WALKING enthusiast Alison Connors to disocver the wild flowers, solitude and fine air that inspired journalist and poet Clement Scott.
Promoting a walk from Cromer, she pointed out a notice board which is positioned on the cliff top just east of Cromer that reads:
“Here you can “walk and rest amongst the ferns” in the footsteps of the journalist and poet Clement Scott.
In the Summer of 1883, Scott, pulled on his walking boots and inked his pen, wandering over these hills he wrote of wild flowers, solitude and fine air.
“The landscapes he encountered inspired him to write of his idyllic “Poppyland” which when published encouraged the Victorians to travel by train to visit this resort.
At the time of his visit, Cromer was a sleepy fishing village that was flanked by small wooded estates. But these hills were not just a poet’s muse, but are the result of a varied history and home to diverse wildlife.”
Alsion said: “Above is just one little example of how powerful words can be. Clement Scott fell in love with Cromer, wrote about how great it was, the visitors came and the area flourished.
“Money was pumped into the town and the buildings you see today are the result of a writer’s passion for this beautiful part of the Norfolk Coast.
“Words can do so much good. They can also do the opposite.
“If you have an encounter with a ‘misery guts’ who speaks of all that is awful, this will result in you feeling miserable yourself. Even if it lasts a few minutes, you will still feel it. If however you bump into a ‘happy harry’ he will be speaking of all sorts of wonderful things and you will walk away with a smile on your face which will be there for the rest of the day.”
She continued: “The written word paints pictures in the mind; The nicer the words the more pleasant these images will be.
“I know we can’t always produce ‘joyous words’ but what we can do is to be more aware of the one’s that we do choose to use. Perhaps it would be better to create far less paintings of the black and white variety. Instead let us get out the brushes, dig out our creative ability and use every colour that ever there was.”
Alison, who is part of Norfolk and Suffolk Coastal Walkers group, concluded: “If Clement Scott can do it, then so can you.”
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