Time Out In Wolferton

The one thing they're not making any more of, is time - don't matter whether you're rich or poor. With that in mind we set out last week to spend some (time) in North Norfolk.

It was while driving in the general direction of Sandringham, that we chanced upon the station. Sensing something special, we pulled over.

Now I know about stations, particularly Queens Road Station in Peckham: a colder, more miserable, god forsaken place it would be hard to find. The Royal Station at Wolferton is an altogether different proposition. Painted chocolate and cream, decorated with period posters and looking like a film set, it rates as the prettiest station in the UK.



This of course, is where the Royals would travel to, on their way to Sandringham and to see the train arrive must have been a fine sight. Heck, I bet there were no delays on that line.

Wandering about looking lost, we bumped into the owner, Richard Brown, who positively encouraged us to explore the station and pocket the goodies. And all for free - how refreshing!

In conversation, it soon became clear that we had found a man ready to confront the fire: a man who had happily pursued his passions: trains, cars and rock'n'roll. At the mention of the latter, Sue sensibly took a seat, knowing that this could take a while. Time passed pleasantly as we swapped stories about the Beatles and the Shadows, but eventually with the day waning and Sue edging me towards the exit, we said our goodbyes.

If you're in the area, then I would recommend popping in. Half an hour with this slightly, eccentric, rock'n'rolling stationmaster will be time well spent.

Location:The Street,Lowestoft,United Kingdom

The Not So Secret Garden

Take the footbridge over Grapes Hill onto Earlham Road, pass the RC cathedral and turn left at the sign. Eh voila - the Plantation Garden.

The trouble is, you lot already know about this special place, because once again Richard was late to the party. How could I not be aware of its existence? I mean my flat is only five minutes away.


For those not in the know, we're talking about a three acre, nineteenth century, Victorian town house garden, tucked away, just inside the inner ring road. The former chalk quarry has been transformed into a gem of a garden, built with as many tiers as the Albert Hall, a secluded sunken garden, and a variety of follies and fountains. Inside is a revelation: imagine if you will, the Roman amphitheatre from "Ben Hur" crossed with the garden jungle from Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." This hidden retreat with its unusual setting and serious gardening has unsurprisingly become very popular. Weddings, craft fairs, jazz evenings and Cinema City presentations all happen here. Pop in midweek and you'll find the regulars happy to meditate, picnic or pass five minutes with a book.

More than anything this is the perfect place for a surprise outing. Find somebody who hasn't been here and casually take them for lunch. Nab one of the sunny benches and you'll blow their socks off.

If any of this is new to you, be sure to visit soon and be grateful this area didn't become a multi-storey car park, as was planned back in the seventies.

Location:The Street,Lowestoft,United Kingdom

The Sparrow Dale Mystery

Could it be I'm the only person in Norfolk who hasn't visited Sheringham Country Park? Talking to people, that's the way it seemed.

Today's quest was specific: to find Sparrow Dale, a hidden valley within the park. Let's be serious now - how difficult could it be to find a valley?

We arrived to find admission was free, but parking was not. Well not unless you'd payed your National Trust membership.

The day was warm, but this was autumn and you could sense the melancholic mood each time another yellow leaf hit the forest floor. But the park was wonderful, fresh and greener than new money. Setting off under some kind of vast floral lampshade, we headed into the unknown, looking for the dale.

After some fruitless searching we ventured off track, and were soon deep in forest, in an area reminiscent of the Florida Everglades. This, said Sue, hopefully, might be the Dale. But it didn't feel like it. The thing is we didn't really know what we were looking for. With due respect to the authorities, a sign, "This way to Sparrow Dale" would have been handy, but then, probably not half as much fun.


Catching a view of the sea to our right, we turned down a narrow path, that slowly opened up to reveal a vast valley that you just wanted to run across. In the far distance was the sea and on the hillside to our left, a steam train appeared, just like in the "Railway Children." And then the penny dropped, as it tends to. How dumb were we! This was the happy valley. This was Sparrow Dale. Seemingly, some super power had transported a huge part of The Yorkshire Dales and dumped it in north Norfolk. The only mystery was how we didn't find it sooner.

My advice: pay the parking, walk the Dale and release some of those "happy hormones."

Location:The Street,Lowestoft,United Kingdom