Pensthorpe 2024: Around and About

A look at Pensthorpe in general before I move on to the more specialized posts that will make up the rest of this series.

Welcome to the second post in my mini-series about the WNAG day out at Pensthorpe Natural Park on Saturday. In this post I cover the stuff that does not fit in any of the more specialized posts that will follow. Here is a map of the site:

EXPLORING THE SITE

My general explorations occurred in three phases: before my first visit to the flamingo and crane areas, between that and my first visit to the waders area and between the trailer ride and my second visits to those two areas. On the last occasion I saw some of the stretch of the Wensum which winds through Pensthorpe (incidentally ‘Wensum’ derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘winding river’ and it certainly does follow a winding course – Pensthorpe to Norwich is 23 miles by road – and 30 by river). Unfortunately none of the really exotic stuff (otters and voles in one stretch, and the eponymous birds that give Kingfisher Reach its name, while it is too early in the year for dragonflies to be present) was in evidence. The main sights were a huge variety of water birds.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I start with a couple of standalone pictures to help you with identifying the birds I photographed.

Now for the full gallery…

A harvest mouse habitat – these are very tiny creatures and the glass makes photographing one an extra challenge…
…but I managed one usable picture of it.

Pensthorpe 2024 – Setting the Scene

Setting the scene for a mini-series about yesterday’s visit to Pensthorpe.

Yesterday was the West Norfolk Autism Group’s third annual outing to Pensthorpe Natural Park. This post will set the stage for a mini-series about the day.

THE PRELIMINARIES

Some of the group were making their own way to Pensthorpe, but there was also a coach laid on which was picking up and dropping back off at Gaywood. The departure time of the coach was set for 9:30AM, so I aimed to arrive at the pick up point at 9:15. I did exactly that, walking by way of the Gaywood river path, and arriving at the pick up point just as the coach was pulling in. We set off promptly, and the roads were clear. On arrival at Pensthorpe a couple of us were presented with trophies from the bowling event on April 7th.

My trophy for winning the adults section.
The trophy in its new location, next to The Mallard.

PLANNING THE DAY

Only three parts of the day were fixed: I was booked on a trailer ride at noon, lunch was scheduled for 2PM, and the coach was making its return journey to Gaywood at 3:30PM. For the rest the day was what one chose to make of it. I will now introduce the various parts of my experience, on what was a perfect day for the event – warm and sunny but not absolutely roasting.

PENSTHORPE GENERAL

One starts by putting on a wristband that indicates that admission is paid for, and then proceeds through the gift shop. I opted to start with the exit at the far end of the viewing gallery, which takes one straight to the water fowl. There were many interesting species…

SCULPTURES/ ART

I will be producing a post about this aspect of Pensthorpe. Suffice it to say for the moment that there are a number of sculptures and other art pieces to be seen along the way. Here are a few images to whet your appetite…

I put this bridge among the art elements because it is inspired by Monet’s bridge at Giverny.

THE FLAMINGOS AND CRANES

My two visits to these birds (either side of the trailer ride) will get a full blog post. For the moment…

A flamingo doing a cormorant impression.
Group shot of flamingos
The most remarkable of the four crane species at Pensthorpe, the East African Crowned Crane.

THE WADERS

The wading birds have their own special enclosure, with a netting roof over it. I visited it twice, as with the flamingos and cranes, and will be giving it a full blog post. For the moment…

THE TRAILER RIDE

This experience is not to be missed, and will get full blog post treatment. For the moment…

The trailer.
Aberdeen Angus cattle grazing.
The Maltings
The structure in the middle of this lake is for migrating terns.
bat boxes – all round the tree trunk so that the bats can always be away from direct sunshine during the day.
A greylag goose family with six youngsters walking close to the trailer.

Somerset Going Well Against Essex

A look at developments in the match between Essex and Somerset in the county championship, a mention of yesterday’s elections and a photo gallery.

