Norfolk Coast

If you are visiting Norfolk this summer, can I recommend you pay a visit to Holkham Hall on the North Norfolk coast.  I went last week, mainly because I had heard about the Glamour and Gowns exhibition  of clothes designed by Belinda Belville and Belville Sassoon, that runs to the end of October. Belinda Belville is the mother of Viscountess Coke, the present 'lady of the house'.

I loved the exhibition ....

and I'd forgotten that Belville Sassoon designed patterns for Vogue (I really want this elaborate gilded 'thingy' for holding cotton reels, with a pin cushion on top)

So for me, it was well worth the admission for the exhibition alone.  But as an unexpected bonus, the house is probably the nicest I've ever visited.  

The interior was fabulous .....

(if you've seen "The Duchess" with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, some of the scenes were filmed in the  room below)

.... the grounds are beautiful, although as it was blowing a gale I settled for looking out of the window ....

and the staff and stewards were lovely. Not only were they happy for me to take photos, one of the gentlemen even offered to take my picture in one of the rooms

I think I look quite at home there, in my charity shop fur coat.  

I had a lovely day, and if you do visit, and the weather warms up for your visit, you can walk down to the wide expanse of beach. And if not, there's always the restaurant or coffee and cake in the tea rooms.

NORFOLK COAST - The Stranglers