Category: UK

Norwich – Strangers Tavern (Two Julians)

Next on our perambulation a couple of weeks ago was Stranger’s Tavern which has somewhat of a complex history to unpick. Firstly, Julian found the railings outside the pub a handy place to lock his bike up and to also keep an eye on it when we were seated inside. Once that faffing about was done and I watched the police doing something next door with a food delivery driver, we were ready to enter.

The story starts with the Three Pigeons pub which was located opposite where the pub today is now located. The current location is under the ‘HAR’ of Charing in the above map. This has been a pub from the mid eighteenth century located where Westwick Street and St. Benedict’s Street met, but the building was demolished for road improvement works in the 1890s. In 1869, there were allegations of election bribery taking place at the pub although the investigators only found evidence of intoxication of voters. I sometimes wonder whether this (the intoxication, not necessarily the bribery) should be encouraged again to see if voters make more sensible decisions after a couple of beers.

This map, from around 1900, shows where the pub was moved to. Morgans Brewery operated the venue until the 1940s, then it became owned by Tollemache & Cobbold. In 1977, the pub was renamed the Hog in Armour and that’s how I remember it over twenty years ago when my friend James and I played pool upstairs. That’s now been turned into a cocktail bar which is separately branded today, but I digress. It was renamed the Mash Tun in 2014 and then the Strangers Tavern in 2019. I quite like the Three Pigeons name myself, but there we go.

An advert from 1881 and there are a couple of interesting things there, including the bagatelle table (the fore-runner of today’s bar billiards), but also the annual bread, cheese and celery supper. I’m not bothered about the celery, but the rest of the supper sounds amazing.

Incidentally, in 1930, the local press reported:

“Mr. Lindley, at the Three Pigeons, near Charing Cross, has a hog, which is allowed to be the largest ever seen in this city (Norwich). Its dimensions are 9 feet in length, 5 feet high, 9 feet round the body, and the neck measures 4 feet 4 inches round; his weight is computed to exceed 50 stone.”

50 stone?!?! Handy for the later name of the Hog in Armour though.

The bar was entirely devoid of customers when we entered, but it was contemporary and clean in its design.

I had expected something rather more generic, but I think it’s fair to say that both Julian and I were surprised and delighted. There was a broad range of craft beers and the team member behind the bar was knowledgeable, engaging and enthusiastic. Well, I say we were both delighted, but they don’t serve real ale (those two lines that look like cask are actually cider) so Julian could have been more delighted, but at least the craft options were intriguing.

The keg selection which is a little hard to make here unfortunately, but there were some beers from breweries that I hadn’t been aware of and it’s always good to see beer from Brew York.

I opted for the Ben & Terry’s Peanut Buttercup from Bianca Road Brew Co, a London brewery who were new to me. Lots of peanut butter, smooth and rich, this was nearly quite a decadent beer. Julian went for a beer from the same brewery, the Hay-Z which is a pale ale and it was a fresh and fragrant little number.

The team member said that the bar was doing well, although it’s always seemed a bit empty when I’ve gone by, but it’s possible that they get a decent crowd in during weekend events. They don’t seem to serve food other than bar snacks, so it’s a primarily wet-led venue. I actually really liked the pub, it offered beers that were a little different, the service was friendly, the team member who served us was knowledgeable about beer and I felt welcome during the visit. All really rather lovely and I think that they deserve to be busier.

<br />

Finally, for anyone who wants to see what the Hog in Armour looked like in the 1980s, jump to 12 minutes in of this Tales of the Unexpected video. Also note the appearance of Clive Swift, later better known for his role in Keeping Up Appearances.

April 21, 2025
Barking – Premier Inn Meal Deal

As Liam and I had completed the LDWA Capital Challenge earlier in the day, we thought we’d amend our original plans for us to drive somewhere (well, for Liam to drive somewhere whilst I had a nap in the passenger seat) and eat in the hotel since it worked out around £31 each for a three course evening meal, a pint and breakfast in the morning.

I was initially a little sceptical that it would be one of those half board arrangements where the only thing included was the salad or something ridiculous, but it actually included everything with a just a couple of relatively small surcharges for the mixed grill and steak. I’m not a mixed grill or steak person, so that was that sorted for me. Liam, however, being a civil engineer (a profession I suspect requires a daily intake of at least three different types of grilled animal), naturally gravitated towards the mixed grill. It’s in the blueprints, I’m sure.

I had asked the team member at reception a little earlier if we had to book for the evening meal or tell them in advance we wanted the deal. I liked his informality and he hinted that this wasn’t really necessary and I can see why he thought that when we arrived in the bustling restaurant. However, I quite like the idea of a private dining club and I felt that had been achieved here.

