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Limoges – Rue de la Boucherie

[I wrote this post in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

Rue de la Boucherie, or the Street of the Butchers, has become one of the tourist destinations of Limoges because of the attractive nature of the properties which are on it. The Shambles in York has become a similar tourist destination for the same reason, although the properties couldn’t be much more different.

The street has been the home to butchers and their shops since the Middle Ages, with some of the properties still owned by the families who have traded here for many years. There are 52 homes along the street, which date from as early as the thirteenth century.

Also on the street, although unfortunately there’s a van in front of it in my above photo, is La Chapelle Saint-Aurélien, a small chapel in the street (I visited inside later in the week, when there wasn’t a van in front of it). This is owned by the Guild of Butchers and dates to the fifteenth century.

Below are some other photos of the street. There was some construction work at the end of the street with scaffolding up, because there was a relatively large fire which badly damaged some of the properties in February 2018.

July 21, 2025
Limoges – St. Michel des Lions

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

This Gothic style church is in the centre of Limoges and was mostly primarily constructed between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. There is though some interior work, primarily the exterior walls, which dates to the twelfth century.

From the eastern end of the church, the ball on top of the spire is rather unusual. It dates from 1810 and was added when the previous spire fell down after being hit with lightning. The military commander who was in charge of replacing it thought that it would look better with a ball, so it was duly added. It has since caused some controversy, some like it, some don’t….

The exterior is guarded by two stone lions, hence the name of the church.

These aren’t perhaps the fiercest lions that I’ve ever seen. I fear that weathering has rather taken its toll over the years.

Inside the church the nave is relatively plain in terms of decoration and the columns are thin and slender. Indeed, there is a problem here…. The columns are so thin and slender that the pillars are actually bending, as is particularly visible by the ones at the rear. Although they supported the roof for many centuries, work has now taken place to ensure that they are no longer load bearing. Just in case….

A wider view of the nave.

Two photos of the interior of the church. I had a slightly limited amount of time in the church as I had visited just after mass had finished, and I got the impression that they were looking to close up. However, it’s a glorious church and there are numerous side chapels located in the aisles.

July 20, 2025
London Craft Beer Festival 2025

My friend Simon mentioned last year about going to the London Craft Beer Festival, but I wondered if it was a bit expensive and so I didn’t get a ticket to join him. By chance, he mentioned last week that he knew someone selling a ticket at a much lower cost of £30, so I was there without much hesitation. Here’s the walk to Magazine, where this year’s event was being held.

There’s Susie and Simon, with the former’s efforts somehow getting us to the front of the queue. I hadn’t let myself get too excited about the event in case the ticket didn’t come to pass, but all was well and it’s fair to say that the excitement soon started when I had the wristband safely around my wrist.

Well, that’s exciting straight away.

The first beer of the day. The concept here is that all beers are free of charge and I won’t list here what I tried, but I did ensure that my Untappd remain updated for anyone who is interested.

We grabbed a table outside, but it soon became apparent that there was large amounts of seating, so this wasn’t an issue. Inside there were also fans and air conditioning, they didn’t want their beer drinkers over-heating, and I was happy to drink to that forward-thinking philosophy.

One of the two internal halls.

This was all so much bigger than I expected. There were some issues with the delayed opening where we left in the sun and that was sub-optimal, but once the event got going, it all felt well organised. There were maps dotted around of where all of the breweries were, but I’d need more than one afternoon to really visit every one that interested me.

I was impressed that there were no real queues at any of the brewery stands, you could get served nearly immediately.

There was a separate American beer bar and the list of options here was much wider than I had expected. As I’m not planning to visit the US for a while, this was an opportunity to tick some beers off.

One of the bar staff modelling a bottle of beer for my Untappd photo.

There was free water available of the sparkling and still options.

That path was what Liam and I walked on the Capital Challenge a few weeks ago…..

