Trailer Park Stevensons

We used to survive with cars that had no air-con, 'hardly ever needed it, but it seems that even with a new car, it's a case of use it or lose it. If you haven't switched it on in 10 months, it just seems to have lost the plot; the light comes on but no one's home.

Then there is the British Bank Holiday phenomenon. Banks used to open on every working day, Monday to Friday, but close at any time that you could get there without taking a day off work. Now it doesn't matter when they open, because none of us ever go there, but we still have Bank Holidays. It always rains or worse. If this only happened to bankers, we would all approve, but a Bank Holiday storm can strike anyone, anywhere.

So, we took a trip to Norfolk in the new car which has broken air conditioning, but the brakes are good and the windows shut, to stay in a trailer belonging to MENCAP on South Beach in Heacham, just outside "Sunny Hunny" (Hunstanton). 'Not inspiring at first, but we grew to love it.

The weather was really rough for the first couple of days and the caravan bounced alarmingly until the man came and bolted it down, so we didn't even go to the beach. On Bank Holiday Monday we went inland to see the Morris Dancers at Burnham Market and discovered a great hotel for lunch, an artist in residence and the UK's most amazing hat shop. Tuesday's weather was even worse so we went to see Nanny McPhee Two at the local theatre which doubles as a cinema.

But from then on it was National Air-con Week; and we didn't have one. We spent less time in the car and more time on the beach, which faces North-West across the Wash (famous because King John lost his treasure out there in the mud trying to get across at low tide). There are only two states of tide in the Wash; in or out! It all happens so fast. One minute you are all building sand castles in a tiny strip of sand near the dunes; the next you are spread out over hundreds of square miles of tidal flats, with just you and the birds. Dan set out for Lincolnshire twice, but but the need for a loo break overtook him both times. It was surreal to walk out so far into the sea, only inches deep, with the sky reflected all around, and with thousands of oystercatchers and knots (actually named after King Canute, who tried to turn back the tide) feeding close by.

One evening we strolled along the top of the beach and discovered a series of quirky sea-side holiday homes, made from the hulls of old fishing boats. I really fancy renting one next year. 'Not at all practical, but really impressive when the hairdresser asks you "What are you doing for a holiday this year?"

Just a few miles to the east there are no beaches but miles of creeks and salt-marshes where the birds breed and roost at high tide. These are less popular spots with tourists and there are no caravan parks, or even many car parks. We stopped at one to watch avocets, redshanks, oystercatchers and plovers going about their business.

The Norfolk Coastal Walk links a spectacular chain of nature reserves and wild places, while, a couple of miles inland, National Cycle Route Number 1 runs along the ridge, parallel to the coast. It's a very narrow, single track road, so if you meet another car you have to get onto the grass (unless you drive a car made in Germany, in which case, you plough on regardless). Fortunately, you hardly see any cars and you can cruise along at maybe 20 mph, birdwatching all the way, for hours. One stop on the route is Holkam Hall, which is the ancestral home of the Earls of Leicester and the biggest private estate in England (reputedly). 'Worth a visit, anyway.

On our last day we had a swim and then packed the car for the two-hour journey home. With time to spare we stopped for lunch at a local deli where we discovered the merits of Snowdonia Black Bomber Cheese. Get some! Then a prolonged stop at Skulthorpe Nature Reserve to see Marsh Harriers feeding their chicks in the reeds by courtesy of an amazing array of cameras that send pictures back to the hides, the centre and the Internet. Dan enjoyed it, especially the technology.

So ended a very successful holiday for us. We had help from Shirley who looked after Dan while we loaded up the car at the start, and from Bridget who gave each of us a break to do something for ourselves on the Thursday, but we felt we did amazingly well, considering that we didn't have help from Dan's brother Nick help either. Dan was a star. Caravans suit him, which is a good thing, because we have booked another one in August at Caistor.

To see the pictures, go to http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh129/jimstevenson2/Heacham%202010/