Friday 29th August 2025 - B, H and a L, History Walks, Update from NNDC and Day Trip to Wroxham Barns

I have a fair bit to write about, so I’m going to crack on.  For starters; we’ve had rain showers today.  We could do with a lot more, which according to the weather forecast should materialise over the coming days, but will it be enough to green up the grass, and revive the plants we’ve seen flagging on our walks?

I mentioned in an earlier blog about seeing a Bat dipping and diving over a neighbour’s garden and then it ventured over ours too.  The other evening, it was joined by another smaller bat.  Wonderful if they are a couple which will soon mate, with the female giving birth early next summer.  On the other hand, because of its size it could be, the smaller bat was born this summer and the larger one is a parent.  Later the same evening a Hedgehog scuttled across our patio.  I have seen evidence, showing one has been in our front garden; good to see it come into our back garden (I’m assuming it’s the same hedgehog).

Walking down Cliff Road on Wednesday afternoon, we spotted people standing in the road, near the Cliff Top Café.  Silly place to stand, I thought.  As we got closer, we heard someone say, ’it’s a Lizard’.  Yes, it was but nobody wanted to try to pick the lizard up and move it to a safe place.  Someone said to pick it up by its tail – not a good suggestion as common lizards (this was one) shed their tails if they feel they are threatened.  I decided to have a go and after a couple of attempts at cupping my hands over the lizard, I succeeded in picking it up.  Did it shed its tail, yes it did, which continued to wiggle about in the road while I placed the lizard, whose tail will regrow, in a rough area.  I was so intent on locating the lizard in a safe place, I didn’t notice the nettles and ended up getting stung on my arm and knee.  Satisfied I had done the best I could for the lizard, I looked around for a dock leaf to relieve the stinging.  None in sight, then I remembered in one of Danni in the Wild’s vlogs, her saying plantain leaves worked well too.  No problem finding a plantain and with a leaf picked, scrunched and rubbed on the affected area, the stinging sensation was soon relieved.

After a break in August, Tim Bennett will be resuming his popular and informative history walks in the village during September.  I have put a copy of his poster with all the details on the Village Calendar page, plus there are a number of posters dotted around the village.  With a limit on the numbers, Tim can take on each walk, booking is essential.

In response to my email, sent to Coastal Management at NNDC, requesting an update on the promenade closure and the repairs to the sea wall, I received the following on Tuesday –

‘Apologies for the delay in getting back to you.

We’ve gone out to tender to contractors to remove the knotweed on the promenade and are in the process of appointing them.

We are also in the process of appointing a contractor to begin to treat the wider knotweed issue.

Regarding repairs to the base of the promenade, we are in the process of designing the repairs to the sea wall.’

I hope it won’t be too long before the knotweed is cleared, after which, except at high spring tides when the waves come over onto the promenade, we will once again be able to walk the entire length, without having to wait for the water levels to be low enough, for us to go down on to the beach, pass below the slip before taking the steps back up again.

Last, for today; The Strand Club have organised a coach trip to Wroxham Barns.  They are not limiting the trip to members; anyone is welcome to join them.  Full details of the cost and how to book a place are in the poster below and by clicking ‘here’, you can access Wroxham Barns’ website which provides information regarding entrance as well as what you can see and do at this attraction.