There’s Simon chatting away about Brazilian beer. I was pleased that the glasses were made of plastic, rather than, er, glass. So we had branded plastics, which means I could keep it without fear of it getting broken on the aircraft. Susie picked up a heap of free merchandise, which I’m merrily carrying around Portugal now, including baseball hats, t-shirts, lanyards and stickers.

I like a bit of Vault City, I should be visiting their new tap room later in the year.

A free ice cream and a beer slushie from Vault City which made me love them even more.

Simon wanted to go to the Vault City tasting, which was a marvellous idea, and this beer was handed around at the end of the session before.

One of the beers from the Vault City tasting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this evening and the atmosphere was informal and friendly throughout. There were no issues of anyone over-indulging, despite the large amount of free beer that was available. The organisation was better than I had expected, the scale of the event was broader than I had realised and the speed of service was faster than I had anticipated. I was very much surprised and delighted, so I think that I might just be back for next year’s event….

July 20, 2025
Limoges – O’Panda

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

I forgot to eat anything yesterday, so today I thought that I’d do the reverse, and eat a lot. Which meant a trip to the O’Panda Chinese buffet, which is part of a small national chain. That would certainly help recover the lost calories that I didn’t eat yesterday.

Although, to be honest, technically I didn’t forget to eat yesterday. I never forget to eat. But it was so hot that I just managed to survive on cold Yop yoghurt drinks for the entire day….

O’Panda is a large restaurant, which can seat over 250 people, and when I got there just before opening time there was already a small queue. This is clearly where the locals eat, and I can’t criticise them for that. It’s a shame that it isn’t a little more central though, since it took me over thirty minutes to walk there from the centre of Limoges.

There were lots of food counters visible, although looking neat and tidy. And very appetising, but I sat patiently and waited for my drink order to be taken before rushing off to the buffet table. On which point, and bearing in mind I was so hot, I was delighted to discover that they give you a litre bottle of ice cold tap water for free. Given that water is often charged for, this was a most useful bonus to my fruit based Fanta I’d ordered.

Sometimes you just wish Dylan and Leon were around. They’d have liked this.

Cold meat selection, now Cosmo need to do better in this regard in Norwich….

I was delighted to find that there was a large salad section. Well, not particularly delighted at that, but more specifically delighted that they had sun-dried tomatoes.

The desserts selection was simply marvellous as there were doughnuts, profiteroles, cakes and more importantly than all, an ice cream freezer. This could well be a favourite location of Dylan and Leon should they ever get the chance to visit…

Given the ridiculously hot temperatures outside this ice cream freezer was a real delight, and I had to be careful on my many trips to top up that the staff didn’t think I was being ridiculously greedy. So I walked different ways, meaning I’m sure that they didn’t notice.

Overall, I thought that the whole meal was perfectly acceptable. The environment was clean, the staff were engaging and friendly (and I managed the whole transaction in French, which was a bonus) and the food was neatly labelled.

OK, the quality of some items such as the onion rings and calamari wasn’t top notch, but it was acceptable. But, I’m giving them a recommendation because of the ice cream, it’s just what was needed on a hot day. The total cost was around £15 including a drink.

July 20, 2025
Limoges – Jean Burger

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

A visit here is part of my on-going plan to dine at the best rated burger restaurant in every city that I go to. Jean Burger is very slightly away from the main tourist areas of Limoges, but only a short walk to get here. It’s easy to find as the signage is clear and it faces a main road.

I liked this, located just outside of the main door. It’s easy to understand, it’s clear and it’s not too gaudy. Restaurants with complex prix frie arrangements perhaps just make themselves look unwelcoming to visitors.

And this is beautiful in its implementation. Being British, I’m often not entirely sure what to do when entering a restaurant or cafe. Is there table service? Do I order at the counter? Do I take a seat myself? Is the food brought over or do I collect? The arrangements here are easy to understand and the menu is visible again for those who need a reminder.

