I see CWGC is running a survey to find out how to make their major sites more "meaningful" and "welcoming". Frankly I think that thousands of graves or names on a memorial to the missing is fairly meaningful already. #ww1 #genealogy

this made me laugh out loud 😂

Nigel Farage now says that any suggestion he's been soft on Putin is "just nonsense". Here's a quick reminder of what he's said in the past

My podcast relaunched today. Now focusing on East Anglia, I've rewritten some episodes from my previous podcast and have many new stories lined up....

It is #worldmentalhealthday today (we'd argue that's every day). We love you all very much so this is for you...

John Veitch (1856 - 1920), Royal Navy, then Coastguard at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex and in retirement landlord at both the Crown and Blue Boar pubs in Aldbourne. Remembered at the weekend at the St Michael's Church Discovery Day - our village links with the sea #31DaysOfGraves #OnePlaceWednesday

Antidote to gloomy days. Just received my bulb order , so now Im taking a screen grab of each variety and deciding what gets potted up together 🌷 #gardening

What the hell is going on here

Day 5 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'bird' I've chosen this beautiful simple this creatures. It sits atop a heart shaped headstone (📷⬇️) belonging to a little girl. 12 year old Brenda Walden was tragically killed on 29th July 1963. I will share her story below. 📍St Mary's Church, Titchwell

Tonight I am going in for a Fancy Dress and I am going as a squid.

This

Something more from Pentlow church... Its stunning font and cover. The is thought to be early 12th century, with the cover possibly 15th C. It really is a church worth visiting if you're passing along the Suffolk/Essex border.

I dont know why this has a fake pay wall pop up when you open this. It is, in fact, completely free to read 😂 unless it just shows to me? 🤷🏻‍♀️ idk. It was also my very first substack post, from last year. open.substack.com/pub/normaexp...

Day 3 of #31DaysOfGraves is 'tomb'. I've chosen to share the wonderful tomb of Judge George Kempe (1606), his son John (1609) and daughter-in-law Elinore (1609). All three lay side by side on top of the tomb and a side panel depicts John and Elinore's 14 children. Con't below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Day 2 prompt for #31DaysOfGraves is 'nautical' and with so many sailors graves in my archive, I could have picked so many! Ive chosen one I visit often. Please meet Royal Navy Chief Stoker, William Bennett of HMS Mallard. After 21 years service he died at Chatham, Kent on Feb 14th 1919. 🧵⬇️⬇️

She let out a sigh so loud you'd think she had bills to pay.... 😂

I couldn't resist taking part in #31DaysOfGraves Day 1 prompt is 'flowers', so let me introduce you to the beautiful headstone of Jemima Wright. Buried 23rd November 1917. She was 76 years old when she died. 📍St Mary & All Saints Church, Little Walsingham, Norfolk

Going through some images from last years travels around the south. The churchyard of St Disen's at Bradninch (Devon) has quite an incline! I had a very peaceful afternoon here looking for the eight CWGC graves here. Those chaps are still on my 'to research' list, along with so many others.

Some Michaelmas daisies for Michaelmas Day 🌿

"Please be suspicious in the nicest way - of everyone."

I'm not generally a morning person. I very much enjoyed slow mornings as a sleepy person, but!... when I do have to get up to walk the dog, I do acknowledge it looks quite pretty 😊 📍Somewhere between Trunch and Knapton, Norfolk.

Most of my followers aren't particularly interactive with me here, which is fine, but I do wonder how many of the accounts are actively used. People, at least my small network, seem to DM more than comment here, whereas with IG they watch stories and never interact at all...

Im very pleased it's finally sweater season... this is currently my favourite. I got it in a charity shop for £4.50.

Wondered why the shed smelled so strongly of lavender, until I found this on the bench at the back! The gardeners have certainly been busy. It smells divine ✨️

I have scheduled a few more images from The Jeevar Archive over on my other profile...

I've spent a lot of time in the last few weeks trying to refocus on what I'm doing to enable me to continue working on Norma Explores while running a business full-time. I've accepted that I dont have the time to put out as much content as I did last year, and I think I've got a plan for the future

Hoping to get mum to meet me here one day and recreate the photo! 📍Barton Bendish, Norfolk

Todays prepping inspiration comes from a wartime book on bottling fruit and veg. In my substack articles on gentle preparedness I often circle back around to the question 'what would the Victorians do?' as a way of getting into the no electric/tech mindset, but wartime restrictions also count!

Today in AI Is Not A Good Source For Learning About The World's Most Misunderstood Body Part, meet this ChatGPT gem. Funnily enough, we're actually going to talk about how most of this is kinda sorta right (for small values of right), as a cautionary tale about generative AI.

I haven't had much chance to do anything but work lately. I'm very lucky that this is where I work, but still, would be nice to have a day off. 📍Holt, Norfolk

Death by circus clown, 1854.

Norfolk things....

I'm in Scotland, you're not, suits me.

Today was entirely too hot. Im going to be clock watching until the arrival of this thunderstorm now. They better not short-change me on this one 😂

Stayed in this lovely hotel last night. Charlotte House Hotel, Lincoln. Very much recommend. Right in the centre of town and pay and display car park adjacent. £10 for 24 hours.

Ending the day by the sea. Last day here, off to Lincoln tomorrow.

Visited Barnard Castle yesterday. Such a lovely town 😍

I've been making cards today at work. Very quiet day customer wise, but my landlady brought her dog in and then bought me a big bag of sweets, so could have been worse 😂 Brain is slipping off into holiday mode, but I've got three more days work yet 🙈

Im very lucky to be looked after so well by my neighbours ☕️ Sitting in the sun researching graves in County Durham this morning ready for my trip next week. Only there a few days, so i might be a bit ambitious in what I think i can fit in 😂

Working late because I dont want to disturb the cat that's sleeping on the shop floor. Not even my cat.

Slowly getting back up to spead on my Substack. New article out today on a lost, once haunted, church in Essex.

I've wanted to do this ever since I released Issue 1 as a digital download 🥹

It's been a lovely day in town for the Sunday market. Back to normal hours tomorrow.

So this morning, I went past one of the antique shops in town and saw this miniature cane seating set 😍 How could I not get it for our favourite grim little story-telling bear 🧸🫶

Tilly trying to get the job of yard mascot 🐈‍⬛

I'm sharing Jeevar Archive images to the Norma Explores feed twice a week now 😊

Happy Mills Weekend, to all that celebrate 😊🍞

A 7th century grave-marker reading: CATGVG C [FI]ILIVS GIDEO Cathug, son of Gideon Reused in the fabric of an 8th century church, itself destroyed in 1841 Now built into the church of Lady St Mary, Wareham #Dorset 📷 May 2025 A once standing stone for #StandingStoneSunday

I had an evening walk to visit a war grave before dinner. I'm going to be sharing his story on @normaexplores.bsky.social in due course, but I had to show you this unimaginably gorgeous church 😍 Complete with a surprise tower! 📍Hempstead, Norfolk