We were effectively the only customers, although there was one other table somewhere just out of sight just finishing their meals. The server was trying to man reception, welcome customers, welcome diners and he told us he had to go to a room to provide the customers with more pillows in between serving us. He was enthusiastic, over-worked and kept forgetting Liam’s order before he reached the till, which was actually located just behind Liam so it wasn’t far. On one occasion the team member mouthed “what did he order?” and I liked his whole engagement and attention, it was an informal, endearing and welcoming performance that I thought was perfect for the service we wanted.

Firstly, let me admit that the beer that came with the meal deal was Coors Light. Now, as I had walked 27 miles earlier that day, I needed water and so this was a perfect fit. I went for the prawn cocktail and I’m not entirely sure of the presentation here as it was quite a lot of sauce with some slightly firm prawns, but they had a pleasant enough flavour. I wasn’t sure about the piece of bread and butter, but it was handy for mopping up the sauce. Liam looks surprised and delighted here.

It was becoming evident that presentation wasn’t the key here. However, the chips had a pleasant taste, the chicken was tender and had some flavour to the coating with the bun being fresh and the salad being salady. It was certainly a very reasonable tasting affair and Liam seemed pleased with whatever he was doing with his mixed grill.

The chocolate sundae was served as a large portion and it had a Flake. You can’t argue with a Flake. It’s the universal language of dessert satisfaction.

Breakfast in the morning wasn’t much busier and similarly low-key, but there was a friendly and engaging welcome. I asked if there were fried eggs and there were, I just hadn’t noticed them, but the team member had some more made up for us. They didn’t make the amount we asked for as there was some confusion, but the thought was there and the team members seemed jovial enough despite it being a Sunday morning.

I’m more of a continental breakfast person, but this was a much better cooked offering than somewhere say Travelodge. Travelodge cooked breakfasts are broadly terrible, they don’t deep fry anything and so their hash browns are oven baked (so they’re hard on the outside and uninspiring on the inside), the bacon is often not really cooked and there is no fried egg, just some awful scrambled egg. Here, there are fried eggs, the hash browns are fried and there’s also black pudding.

All very satisfactory and there was a supporting cast of yoghurts, juices, coffees, fruit and the like to add to the arrangement. I would have liked the bacon cooked a little more, but I cut the fat off and was aware they’d probably go and burn me some if I asked as that’s how I like it served. The croissants are also better than the ones at Travelodge that have less taste than the packaging they come in.

Anyway, I was suitably impressed with the whole offer of just under £31 for three courses, a pint and breakfast. The presentation wasn’t great, but the quality was reasonable for a chain restaurant and the service was well above average. Indeed, so good was the service in the evening that I messaged Whitbread who said they’d pass on my thoughts, which I imagine they probably have. Given that there wasn’t anything else nearby in Barking that didn’t require a fifteen minute walk each way (and we’d done enough of that) it was more than satisfactory as a post marathon refuel. I wouldn’t rule out doing this again in future, although it’s obviously dependent on what else is in the local area.

April 20, 2025
Wizz Air (London Luton to Warsaw Chopin)

I usually don’t write anything about the flights I take, but a change is as good as a rest and all that. I’m not sure that Luton Airport has really mastered the art of returning flights efficiently, but the security process is now quite efficient. I have to confess to pure idiocy during security when I managed to leave my belt on during the security scan. I blame the confusion on their policy of leaving liquids and laptops in the bag which throws my system. The member of security staff was though not deterred and, thankfully, my brief masterclass in how not to do security seemed to escape wider notice, preserving my fragile dignity in aviation matters.

They announced the gate quite early, an hour before the flight, the delights of Gate 32 beckoned. Having endured the boarding methodologies back in my BA days, which often resembled a polite but ultimately confusing game of human Tetris, Wizz Air’s approach felt refreshingly straightforward. Every passenger knows, or should know, where to go from signage and they didn’t take long to board everyone. Admittedly, that leads to a lot of waiting on the stairs in the airport terminal to board, but at least it feels efficient although it’s less ideal for people who prefer to have a little sit down rather than balance themselves and their luggage on steps.

The aircraft was ready and for the sake of completion, the registration is 9H-wNE, the same aircraft I went from Gdansk to London Luton on a few months ago. It’s hard not to make that sound quite geekish, but as a reminder, for my two loyal blog readers who can’t remember, it’s an Airbus A321 which was delivered to Wizz Air in March 2024. Feel free to use that aviation nugget of information at your next dinner party, instant social success guaranteed…..

