LITTLE BADGES - BADGE 'O' THE MONTH SEPTEMBER - CROMER HERE WE COME

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Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Oh we do love to be beside the seaside....

Almost every year we have a lovely break in Cromer in Norfolk. A lovely seaside resort that time has passed by. The east coast gem, the beautiful sea air and my favourite place in the world... the little gap at East Runton.

It is a real place where you can get away from everything. We have lived in London for over 14yrs now, and it does you good to get away from it. Don't get me wrong. I love London as much as I love Cromer. The two are so very different that they complement each other.

Just the other night we went to a BBC tv recording of Live at the Apollo and saw the cream of British comedy talent for the price of a hotdog and a round of drinks. That would not happen in Cromer. We are huge comedy fans and love going to all the comedy haunts, Jongleurs, The Comedy Store, Chuckle Club, Hampstead Comedy Club, Amused Moose....none of which we can get while we are in Cromer. The west end shows, the busy pubs, the hustle on Oxford Street. You either love it or hate it. We both love it.... but at the same time, I have a hankering for Cromer.

Somewhere deep within me is this pull. It is a lovely place to relax....truly truly relax, even more so than on a holiday abroad.  It is so familiar to us now, we no longer have to hunt things out. We know Cromer like the back of our hands.

Our first stop, once we get there is to walk to the pier...overlooked by the impressive Hotel de Paris, a formidable building which looks haunted if ever a hotel should be haunted. It is on the pier that we have watched shows like, Chas 'n' Dave, and the Barron Knights without a hint of guilt. Just a good fun night out. It is also the place we have the first drink of the hoilday. Then it's off to the best chip shop in Cromer 'Mary Janes' where you know you are in for a treat of a meal as the queue for chips spirals out from the door and around the corner. With fish and chips in hand we march up to the shelter near the council offices to sit and watch the sunset with greasy chips and greasy lips. Magic.

Then there are the shops. From art shops to cafe's to bistros, to restaurants (like the excellent cromer curry house) to cheap tack shops... we love them all.

And it is here we stock up on books. We always pack lighter than we need and take the biggest suitcase possible because for some reason Cromer has the best bookshops and charity shops for books in this fine land.

A trip to Cromer is not a trip unless we pop into the quite brilliant 'Bookworms of Cromer'. A compact and bijou bookshop, filled to the gunnels with excellent quality books at the right price. There is another bookshop going out of Cromer on the high street but for some reason you always come out of there feeling disorganised and techy as it is hard to find the books they are stacked so high....and mostly falling to bits.

Then when we are done with 'Bookworms of Cromer' we hit all the charity shops. I do not think there is a time that I can remember when we have not come back from Cromer with less than 10 books. Sometimes....it is many many more. Then there are the vinyl records. Such a reasonable price for vinyl, and if you buy enough...easy to transport home in a suitcase.

And with Cromer comes East Runton. Quite frankly a place where I would be happy to pop my cloggs looking out from the sea defense at 'The Gap'. Just to stand for an hour or more watching the dog walkers, the parents with children trying to entice them into the arctic waters... and the insane Surfers doing their thing when the surf's up! Not owning a dog of our own it is a lovely chance to spot dogs, and to hopefully have an encounter and to pet one. To look out to sea with binoculars and watch the freight ships pass by. Suprising how busy the sea is. To catch a glimpe of the porpoises hanging around the crab fishing pots... to watch the sun go down on yet another gorgeous day in Cromer....The Pier to your right, the sea growling at you on the pebbles in front of you in a rhythmic fashion and the sunset saying good night...here come the stars and the moon on the left hand side. Pure magic.

And it is for this very reason that we promoted 'Cromer Crabs' to the heady heights of Badge 'O' the month for September. And thank you Cromer for yet another wonderful relaxing stay. We salute you all in Cromer. Thank you.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

Join us in our little shop for a virtual cuppa www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com