The server was full of energy and he was more than willing to explain the menu and the options available. It was a true friendly welcome, and there was a pride in the different burgers, hot dogs and sides that customers could choose from. I went for the Basque burger, which the server then said was his favourite, which had cheese, chorizo and rocket.

The server said that the burgers were served rare, which is to be expected in France. I usually think I’m being brave when ordering burgers to be medium, and that is my usual preference, but I went with the flow of having a burger that was only partly cooked. It’s important to get the full experience…. Oh, and they had Dr. Pepper, my preferred drink in the United States, so that was a bonus.

So, the food. The curly fries were excellent, there weren’t greasy, they had a pleasant seasoning on and they were firm on the exterior and fluffy on the interior. The burger bun was particularly good and was one of the best I’ve had, with a crispy texture and a real depth of flavour. The burger itself was rare, and that is a texture I’m not entirely used to, but the quality was excellent. It had a pleasant flavour and the other ingredients in the burger added extra taste and crunch.

Overall, I thought that this was a well run location, with customer service really under-pinning all that they did. I got there at 11:50, deliberately just before lunch as I had read that it got busy. And busy it definitely got, but with an interesting range of clientele. There were school children, older customers, staff seemingly on a lunch break and the atmosphere was laid back and comfortable. I didn’t see any other tourists to the city, or not that were obvious to me, but it’s clear from reviews that they do get a lot of them. Definitely recommended.

July 20, 2025
Bar Billiards Table Treks – Venue 1 : Artichoke

I’m not normally one for video, as it reminds me that my hairline is receding faster than is entirely ideal, but a few months ago Zak and I had a really rather good idea that we’d play at every bar billiards table in Norwich. The twist is that we’re only filming the first game at each venue, because Zak famously takes a while to warm up. It’s like giving myself a tiny glimmer of hope before he inevitably demolishes me. Zak has been my official bar billiards trainer since 2023 and I will one day be able to see some of the shots that he can pull off, let alone actually play them.

Pete has heroically taken on the role of cameraman for the series, and he’s done a marvellous job filming the first instalment. The next one will be along soon, assuming I can handle more video evidence of my sub-optimal playing technique. And just to be clear, it’s not meant to be a competitive series unless, of course, I happen to win. In which case, it very much is.

July 20, 2025
Faro – Old Tavern

Unsure of where to head for an evening meal, I decided to go earlier rather than later before the crowd descended, it was a Saturday evening and I had already over-heated in the three minutes since I’d left the hotel. I’m actually not entirely sure I should have seated myself at the external tables, but some others did and it wasn’t overly busy when I arrived so all was well.

There’s no printed menu, instead the menu board is on the wall or, for the larger parties, it was brought to the table as if it was some sacred text. I’m not overly picky in general, but this menu was a delight as I would have merrily had anything on here.

The beer was Sagres, which is never going to be a drink of choice, but it was cold and refreshing, so just what I needed in the extreme heat. It looked an authentic menu with fresh options, with the on-line reviews being positive. There was no price list for the drinks, but they didn’t take advantage of that opportunity to overcharge or anything similar. I would just add that I was sitting outside as I needed to be cooled down, I won’t be changing my general habits and I was pleased to note that there were no circling seagulls, herons or storks ready to pounce on my food.

Mackerel is one of my favourite fishes and I can’t say that I get to see a mackerel salad on the menu very often. This was delicious, with the tomatoes being fresh and rich in taste, along with some salad stuff to make it look pretty. The bread came with the dish for free and it was filling, seemed authentic and had a depth of flavour.

It took something of an age to pay, which seemed slightly odd to me as there had a real pressure on tables, but the beer and mackerel salad came to around £11, which I thought was really rather reasonable. There’s something of a theatrical performance from one of the staff members, but I think that’s part of the character of the venue and although I rather got the impression he was getting annoyed at a couple of tables, the service I received was always friendly. Either way, it was all really rather lovely with good food, a decent price and only a minor wait for the bill. And in the relentless Algarve heat, I’ll take any excuse to sit in the shade with a cold, if entirely uninspiring, beer.

