A three night break in Norwich to celebrate the not to be mentioned birthday of an individual who goes under the moniker of Mrs. No Name. Riveting news includes the imparting of our mode of transport, which was the train, and a new hotel for us – I decreed that was a very risky thing to do but it proved to be a delightful break as we finally got to stay at the Maids Head Hotel, which is among many to claim that it is the oldest hotel in the UK. The history booklet of the hotel lays out the evidence for its assertion.
One of the reasons for choosing Norwich was the pressing need to find something for Mrs. No Name to wear at a forthcoming special occasion back in her beloved North East, so it is disappointing to note that despite concerted efforts over two days, we came up short. (Rectified this week with a trip to Colchester and the purchase of two outfits, both of which will more than justify the day in question).
The Maids Head Hotel is situated next to the Cathedral, so we took the opportunity on the Saturday morning to have what we thought would be a quick peak inside. But as luck would have it, we timed it (fortuitously) to coincide with a free tour. This ended up lasting about an hour and was probably one of the best we have ever been on, full of history and delivered flawlessly by the guide. Would have gladly paid for the quality of the presentation offered and that’s the Yorkshireman talking.
I can’t go into the detail (I’m an old man) but I would urge anyone in the vicinity to go and make sure you take a tour with one of the volunteer guides – I will however mention the Despenser Reredos, dating back to c.1380, as it is one of the Cathedral’s greatest treasures and the only surviving medieval English altarpiece with scenes from Christ’s Passion. It is said to have been saved from destruction over the centuries because it was hidden as the underside of a table until 1847. (It can be found in St. Luke’s Chapel). Definitely worth a repeat visit, even if you are of a secular disposition (like me) because of the obvious links between the cathedral’s primary religious purpose and the social, political and cultural changes that ran in parallel throughout its history – Bishops were very different beasts in the mediaeval period ♝. Lastly, on a lighter note, try and spot the cat named Budge, who has the good grace to tolerate the constant surge of visitors to his abode. He does it by ignoring them, as the collage demonstrates.
In the afternoon we went to the Theatre Royal to see “2.22 A Ghost Story“. Billed as a, ahem, ghost story, it has received mainly positive reviews but for us it was seriously unsatisfying. The four actors struggled manfully but there appeared to be no chemistry. Writer Danny Robins is obviously no stranger to the supernatural world, but he doesn’t write living characters anywhere near as successfully, giving us a largely uninteresting foursome who are difficult to engage with. Robins does raise some interesting debates and viewpoints, and the opposing arguments of rationality and science versus spirituality and faith are somewhat interesting, but in the mouths of these characters, they fall flat and aren’t explored as fully as they could be (as well as, let’s be honest, being done much better elsewhere). And if you still don’t believe me, we left at the interval, neither of us prepared to sit through the second half waiting for it to improve. When you know, you know.
The rest of the visit consisted largely of various failed shopping endeavours, numerous coffee stops, evening meals in the hotel and restaurants in the local environs. All very enjoyable and excellent to report that the Maids Head Hotel was excellent, with lovely and accommodating staff. I believe I did at one point hear the accolade “I would not not go back again“. There can be no finer praise. Plus, on this occasion, we had no say over the speed of the horses!!