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Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 26 and Lucy’s Fish and Chips

It’s week 26 of my eating at every food stall on Norwich Market and this is Lucy’s Fish and Chips. I have to declare here that I’ve been coming here with James for over a decade and he questioned the point of the entire project as we might as well announce Lucy’s as the winner without visiting any other stall. That slightly defeated the object of the exploration process, so I stood my ground. Anyway, I digress, but it’s important to note that this stall has already surprised and delighted me on many occasions in the past.

The menu, which continues to inspire me. The payment process was efficient and well managed, with the impressive situation that they remembered our regular order despite visiting other market stalls for several months. They get a mark for that level of customer service and they accept cards and cash. Friendly as ever, the welcome was personable and engaging.

There’s a seating area reserved for Lucy’s customers. It’s rare that we don’t get a seat here, although the stall can often busy.

There’s a little diagram explaining where to order from. I’m not going to suggest that it’s completely obvious to see, but it’s more effort than some other stalls have made. There’s a vegan menu as well showing how they cater for everyone.

Our regular order of large chips, large battered sausage, curry sauce and scraps, which is £5.10 each. Compared to some other stalls, this is a bargain. I think it might be starting to become evident that I’m going to like this visit. The chips are fluffy on the interior and firm on the exterior, with the scraps adding texture and decadence. The butcher’s sausage isn’t as good as they once had, but it’s still better than the generic offering often received at chip shops, with the curry sauce being rich and suitable for dipping chips into. All really rather lovely, as well as being hot and the portion sizes are generous. The whole thing sometimes sends me to sleep in the afternoon, but I had squash an hour later so that ensured that I didn’t have a little nap.

James had the same as me, but his photo is considerably better than mine, so I’ll be using this as the thumbnail.

It will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone that I’ll strongly recommend this stall and I’d be surprised if it doesn’t appear as one of my top three stalls in the final posts in a few weeks….. This is comfort food for the many, not the few.

October 10, 2023
200 Years Ago in Norwich : Extraordinary Medical Circumstances

Another post in my series of articles from 200 years ago, this appeared in the Norwich Mercury in 1823. Firstly, any article from this period starting with “the following extraordinary circumstance” is likely to be quite an appealing thing to read and this certainly transpired to be an intriguing story. Not that it was evident from the first line that the newspaper editor wasn’t sure his readers would believe it.

“The following extraordinary circumstance, although scarcely coming within the bounds of probability, is nevertheless undeniably true. A son of Mr. Thurman, of Cotton [I’m not sure of this, it definitely doesn’t say Catton, but I’m not sure where this place is], in this county, tailor, about 15 years of age, being about eight weeks ago employed in shooting small birds which were in the upper branches of a tree on his father’s premises, when the barrel of the piece bursting, he was stuck to the ground, and the report of the explosion being heard, he was found by some part of the family lying apparently lifeless.

On removing him into the house it was perceived that he was not dead, and the best medical assistance being promptly resorted to, it was soon discovered that one of his eyes had been forced inward by some part of the gun, and though animation was restored he was incapable of speech, and any kind of nourishment, whether solids or liquids, weer with the greatest difficulty forced down, in quantities so small as scarcely to be sufficient to preserve him in existence. In this painful and perilious state he continued during the space of five weeks, at the end of which time the part of the gun which the explosion had forced into his eye made its way through into his mouth, which took place in the night, and by putting his fingers into his mouth he brought it away; in the morning it was examined, when, to the great astonishment of all who witnessed it, there was the breech of the barrel, the screw, and a part of the wood of the stock, the whole of which had ever since the accident being making its way through the internal cavities of the nostrils, and which, on being weighed, was found to be the weight of two ounces nearly, since which time (except in the loss he has sustained of one of his eyes) he seems to be in a fair way of recovery”.

I’m mot a medical professional, but is this even possible?

October 10, 2023
200 Years Ago in Norwich : Died by the Visitation of God

As part of my random series of posts from newspapers of 200 years ago, this article appeared in the Norwich Mercury in October 1823. I can’t say that the subject matter is particularly humorous, although I can’t imagine that I will upset any of his descendants given the passage of time, but I quite liked the style of how the proceedings were written up.

“An inquiry was held at Lakenheath, on Sunday last, by Mr. Wayman, Coroner, upon Mr. William Roper, aged 78, a respectable farmer of that place, who, after eating a very hearty breakfast, and having been previously in good health, dropped down and expired immediately. Verdict – Died by the Visitation of God”.

This “Visitation of God” is really just died of natural causes, but it was a relatively common description used during the early nineteenth century. It’s an intriguing turn of phrase nonetheless…..