July 20, 2025
Wizz Air (London Gatwick South to Faro)

Arriving at Gatwick Airport on the early morning bus…. Instead of the cinematic sweep up the driveway to an impressive departures hall, you’re unceremoniously dumped at the back of the building, which looks more like the loading dock of an industrial estate than the gateway to international travel, but as it was 05:00 it was too early to care much about this. There was no queue at security, so I was left pondering slightly why I had left my hotel so early, but better to be early than late.

I haven’t flown from Gatwick Airport for some time and I wasn’t sure if there would be space in one of the lounges using my Priority Card, but it’s fair to say that My Lounge was not packed.

Lounge food and drink which was typical fare for British airport lounges, some dry and uninteresting food alongside a dreadful lager. The sausage, bacon and hash brown were OK, I poured myself just a small amount of Cruzcampo since it was still early morning, took one mouthful and realised just how dreadful it is. The orange juice was out of cheap cartons, but in fairness to the whole arrangement, the coffee, food and orange juice was all filling enough.

Mine was the 08:00 Wizz Air flight to Faro and as usual for the airline, everything was efficient, clearly signed and without delay. There were more bag checks than usual which always adds to the drama, but once again, this didn’t impact me.

It was raining when I walked to the aircraft, it always feels a shame leaving the UK when there’s weather that I like. The aircraft registration was G-WUND, the same one that took me to an icy Tallinn a few months ago. The seating Gods had allocated me a window seat, so that was a rather handy arrangement.

Nearly at Faro and the aircraft toured up and down the coast a bit before landing. We had experienced a delay on departure, the reason for which was never mentioned, but as Wizz Air pad their schedules so much, we still seemed to manage to arrive on time. The pilots were generally decent on the number of announcements, the crew members were all personable and I fell asleep for most of the flight so don’t really know much of what happened.

It was very quickly evident that it was too hot.

The border control process felt a little chaotic, but these new machines for UK passports seemed interesting, but I wasn’t called to try them. The whole queueing arrangement was a little chaotic in places and it felt like a long wait, but it was 31 minutes in the end, which isn’t entirely unreasonable given this is a busy time of year for the airport. It does feel though that the airport in general is creaking in places with passenger numbers, so yet another extension to the building seems likely for future years.

Anyway, this was another very satisfactory experience given that the flight cost £8.99, the flight was comfortable, the boarding process was efficient and the crew were friendly. I am though getting the creeping sense that most airports in Europe are about five million passengers beyond what they were built for.

July 20, 2025
200 Years Ago in Great Yarmouth : Funding a New Church (St. Mary’s Church in Southtown)

The below article is from the Norwich Mercury 200 years ago this week and it notes those people who donated money towards the construction of a new church. This was a little rare for the time in terms of the Anglican Church, although it was to become much more common later on during the nineteenth century. The money was being collected to fund what became St. Mary’s Church in Southtown, which opened in 1831. I rather like that it’s still there, as it seems to be a little sad that so many people donated for a project which ultimately didn’t survive in the long-term. The article is also an interesting list of the generous nature of various people and institutions of the time.

“Subscriptions:

