It's not the first time I've visited Great Yarmouth so this is going to be a very brief (by my standards😉) blog post. It is, however, the first time I've actually stayed in the town centre, as normally we stay at a holiday centre in Caister, a short bus trip away in the suburbs.
Being the middle of February an abundance of shops, restaurants and tourist attractions were closed- including Brittania Pier- but that didn't bother us as we've seen it all before (been there, done that, omitted to buy the T-shirt...) Arriving hot on the heels of a storm didn't offer us the kind of clement weather that made sightseeing a delight anyway- on the first day we encountered rain and sleet (fortunately, we were cosily ensconced back in our hotel room when the hail descended!), the second day was bitterly cold and didn't lend itself to dawdling, although the third day offered some milder sunny respite. How British of me, to wax lyrical about the weather!😁
Read all about my more eventful previous visit here:-https://elainerockett.blogspot.com/search?q=great+yarmouth
One thing we did do was pop into the birth place of author Anna Sewell, writer of Black Beauty. It is right near the market, on Church Plain...
There is a plaque dedicated to her just below the tiny dormer window. She was born here on 30th March 1820, but wrote Black Beauty in Old Catton, which is north-west of nearby Norwich.
...It now houses Kirsty's Cakery...
These tea rooms are absolutely charming; top marks all round...
This gorgeous carrot cake looked (almost!) too good to eat, and was reasonably priced at only £1 per slice.
My teapot was cute, too. I take it that the house didn't double as a tea room back in Anna Sewell's day...
We walked right up to Nelson's Monument, which sits in the centre of an industrial estate and was built between 1817-1819.
It is a dedication to the local naval hero, has a statue of Britannia on the top, and is 144 ft (44 m) high. The top can be reached by 217 steps, although it only opens on some Sundays in the summer. Horatio Nelson's battles saw him lose both his right eye and right arm.
When asked to raise his right arm, when being rewarded the freedom of Great Yarmouth, apparently he replied, "That is in Tenerife!"
The idea for the Victoria Arches- named in honour of the Queen- was conceived in 1840 as part of a grander plan to turn this area of Great Yarmouth into an esteemed estate, therefore creating a fashionable seaside resort town. This larger edifice is called The Wellington Arch, and was completed in 1846.
This smaller arch is also known as The Camperdown Arch, or Wellington Mew's Arch and was built in 1847. The grandiose plans included houses and a hotel, but defective building work, smelly drains and unpaid rents meant that the plans never fully came to fruition.
The thriving leisure industry of the late 19th century meant that Great Yarmouth became a destination for all, and not just the wealthy.
I like the way the bright sunlight in this photo is throwing the foreground into partial silhouette.
Our balcony on the Embassy Hotel, which was great value for money; if in need of a little tender loving care. I described it as both decaying grandeur and shabby chic!
On a final note, this weird thing was on the bar (maybe it's a beer pump?) in the King's Wine Bar. I just thought I'd include it as it's... different, rather like me...😆
I will return to the hotel, but until then...
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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