SHERINGHAM DIARY No 54 - Goin on nolidi

Housing in Rye near the Church

The time of busyness has passed. Early October in the shop was like being in a car that brakes suddenly from cruising at 60 mph down to 20. This took some getting adjusted to. Since we emerged from lockdown, the pattern of sales throughout a day remains unpredictable. No day or week composes itself into a recognisable form.

The return of our regular Sunday off together is a boon. Off season the shop can be challenging. We've returned to working one day in the shop one day out, to contain the collateral damage to resilience and general mood. We are both adept at having enough making work to keep ourselves busy with. But it requires a lot of mental energy to keep motivated and productive when you are alone in an empty shop for large parts of the day. Sometimes returning home emotionally depleted.

We've needed a break for a long time. After over two years of working, solidly focused on the shop, even during the lockdowns. Without, as our local BBC Look East presenter Robbie West would say ' goin on nolidi'. A lot of what should have been easily manageable emotionally has becomes trickier. We are both tired, a bit worn out, but about to take a week off. This cannot come too soon. The week before October half term last year was dead, our worst week of takings, in 2020. So this should be our most opportune time. If not then January 2022 would be our next opportunity. But then -winter lockdown anyone?

Rye Castle

We booked a place on the Kent/East Sussex border in Iden Green. A village midway between Tunbridge Wells and Rye. Our journey down was smooth. A break for Brunch in Bury St Edmund's and a post M25 stop off in Tunbridge Wells. The latter has not really recovering well, retail wise, from the lockdown. This was a similar story in other towns we visited to differing degrees in Canterbury, Deal and Hastings. Anyway, in Tunbridge we had a fabulous lunch in Juliet's and then traveled on to our holiday let. 

Ashenden

Ashenden,was a bungalow with slap board exterior. The interior decor was bold, and occasionally quite camp. Obviously with 'the prosecco' weekend away in mind. One bedroom had a fake white fur counterpane with glitter in it. And a pillow that said 'Everything to make a Princess happy'. This place would more than do.

Mermaid Street Rye

We basically came here to enjoy the quaintness of Rye, and were not disappointed. We ended up book-ending our stay with two full days there. Plus dropping of twice on the way back from somewhere less salubrious, for a meal. Its a new favourite place. A few empty shops, but mostly it appeared to be doing pretty well. Some really good eateries The Whitehouse Bakery, The Fig and The Cobbles Tearoom being the outstanding ones. A wonderfully lucious hot chocolate drink emporium called Knoops. Yes, food and drink do feature prominently in our highlights.  I decided at the outset, no carrot cake, no reviews, time off from even that.

Rye Church from the Castle

Lamb House in Rye,is an elegant late Georgian town house that Henry James once owned. Its also where EF Benson the writer of Mapp & Lucia lived with his brother. The building is the model for Mallard House and Rye more generally the blueprint for Tilling.The literary connections don't stop there as John Ryan who was the creator of Captain Pugwash once lived in a house near Rye Castle. 

An Interior from Standen House

We also visited Standen House & Garden. Owned by the National Trust. Its a late Victorian Arts & Crafts country manor house in Kent  The house itself was designed by Phillip Webb, and its grounds and prospect are well worth a vist. The design detail is outstanding, it is quite homely considering it was originally supposed to be a 'country cottage', that ended up with twenty one bedrooms. Its packed full of William Morris designs and furniture and an extensive William de Morgan ceramics collection. It had a temporary exhibition of work by four contemporary makers. Also demonstrating via videos their work process and the philosophy behind their making. It reminded us why we are doing what we do, and was really inspiring to hear. 

The View from the top of Rye Church

Our day in Canterbury, provided the best flat white of the visit, at The Micro Roastery. One of the best meals, a richly flavoured mix of vegan whole foods in the Veg Box Cafe. Of course we visited the cathedral and attended a talk about the tomb of the Black Prince that was given by Jan Leeming. Yes, we were in the esteemed company of The Jan Leeming. Apart from a Park & Ride journey with an explosively wailing child that put us both on edge for over an hour afterwards, there was precious little we didn't like about Canterbury. Cathedral towns, they do possess a particular ambiance and sense of continuity as places.

Careless Persons beware!

The journey home turned into a bit of a test of endurance. There was a diesel spillage between two junctions on the M25 only ten miles or so, but it took us two and a half hours. There was quite a bit of knock on on other roads afterwards. So, though we'd originally thought we'd get to Bury by midday, it ended up being four o'clock. We must have had a good 'nolidi' because we returned home really tired but not too stressed out.

It was Half Term on our return, and the shop has performed really well. Though we've taken ten trading days out with our holidays and Sundays off, we were still ten percent up on last year. A very heartening and reassuring outcome.