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  • Norwich – Rosary Cemetery

    Norwich – Rosary Cemetery

    The Rosary Cemetery was founded in 1819 by Thomas Drummond (1764-1852), a Presbyterian minister who recognised that churchyards had become overcrowded and there was a need for more space. The first section of land was five acres in size and had previously been used as market gardens. The first burial took place in 1824, the reinterring of the remains of Drummond’s wife, moved from the Octagon Chapel in the city.

    Initially, the cemetery wasn’t much used and the Church of England were none too keen on it, it was all a bit non-conformist for them. There was also the problem, until the 1832 Anatomy Act, of bodies being stolen by body-snatchers, especially so at this slightly remote location. As the nineteenth century progressed, the cemetery became more popular and there had been 18,000 burials by 1884.

    The project was inspirational, as the Rosary was the first non-denominational cemetery in England and many more followed the model which was established here. Drummond was sensible enough to appoint a body (no pun intended) of trustees to look after the affairs of the cemetery and he insisted on the land being freehold, so that it would be much harder to change its usage later on.

    The mortuary chapel, redesigned by Edward Boardman in 1879, replacing a previous building which had been erected here in 1830.

    This is some of the older part of the cemetery, but an extension was purchased in 1903, although wasn’t brought into use until 1924.

    In 1954, the oldest part of the cemetery was taken over by Norwich City Council and they decided to abandon it, or, as they called it, returned it to nature. I’m not sure whether this stone was damaged by their efforts, but there are a few gravestones which have unfortunately been damaged in this manner. Fortunately, there’s an active Friends of Rosary Cemetery which was established in 1998 and they have helped to transform the site and they hold numerous walks, site clearances and events to highlight the history of the cemetery.

  • Norwich – Rosary Cemetery (Alfred Wilmot Spooner)

    Norwich – Rosary Cemetery (Alfred Wilmot Spooner)

    Since I’ve been grounded again by the Government, I thought I’d meander around the Rosary Cemetery located near to me in Norwich, in an attempt to see what stories lie there. It might not be the most fascinating blog content, but it’ll keep me quiet for a few weeks….

    This is the grave of Alfred Wilmot Spooner, located in one of the oldest parts of the cemetery. He was baptised on 6 January 1813 at St. Andrew’s Church in Norwich and was the son of Edward Spooner and Sophia Spooner (nee Gunton) and they had married at St. Peter Mancroft church in April 1807.

    Edward is listed on Alfred’s baptism record as being a straw manufacturer, although I’m not entirely sure what that entailed, with Sophia being a bonnet maker. I can’t be certain, as there are multiple names, but I suspect Edward had been baptised in the same church on 29 August 1784, himself the son of Edward Spooner and Eliza Springale. Edward (Alfred’s father) died at the age of just 49 and was buried at St. Peter Mancroft church on 3 June 1834.

    Alfred died on 21 August 1840, at the age of 27 years old. Unfortunately, for the purposes of my writing this post, this means that he didn’t appear on the first national census which took place in 1841. At this point, his mother was still alive though (now aged 60), living on Day’s Yard in St. Peter Mancroft, which was also called Day’s Court. This yard has long since gone, it’s now pretty much under the treasury counters in Norwich City Hall. She lived with Hannah Bensley, aged 65, and Matilda Stratford, aged 14.

    And, that’s as much as this story as I can find. I don’t know what happened to Alfred during his life. Sophia, Alfred’s mother, died in 1860, having moved to Lakenham to live with the Chittock family, with Hannah Chittock being Edward and Sophia’s daughter. Hannah (so Alfred’s sister) and Timothy married in St. Peter Mancroft church on 8 March 1837.

    So, using my imagination a bit here. The burial of Alfred took place at Rosary Cemetery, at that time still relatively empty, and was likely attended by his mother Sophia, his sister Hannah and his brother-in-law Timothy, amongst others. It might have been a communal effort to pay for the gravestone, as it’s a nice one which has lasted well. The family had gone through the sadness of Alfred’s father dying in 1834, the excitement of Alfred’s sister’s wedding in 1837 and then this sadness in 1840. Quite why Alfred died at such a young age, I sadly don’t know….

  • Norwich – A Little Protest Up a Crane

    Norwich – A Little Protest Up a Crane

    There’s a little protest going on up a crane in Duke Street in Norwich.

    Apparently, it’s a teenager called Alex Sidney from Dereham who has rather bravely (and I must confess, I wouldn’t be that brave) shinned up this crane. Three others have been arrested and they were apparently pleased that there was no security, although I’m sure construction project managers were hopeful that they didn’t have to employ teams of security 24 hours a day to guard things.

    And this is the result, a substantial police, fire and ambulance presence at the scene.

    The EDP have reported that Alex said:

    “If I get arrested now or if I get arrested in nine hours the consequences will be the same so I might as well stay out for a bit longer.”

    And, to be fair, he’s probably right.

  • London – Newham (Borough of) – Stratford – Goldengrove

    London – Newham (Borough of) – Stratford – Goldengrove

    There aren’t many photos of my visit to this JD Wetherspoon pub last week, as I must admit to popping in solely to benefit from the 50p half pints of real ale that were available. However, I’ve now realised that the pub is in the Good Beer Guide, and so that’s another one for my list….

