With six outdoor events from a boat trip to walks through woods or over a salt marsh to – literally – a walk in the park – we watched our plans teetering as Storm Amy and the festival weekend closed in, locked in embrace.

Last year had been all sunshine and gloriously filmic early autumn light that made everything glow. Too easy. This year we were in the weather’s sights.

Jake Fiennes flagged it up first – nearly a week ahead. But that was a week ahead. Forecasts exaggerate. Things looked fine on Thursday.

Day one dawned with an email – 90 primary school children… not safe to walk them up the road in these conditions… could we send our author down instead? 9am Carl Sayer and Jonah Tosney regretfully cancelled the first walk of the weekend – beavers in the Glaven Valley. Beavers take no account while beavering away undermining trees for the risks to those who might find themselves beneath those trees in high winds. Holkham Park would have to close on Saturday – Nick Trend’s walk would be just a talk.

With the Friday afternoon boat trip scheduled to launch our programme rain clouds were thickening over the channel. Would Nick Groom give a red light? Not till everyone is on the quay, he said. Passengers gathered, dressed for the weather, looked at one another – and climbed on board. Things began to turn.

While those who preferred to keep dry sat down to enjoy a film in the Maltings, our cancelled beaver walk became a new River Glaven walk with Charles R-W.

Holkham walkers got to go outside after all, led by their host

Intrepid salt-marsh walkers headed out with Jake, unperturbed, for a two-hour walk that became a three hour expedition from which they returned exhilarated.

You can’t embrace landscape or get close to nature without experiencing the weather in all its moods. And on the north coast of Norfolk there is as they say no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

Final result:

Festival 6: Storm Amy 0

Thank you, Patience, for your response below to this post:

I was one of the ‘intrepid’ walkers with Jake and if anything storm Amy only enhanced the experience! The whole weekend was great. Fresh air, fun, life enhancing and much food for thought – all in beautiful Norfolk. Thank you so much.