One of the ironies of self-employment is that when you have the time to enjoy yourself, it’s normally because you’re not earning enough. And when things are going well for your income, you’re too busy to do anything else.

It’s a constant balancing act which I still haven’t mastered, especially when other business commitments, side projects and hobbies can fill my time without leaving one or two rooms of the house.

But what started as a short drive to a nearby record shop turned into a rare trip through Norfolk to the coast.

My co-pilot and navigator seemed remarkably keen to accept my suggestion of carrying on a little further before buying some records and CDs. Little did I know she had planned to lead me towards Castle Rising, which is a little North East of Kings Lynn.

Originally built in 1140AD and later expanded, it’s apparently one of the most famous 12th Century castles in England and ties into the story of Isabella of France. Who coincidentally was one of the subjects of a BBC programme this week, She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens. Castle Rising was nice, but growing up in Kent within site of Rochester Castle, and not far from Leeds Castle (where Isabella was famously refused entry) amongst others, I’m a bit biased.

It turned out the subterfuge was also to lure me towards the coast, and seeing as Hunstanton was only about 10 miles up the road, it seemed perfect for a mid-afternoon bag of chips and an ice cream.

While it’s not cheap to buy food near the seafront, the chips were perfectly serviceable, the ice cream was nice and the ambience definitely adds to the flavour. Along with the inevitable sand on a windy day.

Eventually we got home tired, inspired, and planning a better balance between work, household chores and mini adventures. And in an AI era, connecting with people and places has never felt so important.