    I’ve visited here before several times over the last decade, it’s a large pub which goes back further than its frontage might suggest. The pub name is a bit niche, it’s from the poem Spring and Fall by local man Gerard Manley Hopkins. Before it became a pub, the building was being used as a clothes shop.

    As for the 50p half pints, I did have six of them over the course of the night, which was a little excessive, but I knew that pubs were closing for a month…. They were the Cowcatcher from East London Brewing Company, Old Hooky from Hook Norton Brewery, Black Stallion from Arundel Brewery, Pure UBU from Purity Brewing Company, Gold from Exmoor Ales and Hobgoblin from Wychwood Brewery. The Pure UBU was the one that I liked the most, but it’s an interesting selection across different beer types and all of the ales were well-kept. I can imagine the annoyance that JD Wetherspoon had in having to get rid of all of this at 99p, but, as they said in their signage, it saved it from being thrown away.

    This photo is from a previous visit, the London Thunder which is a chocolately porter from Rooster’s Brewery.

    And, just for another photo, a chicken wrap that I’ve had here on a previous occasion. On that point, I’ve always thought that this feels like a safe pub, although there was an argument between a customer and a staff member last week, but that all adds to the drama and excitement. The pub was opened by JD Wetherspoon back in 1993 and things have changed substantially for the area, with the construction of Westfield around the corner and then the Olympics, as well as the company, which is now much bigger.

    The reviews are pretty much average for a JD Wetherspoon outlet, although several complaints are for when service is slow during football match days. West Ham moved to their new stadium in Stratford from the Boleyn Ground in 2016, shifting trade from the Millers Well pub to Goldengrove for those fans who wanted a cheap pint. At least the app makes ordering somewhat easier for customers, so although there might be a wait it does avoid standing at the bar getting annoyed when other customers are served out of turn.

    Anyway, all rather lovely during my visit (although the toilets probably need more reconstructing than cleaning), and JD Wetherspoon did well to start shifting their stock early to avoid it needing to be destroyed.

  • Sudbury – The Brewery Tap

    Sudbury – The Brewery Tap

    This visit dates back to August 2020 to the Good Beer Guide listed pub The Brewery Tap in Sudbury.

    Nathan was relieved to see that the bar billiards table was out of action, as he didn’t have his cue and he’s apparently out of form. I’ve rarely seen him in form, but there we go.

    It’s a sizeable pub, although it was nearly entirely empty when we visited on a Saturday afternoon.

    The community weren’t in the pub when we were there, but there was still a sense that this was a community-led pub, albeit welcoming to all. The landlord was helpful and tolerant that one of our group ordered some cheap lager, with table service being offered due to the current health situation. Everything felt clean and safe, so was well-managed. There are usually board games, books and the like to further amuse customers, although these had been temporarily removed for cleanliness reasons.

    This is a Mauldons tied pub, apparently the oldest brewery in Suffolk. They had four beers from the brewery on, the Mole Trap, the Silver Adder, the Suffolk Pride and what I consider to be their best known, the Black Adder. That’s the one that I went for and it was well-kept, at the appropriate temperature and had a suitably rich taste. It’s not as full-bodied as some stouts, but it’s slightly bitter and rather drinkable. And it’s also reasonably well distributed, I had one at the JD Wetherspoon operated Ledger Building in London a few weeks ago. Given the limitations on trade that existed when we visited, having four real ales was a real effort and they also have mini beer festivals here during the year.

    I can’t remember whether Liam or Ross were trying to play with the dog (I don’t know the name, but someone on a review is saying it’s called Silver) here, but this is one beautiful border collie. He kept us amused throughout the visit and we did think about whether we could trade Ross for the dog, but we decided we’d better not ask. He was also immaculately behaved (the dog, not Ross), poking his head out of the window to see other people and dogs go by. Every pub should have a border collie….

    I’m pleased to see that the pub has been relisted in the 2021 Good Beer Guide, all very much deserved.

  • London – Newham (Borough of) – Stratford – Tap East

    London – Newham (Borough of) – Stratford – Tap East

    This is the only Good Beer Guide listed pub in the Westfield Centre at Stratford, with the only other in the area being JD Wetherspoon’s Goldengrove in the town centre. It’s bright, open and slightly hard to find for those who aren’t used to Westfield. I’d add that I visited just before the second lockdown, they haven’t found some exemption to stay open.

    The beer list with a suitably interesting range of beer types. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s also not unreasonable and the unit that they’re located in can’t be the lowest priced either.

    A moderately decadent choice, this is the Export Stout Raspberry from the Kernel Brewery. This was rich, beautifully fruity and slightly bitter, but very moreish. Given the price, I limited myself to half a pint, but it was smooth enough to last for some time. This is the second beer I’ve had from this brewery, I had the Dry Stout Centennial Mosaic when I visited Mikkeller Bar. I preferred this one, the raspberry gave it that extra edge.

