We are in north west Norfolk now. We stopped off in Sleaford, Lincolnshire on the way over. In fact we were in Sleaford for three hours. It's a charming little town with a lovely old church, dedicated to St Denys. Apparently, he was the bishop of Paris in the third century.
Though decapitated during religious purges, St Denis/Denys allegedly carried his severed head to a place north of Paris where an abbey was established in his name. That tale explains this carving on the rood screen in Sleaford:-
I could bore you silly with the knowledge about Sleaford I acquired yesterday afternoon. We visited an antiques shop, a little art gallery, The Navigation House Museum and several shops as well as enjoying a light lunch in The Marketplace Cafe. There was also a bizarre modern building called The National Centre for Craft and Design. We found it terribly disappointing. Where was the craft? Where was the design? The buttons in the lift were worn out and the young women at the desks in the two galleries were messing about with their smartphones to relieve their obvious boredom.
It was a day of changing weather. Pouring rain turned to bright sunshine and back again as we drove across the flatlands of south Lincolnshire. You could see for miles. It must be easy to feel tiny if you live in such a landscape. We were on the A17, heading to King's Lynn.
Soon we were at our rental apartment in the Norfolk village of Dersingham. It's in the west wing of a grand house owned by a local solicitor and his rather posh wife - Sheena. She advised us against dining in either of the village's pubs saying she hadn't been in them for over twenty years while implying they were for the undiscerning hoi polloi. However, we ignored her snobbish advice and enjoyed delightful evening meals in "The Coach and Horses" surrounded by other ordinary people.
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| Our bedroom in Dersingham |
Stopping and getting out there is a good way to go as you see and do things. Yes, you're better off with the common people like me!
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean THAT common Red!
DeleteThat is an interesting planter behind the bench in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteI can't wrap my mind around how someone could be decapitated and still carry his own head. It must be a religious thing...?
Anyway, your room looks very homey. I wonder if Sheena would be happy or insulted by that word!
Sheena would prefer "sophisticated". In one of our rooms there are two piles of posh magazines - "Country Life" and "House and Garden". Their very presence says much about our hostess.
DeleteSheena might find the village pubs may have changed hands and moved with the times in the past 20 years if she revisited them?
ReplyDeleteAlphie
You are thinking logically Alphie. Clearly, that is not Sheena's way. Apart from anything else, visiting one's local pub gives one the opportunity to meet other villagers...to feel part of a community.
DeleteI have never been to Lincolnshire or Norfolk. We are planning to explore that area when we are back in the UK. We have driven through St Denys, an unplanned detour when we took the wrong exit from the motorway.
ReplyDeleteThere's much to see in this part of England. Much history and much beauty but it's a different kind of beauty from Nirvana (Yorkshire) and Shangri-La (Derbyshire).
DeleteI got a lot out of this post. I don't know Sleaford but thanks to you, I've just watched a video on Youtube all about traffic in the main streets on a rainy October day, and I loved every minute of it.
ReplyDelete10% of reviewers on Trip Advisor agree with you and think the National Centre for Craft & Design is terrible. Why on earth it's in Seaford is a mystery to me.
But now I'm dying to visit the place on a rainy October day and get a cup of tea in a place where I can watch traffic.
It's a long way from Long Island to Sleaford. You will have to fly like a swift!
DeleteNice accommodation. And I love "Pizza Hot" -- I'd have taken that photo, too!
ReplyDeleteThe legend of St. Denys is bizarre. Those religious types had vivid imaginations back then. It's a shame about the craft museum. Sounds underfunded to me!
I don't know the story behind the National Craft building. Personally, I think it may have more to do with a certain lack of drive and imagination,,, but of course more money always helps.
DeleteI had been going to comment that your Pizza Hot pic looked like a Steve photo :)
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm not that good Jenny!
DeleteI seem to remember when my son lived in Norfolk that there were an abundance of churches there.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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I have visited five of them today Briony! Only another 1768 to go!
DeleteWe could do with a few days of rain here. We had very little during winter, and everything is very dry. There are high bush fire alerts everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI hate snobs!!
You hate snobs! How very surprising Lee! I thought all Australians were fond of pommy snobs!
DeleteI hate Aussie snobs, too, Yorkie. We have more than our fair share of them. :)
DeleteI love your artwork and follow you pots this very minute!
ReplyDeleteหนังเกาหลี
I was born in Sleaford and left when I was about 8 years old.
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