‘My latest disappointment is related to Norwich City FC’

In his weekly Turnstone column, John Maiden discusses train stations and the money being spent on a new road…

One does not get to be a member of the ‘Over Eighties Club’ without learning the best way to deal with disappointments, whenever and wherever they may occur.

Being a lifelong Norwich City supporter also helps! And strangely enough, there is a connection between Norwich and my latest disappointment.

Hunstanton railway station in colour

To put it bluntly, but without resorting to the colourful language allegedly used by Dominic Cummings, I felt ‘gutted’ when I discovered that central government had agreed to contribute 85% of the £274million, which is the latest estimate for building less than four miles of dual carriageway, linking the A47 to what used to be called by some the Northern Distributor Road.

By the rest of us it was most probably thought of as the road with too many roundabouts, but with too few trees!

Before anyone out there gets agitated enough to send an email pointing out that this column is supposed to be about my home town, not the entire county of Norfolk, let me point out the connection.

Hunstanton Railway station ‘in the good old days’

A long time ago, Hunstanton folk could travel to Norwich by train, without having to go via Ely, and without having to begin the journey by bus or car until they arrived at Lynn’s charming 1950’s style railway station. Until 1969 we used to have something similar here in Hunstanton!

When checking my facts before sitting down to write these words, my hopes were raised momentarily when I read that the ‘NCC’ is building a substantial section of the West Link’s double track rail line.

For a split second I held my breath – then realised that the NCC was not Norfolk County Council.

It was in fact the ‘Network Cybernetics Corporation’, and the location was central Gothenburg, not the outskirts of Norwich!

I always knew that being stronger together was more appropriate when it came to opposing Brexit, than it is to opposing Scottish Independence!

Okay, so it is taking me longer than I would like to get over the disappointment of Brexit – but that is because after watching the Covid Inquiry on television, I am very concerned about the future for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.