The one we went to on bank holiday Monday has a seventies latin theme to it and some amazing entertainment. I particularly loved the Cuban Brothers and, of course, DJ Craig Charles. Here’s some pictures from the evening.

There were so many good outfits. This is just the group of people I went with. Norwich is a fashionable place and people really know how to dress seventies style. This isn’t a bunch of people just putting on anything they can get their hands on, they treat the affair as seriously as a poker player playing on an all-in round. For more on how awesome Norwich is, take a look at the Bo Nanafana Gallery.

My outfit on the left and the boyfriend’s handlebar moustache on the right. (75% his own facial hair.)

The Cuban Brothers

THE Craig Charles. Never thought I’d be interested to see him but he’s such a character. When the music stopped he managed to keep the crowd going by just having a little chat. (Although in hindsight it may have been a better time to go to the bar. The queues were massive. It took us half an hour, on average, to get drinks.)

The event took place at Open, which is a new venue in Norwich. Other than the difficulty of getting to the bar and the cloakroom, it’s a really nice place. Big and open (!) with a huge stage.

Take a look at the Bo Nanafana website for me details of the events. And take a look at Open’s website to see what else is going on there.

During the high tides the birds feed on the mudflats, as the tide comes in it pushes them closer to the shore until they all take off and head for the nearby lagoons. We arrived at 5:45am as we were told by the RSPB website. We took a pleasant walk to the viewing area as it was beginning to get light.

When we got to the mudflat we realised the tide was already in! We were disappointed because we thought we’d missed everything. Clearly the strong winds had brought the tide in early. We still continued and eventually stopped to watch the black-headed seagulls, Graylag geese and knots swirl around above the water.

It continued to get light and soon we could see whole flocks of knots out to sea swirling above the water. One of our group who’d been to the wader spectacular before said it was more amazing to see the birds flying than to watch them wade closer to the shore.

We must’ve watched them for near a hour. Occasionally we’d catch a glimpse of some oyster catchers or avocets and a few Greylag geese flew past close enough for me to get some lovely photographs but it really was the swirling groups of knots that stole the show.

These are the knots, the light was catching their white bellies beautifully.

Two Greylag Geese.

More knots. Occasionally they’d fly really close to the shore but they spent a lot of their time in huge groups near the horizon. Depending on which way they turned they either looked black or white in the sunlight.

You can see in the above shot the black backs of the knots in the foreground then further back the white dots that are also knots as they turned their undersides towards us. Further in the background you can see Lincolnshire on the other side of the Wash.

The clouds began to break and we were treated to the beautiful skies that Norfolk is so well known for.

Once we’d had our fill of swirling black clouds of knots we headed to the lagoon to see the birds having a bit of a rest. On the way we were distracted by an owl (who I didn’t manage to photograph), we later found out that it was a short-eared owl.

While trying to spot said owl we realised there was a group of hare running around ahead of us. They were quite far away but I managed to take one shot (above) where you can just about see two hares with a goose relaxing in the middle of them.

A flare then went off and we were about to complain about the noise when the flapping of wings surrounded us and all the birds from the nearby lagoon took off into the air.

It was a mixture of knots and oyster catchers. A really spectacular sight.

The birds eventually settled back down and here you can see the pale grey knots next to the black oyster catchers on the shingle bank.

There were also avocets, gulls and cormorants aplenty.

A little black-headed gull was kind enough to pose right outside the hide we were in.

I would highly recommend an early-morning visit to Snettisham. Take binoculars and have a little patience. It’s well worth it.

Take a look at the RSPB Snettisham site for further information. It’s easy to get to if you are staying in Cromer, Sheringham, Cley or any of the surrounding coastal villages and towns. We drove from Roughton and it took about an hour.

The majority of my images were taken with a Canon 70-300mm lens on a Canon 450d. A few of the wider shots were taken with the standard 18-55mm lens. Take a look below for more images from the visit to Snettisham.

The trail is called Ingworth – The Long Way Round and is a series of 13 caches over approximately four miles. They are all relatively easy with straightforward clues and hiding places. It’s was a beautiful, sunny Thursday when we went and I managed to get some lovely photos of the walk.

Firstly, the wine list is extensive and while I don’t know a lot about wine, I’m sure there’s something here for everyone.

Having never had souffle before I decided to go with that to start. It was soft, fluffy, light and came with a tangy roasted butternut squash and tomato relish.

The main was also a delight. I had venison, cooked rare, with bubble and squeak cake. My friend and I also shared some seasonal vegetables that were wonderfully delicious.

I have to say, none of the deserts really appealed to me. However, I’m not usually a desert fan anyway. The entire menu is well thought out and inventive but none of the dishes are daunting or over the top in any way. On offer are simple dishes with a little bit of flair that comes from a passion for cooking.

The interior of the restaurant is bright, welcoming and cosy. The service was friendly and personal and we didn’t have to wait too long at all between courses.