It is a grim, grey day here in Norfolk (after several fine ones), but there is play happening in the County Championship. The main body of this post will look at developments in that match so far. Yesterday saw voting in various local, regional and Police and Crime Commissioner elections (only the latter for us in King’s Lynn, but I made sure to vote – Green of course). Results are coming in, and the Tories, from an already poor starting position, have had an absolute nightmare overall. Labour, the main opposition party, are not benefitting as much from this as they ought – smaller parties and well organized Independents have been gaining more in general. In relative terms the biggest gainers are my own Green party, who have gained a number of seats, including at least one, in Peterborough, where it looks very like Tory votes went mainly to Labour and some to the hard right Reform UK while a greater number of previous Labour voters switched to Green, resulting overall in “Green GAIN from Conservative”.

SOMERSET IN CONTROL

Somerset won the toss and put Essex in to bat. Dean Elgar was out cheaply, which is something of a rarity, and Somerset built on that start, picking up wickets throughout the morning. By lunch the score was 97-5. Essex suffered a body blow not very long after the resumption, when Westley was bowled by Lewis Gregory for 43 to make it 111-6. A rash shot by Harmer, a great delivery from Pretorius to bowl Harry Duke and a good delivery from Jake Ball to find the edge of Sam Cook’s bat have added to the wicket tally. Essex are now 150-9, with Snater (born in Zimbabwe, now officially Dutch and a cousin of former England white ball international Jason Roy) having brought up that score with a four. Somerset have bowled very well overall and are currently well placed.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

I got off one stop earlier than usual on my way back from work yesterday as the weather was ideal for walking . This enabled me to photograph St Faith’s Churcb

A Low Scoring Thriller in the Making

A look at developments in today’s Rachael heyhoe-Flint Trophy match between Diamonds and Blaze and a large photo gallery.

After a busy morning (a visit to the library, a visit to the bank to make a payment to the West Norfolk Autism Group and a visit to Well King’s Lynn on Loke Road for my spring Covid vaccination) I am enjoying the afternoon listening to commentary on the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy match between Diamonds and Blaze. This post looks at developments in that game so far.

THE DIAMONDS INNINGS

The Diamonds started appallingly and it took a late flourish from number nine Abigail Glen, who followed the maiden 50 she scored last time out with a robust 38 today, to boost their score even as high as 188, a total which on the face of it should not be defensible in a 50 overs per side match.

THE BLAZE REPLY

The Blaze started reasonably well, but it was the Diamonds spinners, Erin Burns of Australia and the vastly experienced Katie Levick, possibly the best female bowler in terms of documented domestic success to not have appeared at international level, who put the skids under the Blaze. Levick’s figures are barely credible for a professional limited overs match in the 2020s – she has bowled her full allocation and ended with 10-2-13-1. Burns has two wickets, Abigail Glen one, Jessica Woolston one, and Diamonds skipper Hollie Armitage has pulled of a direct hit run out. Blaze at 117-6 after 38 overs, needing 72 off the last 12 to win are definitely in some trouble. While I have been preparing this for publication three further overs have elapsed and Blaze are on to 135-6, needing 54 off nine overs to win.

PHOTOGRAPHS

With the arrival of the month of May some nice properly springlike weather has already arrived, so I have had plentiful opportunities to take photographs…

This pic and the three that follow were taken while performing an errand of mercy – in between taking the pictures I was ushering the wasp towards a window I had opened to enable it to escape into the outside where it belongs.
My first Holly Blue of the year (two pics)

Loddon Wrap Up

This is my third and final post about a big family gathering over a long weekend in honour of an aunt’s 70th birthday.

THE ACTUAL PARTY

On Saturday evening it was the party itself, which was professionally catered. The food was absolutely delicious as was the drinks, and the presents went down well with the recipient. The main course was lamb tagine, and there was pavlova for pudding. There was a large quantity of champagne, and other fine liquids.

SUNDAY

After the events of Saturday the Sunday was unsurprisingly a quiet day. Many of the guests went home that day. I got out for a walk in the middle of the day, exploring beyond the church and getting a couple of glimpses of the local river, which is a very small one. On Sunday evening I took part in a game called Seven Wonders of the World, which was a bit of fun.

