North Norfolk Coast
We selected a little known area of the North Norfolk coast as the setting for our recent Gear photography. The above video gives you a flavour of this unique part of the British coast line. It is also one of the lowest rainfall areas of the UK
Here we discovered some of the most fantastic beaches that stretch for miles, and sailed alongside bird and seal sanctuaries. We stayed in the costal town of Wells-next-the-sea where the hospitality was exceptional. The crew would all recommend our hotel - The Crown. The staff were very friendly and hospitable and the restaurant alone is well worth a visit for lunch and dinner.
http://www.crownhotelnorfolk.co.uk/
The harbour in Wells is a great attraction for children with lots of ships to see and crab fishing for all. (All the crabs go straight back in the water to be caught another day). There are two must visit places opposite the harbour car park. These are French’s Fish & Chips which must be some of the best in the UK and The Wells Deli. You will not be disappointed by either.
The beaches at Holkham are the finest, mile upon mile of golden sand. At the heart of the estate is Holkham Hall a magnificent house and well worth a visit. You can view the beaches and the house at www.holkham.co.uk
In addition we booked a boat trip out to see the seals on Blakeney Point. We used Bishops Boats who are an old long established local company that know the tides and waters around this area like no other. www.bishopsboats.com The villages of Blakeney and Cley-next-the-sea are further along the coast and well worth a visit. On a blustery day a walk along the costal path at Cley will take you through some breath taking wild life reserves so don’t forget to take your binoculars. The windmill at Cley is both a B&B and restaurant and would make a good weekend base camp. The rooms and décor are exceptional. www.cleymill.co.uk
If you like peace and quiet and a trip to remember the sailing barge Juno, which also appears in our pictures, will deliver an experience second to none. This can be chartered by the day and is skippered by local boat builder Charlie Ward. Juno explores the stunning North Norfolk coast and lands on deserted beaches at Holkham and Scott Head Island.
For further information visit www.charlieward-trad-boats.co.uk
The nearby town of Burnham Market must be one of the best kept secrets as it is not only beautiful but full of well run independent stores. There are none of the mass retailers but an exceptional fresh fish shop (seen on our 2010 calendar and in the video), craft and book shops plus excellent tea rooms.
As with most photography we had some very early starts and late finishes but were rewarded with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. If you like the outdoors we can make no stronger recommendation than pack up the Land Rover and head to North Norfolk. Even in winter away from the crowds it has a very special quality - but wrap up warm!
Take your Land Rover on holiday!
For our Land Rover Gear photo shoot in Iceland we called upon the services of OneLife Adventures. They were the perfect hosts and took us to some spectacular photographic locations. We thought you might like to know a little more about them.
OneLife Adventure, a specialist 4x4 adventure travel company, will take you, your family and your LandRover to some of the most exciting off road destinations in the world. With trips ranging from weekends in Wales and Yorkshire or driving the fabled Silk Road to China you’ll find something to get you living the adventure.
Established in 2003, and an unrivalled record of providing the best 4x4 expeditions on offer today, OneLife has specialised in running trips with a maximum of 6 vehicles. There is time to really experience and understand the countries and cultures you’ll experience, from Iceland to Morocco, to slow down and take tea with the Tuareg in the heart of the Sahara or bath in a natural geothermal pool on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
Your safety is paramount and all the adventures are fully supported, with satellite communications, medical expertise and personally led by Paul and Anne. Their website and some great Gallery images is at www.onelifeadventure.co.uk.
Want a test drive?
If you are thinking of a new Land Rover and want a test drive, log on to www.landrover.co.uk you will find a tab where you can apply to drive the latest models from the Land Rover range. Alternatively contact your nearest Dealership direct. For qualifying customers they may be able to organise a half day at an Experience Centre. This is a great opportunity to try out some of the very latest products.
How about a Company day out?
Land Rover operates eight Experience centres around the UK. They can certainly give you some of the world’s best tuition in off road driving, trailer handling and winching but they offer much more.
Most offer corporate and team building days as well as the perfect venue for business meetings and social events, Check out the Experience near you and see what they have to offer.
Money for Charity
Land Rover Gear is pleased to announce that through sales of the book Born in Lode Lane we raised nearly £5,000 which has been paid over to the Red Cross.
In addition through continuing sales of our cuddly orang-utan we have also handed a cheque of £4,800 to BOS the charity that saves orphaned baby orang-utans. If you missed the fantastic television programmes screed recently on BBC2 have a look at the fantastic work the BOS carries out by visiting their web site.
Keep an eye on the press as a new series is about to be screened once again on BBC2.
We are helping to raise money for charities such as The Red Cross and The Borneo Orang-utan Sanctuary within the purchase price of some of the products we sell
We are committed to encouraging a "Green" culture by educating and informing everyone in our business about the importance of sustainability and fair trade in the market place.
A Deeper shade of GREEN
At Land Rover Gear we have just signed new Green deals for our energy supplies at our Castleford Store and Mail Order Department plus our warehouse. This means we are using only Green Electricity. The energy bills we pay now help build wind turbines. This is part of our on-going commitment to sustainability. Even a journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step and every small thing we can each do will help our planet.
Our new eco-bags, used in store and at outside events, are lifetime bags. They are made using recycled material and can be fully recycled. We have only used the minimum of printing ink and the bags can be used time and time again.
In our Castleford Store you will see belts made from bamboo with buckles made from corn starch, long sleeved organic cotton t-shirts, lanyards made from plant/silk waste and hiking sticks from a cactus flower stamen. These are just some of our many initiatives to make our world a better place. And you know what? Challenging ourselves to find even more sustainable products is great fun!
You and your Land Rover
If you would like a picture of you and your Land Rover to adorn the Notice Board in the Land Rover Gear Shop in Castleford please send us up to five lines of text about you or the vehicle plus a jpeg picture by e-mail to
gear@lrcgb.com
