‘The old railway line between Fakenham and Sculthorpe Mill is a favourite walk of mine’

The old railway line between Fakenham and Sculthorpe Mill is a favourite walk of mine. But I try to do it in different seasons. With autumn now making itself felt and seen I could not resist a recent Sunday to wander that way, starting from Goggs Mill just down from Fakenham Garden Centre.

It was cloudy and cool but ideal walking weather. Once I’d crossed the bypass with its hurtling traffic, there was a peaceful sanctuary about the narrow way with its trees and hedges bordering closely on both sides. My first impression was of the colours, leaves varying from green to brown to yellow. Such a delight to enjoy.

I was on the lookout for birds and animals but on this day set eyes on just a few squirrels and birds of prey. Plenty of black cows in a nearby field looked me up and down with interest. There were a couple of dog walkers, the dogs off leads which always makes me a bit nervous. Happily, the owners reassured me that they were friendly.

Autumn at my old grammar school in Woking always meant the start of conker season. Here I noticed plenty of remnants on the ground but little else. Whatever happened to the playing of conkers? I guess the whole thing was reckoned to be too dangerous and banned. We loved it and were quite proud of how we skewered conkers and threaded them with string. If you managed to break an opponent’s conker, yours acquired a higher number… the tendency being to boast you had a ‘tenner’ or whatever. Great fun.

Anyway, back to the walk. Halfway there I looked ahead to recognise the burnt-out remains of a car, so ruined that its original identity was impossible to recognise, at least to me. This spot always makes me quicken my pace as I realise I’m getting towards the filled-in road bridge which marks the end of the track - which formerly continued all the way to Lynn - and from where I climb up, turn right and make my way along the road by the River Wensum.

Just a hundred yards or so along is the Sculthorpe Mill pub, which for some time was closed but in recent years has been welcoming plenty of customers. The so-called ford across the river here has not been used as such for ages, probably not since the days of horse-drawn carts. Now the river is much too deep and swift for modern vehicles to cross. It still presents an attractive sight which I looked at for a while before going into the pub for a drink.

The locally-brewed Barsham beer was just the job. After having served in church that morning, my wife joined me to drive me back to Fakenham for lunch. I think I had earned it.

Geoff Saunders and his son Scott have been running two stores on Bridge Street for as long as I can remember. Paper Klip and News Klip provide good service to the town by delivering newspapers locally and supplying a range of books and stationery items. I first got to know them when I joined our local football club when we moved here from Lowestoft some 40-plus years ago.

Geoff helped with coaching and he and Scott were both keen sportsmen. I was amused to spot this reference in a free magazine which came through our door recently. In essence, it congratulated Geoff on his commitment to both cricket and football in Fakenham, adding in brackets that he “still plays cricket at the age of 93”.

When I shared this item with Geoff, we both laughed. I knew that he was so keen on the game that he continued to play it well into his 70s but I also knew, roughly, his age. He’s actually 78 and still regularly plays cricket - perhaps a nod in the direction of his contemporaries who no longer bother much with exercise. I must say I’m impressed, having myself given up as a wicket keeper in my late forties - though I did manage the London marathon in my 50th year.