Flat 2, 44 Cliff Road, Sheringham 18th & 19th August 1982
One of the pleasures of holidays in north Norfolk is the availability of local fish and shellfish from stalls and small shops. The proprietors are chatty when I go in for crabs or cockles; they have rather pessimistic views about the business.
R. Copeman, Holt: ‘As well as running the stall, I fish and have a boat at Morston. The fishing for fish is poor on this coast, but the crabs are good. In the winter I’ll go down to Yarmouth for the cod. Anyway, why are you taking photos? I hope you’re not from the Council.’
W T Grice, The Crab Shop, Beeston Road, Sheringham: ‘I gave up crabbing 13 years ago. Some years there are more people than crabs; the fishing is poor this year, but there are still more crabs than people. The shop needs to be in the centre for the passing trade to make a living now – people don’t find us down here. This is the main road, though some people do stop. The recession has hit everybody – things are worse in Cromer, though.’
Abbs Bros., C-operative Street Sheringham: ‘I don’t fish, there is not time to do that and run the business, but I come from a fishing family. My father was a fisherman and coxswain of the lifeboat. I sometimes go out, but only for pleasure. Business is not good – wet fish shops are closing down at one a week, with people eating only 3oz of fresh fish a week now. The convenience foods are more popular- children like fish cakes and fish fingers, they never see real fish and when they do they will turn their noses up at it.’