The Corporation of Great Yarmouth: £500 0s. 0d.
The Hon. G. Anson, M.P.: £100 0s. 0d.
C. E. Rumbold, Esq. M.P.: £100 0s. 0d.
Lord Viscount Siduey: £50 0s. 0d.
Aldred Mr. S. H.: £2 2s. 0d.
Atkinson Mr. J.: £2 0s. 0d.
Baker Rev. T.: £20 0s. 0d.
Baldry Miss: £1 0s. 0d.
Barchard Mr.: £1 0s. 0d.
Barmby Mr. W. H.: £5 0s. 0d.
Barber Mr.: £0 5s. 0d.
Beckett Mr. John: £1 0s. 0d.
Beckett Mr. G. W.: £1 0s. 0d.
Bell J. M. Esq.: £10 0s. 0d.
Blomfield Mr.: £1 0s. 0d.
Blomfield Mr. H.: £2 0s. 0d.
Bolton Mr. G.: £2 0s. 0d.
Bracey Mr. John: £1 0s. 0d.
Brand Mr. W.: £1 0s. 0d.
Breeze Mr. Jas.: £1 0s. 0d.
Broadbank Mrs.: £10 0s. 0d.
Brown Mr. John: £1 0s. 0d.
Bunn Mr. James: £10 0s. 0d.
Burton C. F. Esq.: £20 0s. 0d.
Burton T. Esq.: £10 0s. 0d.
Burton Mr. S.: £10 0s. 0d.
Chambers Mr. W.: £5 0s. 0d.
Child Mr. John: £0 2s. 6d.
Christmas Mr. J.: £5 0s. 0d.
Christmas Mr. S.: £2 0s. 0d.
Clark Mr. Jas.: £50 0s. 0d.
Clarke Mr. F.: £10 0s. 0d.
Clowes Mr. T.: £2 0s. 0d.
Cole Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Cory R. Jun. Esq.: £21 0s. 0d.
Costerton C. Esq.: £15 0s. 0d.
Cox Miss: £1 0s. 0d.
Cracknell Mrs.: £1 0s. 0d.
Crisp Mr. F.: £1 0s. 0d.
Crovitlier Mr. S.: £5 0s. 0d.
Cubitt Mr. R.: £5 0s. 0d.
Diver Mr. W. H.: £2 0s. 0d.
Diver Mr. R.: £2 0s. 0d.
Docking Mr. G.: £1 0s. 0d.
Douglas Mr. T.: £1 0s. 0d.
Dowson B. Esq.: £21 0s. 0d.
Drake Mr. Jas.: £1 0s. 0d.
Draper Mr. J. sen.: £10 0s. 0d.
Draper Mr. J. jun.: £0 10s. 0d.
Duncan Mr. A.: £0 10s. 0d.
Ellis Mr. C. T.: £2 2s. 0d.
English Mrs.: £2 0s. 0d.
Fear Mr. John: £10 0s. 0d.
Ferrier Mr. R.: £10 0s. 0d.
Fielding B. Esq.: £21 0s. 0d.
Fiddis Mr. T.: £10 0s. 0d.
Fisher W. Esq.: £50 0s. 0d.
Fisher Jas Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Fisher J. G. Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Fisher Mr. T.: £2 0s. 0d.
Friend, by Mr. Glasspoole: £5 5s. 0d.
Friend at the Bath House: £1 0s. 0d.
Gamble Mr. Win.: £1 0s. 0d.
Garwood Mr. T.: £5 0s. 0d.
Gill Mr. W.: £1 0s. 0d.
Giles Mr. Charles: £1 0s. 0d.
Glasspoole Mr. H.: £10 10s. 0d.
Gooding Mr. J.: £1 10s. 0d.
Gourlay Mr. D.: £1 0s. 0d.
Green Mr. J.: £1 0s. 0d.
Greenwood Mr. E.: £1 0s. 0d.
Groome Mr. E.: £1 0s. 0d.
Grout, Baylis and Co.: £20 0s. 0d.
Gunthorpe Matthew, Esq.: £50 0s. 0d.
Hallmark Mrs.: £50 0s. 0d.
Hamment Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Harmant Mr. Jes.: £10 0s. 0d.
Harley Mr. Geo.: £0 10s. 0d.
Hart Mr. Wm.: £0 10s. 0d.
Haynes Mr. Wm.: £1 0s. 0d.
Hook Mr. Dan.: £10 0s. 0d.
Hume Mr. Wm.: £0 5s. 0d.
Hunt Mr. A.: £1 0s. 0d.
Jefferies Capt.: £5 0s. 0d.
Johnson Mr. C.: £5 0s. 0d.
Johnson Mr. J.: £1 0s. 0d.
Johnson Mr. Wm. J.: £1 0s. 0d.
Kenworthy Mr. J.: £1 0s. 0d.
