Guest blogger Katie from Shout Out South Norfolk explores her local area and reveals how local people can enjoy spending their holidays in Norfolk.
Although there isn’t an enormous difference between the weather in the UK and the weather in the Mediterranean right now, many of us disappear abroad at this time of year for a bit of heat and a bit of culture.
However, staying put is a reality for just as many people, although having a ‘holiday’ where you live and work can seem a bit boring. But it needn’t be.
I’ve always lived in Norfolk. I’ve clocked up many favourite haunts across the north of the county, where I grew up. I’ve also spent time living and working under the bright lights of Norwich.
But south Norfolk was alien to me.
Flat, interspersed with small market towns and up to 40 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Norwich, I found it hard to get excited about the south of the county. Even though I moved there.
Exploration was put on the backburner while I juggled a toddler, a baby, working, eating, sleeping and repeating.
But this spring I got serious about where my children were going to make their childhood memories and went all in getting to know it.
Armed with a map, my iPhone, a toddler and a vague sense of direction, I set out determined to find the best bits of south Norfolk, just as a tourist would.
I thoroughly enjoyed every second of our adventure and am pleased to have built some south Norfolk roots and created some memories.
Whatever you’re up to this summer, no doubt you’ll be spending a lot of time at home. With the weather so nice – and if you have the desire to get out and about and enjoy it – you may wish to consider looking at where you live with a fresh pair of eyes.
Here are my tips for spending your holidays in Norfolk.
- Get onto Google. I was shocked by how little I knew about the history of my local area. I Googled my new hometown of Diss and learned its history before setting out to find evidence of it.
- Just do it! That place you’ve always wanted to visit or driven past? Go there! That restaurant that’s been recommended to you? Book a table. The footpath you have longed to amble down? Walk it!
Read more: Royal Norfolk Show
- Dessert is the way forward. Create that holiday feeling by going out for dessert after dinner, even if you just get an ice-cream from the local shop!
- Go to a local fete or festival. It was great going to South Norfolk on Show and seeing some of the fantastic businesses and organisations that operate in the area. Not sure what’s on? Social media is great for finding events in your area. Use the hashtags #norfolk #events to find out what’s happening.
Use the hashtags #norfolk #events to find out what’s happening
- Chat with the locals. Get chatting to the people in the shop, your neighbour, other parents at the park – you never know what you will find out. I’ve learned a lot from people I have spoken to on my adventures around south Norfolk this year.
- Eat locally. Buy strawberries from the market to eat them in the garden on a picnic blanket. Treat yourself to some cheese and bread for lunch. And what about rounding off a warm, sunny day with a local tipple? We’re lucky to have loads of excellent food producers in Norfolk, so head to the nearest farm shop for starters.
Got somewhere in Norfolk that you want to shout about? Leave a comment below or visit inNorfolk on Facebook.
