To be worried about Norfolk holiday as an ethnic minority?

[Faffandahalf]

I’m from London.

Going to north Norfolk in the summer. It’s been booked. Research showed it was a beautiful part of the UK. Want to do more UK hols.

We’ve been to Cornwall which seemed ok, the Cotswold we were openly stared at.

But now I’m doing some more reading and turns out Norfolk is horribly racist.

We are Asian. Me DH, 2 young kids. My sister is coming too...she wears a headscarf but very modern dress...jeans and hoodie etc. I don’t wear a headscarf. But we are all brown!

Are we going to get trouble? We’ve booked a cottage in a lovely little village which I imagine doesn’t see many brown folks.

I don’t venture out of London much and forget it’s a different world out there sometimes.

I just want a nice holiday without being gawped at.

Love a thread of mainly white people, telling an Asian person that racism isn't real.
OP yes parts of Norfolk are bad for racism. It really depends where you are going though.

OP you are right to be concerned about protecting your family from racism. I am sorry you have had some dismissive responses on this thread. Yes it is not necessarily everyone/where in Norfolk and not overt racism or racialism but it will be there in some ways.

To all those who say they have never heard of it/seen it/experienced it I say unless you are a black, minority or ethnic person you are probably not aware of the subtle everyday racism or the living with the privilege of racism that permeates our society, even in London.

I suggest watching Jane Elliot's Eye of the Storm and the C4 program she did in the UK.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqv9k3jbtYU

The vast majority of people in the places you mention during the summer holidays will be middle class visitors from London anyway, so whilst you may well find the area is less ethnically diverse than you are used to I would be surprised if you experience either overt or more subtle racism in the tourist spots.

You may wish to stick to the more touristy areas rather than pop into village pubs in the middle of nowhere, as you could quite possibly be the only non white british person they've seen all year - many rural Norfolk villages (like some other areas of the Uk) are incredibly insular, and becoming more so as those younger people with broader horizons move away post Uni. There is a real problem with the decline of local industries and lack of public transport leading to high unemployment and the breakdown of comunities in many poorer rural areas in East Anglia.
Buut thta shouldn't affect you hugely on holiday, and there are outstandingly beautiful places to visit

I love North Norfolk, I love in Suffolk but we go up regularly. I highly recommend Blicking Hall, Felbrigg Hall, Pensthorpe Wildfowl Park - it’s got the most amazing indoor play and outdoor playground, the kids will love it! Holt is lovely, that’s where you can get the steam train from to Sheringham. Bewilderwood you’ve mentioned, Sandringham Park is gorgeous, the country pile of the Royal Family. Norwich is great for the castle, the Sainsbury Arts Centre, the shops, the Lanes are very nice. I hope you have a lovely time and don’t feel as though you’re being stared at.

I’m going to be really honest.

I am an ex Londoner who used to live in Brixton and I was the only white girl in a school of black girls. Literally. That’s fine of course but I’m just setting a background for you.

I moved to South Norfolk. People can be very racist. They pretend not to be but as soon as they think they know you quite well they’ll start moaning about immigrants (tending to assume anyone who isn’t white is an immigrant) and generally seeing anyone who isn’t white as “foreign”. We have a huge Polish community but anyone who is not white does stand out like a sore thumb because it is such a “white” area and people do stare.

But, saying that I have never, ever heard anyone being anything other than perfectly polite and pleasant to anyone- whatever colour someone is. The whole area is much more polite than London- people say hello to each other in the street when they pass and want to chat to each other. It’s a different world. So I don’t think you will actually encounter any racism- but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. And that sucks in itself.

Not rtft but to make huge generalisation about a group of people based on their colour and where they live is surely racist? Sorry OP but I find your post offensive

Well I've lived here my whole life and never knew anybody that has come across racism. Obviously there will be the odd person anywhere you go but to say Norfolk is racist is a bit extreme.

I mean honestly. Before you hit the post button, do you not read through stuff and think, 'oh hang on, this is going to look fucking stupid'?

I hope you enjoy your holiday op. I hope that hysteria about white people that you've developed over years of being Asian in a white country with a history of institutional prejudice and anti-immigration sentiment doesn't get in the way.

Holkham Hall - ashamed to admit I've never visited! I have heard good things though
Wells beach - wonderful, but the tides can be dangerous. Holkham's amazing and so, so, SO enormous when the tide's out. You have to have chips there in the evening as the sun sets, it's beautiful.
Hunstanton beach - not so much to do, tbh. I prefer Sheringham for a typical British seaside town (but again, check the tides, or there's no beach!)
The broads for a day to do the boats - oh yes. A lot of pubs offer moorings so you can stop along the way and explore a bit more.
Bewilderwood - YES. When my DC (now 13 & 9) were younger, they adored it (I think they'd quite like to go back now) Easily takes up a whole day.
The steam railway that runs from Holt to sherrinfham I think (am just trying to remember off the top of me head) - It's pricey, but you can get off and on at the different stations and have a walk around & then get back on again later. Everyone walking who sees the train passing will wave at it if you wave at them
Mooching around some of the nearby villages/towns though the kids will be bored of that - so many to choose from! I love Salthouse, it's my special place, and the next village along from Cley. Great church that's full of graffiti, art, and very welcoming. Also a nice pub, a brilliantly ramshackle crab shop, and fab beach.
Thetford forest on the way up or back for some cycling - sorry, I don't do physical exercise, but they do have a Go Ape thingy there, which is brilliant.