I’ve had a long series of good fortune from the seating Gods where I’ve been aisle or window seats, but that luck had run out for this flight when I was randomly given a middle seat. I always vaguely hope that one of the passengers doesn’t turn up, but they both did. Both were Polish, the one by the aisle fell asleep for most of the flight and the other managed to consume several Polish beers and then needed me to wake up the aisle guy from his hibernation for obvious reasons. I’m not sure that they entirely managed to follow my rule of letting the middle seat passenger have the arm rests, but since that’s a rule I’ve created it’s one that’s hard to enforce. Fortunately, this isn’t a long flight and two hours later we were landing into Warsaw.

The crew on the flight were well presented, engaging and efficient, although that’s the normality for Wizz Air flights I’ve found. Announcements from the pilots were in Polish with a shorter English version following soon after and the safety briefing was completely in a way that the CAA would be pleased by.

The delights of Warsaw always excite me, so I didn’t even mind that it was a bus that took us to border control. Most passengers on the flight were Polish or had EU passports, so the queue for my passport to be stamped was relatively short. The border agent was friendly and for this visit didn’t require a detailed explanation of my life before letting me into Poland. The flight is with my Multi Pass, which I’m still moderately obsessed with, so it cost just £8.99. Armrest battles aside, Wizz Air delivered the goods once again as far as I was concerned.

April 19, 2025
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market (2025 Edition) – Week 6 and Coral Bay

Next up in our second round of visiting every food stall at Norwich Market took James and I to Coral Bay. Here’s when we visited in 2023 and we took advantage of the two meals offer, with both of us being suitably impressed by the quality of the food. This time the service was once again friendly and efficient, with the stall taking cards and cash. Ainsley Harriott has visited this stall and been surprised and delighted by the quality of the food, fine praise indeed. There’s a vegetarian curry available, a vegan patty and the ackee and salt fish curry sounded delicious, I’ll likely try that if we do a third round of visiting every stall in a future year (although I think we’ve identified some other things to aim for first).

The menu this time, with prices going up around £1.50 per dish and there’s also now the appearance of large meals to offer more selection. The Jamaican patties are still available and there are a variety of fillings, with this being the lower priced point selection. There is a small seating area at the stall, but it was quite quiet and we wanted to gossip about the food, so we went to the area near city hall whilst trying to avoid the ever increasing number of pigeons and seagulls.

I had jerk chicken last time, so this time I went for curried chicken and that included salad and rice, with the Encona hot pepper sauce being free of charge. The portion size was generous and the quality of the food was high, with the slow cooked chicken being tender and having a richness of flavour. The hot sauce was very useful and mixed in well with the rice, with the salad adding some firmness of texture.

This time, I trusted James to take a photo of his food so that my two loyal blog readers could get an indication of everything we ordered. Unfortunately, he forgot until he had nearly finished the food, but I obviously didn’t say anything… But, luckily, he has been able to recreate in almost snapshot imagery what he was served with. I asked James what he thought of the food and he said something like:

“Upon perusal of the menu’s manifold offerings, my selection gravitated towards the establishment’s interpretation of brown stew chicken, a Caribbean culinary staple. The presentation, upon arrival, was characterised by a substantial apportionment of the principal gallinaceous component, veritably luxuriating in a deep, mahogany-hued sauce redolent with aromatic allusions. The chicken itself, subjected to what must have been a significantly protracted and punctilious simmering process, exhibited an extraordinary degree of tenderness; the flesh, utterly succulent, providing a most gratifying and unctuous mouthfeel indicative of superlative preparation techniques. The sheer quantitative generosity of the serving was noteworthy, promising thorough satiation for even the most prodigious of appetites.

Accompanying this delectable centrepiece was a commensurate portion of traditional rice and peas, the grains perfectly distinct and imbued with the subtle, saccharine perfume of coconut milk, punctuated by the earthy depth of the leguminous inclusions. Furthermore, a colourful mélange of crisp, horticultural elements constituted a refreshing salad, providing a counterpoint of chromatic vibrancy and textural variation to the richer constituents of the plate. This tripartite arrangement – the profoundly flavourful and tender chicken, the gratifyingly substantial rice and peas, and the invigorating salad – represented a commendable and thoroughly well-executed example of gastronomic synergy, leaving this particular gourmand unequivocally contented with the entire gustatory experience.”

Overall, the food here was excellent and filling, possibly one of the best that we’ve experienced this year. It is though still expensive, a challenge which is obviously not easily resolved given food and wage inflation at the moment. However, sometimes it’s worth paying for quality and I liked the whole arrangement. And I’ll remind James to take a photo next time, but we both left agreeing that this was an enjoyable meal.

