Season: autumn
Cromer was popularised in Victorian times. It’s a combination of the old and the new. The historic seafront has Bed and Breakfasts that date back to the late 1800’s. Landscaped cliff gardens, which bloom with colour during the summer months, overlook vast stretches of unspoilt, sandy beach. A small funfair near the town is ideal for young children, while all ages will enjoy crabbing, a pastime keenly pursued along the spectacular pier. The narrow streets are filled with interesting shops and plenty of places to enjoy the excellent food, including the famous Cromer crab.
Jocasta’s view of the beach as a reference point through generations.
The pier at Cromer and its setting.
Season: summer
You can have your crab boiled and dressed in Cromer and there’s nowhere better to enjoy it. The warm sunshine had brought the crowds out during this summer visit. Families played on the golden sands and visitors thronged the characterful streets above and behind the strand itself. As the sea foamed under the pier’s foundations, I met Sam, who was enjoying the elemental dynamic whilst developing cycling shapes and stunts.
The elemental dynamic of the beach for Sam.
The beach and the pier at Cromer, as seen from above.
Sea salt, sunshine, hats on, wet dogs, picnics, paddling, happy kids, fish and chips, ice cream, fleeces, sandy towels, pink cheeks, greedy gulls, lifeboats, time out, cliff tops, stone skimming, solace seeking, harvest moon melting to a puddle in a silver sea.
Having lived all my life within a few miles of the beach, and having a father who comes from the Shetland Islands I think it is completely in my blood. I almost get slightly anxious if I have not been ‘to the edge’ in a while. The beach has always been a place of safety, of retreat in bad times. A haven in fun times. A thinking space, a creative space, somewhere to clear my head. To just sit and be. It is my go to place. I have so many memories of the beach it is hard to pick out my favourite times, but I think the time my fiancé and myself bought two comfortable chairs, and took them down to the beach for the first time is certainly one of them. We are getting on a bit and the rug on the sand was just not cutting it anymore, so we invested in the chairs. We always BBQ and have a bottle of fizz handy and on this occasion we took our wet suits and had a moonlight swim, which was magical. After the swim, BBQ and fizz we fell asleep in the chairs, it was a warm balmy night, and I woke up to a pitch black sky filled with stars, three hours later. We somehow gathered all our stuff together and walked home feeling elated and alive.