Few others to add - Binham Priory is just stunning and weird. Huge ruins of an ancient building, and the village is lovely for a wander around. I mentioned Natural Surroundings before, but it really is great. Very simple, but it has a great atmosphere to it, and lots of activities like tentbuilding & pond-dipping. Norwich is an easy city with young DC - lots of it is pedestrianised, and there are all sorts of strange little diversions. The Dinosaur Park at Weston Longville is good too - not as tacky as I expected, plenty to do, and will easily take up a whole day. Oh, and Gressenhall and Pensthorpe are great too.

I hope you have a fantatstic and easy time, and love this place as much as I do

Well the more recent posts have been lovely. Thanks all. Lots of positive comments and recommendations too!

We won’t be visiting any pubs being Muslim!

I don’t want my sister being upset as she wears a headscarf. She’s only 23 and not really had any overt racism in London. I think she would be more shocked by anything untoward than us. Well, her and the kids.

You have nothing to worry about. Wealthy Londoners who buy property for holiday cottages aren't always loved but people are too polite to say anything out loud! You might feel uncomfortable as you will be a minority but I wouldn't expect anyone to discriminate or for you to feel unsafe.

No and presumably you're going for a holiday - not to represent your side in the great British Race Relations Experiment so you want to have a good time too?

I'm sorry your thread got derailed by idiots saying 'I've been white in Norfolk for 40 years and no-one has ever been racist to me.'

You might feel uncomfortable as you will be a minority but I wouldn't expect anyone to discriminate or for you to feel unsafe.

Well that sounds like a lovely holiday

Good to know we have such high standards for what people can expect in our communities.

I understand your concerns Faff - being gawped and stared at is intimidating. Also, having lived both in and out of London as a brown person, it is different out of London. Some places can be parochial, and especially if there are more than 3 brown people in a group in 'certain' spaces - you know what this is ;) however, gently challenge by just you guys doing your thing enjoying yourselves. Have a lovely time.

Felbrigg hall is fab. Love the holt-sheribgham railway. There’s a fab ice cream shop in Wells, near the promenade from the town up to the beach. There’s also an amazing Dutch barge which serves fantastic pancakes and has live music. Seal watching trip from right near Cley (I think we went with Beans). The windmill at cley is pretty too and cley has an amazing posh deli and a giant pick your own farm within walking distance of the village. The beach is pretty nice there too.

I'm one of the people on the thread that has been linked. Racism does exist here and as with everywhere has got worse with Brexit. However Faff, I do think you'll have a lovely time. Your itinerary looks lovely. May I also suggest the beach at East Runton if the weather allows, it's lovely for rock pools.

It's not really ageist. I'm not talking about crimes am I, I'm talking about things like staring. I work with mainly elderly adults and get mildly racist comments from them that I've never heard from younger people.

that would explain the utter shock and horror on peoples faces when i was talking to my children in a different language in Hunstanton few weeks ago!
some old man walked past and muttered something to us but i didn't catch it! incredible that stuff like this still happens.

Oh yes I forgot the seal watching! DS is super excited about that.

DD is only 2 so her main excitement will be the beach. Let’s hope the weather complies.
Another reason we don’t do many UK hols.

You have nothing to worry about. Wealthy Londoners who buy property for holiday cottages aren't always loved but people are too polite to say anything out loud!

🤔 Yes, you're right. Wealthy white Londoners are just as likely to be discriminated against as people who aren't white. Everyone can immediately tell whether they're a newcomer or not based on appearance. People who refrain from commenting on property being bought by Londoners are equally as unlikely to hold racist beliefs and act on them. There's a correlation there.

I'm so glad that things have been fine for you in Norfolk as an Asian person so you can categorically tell OP she'll be fine too. Phew.

@sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea - glad you like Natural Surroundings - I have a family connection!
I grew up in Sheringham, the non- white children in school were literally the children of the Chinese takeaway owners, and 3 children adopted by white parents. (1980's). However, as said by others, influx of visitors means this is no longer the case.

Steam train - expensive, but you can ride all day. Or, visit Weybourne station (free unless a gala) and watch the trains for free. Can pay platform fee in Sheringham. If your kids like trains the fare is worth it as you can ride up and down as much as you like.
Bewilder wood- ace! Really good fun, my kids loved it (too old now)
Google the dates you will be in nnfk - Sheringham and Cromer both have carnivals in August - if you fancy it you can get involved in beach games, fancy dress/talent competitions, watch the carnival processions or really good firework displays (Cromer fireworks are excellent, Sheringham pretty darn good) - or avoid completely if not your thing!!

Certain you’ve made me laugh!

I don’t really want to be stared at no, but I can’t do anything about that other than as someone said challenge by just enjoying ourselves but it’s so so hard to do that when you feel intimidated by the staring and out of place. I don’t know, my body just cringes at these encounters and I feel like I want to be a million miles away.

Still, I am looking forward to all these lovely places

We did the tiny steam train from wells to walsingham and back at the weekend which 2 year old DS loved. It has open carriages and is tiny. It's a 30 min trip and you can just go straight back so about an hour and 15 minutes round trip.

May not be so interesting for older kids though. Holkham beach also great, and seal trips are great!

Pensthorpe isn't too far from Wells either.

I'm sure you'll have a great time

Oops lots of great in that post I'm tired haha

Faff, it’s another world. Most people have barely been to Norwich let alone London.
It really is their problem.

Faff, the seal trips are wonderful! Mostly they bask on a sandbank very close to where the boat goes, but quite often they just pop up next to the boat as though they want to come and see you too You can't help but smile back!

I recently went to Great Yarmouth. As a Londoner I was actually very shocked at the lack of diversity. At the holiday resort I was in I saw one black person, and she was a waitress. I didn't see a single Asian person.

Of course that isn't to say that they wouldn't be welcome, or that they would be stared at. It just genuinely surprised me.
Just because a place doesn't have diversity doesn't automatically make them assholes.
I'm sure you'll have a lovely holiday, enjoy.