April 18, 2025
2025 LDWA Capital Challenge

Someone, which I accept was likely me, thought that it would be a great idea to complete the LDWA Capital Challenge event again. So, after getting up way too early, here’s Liam on the train all excited for the day of traipsing around London. The event has three different routes, although we happened to be doing the same route that we had completed before.

An early morning Tower of London.

The Tower of London with a pond in the moat.

Old and new, it looks a little AI created, but is authentic.

Walking over Tower Bridge to the start of the event, which this time was at a community centre. The first London LDWA marshal we saw was Pete C and it’s always a delight to catch up with him.

The fog on the Tyne is all mine all mine…. It’s the Thames, I accept, but I don’t know any songs about the foggy Thames.

Liam at Canary Wharf.

Some decorative elements at Canary Wharf.

One of the two city farms that we walked by.

Some pigs.

Looking back to the city.

Liam in the Greenwich foot tunnel. I would say that there’s a fun fact that the tunnel was bombed during the war and the heavily patched up area in the middle is testament to that, but I’m not sure that is quite a “fun” thing… Incidentally, we had to walk up and down the stairs as the lifts were broken. However, as Liam and I are just natural and accidental Olympian types, we would have walked up and down anyway.

The Cutty Sark, a majestic clipper ship launched in 1869, embodies the romance of the high seas and the fierce competition of the 19th-century tea trade. Built for speed, with the odd name “short shirt” (Scots for a short undergarment, the name of a witch in Robert Burns’ poem) was designed to be the fastest vessel on the China tea route. Though she never quite clinched the title, her sleek lines and impressive sail area allowed her to achieve remarkable speeds, later dominating the Australian wool trade. It became a training ship used by the Royal Navy and it then became a museum ship before a sub-optimal situation when it caught fire a few years ago. There’s a bit of the Ship of Theseus about all this, I wonder how much is actually original….

The first snack of the day, from the Tesco Meal Deal we had obtained earlier in the day.

The River Thames and my fun fact about this is that the river has its very own species of seahorse, which is a short-snouted seahorse that has been found living in the tidal parts of the river, particularly in the area around Greenwich.

Looking back on where we’d walked earlier in the day.

Clever, if you walk in that direction for 24,859 miles then you end up back in the same place. There are some technical reasons why that might be quite challenging, but I like the theory.

This is the ‘Demon with Bowl’ sculpture by Damian Hurst located on Edmund Halley Way and designed to look like a Ancient Mesopotamian demon.

I used to live over there…….

Liam enjoying the exciting view. We were making a good pace at this point, trying to keep other walkers in sight to help with the navigation. As a little treat for him, I let Liam do all the navigation on this event. Actually, I’ve let him do that for the last 23 events, which is a reminder of how we work so well together.

Approaching the Thames Barrier. As today’s fun fact, the design of the Thames Barrier’s rising sector gates was actually inspired by the humble taps on a gas cooker. Reginald Charles Draper, who conceived the idea, based the rotating cylinders on the way gas cooker taps work.

A close-up of the barrier and Liam studied its engineering. I wondered if there were any nineteenth century clay pipes in that beach area.

Volunteers at the second checkpoint which was the first one with some little snacks to keep us going. As usual, thanks so much to all the volunteers who make events such as this possible.

My delicious lunch from the Tesco meal deal, fortunately not heated up too much in the blazing sun. I haven’t yet mentioned, but it was too hot.

Some fields. If I’m being honest, I’m more of an urban walker.

A bridge at Eltham Palace, once a favoured palace of kings, including Henry VIII who spent his childhood there, it fell into disrepair which wasn’t entirely ideal. In the 1930s, eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built a stunning modern home onto the existing Great Hall, creating a unique architectural hybrid.

Anyone looking closely will see Dave M filming one of his videos. Dave started later than Liam and I, catching us up just before we reached the Palace. We walked together until the next checkpoint ensuring lots of gossip, but then he had to have a long rest at that checkpoint so Liam and I bravely walked on our own. I initially assumed that he just couldn’t keep up with the pace of us athletes, but it transpired he was waiting for his wife…. I wondered how much attention Dave actually pays though, we walked up about 12 enormous hills near Charlton and he didn’t even notice them. Actually, Dave was also reading from the route description, something which is completely beyond me, I’m more of a GPX person. But, I sometimes think I’m not a natural navigator….