TODAY

I had taken advantage of people leaving on Sunday to move into a room of my own, with rather more space than I had previously had. I was awake bright and early and packed up my stuff ready for the journey back. Just before the journey back to King’s Lynn I managed to go for a very brief walk in the morning sun and got some decent photographs. The journey back to King’s Lynn was largely uneventful, and I got back to my bungalow in north Lynn just after the start of play on day four of the fourth round of the county championship.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Here are the photographs I took from Sunday morning onwards…

I photographed this hare through the window of my then bedroom very early on Sunday morning.
Aelfric is the feature image for this post – town and village signs are a major thing in Norfolk, but even by Norfolk standards this one is impressive.
A glimpse of the river.
I walked past this thatched house as my made my way back towards the centre of Loddon from the furthest point of my walk.

Loddon Church

Loddon Church, mainly in pictures (including the mini-museum which is partway up the church tower).

Loddon Church is a remarkable edifice, and there is much that is remarkable in the inside of the building as well. There is also a mini-museum of local history up a tricky flight of stairs (it is one floor up in the church tower). The church is also a meeting point for several footpaths. If you are in the vicinity of Loddon it is a must visit.

A Weekend in Loddon

I am in Loddon for a big family get together for an aunt’s 70th birthday, and this post is intended to set the scene for probably two more such posts.

I am at a big family get together for an aunt’s 70th birthday. The clans have gathered in Stubbs House, just outside the village of Loddon, which is between Norwich and Beccles, close to the Norfolk Broads. Loddon is picturesque village with a splendid church (this latter, which includes a mini-museum of local history will be getting a whole post all to itself). The other way from Loddon is an alpaca farm which I may get to take a look at before the weekend is done (alpacas are related to llamas, and like the latter are sturdy and possessed of shaggy fur). I can also reveal courtesy of my visit to the village that the area is well served by buses, being on a major route between Norwich and the easternmost town left in the UK, Lowestoft in Suffolk (the Suffolk coast is massively subject to erosion, and one major casualty is Dunwich which once rated second only to London among UK commercial ports).

STUBBS HOUSE

Stubbs House is a colossal house (it clearly once used to be two separate houses, each of which would have been substantial). The Stubbs family must once have been very important round here – there is a fair amount named in their honour. It has a substantial garden as well. It is on the opposite side of the A146 from the village, and the centre of the village, with a splendid village sign which features a statue of the last Anglo-Saxon thegn of Loddon is about three-quarters of a mile distant, with the church a little further on. Here are some photos relating to the house itself…

LODDON VILLAGE

I have already covered the village in my introduction. Here are some photographs of the village, including one with the church in the background by way of a preview…

The official centre of Loddon.
The village sign
The war memorial with the church in the background
A local map
Two pics showing the bus route…
…and the service frequency, which is remarkably high for a non-urban route in Norfolk.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Between Thursday before and after work, walking to and from a WNAG committee meeting on Friday morning and walking into the town centre after Friday lunch to meet my parents for the journey to Loddon I also have some of my regular photos to finish proceedings…

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy Action

A look at developments in today’s Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy match between Northern Diamonds and Western Storm. Also a photo gallery.

The Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, aka the RHFT, is the English women’s domestic 50 over competition. The first round took place on Saturday, and the second round is happening today. There is live radio commentary to which I am listening of Northern Diamonds v Western Storm. This post looks at developments in that game to date.

THE NORTHERN DIAMONDS INNINGS

Northern Diamonds looked deep in trouble at 89-5, and not exactly comfortably at 177-7. However Hollie Armitage was batting superbly and she now found a really good partner in Abigail Glen. Armitage completed a fine century with successive boundaries in the 47th over of the innings, but was then out two balls later, and when Lizzie Scott was bowled first ball that was 247-9. At this point Glen, who had played the support role while Armitage was batting so well changed gear. By the start of the final over she had reached 39*, 11 short of a 50, but was at the wrong end. Diamonds number 11, the experienced Katie Levick, did not let Glen down, taking a single off the first ball of the over. Glen hit 4,4,2 and 4 in the course of the final five balls of the innings to end on 53* in a final total of 275-9. There were three wickets a piece for left arm spinner Sophia Smale, medium pacer Danielle Gibson and Australian leg spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington, though Smale was trifle erratic, reflected in the fact that her 10 overs went for 63.