Kelly Rev. S.: £5 0s. 0d.
Lacon, Youell, and Co.: £100 0s. 0d.
Lahy Mr. James: £1 0s. 0d.
Lane Mr. J.: £0 10s. 0d.
Libbis Mr. R.: £0 7s. 0d.
Lott Mr. J. H.: £1 0s. 0d.
Lubbock Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Lubbock Mr. C.: £1 0s. 0d.
Lucas Rev. G.: £15 0s. 0d.
Luson Miss: £1 0s. 0d.
Mann Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Mackland Mr. E.: £5 0s. 0d.
Mason Mr. J.: £2 0s. 0d.
Meggy Mr. Wm.: £1 0s. 0d.
Meyrick Mr. Wm.: £1 0s. 0d.
Minter Mr. John: £2 0s. 0d.
Miller Mr. Wm.: £1 0s. 0d.
Miller Mr. Step.: £2 0s. 0d.
Moore Mr. P.: £1 0s. 0d.
Moon Mr. S.: £2 0s. 0d.
Morgan Mr. E. W.: £10 0s. 0d.
Moxon Mr. John: £5 0s. 0d.
Moyse Mrs. Jane: £10 0s. 0d.
Nicholls Mr. C.: £10 0s. 0d.
Nolloth Mr. Jas.: £1 0s. 0d.
Norman Mr. Jas.: £2 0s. 0d.
Nuthall Mr. P.: £2 0s. 0d.
Offord Mr. D.: £1 0s. 0d.
Paget S. Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Palmer W. D. Esq.: £100 0s. 0d.
Palmer G. D. Esq.: £21 0s. 0d.
Palgrave W. E. Q.: £21 0s. 0d.
Pope Mr. J.: £1 0s. 0d.
Poppy Mr. J.: £0 10s. 0d.
Powell Mr. J.: £0 5s. 0d.
Preston J. Esq.: £20 0s. 0d.
Preston I. Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Preston E. Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Preston J. Esq.: £10 0s. 0d.
Preston Mr. J. K.: £3 3s. 0d.
Preston Mr. A.: £3 0s. 0d.
Preston Mr. G.: £2 0s. 0d.
Pulford Mr. G.: £2 0s. 0d.
Ranney J. Esq.: £15 15s. 0d.
Reeve Mr. W.: £1 0s. 0d.
Reynolds F. R. Esq.: £50 0s. 0d.
Robinson J. J. Esq.: £10 0s. 0d.
Roe Mr. T.: £2 2s. 0d.
Ruzby Mrs.: £1 0s. 0d.
Saunders Mr. W.: £25 0s. 0d.
Sayers and Son: £20 0s. 0d.
Seaman Mr. F.: £2 0s. 0d.
Searum Mr. R.: £1 1s. 0d.
Sharman Mr. E.: £10 0s. 0d.
Sherrington Mr. S.: £10 0s. 0d.
Short Mr. J.: £1 0s. 0d.
Shreeve Mr. H.: £2 0s. 0d.
Sloman Mr. Chas.: £1 0s. 0d.
Smith Mr. R. C.: £1 0s. 0d.
Smith Mr. J.: £2 2s. 0d.
Smith Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Springall Mr. T.: £0 10s. 0d.
Steele Miss: £0 5s. 0d.
Stevenson Mr. J.: £5 0s. 0d.
Sutton Mr. S.: £0 10s. 0d.
Swirles Mr. D.: £1 0s. 0d.
Thacker Mrs.: £0 10s. 0d.
Thompson Mrs.: £5 5s. 0d.
Thompson E. Esq.: £20 0s. 0d.
Thrower Mr. A.: £1 0s. 0d.
Toluer & Preston: £25 0s. 0d.
Townshend Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Turner Rev. R.: £50 0s. 0d.
Turner D. Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Turner Mrs. M.: £0 10s. 0d.
Veal Mr. R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Vardon Mr. John: £0 5s. 0d.
Warren Mr.: £1 0s. 0d.
Watling Mr. F.: £3 3s. 0d.
Watson J. Esq.: £20 0s. 0d.
Watson Mr. T.: £5 5s. 0d.
Watson R.: £1 0s. 0d.
Williams J. H. Esq.: £25 0s. 0d.
Wright Mr. E.: £1 0s. 0d.
Yette Win. Esq.: £20 0s. 0d.
Youngman Mr. T.: £1 0s. 0d.