Beckenham Place Mansion and time for another fun fact…. Despite its rather grand appearance as a Grade II* listed Georgian building, the impressive portico on the north-west side wasn’t originally part of the mansion. It was added later, around 1806-1812, and was actually salvaged from another demolished house in Blackheath called Wricklemarsh House showing that they had a desire for recyling.

Not that I’m one gossip, but it was evident to me that Liam was limping slightly, but he denied it. We are very different, at the first sign of pain or discomfort with me, then absolutely everyone knows about it, including members of the public who happen to be walking by. Liam is braver and doesn’t like to make a fuss, whereas I rather like a dramatic monologue, why be subtle when there’s an opportunity for a theatrical production?

Some street art somewhere near Crystal Palace. Liam’s foot wasn’t in the best of states by this time, but I rushed ahead to inspire him to walk quicker. As they always say, “the sooner you’re finished, the less time you’re stuck out there”. I accept I’m not sure who actually says that, but there’s some truth to it and tough love is important. I did say we could slow down if he wanted, but we both knew that I didn’t really want him to.

I did wonder about visiting a pub at the end of the walk, but the one near to the end point is operated by Sam Smiths and I can’t be navigating their odd rules and regulations.

The end of the walk and I think we were very brave. It was good to see Gavin at the finish with a smiling face and I announced that Liam was suffering a little in the hope that we might both get extra cake although that didn’t work. Although, and unusually, I thought Liam should win the ‘bravest walker’ out of the two of us as he had been a bit limpy but kept going. For anyone interested, the results are here and that was over twenty minutes faster than when we did it before. We never really worry about times, but we were surprised at how fast we got round, we must be getting fitter and healthier.

My certificate and my third pack of Mini Cheddars as I can’t be near them without eating them and I also needed sustenance after the long walk.

Liam and I at the end, with Sarah who trod on my shoelace but I was too polite to say. We then walked back to the nearby Overground station and then nearly boarded the train before I remembered we hadn’t touched in, so that would have been sub-optimal to have been fined. Luckily I remembered, we boarded and Liam soon recovered and didn’t collapse. As one of the finest athletes in the LDWA, I was uninjured. This tends to happen on urban walks, I like firm and flat surfaces, which isn’t the usual terrain of a challenge event. I should say we didn’t see much of the other walkers from Norfolk, but it was good to catch up with Andy and others at the end.

It was another lovely day out and marvellously organised. There is less food and drink than other challenge events, but the theory is that entrants walk by hundreds of food and drink options, so the need is a little different to a rural walk. I’ve now put my certificate on the wall at home, I’ve once again gone for blu-tac rather than a frame as that’s just, well, within my DIY skills.

April 18, 2025

Ickworth House – Below Stairs

One of the volunteer guides at Ickworth House told me that this favourite area of the property was the below stairs tunnels and rooms. These comments transpired to be very understandable having seen the whole building, there’s an element of rawness down here.

Located on the lower floor under the Rotunda, the opportunity to explore this hidden world is largely thanks to a significant initiative by the National Trust: the “Ickworth Lives” project. Launched in 2011, this project meticulously researched and restored the basement quarters to reflect their appearance and function during the 1930s.

The wine and craft beer storage area. I accept it was mostly the former.

Keeping track of who was staying in the rooms.

A lovely view of a brick wall, although at least there was some sun shining in. Anyway, I think it’s time for a table:

Role	Key Responsibilities	Mentioned/Implied at Ickworth
Butler	Supervise male staff, manage wine cellar, oversee dining service, potentially valet duties	Yes (Mr. Dunning)
Housekeeper	Supervise female staff, manage linens & stores, oversee house cleaning	Yes (Mrs. Seddons)
Cook/Head Cook	Plan menus, order food, manage kitchen staff, prepare meals	Yes
Valet	Gentleman’s personal servant: dressing, clothes care, shaving, boot polishing	Implied/General
Lady’s Maid	Lady’s personal servant: dressing, hair, cosmetics, clothes care	Implied/General
Footman	Assist butler, serve meals, answer door, run errands, polish silver	Yes (Laurence)
Housemaid	Clean rooms, make beds, clean fires, dust, general household duties	Yes (Rose, Lily, Florence)
Parlour Maid	Serve meals (often breakfast/lunch), clean reception rooms, answer door	Yes (Mary Brunning)
Kitchen Maid	Assist cook with food preparation, kitchen cleaning	Yes (Ruth Mizen, Maggie)
Scullery Maid	Wash dishes/pots/pans, heavy cleaning in kitchen/scullery, prepare vegetables, light fires	Yes (Arianna, Harriet Flack)
Hall Boy	General errands, heavy lifting (coal/wood), cleaning boots, assisting footmen/butler	Yes (John Mayhew)

That’s quite a selection of staff who were working in the warren of rooms downstairs. The job wasn’t the worst going, but it would require an early rise and shifts tended to be up to 16 hours a day, with minimal days off. Lady Theodora Hervey, the 4th Marchioness, had at least improved matters somewhat in her 1910 investment in the facilities which reduced the need to walk so far to serve food and it also introduced electric lighting and hot water boilers.

