Norfolk Beaches & Broads with Jamie & Rachel

 Norfolk Beaches & Broads

It was off to the beach to make the most of our Great British weather. 

And we couldn't resist a bit of seaside fun

In Great Yarmouth, we headed straight to the Merrivale Model village, where we first played miniature golf. It was hard getting the balls through the structures such as a windmill, a clown’s mouth and around objects but everyone played really well with even a few holes in one! Daniel totted up the scorecard and the overall winner was Philip, a big congratulations to him! 

Childhood memories were brought back as we walked along the prom ready to ride the old fashioned rides such as the carousel, ghost train and dodgems. 

We were so lucky to have this amazing swimming pool onsite and it was the perfect way to end our days out making a splash and practising our swimming. 

A day on the Broads was a must! After donning life jackets, we boarded our vey own boat and with the engine ticking over Jamie steered it out onto the water and under a bridge. As it opened out into wider water, each of us took a turn to power and steer the craft each time wearing the captain's hat of course. Looking towards the tree lined banks we saw dragonflies zipping about and nesting in a tree, a huge grey heron, and there were also swans, ducks and Canadian geese which seemed to follow us as Rachel had brought a bag of duck feed. 

We visited the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, as we had a few aviation enthusiasts amongst us. The museum is housed within hangars and old Nissan huts and with many aircraft in the fields we split into two groups each with a guide who explained the history of the different aircraft. All eight could be entered and we were allowed to sit in the cockpit and look at all the buttons, dials and joystick. In a Gnat used by the famous Red Arrows, Chris donned a pilot’s helmet. In the Canberra, Stephen was the pilot whilst David, who likes maps, was the navigator. Outside in the fields Daniel was amazed by the many switches and buttons in the cockpit of the Vickers Valetta, the only one in the UK, used to transport dignitaries and even Royalty in the past. Sabbah and Emma sat in the comfy seats and wondered who had previously sat there. Sat in the Naafi we relaxed with a drink then explored inside the hangar where there were also helicopters, jeeps, uniforms and helmets which Philip, enjoyed looking at. 

We explored Africa Alive, a zoo with animals from around the world set in over 100 acres of stunning countryside. We entered and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Africa. Immediately we saw a large enclosure which held zebra’s, giraffe and rhinos. What a start! Seeing them walking around amongst each other was a truly authentic experience. As we wandered around the paths, we were able to get really close to all the animals and even looked down on two lions lazing in the sun. We ate lunch and sat outside at the onsite café before continuing on where we all got to see our favourite animals. Stephen loved the meerkats, David the lemurs and Chris loved seeing the giraffes eating the leaves off tree branches. Before exiting the zoo, we couldn’t resist stopping in the gift shop where we all managed to buy a few mementos. 

We had heard that there was a family friendly event held in the park to celebrate the LGBT+ community and diversity. We could see a flash of colour and rainbow flags, banners and people with similar hair colours straight away. Taking centre stage was a Drag Queen with orange hair singing the classic songs we all loved from Abba, hits from the musicals such as Grease and Hairspray and other 80’s hits. Emma, Stephen and Sabbah just couldn't help dancing and after a song or two David, Chris, Phillip and Daniel also rose for a boogie, joining in with the ethos of Pride, inclusive for all. What a great afternoon we had and some great photos with the Drag Queens who walked around waving their flags.

It was off to Yarmouth for an evening of banger racing. Inside the stadium we sat on a raised grass bank with cold drinks in hand as the sun set watching the first race which was 13 x Robin Reliant racing around being careful not to flip over on the bends. The roar of the engines added to the excitement. More races followed of different class vehicles; small go cart types ridden by teenage drivers to faster mini’s. In one race the crowd gasped as a car rolled over onto its roof, thankfully all drivers were ok. 

An evening at the infamous Hippodrome was a must! Giddy with excitement we then took our seats looking down into the ring. With flashing lights, bangs and pyrotechnics to accompany the pulsing music, we watched world class performers. There were acrobatics, jugglers, roller skaters, BMX bouncers and trampolines. After a short interval there was more of the same but for the grand finale the floor dropped, and the circus ring became a water spectacular with synchronised swimmers performing to the music with acrobatics being performed in the middle on a podium in the centre. What an amazing show!!!