Exploration Great Yarmouth

It's always nice to have a change of scenery by exploring a different part of the country. Last year it was Dawlish, and this year I was Norfolk-bound, savouring the delights of a week in Great Yarmouth. The weather was okay - considering what happened elsewhere we didn't do badly at all - and this allowed for a few days out and about in East Anglia.

• Monday - travelling down to Great Yarmouth, a four hour journey that wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Only problem was it started raining as soon as we got out of the car, meaning we arrived at the camp a bit early. We settled into our accomodation, then Dad and I had a walk around Scratby on the evening only to get absolutely drenched as the heavens suddenly opened - I just hoped this wasn't a sign of things to come.
• Tuesday - the weather relented a bit, giving us chance to explore Great Yarmouth properly, including me making acquaintance with the Market Gates Bus Station - things were looking up! The evening was actually really nice, so Dad and I made the most of the sunshine by walking the coastal path from Scratby to Hemsby and back, then calling in at a local pub (The California) for a swift pint.
• Wednesday - an overcast morning saw us in Wymondham, where I made a beeline straight for the historic railway station - and very impressive it was too. The weather caught up with us as we continued on to Dereham, but we had a great afternoon visiting old friends Olive and Ron, nice to see them again.
• Thursday - and possibly my favourite day of the holiday. We did some of the North Norfolk coast, calling in at Sheringham and then Cromer. I busied myself with more station and bus photos, including some buses on layover at the car park in Cromer. Sheringham had the bonus of two railway stations to explore, although the North Norfolk Railway's station was by far the most interesting - a very photogenic heritage railway location. Dad and I got drenched again on the evening, Gorleston certainly wasn't a pretty sight in the pouring rain.
• Friday - a day spent out and about on the local buses in Great Yarmouth whilst the family went to Norwich. The outing was more like my explorations back home, giving me chance to investigate Great Yarmouth Railway Station as well as locations such as Caister, Barrack Estate and the James Paget Hospital. Against my better judgement I even returned to Gorleston, and I'm glad I did as I saw a much more upbeat side to the town compared to the sodden trudge around the docks the previous evening.
• Saturday - the final proper day of the holiday saw us leave Norfolk behind as off we ventured into sunny Suffolk, giving me the bonus of a whole new county to take photos of. Our visit concentrated on the traditional seaside towns of Southwold and Aldeburgh, fascinating places that didn't feel overcommercialised with the usual rash of penny arcades, fast food outlets and tacky gift shops. Mind you, the fact I managed to get a good bus photo in each location means I'm bound to speak highly of the places! To round things off we stopped by at Oulton Broad, giving me a Suffolk station to add to my collection - Oulton Broad South is hardly a glamorous location but it did just nicely, with just a glimpse of Oulton Broad North to whet my appetite in case there's ever a return visit. Dad and I also had a game of pitch and putt on the evening, but the least said about that the better (although I was proud to win my one solitary hole out of the 18)!

Looking back it was a fun week - I've got some interesting and exciting photos to develop for future inclusion on Exploration Extra, and - more importantly - some wonderful memories to add to those of other family holidays over the years. In many ways the holiday was over all too quick, meaning its now back to the routine of daily life - and wouldn't you know it, now I'm back home the sun has come out, typical!