Tuesday 24 June 2014

A Solstice to Remember

Hello Lovelies,
I do like those calendar dates that mark the significant points in our yearly journey around the sun, and the longest day seems a particularly great reason to celebrate. It fell on a Saturday this year...Hurray.

I'm also blessed with having my birthday at this special time of year....yet another  reason to try and do something memorable.

My day started at 6.30am, by seven I was hanging out the washing and noticing how wonderful by roses look in the early morning light............

These are William Morris ....a previous Birthday present from Mum.

By 8.15am we had picked up my Mum in law and were on the road. I enjoyed a little crochet in the car.......


No Sat Nav for us yet.....I do like a bit of Map reading and often wonder about the places with interesting and amusing names that we notice on the map...........

Crimplesham....brilliant name :0)

It was quite a long journey on Saturday. When we neared our destination we had the usual game of who could spot it first. This time Mr BM won........yes we were headed for the seaside!...........


We live in the middle of the country and so it's always quite a long trip to the beach. This beach is not the closest to us in the East Midlands........but it's pretty special, so I think it's worth the extra time in the car.
We passed through increasingly pretty north Norfolk countryside and then saw a sign for the beach.........


The car park is just near the sand. There are some nice toilets and a cute cabin that sells all manner of goodies and refreshments........



But this is what we had come for .........the wonderful sand...........


We are at BRANCASTER

Happily my sister in law and her family had joined us on this outing. I loved it when she said "there's something rather delicious about sand between your toes"....yes that's how I feel, but it's got to be a warm sunny day and the soft golden sort of sand, like this.

After we had put up our tent and windbreak eldest and I made a dash for the sea.....I held my  breath as I first touched the cold north sea water....but it's only cold for a few seconds and we soon acclimatise.......


It's wonderful to go for a paddle after so many months.....the last time was last August....



I pick up a few shells and enjoy the glittering light and the sound of the ocean............


Then I look at my watch and realise it's 12 midday on the longest day of the year. The sun must be as high in the sky as it will get this year....it makes me happy to be here at this moment.............

Of course the sun is still not directly overhead......your would have to be a lot  FURTHER SOUTH for that. 

Soon the boys are keen to get really wet.They change and inflate our little dingy. That speck in the waves is the boys, their cousins and ( crucially for my own peace of mind ) Mr BM who has the dingy on a rope so they don't stray into deep water by accident................

There is a clear notice at the entrance to this beach warning visitors of undercurrents and fast tides. There is NO lifeguard service so you need to have your wits about you.

I stand in the waves but it's rather too chilly to tempt me to get wet above the knees. Instead I love noticing the pretty sailing boats coming out of the harbour...............



Soon the sea air and bracing waters have made the children hungry. Luckily we brought supplies :0)
This is my eldest and his Nanna cooking sausages ....turning them with wooden chip folks as that's something I didn't remember........

They were used to make hot dogs and eaten with gusto.

After we had eaten my niece produced a big box of cup cakes she had made especially for my birthday.....they all had a gorgeous bunny like this.....aren't they brilliant...........

I was touched at her thoughtfulness and impressed by her skill.

Of course my crochet came on the beach too....in Julie's BAG...........


After a while spent playing bat and ball, and building sandcastles the children headed into the waves with Hubby again....body boarding this time.............

We squeezed a lot of stuff in the car :0)

The tide was quickly receding, exposing a great area to exercise your dog.............


and go shell hunting....this won the prize for the largest.............


I love the little Cockle shells, I usually bring these home , but they soon loose all their lovely colours, so this time I played around arranging them instead..............


Yay, it's the first day of SUMMER..............


How I love the beach.............


The children  were busily gathering shells for me ..............


and my niece added the final touch.
Yes, WE LOVE SUMMER...........

I hope our design made a few folk smile before it was washed away by the tide.

Another thing I love about the beach is the sight and sound of the gulls.....here they were the rather lovely Black-headed Gulls..........tricky to capture in flight.............


Easier at rest...................


not great...........but I like the sky............


Oh, a little Sparrow............



By now it's early evening and the beach is pretty empty......that's our camp on the right..........


I notice another gull and finally get the shot I was hoping for..............

You can just see THIS wreck in the distance....but don't be tempted to walk to it as it's easy to get cut off.

It's time to start packing up. I do several trips to the car with various bags and am rewarded with gorgeous views across the marsh........the evening light is glorious...........


to my left I can see the enticing sight of many masts..........

maybe we could pop to the HARBOUR to explore?