It seems that rather than the servants being housed in the attic of the building,some of their sleeping quarters were located in the maze of downstairs rooms.

I’ve seen far worse in terms of accommodation.

I can only imagine this was one of the rooms for a butler or valet, it’s quite decadent. It also has half a set of encyclopaedias.

Some of the industrial equipment in the cellars. Liam was more excited about all this engineering than I was. How someone can get excited by a piling rig is beyond me, but I don’t judge.

The finishing kitchen and this was installed after the dining room debacle meant the food was getting cold by the time it arrived.

I did note that the kitchen was bigger than my entire flat….

More engineering.

Liam understood this.

The pipes continue.

One of the toilets that the servants could use.

And, for the sake of completeness, the other one.

There’s been an increase in interest in this whole sort of thing since Downton Abbey, although I’ve personally always been more engaged with You Rang, M’Lord?, although I must admit to having never watched Downton Abbey…. It’s definitely an intriguing area of the house and they’ve restored this really to quite a high standard of authenticity which has humanised the rooms.

April 17, 2025

Ickworth House – William Hogarth’s ‘The Hervey Conversation Piece’

As I’m not observant, I hadn’t realised at the time that this painting at Ickworth House was by William Hogarth (1697-1764) who must rank as one of the most influential British artists. The work was commissioned by John, Lord Hervey, and also has the title of ‘The Holland House Group’ which seems to me to be a more grown-up sounding name than ‘the Hervey Conversation Piece’. This secondary title points towards the significant presence of Henry and Stephen Fox, whose family later held the title Baron Holland and resided at Holland House. I had to look it up, but the ‘conversation piece’ style of artwork was a thing in the eighteenth century, a way of the middle classes to show off their status.

It was painted between 1738 and 1740, with this being time for another table…

Sitter	Key Title/Role	Depicted Action/Pose	Relationship to Hervey/Group
John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey (1696–1743)	Vice-Chamberlain to Royal Household	Standing centrally, wearing gold key, gesturing at plan	Commissioner; Central figure; Political leader/Courtier
Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland (1705–1774)	Surveyor-General of the King’s Works	Standing, holding up architectural plan	Political ally (Whig); Colleague (related interests in architecture/works)
Stephen Fox, 1st Earl of Ilchester (1704–1776)	Later Joint Secretary to the Treasury	Seated at table with wine/fruit, dog at feet; stick upsets Desaguliers’ chair	Brother of Henry Fox; Political ally (Whig); Social connection
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough (1706–1758)	Gentleman of the King’s Bedchamber (from 1738)	Seated left of Hervey, leaning in, gesturing	Colleague in Royal Household; Political ally (Whig); Social connection
Thomas Winnington (1696–1746)	Whig Politician	Standing beside Marlborough, foot on garden roller	Political ally (Whig); Social connection
Rev. John Theophilus Desaguliers (1683–1744)	Natural Philosopher, Clergyman, Engineer, Freemason	Peering through telescope, teetering on upset chair near river	Intellectual figure; Represents scientific/Enlightenment interests within Hervey’s circle

I love a political artwork (I don’t get out much) as they’re statements of intent and political alliances rather than anything else. Hervey had reached the giddy heights of Vice-Chamberlain to Royal Household which was a rather more powerful role than it is today. I note that because I would bet that the majority of people don’t know that Samantha Dixon currently holds the role, although I sometimes fear that the majority of people don’t know who the Home Secretary is.

There is some background information here, which is that John Hervey and Stephen Fox were in a relationship, although initially John has pursued Henry Fox until he rejected the advances and he went for his older brother instead. For extra excitement, Winnington had an affair, likely more than one, and managed to get himself involved in a duel.

The artwork has never left the property and was owned by the Hervey family until 1956 when it was accepted by HM Treasury in lieu of death duties and then given to the National Trust. There’s also a copy of the artwork at Redlynch Park in Wiltshire, which was the country seat of the Fox family.