October 10, 2023
Streets of Norwich – Goldsworths Buildings

Part of my Streets of Norwich project…. (updated in October 2023)

I’m not entirely sure that there’s much of a street here, but there is a road name visible, so that’ll do for me.

That road name visible in the previous photo is located on the Red Lion pub, but I wonder if it originally more described that row of buildings above the pub on this map from 1900. These buildings have since been demolished and the site is now used as the pub’s car park.

Here’s the Red Lion, currently boarded up, although it was closed before the Covid-19 situation.

This road seems to me to still be Bishopgate on maps, so it seems that the modern-day Goldsworths Buildings road is really now just the Red Lion pub and its car park. The landlord of the pub between 1842 and 1845 was James Goldsworth jr, so I have this idea that he built the properties by the pub and named them after himself. I have no evidence of this, but it makes for a nice story, so I’m going with it.

October 8, 2023
London – City of Westminster – The Rebirth of the Carlton Tavern

I’ve been meaning to visit this pub for a while, it’s a testament to the stubbornness of local heroes, rightly belligerent councils and loyal beer drinkers. The pub was illegally demolished in 2015 and nearly nothing was left standing. Pressure was brought to bear and the end result, after much legal wrangling, was that the pub had to be entirely rebuilt brick by brick. The difference in brickwork is visible, the section on the right is original and everything else is rebuilt. The local pressure group, the Rebuild the Carlton Tavern campaign, were praiseworthy of the restoration, although the developers CTLX decided not to attend the reopening.

I would have never have known that this wasn’t a traditional pub, the internal recreation is sensitive and apparently nearly identical to what was here before. Some parts of the previous building, such as fireplaces and some of the bricks, were reused, and fortunately efforts had already been made to detail the interior and its decorative elements which made the restoration easier. The venue is also listed in the Good Beer Guide, so that’s another little tick on my attempt to visit every Good Beer Guide listed pub in the country.

The toilets are down those steps to the right and nearly none of this survived other than the back wall. The pub had first been constructed between 1920 and 1921 by the Charrington Brewery, whose name is still outside the pub.

But back to the present, there were three real ales available, and I haven’t tried any of them before, so that was something of a novelty.

I went for the ‘Flying the Mags’ from London Brewing Co, a rich and creamy mild that was well kept and at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature. The service was polite and personable, with the environment feeling warm and comfortable. I liked this pub, it felt very much at ease with itself and it’s hard to imagine how close the community was to losing this. There are numerous community events, quite a substantial menu and the prices charged were very reasonable. I’m glad that I visited and this is a perfect model for what I think should happen at the Crooked House, a pub where there was a mysterious fire a few weeks ago.

October 6, 2023
Pubs Along the Hammersmith & City Underground Line
Wooo, a new project for me! I’m aware I haven’t finished some of the other little endeavours that I’ve started, but I will get there eventually. My new riveting project for my two loyal readers involves me noting the best, or indeed just interesting (to me), pubs at every stop along the Hammersmith & City line. All 29 of them….. I will be doing this using a combination of Untappd, the Good Beer Guide and also my own endeavours.

I’ll link them here when I’ve done them.
- Hammersmith
- Goldhawk Road
- Shepherd’s Bush Market
- Wood Lane
- Latimer Road
- Ladbroke Grove
- Westbourne Park
- Royal Oak
- Paddington (H&C Line)
- Edgware Road (Circle Line)
- Baker Street
- Great Portland Street
- Euston Square
- King’s Cross St. Pancras
- Farringdon
- Barbican
- Moorgate
- Liverpool Street
- Aldgate East
- Whitechapel East
- Stepney Green
- Mile End
- Bow Road
- Bromley-by-Bow
- West Ham
- Plaistow
- Upton Park
- East Ham
- Barking
October 6, 2023
BOOK REVIEW : Travel Writing 2.0 (Third Edition) by Tim Leffel

This is another in my occasional series of book review posts and they might be appearing here more as I’ve just realised you can’t leave reviews on Amazon unless you spend £30 per year on other products. I admire their attempts to make reviews genuine, but it feels a little sub-optimal as I rarely buy anything from Amazon. Anyway, this book is by the travel writer Tim Leffel and I’ve followed him via his newsletters for some years. This is a slightly elongated version of the review that I would have posted on Amazon if I had met their new requirements.

The present book aside, the best title that I’ve read on travel writing over recent years has been How to be a Travel Writer by Don George. That book perhaps needs a new version in a similar way to this update from Leffel given the ever shifting sands of the topic. The nature of travel writing has changed over recent years, but there are sections in this book on both traditional earnings as a travel writer and digital opportunities for a travel writer. Leffel notes that “the rise of one type of media does not mean the automatic fall of another” and I think that’s a solid way of thinking.

