A Short Break in Great Yarmouth
Together with my wife Anne and our youngest son Robin, I had a short break recently in Great Yarmouth.
Coming from by the sea (my home town is Southend, although I live in Leicester now), it is always nice for me to be able to breathe in some proper sea air.
It was a long time since I had visited this interesting town, but although I did do a little investigating of the older parts, Anne and I both kept this sort of thing to the minimum. Most of the break was just what is now termed chilling out.
We stayed at the Cleasewood Hotel, where Carol and Terry made us very welcome and where the rates were very reasonable.
From our bedroom window, we could not only see the sea but also the town football club, with the oldest stand of any sports venue still in operation. Robin`s bedroom overlooked the coach park, on the site of the former Beach railway station.
There is a good range of seaside attractions, including two piers, although being February not everything was open.
The Old Town retains some interesting features, notably some lengthy sections of the Town Wall, the ruined Greyfriars Cloisters and the Tolhouse, which may be the oldest civic building in England.
We went to the Hollywood Cinema, built as an aquarium, twice. One night we saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, and the next night Danny Boyle`s "Slumdog Millionaire", which a few days later won no fewer than eight Oscars.
Among the other ways we enjoyed ourselves were visiting the Sea Life Centre; having our first meal at Harry Ramsden`s; and ten pin bowling on Wellington Pier.
On the Sunday morning Anne and I visited the enormous St. Nicholas Priory Church for their service. It`s probably best to say that it was a most unusual experience, and leave it at that.
Anyway, it was a relaxing few days, and I would not be averse to spending time at Great Yarmouth again.
Posted by colin on Saturday 28th February, 2009 at 7:54pm