THE STORM RESPONSE SO FAR

Storm have started fairly impressively, being up with the required rate, but have bene checked by a couple of quick wickets for Phoebe Turner, one of two Turners currently bowling in tandem, the other being Sophia Turner. After 16 overs Storm are 85-2, needing 191 from the last 34, and the match looks very evenly poised.

PHOTOGRAPHS

The weather was poor yesterday and has been incredibly volatile today – there has been everything from bright sun to hail, but I have been able to get some decent photos…

County Championship Round Three Nearly Done

A look at the closing stages of round three of the County Championship and a photo gallery.

Today is day four of the third round of the 2024 County Championship (except for the two matches that ended yesterday due to the pathetic weakness of Lancashire and Yorkshire respectively). The weather has consigned some games to draws, including Somerset v Nottinghamshire. However a potentially interesting finish is brewing at Hove where Sussex are taking on Gloucestershire, and there has been on major result in division one today.

SURREY MOVE INTO SECOND

Surrey started today needing five wickets to polish off Kent. When Ben Compton fell early leaving Joey Evison to shepherd the tail (and it looked a positively diplodocan tail with Matt Parkinson coming in at number eight) it looked be ending quickly. However Parkinson batted surprisingly well, and at the lunch interval he and Evison were still there. I had missed the start due to doing a few things in the town centre, and my lunch time walk, testing out a new pair of shoes caused to me to miss the start of the afternoon session as well – this time two wickets fell while I was out. I was tuned in by the time Cam Steel dismissed Jaskaran Singh to take his tally of wickets for the season to 20 (three in each innings this match). Parkinson’s resistance ended not long later for a new career best of 39, becoming Kemar Roach’s first victim of the innings, and Surrey had won by an innings and 37 runs, taking a full 24 points (16 for the win, five batting points and three bowling points) to move into second place in the table behind early pace setters Essex. Surrey, bidding for a third straight title, have demonstrated a capacity to dismiss their opponents – in such cricket as was possible in round one they had Lancashire out for 202, they took all 20 Somerset wickets in round two, and here, on a wicket that their own 543-7 declared indicated to be well suited to batting they dealt with Kent for 244 and 262. A side that has the bowling can win even if their batting is less than stellar (Yorkshire 1900s and 1930s, Surrey 1950s to give three major examples) but it is rare for sides with deep batting but little bowling to fare well, which is why I choose to emphasize Surrey’s bowling success. Last season they had seven bowlers take between 14 and 45 wickets at averages between 19 and 26 a piece. This season they are demonstrating similar bowling depth, although Steel has a commanding advantage in numbers of wickets taken.

SUSSEX V GLOUCESTERSHIRE

The first two innings in this match were both heavy scoring, but Gloucestershire had a nightmare yesterday evening, losing six wickets cheaply in their second innings. They fought back today to give themselves 144 to defend. At the moment Sussex remain heavy favourites, but they have lost four wickets, and collapses can happen.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

County Championship Round 3 Day 3

A look at developments in the county championship, with close looks at Somerset v Nottinghamshire and Kent v Surrey.

The third round of the county championship continues to progress. Essex have already polished off Lancashire by an innings and 124 runs, and Middlesex are close to completing victory over Yorkshire. Other matches are rather closer. This post looks closely at two of the games in progress.

SOMERSET V NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Somerset took a huge first innings lead over Nottinghamshire – when the eighth Somerset wicket fell the lead looked like being manageable, but then Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius batted very well, Pretorius making 77 from number 10, and Overton being stranded on 95 after a poor shot from Bashir to end the Somerset innings. Nottinghamshire are looking untroubled in their own second innings, but they are only just in credit even so.

KENT V SURREY

This is the game I am now following, and Surrey are in total control – a massive second wicket stand between Dominic Sibley and Dan Lawrence saw them into a first innings lead with nine wickets still standing, and some more aggressive later play, especially from Jamie Smith, Cam Steel and Jordan Clark saw them reach tea at 543-7, an advantage of 299, at which point, as predicted by me they declared to have a go at Kent’s second innings in the evening. Dan Worrall has just accounted for Crawley, the second time in the match he has dismissed that worthy, and Kent are currently 16-1, still 283 adrift.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Yesterday morning was a ‘just a cuppa’ for autistic adults at King’s Lynn library. This lego archiecture was constrained by how little lego was actually available for us.