And a Site of Ground on which to erect a Building, Subscriptions are received at the Town Hall, the Banks, the Subscription-Room, and at the Bath Rooms, in this Town.

And here it is in the 1880s.

July 17, 2025
200 Years Ago in Norwich : Suicide of John Gowing

I’ve touched on this issue before, but the newspapers from 200 years ago are littered with suicides and this often seems to be underplayed throughout history. This article in the Norwich Mercury from 200 years ago this week noted:

“And the same day, at the Workhouse, in the parish of St. Andrew, on the body of John Gowing, aged 35 years, who, in a fit of insanity, threw himself from his bed-room window into the stone yard of the said Workhouse. Verdict accordingly.”

The reason that it mentions “the same day” is that there was another suicide reported in the weekly newspaper.

The workhouse in question here is in St. Andrew’s and it was located in the cloisters of St. Andrew’s Hall, best known today perhaps as the home of Norwich Beer Festival. In the above map from the 1880s, the site of the workhouse was the King Edward VI Middle School.

John Gowing was baptised on 29 December 1793, the son of Robert Gowing and Martha Tutthil, and it appears that the age in the newspaper article was wrong, he died at the age of just 31. I can’t be sure that this is the same John Gowing who committed an appalling crime in 1817, but the details provided do fit although I can’t find the transportation record.

“John Gowing and Daniel Thorpe, the latter only 13 years of age, were indicted for feloniously stealing and carrying away out of the house of Wm. Thorpe, linen-draper at Langley, a quantity of gold and silver coin, his property, on the 10th of April last. This case excited considerable interest. The youngest prisoner, who was admitted King’s evidence, was the orphan nephew of the prosecutor, and had been brought up and educated at his expense; the other prisoner was his servant; and, from the testimony of the child, corroborated by other evidence, it appeared that Gowing had for some time past been urging the boy to rob his uncle, and that he had frequently done it, giving what he had got to Gowing, and receiving, as his portion, whatever part he was pleased to give him. The prosecutor was in the habit of keeping a quantity of guineas and other gold coin by him in a small spice box, which had a lock and key to it. Gowing had procured a key which fitted it, and repeated visits had been made to the old gentleman’s magazine without his suspicion being excited, as whenever his nephew made his attacks, Gowing stood sentinel to prevent a surprise. At length the key accidentally breaking in the lock, Gowing persuaded him to take away box and all. This was done, and the whole booty was delivered to Gowing. The box was broke open, and the contents shared between them in such proportion as Gowing thought fit. These facts being fully proved, the Jury found the prisoner, Gowing—Guilty.—Mr. Justice Abbott, in pronouncing sentence, animadverted in severe terms on the prisoner’s conduct: first, in having seduced a child of the tender age of Thorpe to rob his benefactor; and next, in having himself become a party to rob his employer, who had placed a confidence in him. The humanity of the prosecutor had induced him to prefer this indictment in such a form as did away the capital part of the offence. The Court, however, felt itself bound to inflict the severest punishment in its power upon him. That punishment was, that he should be transported beyond sea for the term of seven years.”

John was buried at St. George Colegate on 23 July 1825, which is a church that I walk by frequently. I can’t find him listed in any family trees or referred to online, which made me wonder how many people have thought about him over the last 200 years. Either which way, it’s all really rather sad.

July 16, 2025