April 17, 2025

Ickworth House – Painting of Constantine Phipps Greeting Augustus Hervey

This painting at Ickworth House shows the meeting of the Hon. Mrs Constantine Phipps being led to greet her brother, Captain the Hon Augustus Hervey, later 3rd Earl of Bristol. The artwork was commissioned in 1750 by the matriarch Mary, Lady Hervey, but it was a rather more complex affair than she might have first intended. The six individuals posed, or whatever it is people do when sitting for a painting, in Paris in October 1750 and much of the whole thing was a show of her social status. Anyway, there’s more about Mary at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hervey and more about Augustus at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Hervey,_3rd_Earl_of_Bristol.

The artist was Hubert-François Bourguignon (1699-1773), known as Gravelot, who was something of an active participant in London’s burgeoning art scene, frequenting Slaughter’s Coffee House and teaching at the St. Martin’s Lane Academy, an important precursor to the Royal Academy, alongside figures like William Hogarth and Francis Hayman. His pupils included the young Thomas Gainsborough, who reportedly even painted backgrounds for Gravelot in the mid-1740s. In the Ickworth painting, commissioned five years after his return to Paris, Gravelot appears to have been the primary architect and instigator of the whole arrangement. He is credited with painting the bodies of the figures and, significantly, the heads of Mary, Lady Hervey, and the Fitzgerald couple.

But then we move onto Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702–1789), a portrait painter born in Geneva to French Huguenot parents. For the Ickworth commission, Liotard was specifically engaged to paint the heads of the Honourable Mrs Constantine Phipps and her husband. But then it seems that Lady Hervey became a bit impatient with the speed of everything and she commissioned Francis Hayman (1708-1776) to finish everything off, although his exact contribution is unclear so there are some figures that have likely been painted by three different people.

Which gives us (as everyone loves a handy table):

Figure	Name & Title (at time of painting / later)	Dates	Relationship to Commissioner (Mary, Lady Hervey)	Depicted Attire	Artist of Head
Woman being led	Hon. Lepell Phipps (née Hervey) / later Lady Mulgrave	1723–1780	Daughter	Pink and white dress	Liotard
Man being greeted	Captain the Hon. Augustus Hervey / later 3rd Earl of Bristol	1724–1779	Son	Blue naval uniform, gold braid	Gravelot
Woman seated (right)	Mary ‘Molly’ Lepel, Lady Hervey	c. 1700–1768	Commissioner (Self)	Pink dress, black shawl	Gravelot
Man leading woman	Constantine Phipps / later 1st Baron Mulgrave	1722–1775	Son-in-law	Blue attire	Liotard
Second woman standing	Lady Mary Fitzgerald (née Hervey)	1726–1815	Daughter	Green dress	Gravelot
Second man standing	George Fitzgerald, MP	(dates N/A)	Son-in-law	Murrey-brown coat, blue waistcoat	Gravelot

What a faff. This painting was one of the relatively few at Ickworth House that just stayed at the property, perhaps because no-one else would want it, rather than being one that the National Trust had to work out how to reacquire later on. The whole thing feels like the eighteenth century equivalent of a modern-day photo of a family on a first class flight somewhere cultural, showing happy families, a slight air of superiority and a hint of cultural aspirations. Well, something rather more than a hint. The painting is all very country house aristocracy, although to be fair, that’s exactly what it is and I’m rather pleased (as much as anyone can be in the circumstances) that the painting has continued to be kept at the house.

April 17, 2025

Ickworth House – Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition

I am that dull that I not only have a favourite encyclopaedia, I have a favourite edition….. So, I’m always surprised and delighted to see them in the wild so to speak. Although the National Trust has split this collection at Ickworth House between two rooms which I managed not to be too traumatised about, although I had a strong urge for Liam to put them all together in one place. I don’t have a physical copy of the book at the moment, but there is a free version on-line and here’s just one random section from the complete set of books that Project Gutenburg has transcribed. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned, but I had some e-mail conversations with Michael Hart, the founder of Project Gutenberg, in what must have been around 1995. Unfortunately, my e-mail archive doesn’t go back that far to read what riveting things I asked him about….. Anyway, I appear to have digressed once again.

April 16, 2025
Bar Billiards World Championships in Sudbury – 2025 Edition

Does bar billiards get any more decadent than this? A couple of weeks ago, it was the world championships in Sudbury. If I’m being honest, I’m not always the best prepared at this, and was for a while reliant on young Oscar, the landlord of the excellent White Lion, to use his reserve cue. But, I managed to acquire my own cue in a fit of organisation, albeit still requiring Oscar to bring that one along anyway. He’s a bit like Alex Higgins in many ways is Oscar, I’m more like Terry Griffiths in terms of playing style. Many thanks to John and Pete, both from the new Artichoke team, for working out how to get me to the event and that was hugely appreciated. I’m fully engaged in pre-match gossip and that got me in the right frame of mind to start the day off. Yes, that was a cleverly worked in pun there.

