Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: UK

Streets of Norwich – Hampshire Hog Yard

Part of my Streets of Norwich project….

Located along St. Swithin’s Alley is the remnants of Hampshire Hog Yard, which was accessed from behind the Hampshire Hog pub, from which it took its name.

This is one of the six remaining thatched properties in Norwich and its current name, rather sensibly, is the Thatched Cottage. It was built as a residential property in the seventeenth century and became a pub in the early nineteenth century. The licensee in the 1880s was John ‘Licker’ Pratt who fought Jem Mace in a two-hour long bare knuckles fight and I can’t imagine that was pretty. Pratt won the contest though and I suspect he wasn’t concerned about dealing with any problems that might arise in his pub after that. It remained as a pub until 1912 when the authorities were trying to reduce the number of licensed premises. The street line used to go up to the frontage of the house, so there wasn’t historically a garden area as there is today and George Plunkett has a photo of this from 1938.

The Norwich Preservation Trust acquired the building in 1971 and renovated it over the next few years. George Plunkett offers some additional information about the pub, noting:

“A yard at the rear bears the name of the Hampshire Hog, the sign of an adjacent tavern, being possibly the last house in England where the game of logats was played. The logats, resembling policemen’s truncheons, were to be tossed as near as possible to a wheel-shaped jack which had previously been thrown towards the opposite end of the ground; there was some similarity to the game of bowls. A set of logats is preserved in the Strangers Hall Museum.”

The sign, which isn’t immediately obvious to those walking by, to the former entrance to Hampshire Hog Yard. The yard was cleared just before the Second World War as part of the project to remove slum dwellings in the city, with no access now possible. In 1906, it was advertised that all the housing in the yard, and some besides, was for sale at public auction and, at that time, the properties here were unlikely to have been in a particularly good state of repair.

I’m not sure how old that sign is (someone has produced a guide to London street signs to help age them, but I’m not sure that any such facility exists in Norwich) but it must be at least eighty years old and is likely a fair chunk older than that.

As for why the Hampshire Hog got its name, I’m unsure. A pub with the same name in London has its origins as a nickname for members of the Royal Hampshire Regiment, rather than anything to do with pigs. Perhaps there’s some similar link here.

May 21, 2023
Norwich – Food on Magdalen Street (Week 1 – The Street Cafe)

And the establishment of yet another series of posts, this time a new project of James and I which is to visit every food venue along Magdalen Street. It just has to be open at lunchtime, not be too decadent and we’ll also stretch into Anglia Square as well before it’s knocked down (or falls down of its own accord). There are quite a variety of options, it’ll be an interesting few weeks working down them.

We started here, the Street Cafe and Coffee Bar which takes up two shop units towards the far end of Magdalen Street away from the city centre.

There’s a little external dining area for those who want to sit and watch the traffic on Magdalen Street. I can’t imagine why, but I imagine it’s handy for the smokers. Anyway, after entry we were greeted and seated promptly, with the service always being friendly, personable and pro-active.

The drinks menu.

The breakfast menu.

The pricing for food isn’t cheap by any means. As a comparison, a mocha and full English breakfast in Harrods is £25.45 and it’s £19.05 here. It’s the highest pricing of any cafe that I can find in Norwich, but I have to note that it’s also one of the best reviewed so customers are clearly content. I couldn’t find any indication on the menu of where food items were sourced from, although I understand from reviews that items are locally sourced where possible.

There was a comfortable and inviting feel to the cafe so it seemed relaxed. It was also much bigger than I expected with another seating area in what was previously the next-door shop.

The cafe was nearly empty when we visited on a Wednesday lunchtime. Perhaps they get busy earlier on, but they shut at 14:00 so there’s no afternoon trade.

I don’t want to dwell on this for long, but the pricing of the soft drinks was a little high, although the alcoholic drinks were more moderate and I went for a Harrow Sparrow cyder from Aspall. This was fine, served at the appropriate temperature and in a clean glass. There’s also a waffle menu which has some sweet options including Snickers, Mars, Maltesers, Oreos, Biscoff, Cadbury and Kinder chocolate. These were reasonably priced at £7.95 and were served with sauces, creams and ice cream. The savoury waffles are a fair amount more expensive and although tempting, they came in pricier than at the Waffle House restaurant in Norwich.