    Service was timely, friendly and welcoming, so this was a relaxed environment. It’s not the largest location and I’m sure that this must get busy at times, but there were sufficient tables inside and outside when I visited. They have a fair few bottles and cans in the fridges as well for those who want more choice. There’s a food menu, which looked quite tempting, with hot dogs and the like available.

    It’s all slightly quirky as outlets like this aren’t normally available in shopping centres, not withstanding the Craft Beer Co outlet at the Broadway Centre in Hammersmith. But, they’ve been going for a few years and have won several awards, not least being mentioned in the Good Beer Guide. Since it’s at the side of the shopping centre, it’s not too loud, it’s a helpful hideaway for anyone who needs to escape the retail demands of the rest of the site….

  • Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 211

    Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 211

    The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

    Monks and Friars

    I’ve never heard of this before, defined by Grose as “terms used by printers: monks are sheets where the letters are blotted, or printed too black; friars, those letters where the ink has failed touching the type, which are therefore white or faint”. The origins of this phrase date back to Joseph Moxon in his 1683 book titled ‘Mechanick Exercises’. Although he’s referring to the white and black of the dress worn by monks and friars, it’s also rather appropriate, as this period of printing was not that long after private printers, following in the footsteps of Gutenberg and his presses, had taken over from monks in the preparation of religious books.

  • London – Hammersmith and Fulham (Borough of) – Margravine Cemetery (Thomas Austin)

    London – Hammersmith and Fulham (Borough of) – Margravine Cemetery (Thomas Austin)

    This is the grave of Thomas Austin, located at Margravine Cemetery in London, which looked interesting due to the mention of Queen Victoria.

    He was born in 1816 and joined the army, although there’s lots more information about him (and a photo) at https://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/OldSoldiers-YeomanoftheGuardThomasAustin.html which it’s easier for me to just link to….. But, in short, since his army records are on-line, he served in the Coldstream Regiment of Guards, joining on 16 September 1833 and being given military service number 1666.

    Thomas died at the age of 79 on 17 February 1895, with his wife Frances Ann being buried at the same spot on 17 December 1903.

  • London – Hammersmith and Fulham (Borough of) – Margravine Cemetery

    London – Hammersmith and Fulham (Borough of) – Margravine Cemetery

    This London cemetery was laid out in 1868, designed to relieve pressure on churchyards in the area, and the first burial took place here on 3 November 1869. It has also been known as Hammersmith Cemetery and there was an area for Church of England burials and another area for non-conformists.

    Burials continued here until 1951 and at this point the site was taken over by the council who termed it as a ‘garden of rest’. What this really meant is that the council took down a large number of gravestones and buried them, leaving what I think looks like a slightly disjointed and confused cemetery, albeit it in beautiful surroundings.

    The friends of the cemetery seem quite active and their web-site has an interesting take on the history of the site. They mention how sluggish the borough were in opening their burial ground, but an outbreak of cholera in the area speeded things up somewhat. The friends also note that the cemetery saw:

    “A superintendent’s drunken foul mouthed wife upsetting visitors and creating “a crowd” on Christmas Day 1879, belligerent gravediggers demanding higher wages and having fist-fights in the tool house, the nonconformists’ objections, the battle with Sir William Palliser and a fair amount of wheeling and dealing when acquiring or exchanging land”.

    Although I didn’t find his grave, George Wimpey of construction fame is buried at the cemetery. There are 83,000 burials at the site, although when it opened the cemetery was only designed to hold 12,000.

    This squirrel followed me for quite some time, but annoyingly was unwilling to pose for photos.

    There were a large number of dog walkers using the cemetery when I was there, but there’s plenty of space and it looked generally well cared for. Well, other than for the empty beer cans dotted about the site.

    The cemetery’s chapel, which was designed by the local architect George Saunders, who was also responsible for pretty much everything at the site. There was a second chapel at the cemetery, but this was demolished in 1939.

    I visited shortly before the cemetery was due to close, so my meandering was limited and I missed the “ghoulish” Victorian reception house. This building, where bodies were laid to rest, has now been listed and is the only one of its kind left in London. I’m not sure why Historic England thought it was ghoulish, it’s a place to store bodies in a cemetery before they were buried, but there we go….

  • Chelmsford – Disgusting Offence

    Chelmsford – Disgusting Offence

    As an aside, and not one of the most decadent things that I’ve written about, this type of story is alarmingly common in nineteenth century newspapers. The crime relates to the village of Margaretting, which is a few miles to the south of Chelmsford, but which was tried in the city’s courts. The exact nature of the crime it’s best to leave to the imagination, although it was one punishable by the death penalty.

    The Chelmsford Chronicle reported this in January 1860:

    “George Brazier, labourer, was charged with committing a disgusting offence at Margaretting on the 23rd December. The evidence not being sufficient to support the capital offence, the case was dismissed. Brazier was then charged upon the same evidence, with cruelly treating a donkey, and was convicted in a penalty of £2 10s and 8s costs, or six weeks’ imprisonment”.

    £2 10s is worth around £150 in today’s money, so George got off quite lightly given what the potential punishment could have been.