James, right, and friend Joe, netted more than 100 crabs each night

A stunning sunset at Burnham Overy Staithe

Once again I was totally entranced by North Norfolk’s natural, unspoilt beauty, its gentle sloping freshly harvested golden fields framed by miles of lush hedgerow; the narrow lanes lined with rustic flint cottages adorned with fragrant roses and sturdy hollyhocks; the endless joy of exploring the coast’s saltmarshes and mudflats, made all the more glorious by unbroken blue skies and sunshine, complete with the gentlest breeze enabling me to savour each special moment while the rest of the country melted. We even missed the worst of the week’s torrential storms. Can you blame for for staying on an extra couple of days?

Then, of course, there was my hero Lord Nelson, whose aura becomes stronger each year I return to his homeplace and learn more about his remarkable life. This description in his parish church sums him up perfectly:

“Nelson had seemed all things to all men; fearless but vulnerable; vain but insecure; morally upright yet flawed; ruthless yet humane; classless but ambitious; both superman and everyman.”

Are these the qualities/characteristics our leading politians should aspire to?

I bought three special books to cherish my memories – a charming historical narrative written as if by his own hand called I am Horatio Nelson. Nelson had a complicated lovelife, but was true to his heart, and I shall enjoy learning more in Nelson’s Women by the extremely aurthoritive Tom Pockock. Although I very much enjoy taking pics, they could never be the same quality produced in this recently republished stunning collection called Elements of the North Norfolk Coast by David North and Martin Hayward Smith.

I was holidaying with my youngest son James, 13, and we were joined by friends and family throughout the week. Although all good things have to come to an end, I am looking forward to a brief return visit on Saturday to see the English Chamber Orchestra Ensemble performing two favourite pieces of classic music – Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major and Schubert’s String Quintet in C major at Burnham Market’s summer concert. I am an aspiring, but sadly lapsed clarinetist, due to my commitment to blogging (though I still have lessons). And I am determined that one day I will play the hauntingly beautiful Adagio from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.

P.S. Mustn’t forget to mention that I saw Stephen Fry too and he looked truly magnificent and statuesque, having dinner in the Hoste Arms, which also staged another wonderful jazz evening with legend Stan Tracey when an extremely memorable reading of Under Milk Wood was given by Philip Madoc.