East Anglia

As it takes lots of time To make my poems rhyme For this one I have chose To write it more like prose…

Saturday dawned so bright As we headed away Cross the country we sped Bound for East Anglia

We stopped briefly en route Poplar Mini Railway Round the garden centre Just the shortest foray

Then onward we did go Destined for Stowmarket Past the church, round the green A quaint old, beamed cottage

A shed to keep our bikes Pots and pans for our use Two big bedrooms upstairs What more could we ask for?

Unpacked, then to explore Countryside so nearby We ventured to Onehouse Though we saw more than that!

Fin’lly found old station Crossing barriers came down Watched as the train passed Then shrouded by tall crops

A circuitous rail route To get to Sudbury Thence to an old railway Ran through the Colne Valley

We had booked on ahead But the place was quiet Sat down to eat our lunch Too hot to rush today.

Tried the 1.30 train But the signals were stuck So we sat and waited Until, at least, ’twas green

Ride shuttled to and fro Was only a short haul Carriages aplenty Foliage - lots of hedge

Then back onto our bikes Spied Castle Hedingham High on top of that hill Twixt rolling, rural lanes

Next destination Bures From whence some family came Saw full-looking graveyard And lovely stone-by churchyard

Monday, another red, hot day Again we’d booked ahead For a woodland train ride Didn’t do fairy walk!

Audley End House - pretty Geese and ducks on their lake Concrete pill box there too Lots to see and enjoy

Cambridge - full of people All rushing here and there Getting on with their life A normal working day

Cycling on rural lanes Exploring great outdoors Taking a leis’ly ride Churches, thatches, country

Tuesday first to Norwich On a ranger ticket Branch line to Sheringham But no trains go to Wells…

Biked along the Coast Road Up and down, up and down Fields still full of baled hay More churches, village signs

Got to Wells-next-the-sea For two mini railways One into countryside One by the quay - seaside!

Then back along the lanes Views of sea and sand dunes A church with two towers And the windmill at Cley

Arrived back at Sheringham With its heritage railway And there’s shops aplenty Postcards, magnets, ice cream…

Wednesday, an early start Northwards bound to Ely Walked across the city To marvel at cathedral

The historic buildings Give it such character The last time I was there Was with dad on the tandem

Then onwards to Kings Lynn Just seeing what is there Sweet shop and cake shop too Another small railway

To Bury St Edmunds A short while to explore The shops on their high street Red-latticed church tower

After dinner a ride As far as Wattisham Where there is an airfield ‘copter exercising

A pretty village sign With a cat sat nearby Then a muntjac espy Ducks sat in the roadway

‘twas inevitable That the rain came down But because we are booked Outward we will still go

Bound for Reedham by train Outward via Norwich With rather a long wait And then a walk at end

Pettitts Animal Park Had fairground rides there too Saw lemurs and meerkats Owls, monkeys and raccoons

Took a scenic route back Clocking up railway miles Via Lowestoft and Beccles and Ipswich too

By evening rain had gone We ate and then did ride This time to Finborough Roads rolling up and down

Friday was very wet So we rode trains not bikes Ipswich and Felixstowe Then back towards Cambridge

But ‘twas not meant to be For a signal failure Meant trains would all stop short And be replaced by bus!

So we changed our plans… At Bury we did alight Caught a train to Ely Then onward to Norwich

Rain persisted all day So trained to Great Yarmouth Back via Berney Arms Fin’lly to Stowmarket

Showers into the eve So no ride did we take Instead we watched Netflix Which we don’t do at home

Saturday was quite grey Caught train down to Ipswich Then onto Lowestoft Cycled north to theme park

More railways there are there And some chair lifts with views Their sealions perform tricks And their parrots do talk

Tried to find a quiet path But before we got far It became a mud trap All overgrown with weeds

Back tracked to the A road Thus northward we then sped Great Yarmouth came in sight With train due to depart

So our last night had come Time now to pack away Ready to head for home Yes, all good things must end

Sunday also dawned grey Dampness was in the air But for our last foray Biked to Needham Market

Despite carrying our bags Just a short hop from there To Ipswich yet again. Then on towards London

But Paddington station Was full to the rafters No one dared to mention ‘bout social distancing

Someone hit by a train No mainline trains moving So to save crowding on We went to Marylebone

A meandering route But there was no great rush Through Wycombe to Oxford Then Didcot for Swindon!