Bags packed and ready to check out of the hotel, we chose not to eat in the Brewers Fayre but instead to head out to a nearby mill that advertised ‘cooked breakfasts’ every day. As we neared the mill it appeared to be closed and not at all inviting.

We drove the short distance to Acle where we had breakfast in Scooters Café. The breakfast was amazing. There was a build your own option which suited me perfectly; I chose egg, tomatoes and hash brown with a slice of brown toast.

After breakfast we drove to Ely Cathedral, a perfect place to reflect on the loss of our friend. We arrived to the sound of children singing; I think they were practising for a concert they were due to perform in. This meant that for a while the central part of the cathedral was not fully accessible.

Currently on display at Ely Cathedral is an exhibition called ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ by Sean Henry. The exhibition displays sculptures of figures of varying scales in strategic places both within the cathedral and the grounds outside. The figures are captivating and intriguing, causing pause for thought.

We had lunch in the Almonry Café where we both chose tuna mayo sandwiches before heading homeward. We had a brief stop at a motorway service on the way home. The food and drink options didn’t suit us (modern life being about burgers and paper cups)) so after a leg stretch, we returned to the car but not before I was tempted to buy a Krispy Kreme donut (Biscoff Brookie) which I ate in the car.

Back home after picking up milk and visiting mum we had a cuppa and unpacked our bags before dining on stew made with leftover chicken. It was delicious.

After the long walk into town the previous evening, we decided that we wouldn’t be in the mood to walk into town for breakfast so we booked a table in the Brewers Fayre restaurant which is located next door to the hotel. This turned out to be a wise move because a lot of people without bookings were being turned away and asked to come back later.

Our friend’s funeral was at 2.30 so we had time to visit Great Yarmouth Minster which we had walked past the previous evening. The building is amazing and has a rich history. Whilst we were there, we each lit a candle in remembrance of our friend.

We still had a bit of time to spare so I was able to visit Edinburgh Woollen Mill where I ended up purchasing a couple of tops.

We returned to the hotel to change for the funeral. We were slightly delayed by the arrival of room service which turned out to be a far better service than some of the more expensive hotels we have stayed in recently.

We arrived at the crematorium in plenty of time so Mr C took the opportunity to finesse the Eulogy before we braved the heavy rain to walk to the waiting area. The service was secular, although the celebrant included some traditional words used in Christian ceremonies. The service included words of memories from his wife, words of tribute from Mr C and a poem written by one of his daughters.

For some reason I can’t quite explain, I shed more tears than I usually due on such occasions. Something for me to reflect on.
At the wake, I was able to spend time with our friend’s widow and share her grief whilst reflecting back on memories and regretting that future plans were not to be. The four of us, after many years absence, last met just a few months before his cancer diagnosis.

Later, Mr C had booked us into the Furzedown Hotel for an evening meal. The hotel turned out to be much further away than he thought it was. I felt like I was on a route march to dinner. Finding a bar for a post dinner drink also proved problematic. All the pubs we saw were closed or shut had already stopped serving for the evening. We had to retrace our steps to Weatherspoon’s which for some reason Mr C had wanted to avoid!

Recently a dear friend passed away after a relatively short illness. His funeral took place the day after the late May bank holiday.

Mr C wrote the eulogy which he was still tweaking on the morning of bank holiday Monday before we set off on our long journey south to Great Yarmouth where the funeral was due to take place the following day.

We started our journey around mid-day, briefly checking in on mum, who had recently broken her arm. She seemed happy enough and didn’t need assistance with anything. This meant we were able to stop at Essington Farm for lunch, as planned. Lunch set us up for the long journey including the 80 mile stretch along the A84 dual carriageway.

We had booked into the Premier Inn on the outskirts of Great Yarmouth and, by the time we got there and checked in, it was almost time to walk into town for an evening meal.

We arrived on the seafront to find most eating establishments were closed, which we found surprising for a bank holiday Monday. We retraced our steps to a fish and chip shop we had noticed near to the sea front. The food was delicious but the portions, even my smaller choice, were enormous. The smaller portion would have fed both of us!

We had a drink in Weatherspoon’s before heading back to the billet with its welcoming bed and hopefully a good nights sleep.