Time Away and an Unfortunate Event

This week got off to an exciting start, as we were going away for a couple of nights to the Norfolk Coast. It was the only chance we had to get away all together between now and September, as LB was starting a new job this week, which finishes at the beginning of September. So, we took the opportunity and booked a place on the Norfolk coast a few miles north of Great Yarmouth.

To be honest, there was very little available and this property was the best we could find that was reasonably priced and dog friendly. The journey there was a bit of a nightmare, mainly due to my choice to go via Chelmsford and Colchester, both of which had horrendous road works which slowed us down by over an hour.  Big mistake.  We didn't make the same mistake coming home.

We eventually got there about 3.30pm.  The accommodation was lovely, new and modern and very well furnished and equipped. We got lucky again. We dropped by a local shop to pick up a few bits, but I'd packed a bit of food, so we didn't need much for our stay. Later, OH and I took the dog for a walk on the nearby sandy beach. It was lovely and the dog loved running around on the sand.

The following day, we got a nasty surprise in the morning. A neighbour called OH to say that we had a burst pipe at home, which had caused water to seep into their basement. Fortunately, they had the wherewithal to turn off our water at the stopcock from outside, which obviously stopped any more water escaping and causing damage. 

We then needed to decide whether to come home and see if there was any damage to our house or stay on until the following day when we were due to return home anyway.  We decided to stay put and enjoy our break. Our basement was tanked when excavated, so we were hoping it would be okay.

Having made the decision, we then went out and enjoyed a day visiting Cromer and Sheringham. We stopped off for lunch in Cromer at a very nice cafe, afterwhich LB and I did a bit of Charity Shop shopping. It rained intermittently, so it wasn't really a day for the beach, but we enjoyed just exploring the town for a couple of hours.  

We then went on to vist Sheringham, which was a lovely little town with a steam railway.  We didn't get to ride on it this visit, but I'd like to go back some time and take a ride on the steam train. Again, we explored the town, checked out a few charity shops, had an ice cream, then a drink in a pub on the seafront, where we watched a busker singing sea shanties. It was lovely. Here's a picture of the beach at Sheringham:

Our visit was cut short by heavy rain, so we headed home.

On the drive back home, we stopped off at Horsey Gap, to see if we could spot any seals.  They often gather here on the beach. LB had visited with friends earlier in the year and had seen lots of them on the beach, but unfortunately this visit we weren't lucky enough.  We did see lots of them surfacing and swimming around in the sea though, so it was still worth checking out. 

We then picked up fish and chips (fishcake for me) on the way home and enjoyed eating them when we got back.

The next day, Tuesday, we were returning to London, as LB was starting her new job at 2pm. We set off at 10 am and got back a lot more quickly via an alternative route. When we got into the house, we were very lucky that the water hadn't penetrated at all, so after unpacking the car, OH got straight on with trying to find the leak and repairing it. 

I, meanwhile, set about borrowing a dehumidifier for next door, to help to dry out their basement. I managed to find one that cost £22 for a week's use, which was a great deal. The neighbours were very good about it, despite the inconvenience and damage it has caused. We'll just have to see how it looks once it dries out and see if they want to claim on their and our insurance.

OH managed to find the leak, which was from a joint in the pipe supplying the house. He had to cut down a lovely honeysuckle bush on the front fence in doing so, which is a pity. Anyway, he bought a new joint and replaced it, so he could then put the water back on. I was very happy, as I really wasn't relishing living without any running water.

After finally unpacking from our break, we could then chill and settle back in. I'm glad we didn't cut our break short, as we all really needed it and we had a lovely time. We were very lucky, as it could been a lot more damaging.