The Answer Must Lie In The Postcodes

Windmill landscape

Billingford Mill is maintained by The Norfolk Windmills Trust:

Norfolk Windmills Trust (1)

WindmillThere may be more water pumps than mills, for these former relics of times past were used to pump out water from the county’s precarious terrain reclaimed from the sea.

Were it not for the rooftop in between, the Billingford Mill would have been beautifully framed by our hotel bedroom window.  It was this that drew me out early on this dewy morning to wander into the field in which it stood, and along footpaths around it. Willowherb Sunlight lent a glistening sheen to the willowherb running to seed, and a warning glitter to delineate the strands of the spider’s webs thus deterring flies from entering.Spider in web  These circular spun traps festooned the long grasses bent under the weight of the recent rain.

Returning to the side road by the pub, I passed The Old Smithy, The Old Bakery, and various other cottage dwellings, and walked down to a junction at which I turned right to Brome and Oakley before retracing my steps in time for breakfast.

Field stubble

Shorn stubble stubbornly protruded from some of the fields.Cattle at dawn  In others cattle were enjoying their own morning fodder.  The road crossed a surprisingly fast-flowing stream.

Stream

As Jackie and I descended the fire escape on our way to the bar, a fast-moving vehicle pointed out a hitherto unnoticed fact.  The fire escape led directly, and I mean directly, into the road.  There was, in any case, no pavement.

The Horseshoes

Our most congenial hostess provided a breakfast equally as excellent as yesterday’s.  She confirmed she had, indeed, prepared all the Sunday lunches herself, having a little waiting help. I have revised my impressions of this establishment, which is in fact much more pleasant than the rather basic room suggested.

Pondering the two Billingfords conundrum, I decided the answer must lie in the postcodes.  That of The Horseshoes begins IP (Ipswich); whereas Sue and John’s home, The Old Chapel, starts with NR (Norwich).  Maybe The Horshoes was once in Suffolk, the county of Ipswich.  Newark, after all, in Nottinghamshire, was originally part of Lincolnshire.  My former home there, Lindum House, translated from the Latin, would read Lincoln House.  Our landlady said she sometimes receives mail which should go to The Street in the other Billingford.

We had a more pleasant drive back to The Firs where we learnt that visitors had continued to trickle in during our absence, and my cards had continued to sell.  After a short stay we returned home, Jackie having intended then to drive us to Walkford with a present and card for Shelly, whose actual birthday it is today.  In the event, after driving several hundred miles in three days, she decided she couldn’t do it.

Berties (sic) has moved to Lyndhurst.  This fish and chip shop graced Lymington Road in Highcliffe for about forty years before being sold to the current owners, who moved to our nearest large village in 2012.  Unfortunately for the proprietors and prospective diners, builders let everyone down over the work in the new restaurant, so locals have, until very recently, made do with a takeaway.  Having eagerly awaited the opening, we learned that it has at last happened.  When she woke from a well-earned sleep, Jackie drove us there where we enjoyed large haddock meals.  Jackie drank coffee, while I had tea.

Spice Cottage

24th August 2013

There are two Billingfords in Norfolk.  We were apprised of this rather less than welcome fact when printing off directions to the hotel we had booked for the weekend in order to celebrate Don’s 80th birthday, and to his daughter Sue’s home, where festivities are to be held tomorrow.  They are thirty miles apart.

Rounding Seamans Corner on the way Billingford (IP21 4HL) we encountered two rather unusual animals in the road. Dogs in road Two little dogs of a toy breed we could not identify trotted down the centre of the Lane.  Seeking possible owners, I knocked at a cottage door.  A couple with a baby answered.  They were just borrowing the house from a friend for the weekend.  I quipped that what would happen next would be that when they went for a walk someone would ask them for directions.  After all, that always happens to strangers.

The dogs quickened their pace as we tracked them up the road.Dogs in drive  Eventually they dashed into a driveway to be greeted by a different breed of little white terrier who appeared to be giving them what for.  Their owner was most relieved.  They could, of course, have ended up like the terrier in ‘A Fish Called Wanda’, which would have been no funnier than I found the scene in the film.

The journey took more than five hours, mostly in pouring rain on M3 and M25 each having extensive roadworks.  The rain really set in just before we joined the M25.  With ten miles to go to the Dartford Tunnel, fog warnings were flashing.  There was no fog, but the rain had become torrential, reducing visibility to within a few yards.  Dartford tunnel tollsThis eased up a little by the time we reached the toll bucket, but returned intermittently throughout the rest of the journey.

The Horseshoes in  Billingford, with its dried up hanging baskets and plastic window boxes, and weeds lining the path to the front door, looked rather in need of care and attention.  The lone barman left us standing in the lounge bar whilst he served his regular drinking customers.  With apologies he eventually placed a visitors book on the Daily Mail covered pool table and led us outside the front door, round a side street, and up a fire escape staircase to a group of rooms above the pub.  Opening the yale-locked door at the top required a shoulder thrust.  The inside of this bore a fire escape sign, and required a forceful tug after the key had been operated.  Our en-suite room had been installed and kitted out sparing all expense.  It was, however, clean.

Spice CottageDeciding against eating there we drove off to nearby Diss, where we discovered the excellent Spice Cottage, which had been kitted out sparing no expense.  We enjoyed exquisite meals, and our usual Bangla and Cobra beers.  I ate a tender and flavoursome Gurka lamb, cooked long and slow, flavoured to phall heat; Jackie thoroughlyenjoyed her chicken green masal.  The service was friendly, efficient, and unobtrusive.

On our return to the hotel, Jackie, after her long day at the wheel, fell into bed, to find that the bulb to her bedside lamp was kaput.

To add to the delights of The Horseshoes, there was no internet signal, which is why I am posting this the following day in Starbucks in Gates Market shopping mall in Great Yarmouth.