It's very tempting, but maybe not this time. Tummies are rumbling again.....time to drive a few miles along the cost to Sunny Hunny...............


It's a traditional seaside resort and was looking extra lovely in the evening sun................


There were military vehicles on the green. The boys loved the tanks.....I loved this wonderful wagon. It was like a caravan inside ....all lined with pine and with a cute kitchen and comfy seating.....I wasn't brave enough to ask for a photo...........


Mr BM likes his seaside rock ( he gives most of it to work colleagues ) so we stopped here.........

Thompson's Old Fashioned Sweetie Shoppe

I bought a post card :0)..........


Then we got some fish and chips. Sadly they were rather disappointing....greasy and tasteless...shudder. Never mind, it's was such a perfect sunny evening that my happy  mood wasn't spoilt.

I love the scent of Lavender and this patch smelt wonderful as we walked past...........


We sat for a while on a pretty bench overlooking the sea.............


and marvelled at the wonderful cloud formations..........


Hubby bought me a yummy ice cream and that made up for the horrible supper..........


Then mum in law treated the children to some time in the amusements. The penny falls are still a favourite and eldest won one of these strange star things.............


Though it's on the east side of the country Hunstanton faces West as it looks out over The Wash.....which means gorgeous sunsets over the sea........


This beach may not have the soft sand of Brancaster........


But it has this..........wow............

This photo was taken at eight thirty. 

The journey home was special.......watching the sun go down on the longest day.
How I loved my birthday trip.
Jacquie x

40 comments:

  1. What a wonderful day, you really do have the most awesome adventures and visit such beautiful places. It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY xxx

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  2. Happy Birthday ! Really glad you enjoyed your day on the beach ! Thanks again for your beautiful pictures ! have a nice day !

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  3. What a truly lovely birthday treat! Happy belated birthday, and what a perfect way to spend the longest day. Your pics are just fabulous... I LOVE summer too :-)
    Have a happy week,
    Xx

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  4. Belated Happy Birthday! Looks like you had a fabulous day out with those that you love... perfect! Cx

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  5. Happy Birthday and what a lovely way to celebrate!
    Jacqui x

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  6. Lovely way to spend your birthday! I have never heard of arcardes at the beach before. Pity we didn't see some of your faces in the post.

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  7. A lovely series of pictures from the seaside! I especially loved the one with buckets and spades hanging up and it reminded me of my childhood! For many years now I've been living in the middle of Europe in a country without any sea! We do however have mountains and lakes!

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  8. Nothing like a trip to the seaside, happy birthday, that beach is stunning reminds me of walberwick in Suffolk. I'm very lucky to live by the sea, but it's a little way to the nearest sandy beach.
    Clare xx

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  9. What a wonderful seaside day.....beautiful sunset beach shots at the end of your post...your seagull bag looked very at home and I had to chuckle at your `nice toilets` comment.....thats exactly what I always say ! Always higher up the check list than the weather even.....carpark NEAR the beach....nice toilets....and a refreshment kiosk.....perfect !! Happy Birthday to you, XX

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  10. Happy Birthday Jacquie!! I am so glad that you had such a great day out with your family! What a beautiful beach Brancaster is! xx

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  11. Happy Birthday and it looks like you had the most perfect day!!!!
    Love
    AMarie xxx

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  12. Happy birthday & what a wonderful way to celebrate it!

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  13. A wonderful post - full of love and fun. Happy birthday! Oh, I would like to eat the icecream, each time when we are in Britain I must have one with a flake.

    Sigrun

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  14. Hello Jacquie, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful pictures with us. A wonderful time and everlasting memories had by all. I am so fortunate to live right beside the sea side and love, love it.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  15. At first when I read 'A Solstice to Remember' I wondered if you had been to the Kasabian concert in Leicester lol.
    Hunstanton and surrounding areas are one of my favourite places, we visit often, so lovely to see your pictures. Old Hunstanton near the lighthouse and lifeboat station has soft sand, my granddaughter loves to play there, a favourite spot for kite surfers too. Best fish and chips are across from the tourist info, a green shop (the name escapes me)
    A wonderful way to spend you birthday, well done to your niece the cakes look delicious.

