we walked down to the tearoom by the dunes but it was crowded and busy. Seriously underwhelmed by the sandwiches we had but the staff were very nice and maybe I would try it again at a different time. Sat on the dunes for a while with cold drinks, then headed back to Lowestoft. The most interesting part of the journey was going past the still derelict Pontins site at Hemsby. Hard to believe that nothing has been done with that site yet. I've read accounts written by people who have risked trespassing onto the land to take photos. Would love to go in and look round. We did stay there once many years ago. The drive also took us past Scratby and Caister ... more nostalgia as we had stayed at holiday camps in both places back in the 90s.

I would echo everything that Paws has said. Site fees vary depending on site and facilities. Large well known holiday sites can be £6000 a year whereas a small site with nothing there can be as little as £3000. Some extra charges for utilities and the open season length can vary. There may also be an option to rent it out if you wish. It’s worked out really well for us. We found the place just by internet searching and visiting. We kept to our budget and maximum travel time from home. It’s definitely our second home now, not just a place to stay.

Must be a hard decision Carole. I know it's not the same as a boat, but if you want any information about caravan ownership then feel free to send me a message. We are almost at the end of our third year of owning by the coast in Lowestoft, which has proved to be a good base for getting across to the Broads as well as enjoying quiet weekends away from everything else. There are various sites in the area, possibly worth considering depending on budget and site fees.

It's like that in the caravan ... except when the pitter patter belongs to a pack of seagulls!! Couldn't agree more. It's one of our favourite places around the Broads. We visit quite often. Enjoyed reading about your day. Hope the blue skies return for you.

We found the same back in March. Richardson's only sell the cards for their own marina not for the Broads generally.

Yesterday it looked like the tide was lower than we’ve ever seen it in the last three years on the coast here. And this morning it did look higher than ever. The groynes were almost completely underwater on this stretch of disused beach just to the north of Lowestoft.

Shame we missed you Howard! Arrived about 10. Coffee by the yacht station, a walk up the river and then left about 12. I’m sure I read somewhere else that Robin is on Evening Shadow with a group of lads at the moment!

It is also an amazing day over here at Lowestoft. Are you staying down here somewhere Mr Nog? We had a lovely walk at Beccles yesterday.