Very regal. There are nine tables at the world championships and this year there were 81 entrants in the competition, which is growing in popularity every year. There were players from a few Norwich teams who were taking part in the event to add some extra excitement to proceedings. Even Oscar reminding me at the start that my hairline is receding in a way which isn’t ideal at all didn’t diminish my day’s aspiration and target to just not come last of the 81 players taking part. I had set my expectations quite low in that regard as it’s best to be realistic.

The first round of the competition involved groups of three and I was selected to play against Nancy and Lee. The anticipation was palpable, the air thick with the scent of polished wood and the faint clinking of anticipation from the players who had started. Anyway, with the tension racked up, I promptly lost my first match to Nancy so that was bloody sub-optimal, but she deserved the victory. To my slight surprise, I managed to beat Lee which meant that I came second place in the group as Nancy also beat Lee. Also, note the racked up pun in that paragraph. This was also when I heard that Dave Brewer, one of the leading lights of bar billiards in Norfolk, had managed to lose both his first round matches. I thought that if talent of that quality wasn’t winning then the standard must be high.

The intricacies of the tournament structure then came into play, with the highest-scoring second-place finishers granted passage to the coveted main event. I had someone explain it to me twice before I understood it, but it’s a well thought through system which lets everyone have several games during the day. I then went on to referee several other games including one where Lee H from one of the Norwich teams was playing (who reminds me of Judd Trump, but he won’t read this, so I can write anything there) and I managed to get distracted for the first time when refereeing but the players managed to forgive me. They showed commendable sportsmanship which was handy, although my little lapse was relatively minor. Lee H also hasn’t forgotten a little error I made in a game last year in the team tournament, but he added that Pete (the formidable Danish talent and I can only compare him to Kurt Maflin who I know is Norwegian, but I don’t know any Danish snooker players) from his team had done the same in the singles, so that made me feel slightly less incompetent. It was then time for a rest before the next stage. For the snooker lovers, they’ll hopefully acknowledge that quality pun even though it isn’t relevant to bar billiards…

The next stage was another group of three people and I somehow managed to come second in that group, but with a high enough score to make the next round. A quick shout out to the ebullient Pete B from Norwich as well, he’s creating some videos which are phenomenally well made and really show bar billiards in a positive light. I was fascinated by the processes he has to get the score onto the videos, it would all be beyond me, but it’s skilfully done. I might one day appear in one of his videos!

That score of 1,620 was a bit of a shock to me as well as I normally bank any break of more than 20. Thanks to Fraser who came to referee the game and also to Julian who came all the way from Norwich to supervise me in case of any bar billiarding drama. Incidentally as some gossip, Julian (who I compare to Joe Davis since for reasons unknown I seem to be doing some snooker analogies here) has played three games of bar billiards now in his lifetime, two of them in recent weeks and the other about 60 years ago or something. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the frame for next year’s competition, although I won’t tell him that leaning dramatically over the table to miss an easy shot doesn’t quite count as cardio.

Yes, I recorded the score. I’m like that…. Sometimes luck is just on your side though.

As an athlete of some measure (and walking 27 miles on Saturday is testament to how I can switch from one sporting activity to another), my completely unexpected continuation in the event meant that I had to rush to Aldi to buy some snacks. And another beer. Actually, on that point, they had three different real ales available, all from Mauldons and they were reasonably priced and well-kept.

Unfortunately, although I was close, I didn’t chalk up a victory against Pete M in a relatively low scoring game, but he deserved not only that victory but indeed he went on to win the plate. Note another pun there. I’m not normally one for puns, but I’m on a roll here. Actually, that pun reminds me that I was one of the players who didn’t bring any chalk, but I had remembered the cue so that’ll do.

This is a really marvellous event, it’s a fun day out and although there’s of course an element of competition, it’s informal and designed to be about having a good time. I was pleased to get as far as I did, so I’m looking forward to having quite a punchy world ranking later in the year. That’ll be going on this blog I can tell you. It’s the team championships later in the year at the same location and I hope to take part in that, although I’ll have to find some people willing to go along with me….. Thanks to all of the organisers for doing what they did, I very much enjoyed it and am very grateful for those who supported me, got me there and cheered me on during the day. And managing to just not come last was the icing on the bar billiarding cake. Did someone mention cake?

April 15, 2025