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    1. Thank You for the fish and chips recommendation Julie....we have tried several places and not found any that are really good, so I'll certainly give your favourite a try next time.
      Jacquie x

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  16. Such a lovely way to spend your birthday. What a beautiful resort and thank you for sharing your stunning photos. I love Norfolk but its such a devil to get to and living in the North West now means its even further to travel. Glad you had such a lovely day, x

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  17. What an amazing day! And I love those shells, they're similar to those I find here when I go to the sea
    ... wonderful! : )

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  18. Wow what a special day you had.
    We spent ours in bridport and then in the garden recovering...xxxxx
    bestest d x

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  19. Belated birthday wishes Jacquie (so you're a fellow Gemini)! Look as if you had a wonderful day at the seaside. I don't know that part of the country at all but it looks lovely xxx

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  20. H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y ! What a fabulous day you had :)

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  21. Happy birthday! For strange names you need to read the Meaning of Liff, which gives every strange place in the country a new definition. Deeping St Nicholas may never be visited but I know it's what little hooligans do to Santa on the rooftops on Christmas Eve!

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  22. Happy birthday what a wonderful day you had
    Jackie x

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  23. What a lovely day! That funny shaped star thing, looks like one my son has, his flashes when it is thrown...!

    Thank you for sharing these lovely places with us.

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  24. A very Happy (belated) Birthday to you.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  25. Happy belated birthday to you! Thank you for taking us along on your birthday trip. It all looks very lovely. The pictures were wonderful as I, too, love the beach and enjoy any pictures of it and people having a grand time.
    Blessings,
    Betsy
    http://betsy-thesimplelifeofaqueen.blogspot.com

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  26. Funnily enough I was at Sunny Hunny today! We enjoyed the joke shop and also bought some rock from the little shop. Shame about the fish and chips, it seems to be hit and miss with this favourite fast food nowadays. Next time, for a sit down meal, try the Goblin's Pantry. It's great for families and the food is delicious along with the service. I agree that the sunsets are sensational there. So many people just sit and watch when this spectacle is about to happen. Happy belated birthday too - you certainly had the perfect day! Take care xx

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment and your suggestion Chel...I'll try and remember it next time we visit.
      Jacquie x

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  27. A belated happy birthday Jacquie :-) What a wonderful day you had! Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Tracey xxx

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  28. Happy Birthday!

    Sounds like a super day, great collection of photos. Like you, I'm far from the sea so it's a treat just to see it here!

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  29. Happy Birthday Jacquie and thank you so much for taking us along on your fabulous birthday outing. There are so many lovely pictures and things that you've captured that I'd be writing for ages saying how much I love each, so I'll just say they are all great. I'm struck by how many of my favourite bloggers all have cancerian birthdays. Obviously I'm a bit biased too but it is quite striking.

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  30. Lovely solstice share and a belated happy birthday to you! The shells really made me smile. And I love the composition of the crochet work on top of the map.

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  31. Happy birthday Jacquie, and how lovely to have it on such a long summer day. It looks like you had the most wonderful time. The cupcakes are fantastic! CJ xx

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  32. What a perfect day!, The military vehicles made me smile as this is what Mr D and I do, we have a big military truck we exhibit, and live in the back of for much of the summer lol you should never be afraid to ask for a photo as in my experience the owners are only too pleased to talk about the vehicles and show you around! :)

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  33. What a wonderful birthday celebration and thank you for sharing all your lovely pics and story of a great family day out, Jacquie. We don't have twilight here - summer nights are almost as dark as winter ones and once darkness starts to fall - that's it, it happens so quickly. It's sad really cause the nights are warm and could be so enjoyable; bad management I reckon. Happy Birthday! xoJoy

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  34. A glorious Solstice birthday! I can see it was a happy one. :) I adore the beach, sadly it's many, many hours from our home so not that many trips to enjoy it. I love to crochet while on car trips also. If I may ask,what is that sticking out of your ice cream cone? :)

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    1. Hi Angela, it's a flake....crumbly milk chocolate...the combination is very popular and known as a 99.
      Jacquie x

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  35. Happy Birthday Jacquie! What a wonderful way to spend your special day, by the sea and with family. Don't you just love the smell of the beach, the sand, the salt spray all muddled up with the feeling of sand between the toes?! Thank you for sharing your lovely day with us.
    Anne xx

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  36. What a lovely way to spend your birthday! Yes we seem far away from the sea don't we here in the EM, I can't wait for our trip to Cornwall. Happy Birthday Jacquie! :) x

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