I am maybe focusing a little too much here on price, and I’m conscious of the exceptional price increases that the hospitality industry is facing. However, it put much of the menu out of my lunch budget, hence why I went for a cheaper option. The pricing is still relevant to a large degree, the second best rated cafe I could find is the Kitchen in Sheringham, which is significantly cheaper. They’re also more expensive here than the Pigs restaurant, reported to be the best the breakfast in Norfolk, not that I’ve been there to comment on that. Apologies for the mentioning of price, as I’m sure the cafe wants to pay their staff fairly and do things properly, but it did feel something that stood out somewhat compared to other venues.

Given the price points, I settled for a more basic bacon roll. The quantity of bacon was generous and I was pleased that I didn’t have to remove too much fat, one of my personal idiosyncrasies which is no comment on the cafe. It was perfectly adequate, although I’d say unexceptional in terms of the depth of flavour. James wasn’t over enamoured with the quality of the sausage in his bap, although the rolls were fresh and the bacon was cooked well and at the appropriate temperature.

A slight limitation for me is that I’ve worked through so many bacon sandwiches at cafes and restaurants that I’m used to more ingredients being used such as the addition of a spicy sauce, the use of a chutney or something else that added to the depth of the flavour. The roll also wasn’t doing much for the taste or texture or the whole arrangement, but then again it’s a cafe and not some decadent upmarket restaurant. It’s also evident that this is how they’ve served it for a long time and it’s what people want, so I don’t wish to sound critical. But, it’s fair to say that I wasn’t taken away by the taste or flavours, it was just a bacon roll.

However, there’s clearly nothing wrong here as they’ve been trading since 1996 and as mentioned earlier, the reviews are very high and they’re one of the best rated cafes in the area. There’s no doubt a slight premium that very many customers are willing to pay for the quality of the service, the cleanliness of the venue and the reliability of the food. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I could be tempted to try their sweet waffles if I’m need of something of a chocolate boost and I’ll post back here if I go and try one of those. And perhaps one day I might even throw financial caution to the wind and try one of their cooked breakfasts to see just how good it is.

May 17, 2023
Norwich City of Ale – 2023 Trails

I’ll be back to the Gdansk trip shortly, but as a quick diversion….

How exciting, it’s nearly time for the Norwich City of Ale trails, which I haven’t really had an opportunity to do in previous years. I’ve collared some people to assisting me with them this year, with further information at https://www.cityofale.org.uk/. The theme this year is Norwich Strangers, migrants from the Flanders area who were welcomed into Norwich, primarily in the late sixteenth century. The event takes place between 25 May and 25 June 2023.

The trails are:

Dutch Trail

Brickmakers
Brewery Tap
Stanley
Artichoke
Marlborough Arms
Cottage
Leopard

Flemish Trail

Crown Point
Redwell
Rose
Murderers
Lamb Inn
Garnet
Wildman

Canary Trail

Sir Tobys
Playhouse Bar
St Andrews Brewhouse
Steam Packet
Last Pub Standing
Coach and Horses (Thorpe Road)
Fat Cat & Canary

Strangers Trail

Crown Costessey
Fat Cat
The Ten Bells
The Plough
Strangers Tavern
Belgian Monk

Drapers Trail

Whalebone
Roseberry
Angel Gardens
Duke of Wellington
White Lion
Rumsey Wells
The Vine

Worsted Trail

Plasterers
Malt and Mardle
Kings Head
Merchants House
Ribs of Beef
Wig and Pen

Walloon Trail

Louis Marchesi
Maids Head
Golden Star
Red Lion
Lollard’s Pit
Jubilee

Weavers Trail

Walnut Tree Shades
Coach & Horses (Bethel Street)
Georgian Townhouse
Earlham
Black Horse
Garden House

Dyers Trail

Freemasons Arms
Kings Arms
Trafford Arms
Unthank Arms
The Warwick
Beehive
Cellar House

May 16, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 1 (The Ryanair Flight to Gdansk)

All this telling me to relax is very stressful. I just want to know when and where the aircraft is going from, I like being in a state of heightened tension before a flight and certainly not relaxing. Things have moved about since I was last at Stansted a few years ago and my favourite seating area has gone, but I found a quiet seating area a level below the main terminal which was rather peaceful and delightful. Or as much as these things can be anyway.

