Kings Lynn to Well-next-the-Sea

May 10, 2022

a new camera

It rained during the early hours and it's all a bit grey this morning as I retrace the route back into town, past a nearby pub called Live & Let Live. There's a twang of regret at not having a beer in it last night on the way back from the Indian. What a great name.

The ruins of an abbey are on this side of Kings Lynn, so I take a quick look, with Greyfriars Tower still standing tall.

The centre of town is just coming to life and Cafe Roasta is on one of the first corners and has a group of tables outside and as dining al fresco always appeals I get a seat and order from a breakfast menu and end up with what's known as a Full English for £7:00. It'll get me down the road.

The old part of Kings Lynn is built around the quayside and it may be hard to get your head around now, but back in the 14th century, the port was regarded as the most important in England.

I make my way to the waterside and set up my tripod on a narrow, cobbled alley that leads away from the quay. The camera's programmable timer is set to take three shots of me after 15 seconds, but just after I press the shutter release and get back on my bike, a sudden gust blows the tripod over and the camera lands face down on the cobbles with a nasty bang. I instinctively know this is not good and sure enough the lens has been bent out of shape and no long retracts into the body. The focus is very blurred. It's kaput.

It occurs to splash out on a new camera, but I prefer to research what's on the market first and after a two guys clearing tables at the back of the adjacent Bank House Hotel tell me where a couple of pawn shops are, off I ride in search of a cheap, second-hand replacement.

The first shop - Complete Entertainment Exchange - is big yet doesn't have any pocket cameras. It's just a handful of hefty and pricey DSLRs, so I make my way across to the south side of town and find Cash Converters, where the pickings also look very slim.

The tattooed young guy behind the counter tells me he does have a little camera, but it needs testing. He tells me the battery is needs charging and if it works it'll only cost about 10 quid. It appears to be OK and will do the job while I'm in the UK, so I head across the road and sit at a table next to the window in a long cafe imaginatively called Eatwell and make my coffee last about 30 minutes.

It's bad news. The little camera doesn't work, so again I look at what's on display in the glass cabinet. There's a Nikon DSLR for 200 quid, and a Canon priced at £95. It's a D200 and has a zoom lens and comes with a charger and a spare battery, plus a 4GB memory card. I take a few shots outside the shop and it seems to work fine, and when the guy drops the price to £80 I have a 'new' camera to keep me going.

Yes, it's lumpy and there's no strap or case, but before throwing away my little Canon GX7, I remove the wrist strap and put that on. The thing just fits in my roomy Cannondale handlebar-bag.

After all that, I have another quick look around the quay and try out the camera. I soon realize it's set to take RAW and that gets changed to JPEG. Being a bit old, the timer is fixed to take just one shot after 10 seconds, so that's going to make self-timed photos a problem. The other negative aspect is it has a viewfinder, while my little Canon had a swivel screen that made it easy to see the shot, without having to bend low and strain my neck.

Shots now taken with my 'new' camera...

The first photo with my 'new' Canon d700 camera

The checkered stone and flint facade of the Guildhall (1422 - 1428)

Reprising the shot I was taking when my camera fell onto the cobbles - King's Staithe Lane

Purfleet Quay with the Customs House on the right

It's 11 o'clock when I finally get going. I ride north on a bike path that ends at a road and I get a bit confused and end up lost on the outskirts of Kings Lynn. It's one of those days.

Eventually I find signs to the bike path and make my way to Castle Rising. before going around the place, I call in at the cafe across the road. It's lunch time and I get a table in a room upstairs all to myself and have some wholesome soup and a wedge of cake to perk me up.

The man in the ticket office asks if I qualify for a concession and I do so entrance is £4:00. It's the first time I've been asked. I count my blessings.

What looks to be a starling's nest in a staircase window

It's about two o'clock when I get back on my bike and ride north and it's almost five when I reach Burnham Market. The hotel has a room but a single is £99. It's a nice village, full of flint-built cottages and with lots of character, but Wells-next-the-Sea is not too far away and as that's my designated goal for today, I opt to keep on cycling.

My route eventually takes me through the grounds of Holkham Hall - it's called Holkham Park - and once through the impressive gates the long drive leads past an 80-foot-tall obelisk (1729-30) and a 17th century, thatched-roof Ice House. The main building, which is huge, stands right beside a lake. It all appears closed for the day. I don't have time to look around anyway. It looks like a full day would be needed.

Ice House with Holkham Hall in the distance

There's a bit of A149 to cycle along, but it is not too busy and before long I'm at the sea front and can smell fish and chips. I soon find the source and go in, but after waiting ten minutes to get served, or just acknowledged, I give up and head off to find a bed.

The Globe Hotel is closed and a female staff member in the nearby Crown says £119 is the best she can do. A man sat outside enjoying a whiskey tells me Manor Farm is likely to be cheaper and it's only a minute away, so that's where I end up. It's still £90.

Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 340 km (211 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	9
Comment on this entry	Comment	0