Travel writing books many years ago would focus on writing articles for magazines and newspapers, as well as how to write guidebooks. Writing guidebooks is a challenging and time-consuming occupation and the comment that “you barely have time to write full sentences before moving on to the requisite restaurant listings and museum hours” is evident from any Lonely Planet or Rough Guide book. Leffel’s comment that many young travellers use their phone to source material and don’t go near guidebooks seems accurate as I can’t recall the last time I saw anyone in Europe or the United States under the age of around 40 looking at them. The market will continue to evolve, certainly the way in which travellers source their curated information on an area.

The key element here, which I think is standard advice from all travel writers I’ve noted over the years, is to have a diverse portfolio of different income streams. Without that there will be inevitable highs and lows which make cash flow planning nigh on impossible without another way of earning money. The book is a useful exercise for those who are wondering what potential there is from entering the travel writing market, but the positive element is that there are low barriers to entry for anyone who wants to.

In terms of writing style, the author stresses the importance of always being curious, noting:

“If you are a closed-minded, dogmatic person who only gets news from one source, doesn’t have a passport, and never reads quality fiction, you are going to be a lousy travel writer.”

I don’t claim to be a travel writer, although I have done some of it in numerous different ways over the years, but I’d agree that poor writing is often apparent. The author writes that some skills are innate and some are learned, but travel writing is certainly something that needs curiosity, practice and a lot of reading. Finding a tone of voice is inevitably important and Leffel preaches the need “to be authentic” in writing.

All authors should perhaps consider getting their own blog, but this book suggests that it isn’t for everyone and it does potentially take up a lot of time. For some writers, the time and energy won’t be justified, but for others it is a useful marketing tool. I started this blog to primarily remember where I’d been, which I accept isn’t necessarily the inspirational back story some might like, but between my two loyal readers and myself I’ve been able to get numerous paid projects because of it. The pros and cons of having a blog are examined by Leffel, it’s certainly something to consider.

There’s also practical advice relating to search engine optimisation, social media and networking. There’s also advice on things to definitely not do if new to the trade, alongside the importance of having a good work ethic. Most importantly, Leffel notes that it’s important to develop a thick skin for the inevitable rejections that will come. The advice on travelling in a frugal manner is also wise, I’ve managed to do that for years and I’ve always thought that this makes travel more authentic rather than taking away from the experience. When British Airways paid for me to travel in First and Club World I always had very different stories to tell than when in World Traveller, with most of my interactions during my five weeks in the United States last year being on public transport. There’s nearly always an angle, but the engagement with others plays a big part in telling any story.

The author addresses very early on in the book the matter of income potential. Realism is important here, as most travel writers don’t earn that much from their profession, although there are some who do very well indeed. But, this is partly because some are hobbyists or just writing part-time, writing because they enjoy travelling and find that it makes their trips more affordable. For those who want to get into travel writing, this is certainly a good first book to read, particularly in conjunction with Don George’s book.

You can buy the book by clicking on the Amazon image at the top of this post or directly at https://travelwriting2.com/get-the-book/.

October 6, 2023
Norwich – Freemasons Arms (Two Julians)

As part of our meanderings around Norwich pubs, the next on the list for Julian and I was the Freemasons Arms on Hall Road. This has been a pub since the early nineteenth century, although was known as the Billy Bluelight between 1994 and 2005 during the period that it was owned by Woodfordes. Billy (1859-1949) was a runner who used to amuse those on pleasure boats on the Broads by racing them into the city using footpaths by the river. Although I don’t suggest he isn’t worthy of having a pub named after him, I’m not overly keen on licensed premises changing long held names, so the reversion back to the original name seems entirely sensible to me.

The bar had a wider range of beers that I had anticipated, including three cask options which were from Mr Winters, Cloudwater and Lacons. The service was friendly, immediate and inviting with the pub having a comfortable and laid-back feel to it.

I went for the SoCal from Cloudwater, a beer that I hadn’t had before, and it was well kept, at the appropriate temperature and was suitably refreshing. The day that we went was exceptionally hot, so refreshing was quite high on my list of priorities. This football table is sensible located away from the main part of the pub, but with access to the main bar. This would also make a rather lovely space for a bar billiards table, but I won’t digress too much on that matter.

There’s a pleasant beer garden which was clean and organised. It was far too hot for me to sit in, but it’s a useful resource for the pub.

I hadn’t realised before how substantial this beer garden was, but that’s the purpose of these rigorous research study tours.

I’m a little unsure of the set-up here, I think Julian thought it was formerly a skittles alley but it doesn’t seem to be attached to the pub now and there’s no mention of it on their web-site.

It’s not a large pub, but they’re making an effort in their food offering which seems appropriate for the venue.

