Booton, 10 July 2021 - Brody's swim

We decided to go for a walk along the River Wensum, which flows through Fakenham.  There is a guide book of walks in the house which is quite old.  We found the car park at Bridge Street without any problem, but then the instructions just didn't work.  There is a path leaving the car park which could be construed as a right turn, so we followed it.  We came to the river, but which side to follow.  There were no way markings from the street.  Some investigation eventually led to the waymarked path.  Thankfully, the course of the river changes more slowly than towns develop, and we enjoyed our stroll along the river bank.  There are places where the bank is clear, and the water is easy to access.  Brody had already found a ball, so at one of these points I threw it in the water, and he had a quick swim.  The days are long past now where he would happily swim up river, so it was a quick circle and 'help me out' at the river bank.  There are some places where the river is overgrown and covered with fallen willows, at one of these points we came across some swans.  Here they are struggling through the detritus.

 

Eventually we came to the disused railway arches where the path turns, and we headed up a slight hill (this is Norfolk, remember).  Then we lost the path altogether as we found ourselves walking through a new housing estate, so we followed the road out of the estate and onto the main road back into Fakenham.

In the car park there is a fish and chip shop called 'Mr Chips'.  We ordered our lunch, two portions of plaice and chips and two cups of tea, which by this time we were in need of.  We sat in an undercover area outside the shop.  The portions were huge, so we did not finish all the chips.  As the rain was now starting, it was time to say "Goodbye, Mr Chips" and head back to Booton.

A little way along the road, a yellow light appeared on the dasboard, indicating that there is an exhaust problem.  We should take the car to a garage.  That scuppered plans for tomorrow, which are revised to 'stay in the cabin'.  Oh well, these things happen.  Yes, they do, but they should not to a car that is barely three years old and has less than 12000 miles logged.