Today was our first proper family road trip.
With Mum and Sophie joining Lia and me, we set off heading south towards Great Yarmouth. The plan wasn’t to tick off a huge sightseeing list—it was simply to enjoy a day together and see where the road took us.
Our first stop was the waterfront and the Nelson Monument, where Lia jumped out for a closer look while Mum and Sophie quite sensibly stayed comfortable in the car.
Great Yarmouth feels like stepping into a seaside postcard from another era. The amusement arcades stretch along the seafront, there are attractions everywhere you look, and while it’s very different from beaches back home in New Zealand, there’s something wonderfully nostalgic about it all. It feels like a place that proudly refuses to rush into the modern world.
From there we continued further along the coast to see the offshore wind farm just beyond Great Yarmouth.
Standing on the dunes looking out across the sea, it was incredible seeing turbine after turbine stretching across the horizon. Living in New Zealand, we’re certainly used to wind farms, but there’s something quite different about seeing one sitting out in the North Sea.
Lia couldn’t resist making her way down to the shoreline to dip her feet into the English Channel.
I, on the other hand, was perfectly happy admiring it from dry land!
Our next stop was Lowestoft, home to Ness Point—the most easterly point of the United Kingdom.
It’s one of those places that’s easy to drive past if you don’t know it’s there, but I always enjoy visiting these little geographical landmarks. Standing at the easternmost point of Britain while knowing home is still literally on the other side of the world definitely puts things into perspective.
On the drive we’d noticed signs for the old Birds Eye factory, so we made a little detour.
Mum had given us a shopping list after hearing there used to be a factory outlet, so we thought we’d see what treasures we could find.
Unfortunately, the outlet has now permanently closed. I have to admit, I think that’s a real shame. These sorts of factory shops become part of the local community. They give people a reason to visit, create a connection with the brand and often become a destination in their own right. It feels like another example of a company deciding the numbers on a spreadsheet matter more than the goodwill they’ve built with the people around them. Perhaps I’m just old-fashioned… but I think businesses sometimes underestimate the value of being part of a community.
Thankfully our next stop involved food, which immediately improved everyone’s mood.
We’d planned on eating at The Ship Inn, only to discover they don’t serve lunch on Mondays or Tuesdays. Who knew? Not Google. Thankfully Plan B wasn’t far away.
The Jolly Sailor came to the rescue with beautiful sea views and exactly what I was craving…Scampi and chips. Sometimes the simplest meals are the best ones, especially when you’re looking out over the water. Sadly, our day had to finish earlier than we would have liked.
While everyone else got to relax for the evening, I had another reminder that this holiday comes with a slightly unusual twist. Working remotely for New Zealand means my workday doesn’t begin until late afternoon UK time.
So after getting home I swapped sightseeing for Microsoft Teams, cooked dinner for the family between meetings, and eventually wrapped up work sometime around 2am.
Not exactly the relaxing beach holiday schedule most people imagine…
…but being able to spend time with Mum while still working is a trade-off I’m more than happy to make.
No comments:
Post a Comment