Safely at gate 49 and I have to comment positively that Ryanair are incredibly efficient when things go right. The signage is clear, it’s obvious where to stand, the process is managed well and they do this better than British Airways which often is either organised chaos or not organised at all.

The big long queue to board, but the wait was for only five minutes or so.

At least with no airbridge I can take a photo of the aircraft. The aircraft is SP-RNA which was brought into use in 2008 and has a few weeks ago been transferred to Buzz, which are a division of Ryanair. What I find fascinating is that this aircraft will be used for seven flights today, from Stansted to Gdansk to Prague to Gdansk to Oslo to Gdansk to Dublin and back to Gdansk. They get their money’s worth out of these Boeing 737s.

The flight was nearly full and I cannot fault Ryanair for the service today. The cabin crew were pro-active and polite, the pilots made clear announcements, the aircraft was clean and everything was organised and on time. This flight cost £25 and I have to note that I’ve been surprised and delighted by Ryanair. I was asleep for most of the flight, but I received exactly what I paid for which was simply a glorified bus journey and they don’t pretend that it’s anything more than that. I’ve never actually had any problems with Ryanair after over a decade travelling with them, but when things go wrong they do have a poor reputation of fixing the issues.

Safely at Gdansk Airport where three shuttle buses swept passengers away to the main terminal.

Where we had to wait of course because we’re not in Schengen and the border guard, who was very amenable, spent some time adding up the number of days that I’ve been in the European Union. But it’s good to be back in Poland and the weather is warm and frankly too hot. But I don’t complain.

May 10, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 1 (The Overnight Wait)

As it was now nearly 03:00 we thought that we’d locate from the quietness of Stansted coach station to the rather more busy terminal. This is my first Ryanair flight in years and I’m already pre-annoyed about it, but to be fair it might surpass my expectations.

The barriers were removed and a stampede of excited passengers surged towards the security lines unable to control their excitement at entering the airside area of the airport.

I’ve never noticed this interesting military history which is rather hidden away but contains a list of the units which have been stationed at Stansted when it was a military airport.

The anticipation…… The whole process was efficient and we were through to the airside area by 03:15 with only a brief wait in the queue for security. The staff were enthusiastic and helpful, full credit to them given the early time of the day and the inevitable many hours before their shift ended.

After spending what seemed to be half an hour meandering around the compulsory trudge through duty free we reached what was, for now at least, the tranquility of the airside area.

There were tens of these USB chargers in the seats and I couldn’t find any that worked. Very sub-optimal as I watched numerous people trying each one in turn in the hope of being able to charge their devices. Given how airlines encourage passengers to use boarding passes on their phone, the airport do perhaps need to provide more working charging units.

Here was our plan (which I suspect was mostly my plan that Ross went along with), I spent £3.25 for three hours worth of unlimited hot drinks at the Windmill, the JD Wetherspoon outlet at the airport. More importantly there was a power point so that I could charge my devices to my heart’s content. Everything fully charged for the flight, that’s my nerves settled.

The history of the pub’s name and I remember the old JD Wetherspoon outlet at the airport, it was tiny in comparison to the cavernous pub they have now.

The pub’s interior and it’s located over two floors, with a windmill design in the centre. The service was helpful, immediate and polite, it was all stress-free which is just as I like it.

As my friends know, I’m easily pleased, and I was very excited and delighted to see the cold milk option for the first time. That will save me countless minutes over the course of the year, perhaps as many as twenty, getting the milk jug refilled.

Several coffees later, I was suitably refreshed and recharged. Ross didn’t go for such coffee extravagance, he only likes slightly posh soft drinks. Ross also had to try and avoid the friendly team member at the entrance to the pub who was in danger of making conversation with him, but that crisis was averted by Ross’s sneaking in and out. There’s quite a lot of frivolity at this pub before 5am which I suppose is understandable as it’s a primarily leisure airport, but I’m naturally grumpy in the morning (and indeed throughout most of the day) and it’s all a bit exciting for my liking.

We are now ready to depart for the gate and it’s evident how bored I am by how I’m now writing up the most tangential of things. But, Poland is getting ever closer, it’s light outside and all we have to do now is not miss our flight.

