The British spirit to 'keep calm and carry on' was clearly on show around our region this Easter Bank Holiday weekend, as people refused to let some cold weather ruin their plans.Low temperatures and icy winds failed to deter people from visiting tourism hot spots – as it seems people just simply altered their plans and wrapped up in extra layers.

Beaches along the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline were busy with walkers, while cafés, fish and chip shops and restaurants were filled with families enjoying the extended weekend.

The hardy spirit follows a call to arms in Saturday's EDP for people to give our region's tourism industry a boost, with the reinforcement of our long-running Holiday Here campaign.

Alan Miller, manager of Beach Café in Wells, on the north Norfolk coast, said: 'We've had an incredible weekend. It's been really busy and there have been a lot of happy people about.

'It's been good to see that Wells beach has been really busy.

'The British public are quite a hardy bunch, in that they don't care if it's a bit cold and windy on a bank holiday, they will just wrap up and get on with making the most of it.'

This time last year, the Norfolk coast was basking in double-figure temperatures, amid fears of a drought.

This year a biting northeasterly wind brought snow flurries, with the mercury struggling to stay above freezing, for much of the bank holiday weekend.

William Searle, who runs Hunstanton-based Searles Seatours, said: 'We've had hundreds and hundreds of phone calls about the trips but we haven't been able to transfer it into passengers because of how cold it's been.

'People don't want to go on a boat trip in this weather. A lot of people haven't ventured out of their homes because of the weather.'

Mr Searle also praised the EDP's call to arms for people to support our region's tourism industry, adding: 'Norfolk people have got pride in their home county. We don't just promote Hunstanton, we promote Norfolk. Money's tight but we feel like we're in a stronger position than the rest of the country. Why be negative? Negativity doesn't get you anywhere.'

Meanwhile, bosses at Dinosaur Adventure and Banham Zoo were remaining confident despite a quieter than expected start to the Easter holidays.

Martin Dupee, operations director at the attractions, said: 'The Dinosaur Park has fared well because of the indoor play area and we've done well at Banham Zoo due to the new Eureka sub-tropical house which is warm and dry.

'It's been about half of what I would've expected on a typical Easter but not as bad as what we thought it could be. Last time we had a cold Easter, everyone came out later so I'm quietly confident that we are going to have a good Easter break overall.'

The low temperatures did not deter shoppers from packing out Norwich city centre.

Gentlemans Walk in particular was busy as people enjoyed the various food, drinks, arts and crafts of the annual World Village Market.

Chapelfield Gardens had a fun fair and the city's pubs and clubs were busy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.

Ben Harding, bar supervisor at the Sir Garnet Wolseley pub, in Gentlemans Walk, said: 'It's been as busy as expected because, even though it was cold, people have got to the point now where they don't really care about the cold any more and are just getting on with it.'

An Easter treasure hunt took place at the Plantation Garden in Earlham Road, Norwich, yesterday. The event, which also included face painting, crafts and treats, was organised by the Plantation Garden Preservation Trust, whose treasurer James Malt said: 'It went extremely well. We were swamped by people, quite honestly, and in danger of running out of change.

'The weather's not been brilliant so, maybe, instead of going to the coast, people just came down the road to get a cup of tea and let their children take part in a treasure hunt with us.'

The event was held to raise funds for the trust.

Not everywhere enjoyed such a busy weekend though, with numbers down compared to last year at the Pleasurewood Hills amusement and theme park in Lowestoft, which is enjoying a £3.5m investment package including four new rides.

It re-opened on Friday and around 400 people went through its doors on that day, with about 800 visitors yesterday.

Ben Rowe, from the park's marketing team, said: 'It has been slow to be honest. Numbers are down compared to last year.

'We are putting it down to the cold weather. We are expecting bigger numbers on Wednesday.'

Former Norwich City footballer Adrian Coote took part in a Fools' Dip on Great Yarmouth seafront yesterday.

A brave group of people went for a chilling splash about in the North Sea to help raise the profile of the Burgh Castle and Belton Adventure Cadets.

Three cadets, including organiser Dan Jones, 16, donned fancy dress for the midday swim alongside staff and parents, while Mr Coote, who hails from Belton, wore a Norwich City strip.

Dan's mum Anne Jones said: 'We were raising money for the group, but one of the main aims was to raise our profile as we're just about to start a major recruitment drive and we wanted to show people that the group is good fun, and a bit mad.'

The young cadets meet at Burgh Castle village hall from 6.30pm every Friday night.

Dozens of people, young and old, got the chance to take to the skies as they tried gliding for the first time.

Norfolk Gliding Club at Tibenham, near Diss, held an open day yesterday, giving people the opportunity to go up in a glider and to find out more about the club.

Some 60 people, ranging in age from 10 to 70, got the chance to fly, with more booking to return another day as the event proved so popular.

Club member Norman Clowes said: 'It's been really, really successful, we've had lots of people come out. It's been a resounding success and the weather turned out really nicely.

'We will be running a similar event in September.'

Families descended on the banks of the River Tiffey as hundreds of yellow ducks took to the water for what has become an Easter tradition in Wymondham.

The town's annual fund-raiser for Wymondham Abbey saw more than 100 people cheer on the plastic particpants as they set off at Becketswell, between the Abbey and the Mid-Norfolk Railway Station, and finished just beyond the Tiffey Bridge.

Some races were sponsored by local businesses, and this year, there was a special Abbey Gold Cup Race with a prize pot of £50 as well as the usual £10 and chocolate prizes.

The event raised funds towards the costs of maintaining Wymondham Abbey and keeping it open throughout the year.

A community festival brought back after more than a decade away proved a roaring success during the Easter weekend.

Rickinghall Car and Motorcycle Show, held on Saturday, Sunday and yesterday, attracted scores of people as well as exhibitors, displays and family events.

Organiser Kevin Newport said Saturday had proved tricky because of the cold and wet weather, but the following days had seen crowds of people arrive.

'The cars just started to come and they kept coming and it got fuller and fuller. There were people who braved the weather and came back for a second day and there were people queuing for the food and the falconry and the Punch and Judy show and there was the Easter egg hunt and it was good for everybody,' Mr Newport said.

The event, at Rickinghall Village Hall, which was last held in 2002, also combined the village's Pie and Ale Festival and featured feature classic cars and motorcycles as well as a variety of family favourites such as a falconry display, live music, donkey rides, martial arts, comedians and even sheep racing.

Mr Newport, who also had help from his brother Kevin and sister-in law Georgina, said he was 'ecstatic' about the way the event had gone.

He added: 'I looked back to January when it all began and I just filled up. I couldn't have been happier.'

There was plenty of April Fools' Day fun at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse near Dereham yesterday.

The venue's annual spring fair had an April Fools' Day theme.

Large crowds turned out to enjoy circus skills workshops, lively morris dancing from Golden Star Morris and their exuberant Morris Fool, a traditional Punch and Judy show and to battle their way through an inflatable obstacle course.

The Dragon Hall Mummers performed a special show about St George while Norwich-based Klezmerized entertained with live music.

People also made their own jester hats which they displayed at the Grand Gressenhall Parade.

Down on the farm the museum's Suffolk Punches and other visiting teams of heavy horses carried out the seasonal tasks in the fields.

Were you out having fun at a tourism hot spot during the Easter weekend? Send us your photos and videos at www.iwitness24.co.uk