Between us we had two courses each plus a desert to share (which I was too full to eat) along with a bottle of wine. The total was around £90 with a tip.

Bishop’s Dining Room and Wine Bar

8-10 St Andrew’s Hill, Norwich

Tel: 01603 767321

http://www.bishopsrestaurant.co.uk

The flower delivery company surveyed 3000 people across the UK to find out which region is the most romantic. All this data has been stuffed into a Facebook app. Along with the regional information, the survey also shows that those that jointly own a pet are also very likely to get married.

The results were surprising and enlightening, revealing that men and women in East Anglia or the South East are the most likely to say yes to getting married…

• Men and women living in East Anglia or the South East are the most likely to say yes to a marriage proposal (78% and 77% respectively)
• Compare that to 58% of men and women in the North East
• But in the figures for the South East, London is an exception for men, with the percentage of men likely to say yes to a marriage proposal dropping to 52%

Try the Interflora Love Machine app for yourself on Facebook at www.facebook.com/interfloratheflowerexperts

(For those who are interested, I tried the Love Machine app. If I propose to the boyfriend there’s a 53% chance he’d say yes. I might hold off…)

Another guest post from Ali from Bunn the Baker.

That oh-so-daunting time of year is coming up again – February half term. You need to juggle all the kids’ requests with the limited post-Christmas funds and, if you’re not smart about it, you can end up making a mess of things.

BeWILDerwood is an amazing tree-house adventure situated in woodland near Wroxham. Public transport is available to get there and back, but driving is much easier if you can. Plan for a whole day there (they welcome picnics) and be prepared to get involved yourself. It’s certainly not one of those places where you’ll want to stand by and watch the kids having all the fun!

You’ll start off with a height check to determine how much to pay, followed by a short boat ride to get to the main part of the park. The path around the woods is dotted with amazing tree-houses, slides, zip-wires and swings suitable for the very youngest right up to the grand-parents. It was nice to see that there are also a few bits designed especially for wheelchair users too. There are story times and activities throughout the day and several cafés to get a hot cup of tea.

The park is open for February half term with special events taking place throughout the week. You can pre-book your tickets online and, if you live nearby, it really is worth getting an annual pass!

BeWILDerwood
Horning Road,
Hoveton,
Norfolk,
NR12 8JW

01603 783900
www.bewilderwood.co.uk

Finding things to do with the kids can be really hard. You’ve got to choose something the little ones can do which won’t bore the older ones and which you can put up with too. I’m lucky enough to live really close to Funky’s in Norwich which claims to be Norfolk’s only purpose built roller skating rink and boasts a three floor play area too.

She assured me that her personal trainer was not like that and she’d had the same fears. I decided to buckle up the courage to send an email to Dynamic Fitness and Coaching asking what they could do for me. I got a phone call shortly after and had a session booked for the following day with Dale.

Six months on I have lost 40lbs, I’ve applied for my first 5k race and I’m fitter than I have ever been.

The atmosphere in the studio is relaxed, friendly and, amazingly, fun. It’s not like being in a gym, it’s just you and your trainer.

I would recommend Dynamic to anyone whether it’s for weight loss, general fitness or if you are training for something big. I never would’ve been able to make such amazing changes to my life without them! They also do a range of classes.

A one hour personal training session costs £35 and they can be found at 93-97 Ber Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 3EY.

Call 01603 699976 or visit www.getdynamic.co.uk for more info.

The wood is just two and a half miles outside of North Walsham. It has its own car park, a few waymarked trails for walkers and plenty of Geocaches to find (should you be able to get GPS signal under all the tree cover).

Take a look at the Forestry Commission’s page on the wood for further details.

Let me share with you some photos taken from a recent walk there. Those you see in the pictures are my boyfriend, his sister and her boyfriend. The little dog is Milo.

Before I give you my own review, you have the chance to win an Intense Balm of your choice just by following on Twitter or liking on Facebook. The competition ends when they both reach 100 followers/likes.

There are various different products and each one comes in four different options:

Levelling
Neroli, grapefruit and a hint of rosemary will balance and harmonise the senses whilst working perfectly for dry and mature skin.

Grounding
Frankinsense, Patchouli and a bit of ginger works well on dry and dehydrated skin. The scent will also help to relax and calm you.

Sparkling
Bergamot, melissa and rosemary will uplift and revive you whilst working wonders for dry skin.

Nurturing
A simple mix of palmarosa, pure Norfolk and Swedish beeswax is perfect for dry and sensitive skin.

The Intense Balms really steal the show, they are versatile little tubs of wonder that can be used on face, body, hands and feet. A little bit can soothe dry skin and there’s nothing in them that Palm & Sole don’t tell you about. Nothing to aggravate skin, clog pores or damage the environment, just beautiful, natural ingredients.

If you want to have a sniff and a try for yourself then pop over to Jarrold’s where there’s a lovely Palm & Sole display in the beauty section. Take a look at www.palm-and-sole.com for further information.

The products can also be purchased online from Jarrold’s.

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