May 10, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 1 (Stansted Shanty Town)

A couple of years ago the decision makers at Stansted Airport decided that they didn’t want people staying overnight in the terminal, but there appears to have been a compromise where a small section has been begrudgingly turned over to passengers. God forbid that the passengers that Stansted serves might have any chance of getting some crumbs of comfort. The airport has poor early morning public transport connections and limited affordable hotels, so it’s not clear what the management are actually expecting to happen here. Perhaps the whole Sleepless in Stansted arrangement is a complete surprise to them, bewildered that their lack of forward planning in enabling more accommodation options to be available has become part of the problem. But anyway, I mustn’t digress into such matters because I’m being very positive for this entire trip, I’ve decided.

They’ve cordoned their seating area off in case anyone might get comfortable. They’re trying to avoid people sleeping, but it also means that people use the seating areas at places such as Burger King, so customers of their fast food delights then can’t get a table.

The confined area is inevitably full of people, some trying to sleep and some just trying to find a wall to lean against. They’ll be lucky in this terminal to even find a pillar to lean on.

The main area of the terminal is closed off and there’s a sign saying that it’s open at 03:00.

Fortunately, most people don’t seem to know about the nearby coach terminal which is peaceful and quiet. I don’t travel from Stansted Airport very much, but this is always where I go as it’s calm and there’s relatively comfortable seating. The only slight issue for me is that the airport appears to turn its wi-fi off overnight, which is sub-optimal when I was trying to save my phone battery. Anyway, not long now before the terminal re-opens and the delights of Stansted airside will become available to me in all of their glory.

May 10, 2023
Peterborough – Blind Tiger

Richard and I tried to visit this bar in a previous trip to Peterborough, but due to some poor planning on our behalf it was about to close so I didn’t get chance to go in. However, in Peterborough on my own for the day, I saw their Untappd list of beers in advance and was suitably impressed.

An inviting and organised set-up, with the screen behind the bar showing the Untappd list of beers. The staff member was knowledgeable and welcoming, with me being the only customer amidst the Coronation excitement going on across Peterborough. In terms of the choice of beers here, this must be one of the best in Peterborough and it has been well curated.

The set-up is bright and informal, catering for a slightly younger audience and offering an extensive range of cocktails. It all feels on-trend and perhaps Richard would have enjoyed sitting on the swing benches.

I went for one half pint and two 1/3 pints. Starting on the right, that’s part of the Ultimate Bar Snacks range from Northern Monk, this one the Scampi Fries beer. The staff member said that it was like a Radler and he was right, but it was better than I anticipated with somewhat of a depth of flavour rather than just a taste similar to a shandy. It’s tacky, but to be fair, it wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve ordered a beer because it’s tacky.

The beer in the middle is from Three Hills Brewery, who produce some of the best stouts going, and was the Arctic Fruit Rice Pudding sour. This worked for me, I like rice pudding and the flavours didn’t disappoint.

It’s the beer on the left though that was the star of my little line-up, again from Three Hills and it’s the Summer Fruits Custard Crumble. The smell of this was like a fruit smoothie, it was thick, luscious and had a backdrop of custard flavour along with tastes of blackberries and blueberries. This was a complete delight, what a way to celebrate the Coronation.

It’s a well reviewed bar, which is unsurprising given the effort made to supply interesting and quirky beers, alongside a wider choice of drinks. It was closed off during my visit, but there’s a large cellar bar which is available to private groups, with some external seating. As an aside, I also got an Untappd badge for checking in here, not many places offer that, so perhaps I’ll revisit to get my second level of the Tiger Stripes badge. Very impressed.

May 7, 2023
Dereham Pub Day Two – Two Julians

Julian and I returned to Dereham this week to visit the second batch of pubs (here’s the post about the first visit) to complete the 12 venues that we wanted to go to in the town. We’ve greatly enjoyed the expedition and have eaten at three of the pubs to ensure that we can try and experience as much of their offerings as we can, with the breadth of offering across Dereham being much more substantial that I had anticipated.

Railway Tavern

Greenstone

Royal Standard

Bull

Gemini

The Coachmakers Pub And Kitchen

We’re looking at visiting Bungay next, although there seem to be plenty of provincial market towns in Norfolk and Suffolk which all sound equally tempting. The £2 bus fare each way for me is also a handy bonus, cost effective public transport is always a result.

