3 - 6 December 2024
A few days in North-west Norfolk, not the most exotic destination, indeed not overcrowded with visitors in early December, but full of surprises: a “Christmas Spectacular” to beat all Christmas spectaculars; and a morning watching birds along the marshland coast - only a surprise for an urban person like me.
We were staying with our generous friend, Gervas Steele, in the village of Burnham Market, one of the seven Burnhams that include Burnham Overy Staithe on the coast.
Christmas Spectacular
The surprise of all surprises was our evening entertainment, the “Christmas Spectacular” at the tiny nearby village of Thursford. (See the photo above.) Thursford has a population of only 205, according to Wikipedia. Not a metropolis, but home to this amazing event.
The “Spectacular” is an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza with over 100 performers. It runs during the weeks before Christmas and attracts an audience of apparently 1,400 people every night (and twice on some days). We were among the happy 1,400.
It was great fun. Highly professional, involving much music and dancing, but also acrobatics and juggling. We had two balletic acrobats - or perhaps acrobatic ballet dancers - from Ukraine performing movingly to the strains of Send in the Clowns. We also had another couple of acrobats, not really dancers, doing their act to a disguised version of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. There were troups of gorgeous sequined dancers covering themselves, some of the time, with vast red feathers. It finished with some more traditional choral singing, reminding us that it was meant to be a “Christmas” show. And finally, finally, by some white doves flying across the auditorium. All in a village of 205 inhabitants!
I should mention the compere, Lloyd Hollett, who had a string of jokes rolling off his tongue, none of which I can remember and most of which I didn’t get. But I did get the one about a poor girl called Tess and the problems she could face if she married a Mr Tickle.
As you can imagine, it didn’t happen in a converted barn. The whole thing started some years ago with a museum: a museum of steam engines. Started by the father of the local man, John Cushing, who now runs it and is apparently a very hands-on director. It takes place in a vast auditorium, obviously. It attracts people from all over the country. It’s apparently a sell-out as from May. They claim that it’s the biggest Christmas show in Europe - or possibly the universe.
Birdwatching
And now for something completely different!
We were on the north coast of Norfolk with its marshes and sand dunes, looking out onto the North Sea. Paradise for birds. More of a challenge, perhaps, for urban human beings. It’s owned and run by the Coke family from Holkham Hall just inland.
Our friend Gervas had asked nervously whether we would be interested in watching birds. A good question. Although not a countryman, I am up for anything new. So yes, definitely.
The Norfolk coast is capable of being wild and rugged. I was picturing us wading through marshes in our gumboots. But all was relatively gentle, even if a bit cold. Mercifully, no rain to speak of.
Gervas had arranged to meet up with the highly distinguished Richard Foss, who certainly knows about birds. He has devoted his life to the study of the natural world, particularly that section located in north-west Norfolk. He came armed with binoculars and even a telescope and guided us immaculately. Most of the walking was on paths and walkways. So no worries about the lack of gumboots.
I wish I could give a proper account of the various birds we saw. The ones I like to see are the raptors: red kites, marsh harriers and also a solitary buzzard sitting on a post waiting for its lunch. Otherwise: egrets, godwit, wigeon, mallards and ducks galore, many wintering in Norfolk having spent the summer elsewhere, or maybe on their way to warmer climes - all identified and described by Richard.
A new one for me was, not a bird, but a smallish animal wandering through a field: a chinese water deer, looking to me rather like a muntjac. As its name indicates, not a native to this country. Richard said that it had probably escaped from somewhere like Woburn Abbey. Soon we saw several more, so it must have escaped with some friends.
Cokes of Holkham
I am sure the Coke family deserve much credit for the preservation and management, over the years, of the areas we explored.
They are descended from the great 17th century lawyer Sir Edward Coke, the Lord Chief Justice who was a thorn in the flesh of Charles I and was behind the Petition of Right that some of us studied in our youth.
It was later Cokes who became Earls of Leicester and were responsible for building the splendid Holkham Hall and, doubtless, creating the estates that we are now able to enjoy.
Tony Herbert
17 December 2024
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