Mike and Anne Cringle run a shop and a holiday cottage at Burnham Market, the well known holiday destination near the North Norfolk coast. Long before it became so fashionable Burnham was an important centre for the farming community and the coastwise trade up and down the east coast of England, although now it is better known for its many smart shops and eating places in the neighbourhood.

About a mile away on the coast is the old harbour of Burnham Overy Staithe, which is now a popular sailing centre, but in the 17th and 18th Centuries it was a major destination for ships sailing and trading in the North Sea. It was here that the Cringle family arrived in Norfolk from the Isle of Man. Captain William Cringle was skipper of one such ship carrying grain and other goods on these sea-routes round the British Isles, and decided to stay here and settle in Norfolk in the mid 18th Century. His son carried on the family business as Master Mariner during his life time, and other members of the family had connections with the sea for many years. One was captain of the packet boat London Trader, which carried passengers and goods along the East Coast.