And here’s a reminder of the other six pubs we visited on the first trip.

Cherry Tree

George Hotel

Red Lion

Romany Rye

King’s Head

The Cock

May 6, 2023
Dereham Pub Day 2 – The Coachmakers Pub And Kitchen

The Coachmakers was the sixth pub that Julian and I visited on our second day trip to Dereham. First opened in the early 1840s, this pub became part of the Chef & Brewer estate before being briefly owned and nearly ruined by Enterprise Inns, becoming free trade in 2011.

The front bar with the Encore and Falcon ales from Lacon. The service was polite and engaging, although my beer look a little long to arrive as the server explained it has been quite a lively little number in the cellar.

To diversify the pub also offers its own little wine shop.

We didn’t have any dining plans for the evening, but the pizzas looked tempting. Quite a premium for anyone who wants the meat feast, but this tempted me to get something to eat here.

The rest of the menu which is relatively small, but that seems a good sign as if it’s manageable it is often of a reliable quality.

The exposed brick gave the pub something of an historic atmosphere.

I opted for the Falcon Ale, an average session bitter which was well kept and at the appropriate temperature.

Richard came to join us at this point and I was tempted by the Blue Cheese burger which had been served to another customer (not their specific meal, I didn’t go and try and get some of it). I ordered that, as indeed did Julian and Richard, and it was entirely acceptable, a meaty burger and chips for a fluffy interior.

This pub is a little out of the town centre but I’d suggest that it’s worth the effort to walk here as the surroundings are inviting and comfortable, the service was efficient and the food was most satisfactory. I was moderately saddened to leave here as it meant that our visit to the 12 pubs of Dereham was over, but I had been surprised and delighted with the variety of venues that the town had.

May 6, 2023
Dereham Pub Day 2 – Gemini

Next up in the day’s pub visiting for Julian and I was the Gemini, operated by Greene King. First opened in 1965, I wouldn’t say that it’s the most beautiful building from the outside, but it looked neat and tidy from the exterior.

There was a bit of a wait for service (I took the photo when it was quieter) as a number of people came in at the same time, but the barman’s awareness was excellent and he ensured that everyone knew they had been seen at the bar. He was then engaging and conversational, so the first impressions here were very positive.

There were two real ales available, Greene King IPA and Greene King Old Speckled Hen. Again, this isn’t a beer that I’d write home about, but it was well-kept, served at the right temperature and in a clean glass, so the pub was doing everything right. They also pro-actively mentioned that they gave 10% off to CAMRA members, not something that is usually offered. I was also interested to hear about how if they could sell 180 pints a week then they could justify a guest beer, otherwise they were a bit more limited. They’re not at that level yet, but at least they’re taking good care of the beers that they have.

It’s a cavernous sized pub with a large function room area, a pub constructed to serve the estate around it. I’d say that they’re fulfilling that aim very competently, which was evident with how busy it was. They serve a relatively large food menu and a number of customers were eating as part of the pub’s “meet and eat” branding. They show sports, they have a pool table, a separate eating area and they seem to be catering for quite a wide audience.

The reviews are a bit mixed, but this exchange seemed reminiscent of the JD Wetherspoon Paltry Chips Facebook group….

“Used to be great but last time we went in we queried why my daughter only got 4 chips with the children’s meal and was told that it was the new portions? Never been back since. Rather go to wetherspoons now. Lost our custom after that.”

This is seem a little sub-optimal to me, the pub’s response:

“Hi Paul, I’m really sorry to hear this, our portion sizes don’t specify 4 chips but are weighted so I do apologise if you felt the portion was short.”

Although this isn’t the only chip based complaint….

“Very few chips..when i mentioned this the waiter just tutted and walked off”

But, my favourite review involves the chef kicking the fridge and breaking his toe:

“One of the bar staff who were also bringing the meals to the table, said “I am going to kill him (the chef,) because of the amount of meals which had to be returned to the kitchen and cooked again. The same bar staff came back to the table to say “The chef got himself in a tantrum and kicked the fridge and has broken his toe.” ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING BEHAVIOUR.”

Anyway, I won’t digress too much…. The whole experience was more positive than I anticipated, showing what can be achieved with keen and enthusiastic staff, even if they are slightly manacled by the whole Greene King arrangement with the limitations that this brings.

May 6, 2023