It didn’t impact us as we had already been served, but the venue was without any visible staff for some time and a couple of customers came over to us to ask how they could get a beer. Their patrons weren’t put off though and they waited patiently.

We occupied ourselves with some of the pub games. These were nearly entirely beyond me.

It kept us amused anyway.

Evidence that I worked how to separate at least one of these things, which I understand was the aim of the arrangement. Julian seemed to manage with a little more success than I did if I’m being honest.

There were a lot of good ideas in this venue which was purchased by a small pub company earlier on in the year. I’m suitably impressed by their efforts, they’ve got a decent selection of beers, the pub was clean, the service was friendly and it had the feeling of a community pub.

The frontage from another angle, this pub is certainly worth a visit and I wouldn’t complain if this was my local. My memories of it over recent years are that it has at times been a little beat-up and tired, but it feels refreshed and more at ease with itself now.

October 5, 2023
Streets of Norwich – Fishergate

Part of my Streets of Norwich project…. [updated in October 2023]

Fishergate is one of the streets in Norwich which has retained its street line and its name over the last few centuries, connecting Whitefriars to Fye Bridge Street.

The Church of St. Edmund, a fifteenth century building which was modernised (and, just a little bit ruined in my view) in the Victorian period, although it was built on the site of an earlier church which was likely Saxon. The number of residential properties in the area fell during the later part of the nineteenth century and the church fell into disuse during the early twentieth century. It was later used as a store for Norwich Puppet Theatre, although it now appears to be back in use as a religious building.

One of the Viking Norwich signs, of which there are several in this area. The street has been known as both Fishgate and Fishergate, both with the same original meaning of ‘street of the fishermen’.

The building painted light blue in the above photo is interesting, it’s the former Duke of Marlborough pub. It was closed in 1969 having been a licensed premises since at least the beginning of the eighteenth century.

To the right of the Duke of Marlborough was the Rampant Horse pub, long since demolished. This was a casualty of the removal of licenses from properties at the beginning of the twentieth century, an act which closed thousands of pubs throughout the country. To the left of the Duke of Marlborough, now no longer accessible, was Thoroughfare Yard, although this is still accessible from another entrance point.

On the matter of pubs, there was once a Carpenters Arms located on Fishergate but the records suggest it was only there in the 1830s and it’s not clear exactly where it was. There was also the Golden Fleece which was a licensed premises between sometime in the 1830s and 1867.

Formerly the offices of J Bugg Ltd, boot and leather manufacturers.

This section at the end of Fishergate, where it meets Fye Bridge Street, has been turned into a small park. I’m not sure why nothing is now here, although some buildings on this section were badly damaged during the Second World War. This little park is on the right hand side of this 1933 photo from George Plunkett.

October 4, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 25 and Falafel and Friends

This week’s visit to a food stall at Norwich market was Falafel and Friends, not one that I would have likely gone to outside of this project. My first impressions were positive, the signage was very clear on where to order and there was more clarity on this here than on any other stall I’ve visited at the market. This is a busy stall (I know this as I’ve sat eating chips opposite it for years) selling vegan food and they have burgers, hot dogs, wraps and the like.

The service was immediate and friendly, with the team member smiling and it all felt inviting. I thought that I’d go for the Kimchi Dog, but unfortunately they’d run out of that one. The team member suggested that I try the Buffalo Vegetarian Chicken Burger or the Sweet Potato Tempura Burger and in absence of knowing what else to order, I went for the latter. It cost £7.50 and the stall accepts cards and cash.

Customers are given a number which is then called out and I didn’t have long to wait (well, I did for James who was on some posh executive job) for the food. Customers were served in order and it all seemed organised and well managed.

My burger looked appetising and colourful with the bun being lightly toasted. The salad element added texture, particularly the cabbage, with the sweet chilli sauce providing plenty of flavour. The tempura batter also added texture and this was essential as the burger itself was soft, it was an interesting contrast. The cajun potatoes were salty and really quite sapid, I was suitably impressed and it did feel like comfort food.

In case anyone thinks that this photography is a step up for me, this is the photo that James took of his wrap. James went to the counter confused, as he often does, and the team member pretty much told him what he was going to order which worked well for all concerned. He was also pleased with the food, although we had to hide from the staff at the neighbouring Lucy’s Chips who must feel that we’ve completely abandoned them over recent months.

But, back to the beginning and when I mentioned this isn’t likely where I’d think to visit, but it was all better than I had anticipated. There was a depth of flavour to the food, it was well presented and the service was friendly and engaging. Definitely one of the better stalls that we’ve visited and there are some other tempting items that I might come back to try. I’m pleased to have been here and I’m reminded why I’m an advocate of forcing myself to try somewhere new.

October 4, 2023