We had a decent week in Norfolk. The local Village Fayre on Saturday was good fun - six decent real ales and local cider, Jonty's Early Night, meant we all had one. A day-out at the seaside at Southwold was like stepping back in time and we also managed a day at the zoo and a day's shopping in Norwich as well as exploring half-a-dozen local towns and villages.
A number of things struck me about the week; I didn't hear one local accent! I was listening for it, but not one yokel. Maybe things have changed really quickly but even in Norwich everyone we came across spoke with London Estuary accents. I certainly remember many more Farmer Giles accents when I spent a weekend up there ten or so years ago.
I also now know that practically every house in Norfolk that isn't red brick, is rendered in either a peach or a lemon colour. Not sure if it's just the done thing or if the local bye-laws insist upon it, but peach render probably edges out the lemon which would appear to be preserved for the older, more traditional e.g. thatched buildings.
Other than that, I noticed a far larger percentage of Free Houses than I have come across anywhere else in the country. Again, I don't know why this should be but suspect it has something to do with the last main change in licensing laws which restricted the percentages of tied houses that any brewer/holding company could control. As a result of that, the big freeholders gave up the least profitable pubs of their estates, and maybe there was a concentration of these in East Anglia? That or by off-loading them all in a particular area, they managed to restrict the effect of competition on their remaining pubs?
I am still catching up on some of the other Charlton comings and goings but can't say I am any more impressed with the latest transfer rumours. I am hoping to get to Bournemouth on Saturday for a tenner return, coutesy of South West Trains.....
Glad to hear you and the family had a good time north of the Thames.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the lack of local accents. We've run across a couple, but not that many...like us, most bods are "in-comers"! They now call Burnham Market 'Chelsea on Sea', so many second homes. With the pubs, there's uproar across the local press about how local Broadland institutions have closed...mostly because of the extortionate taxes and rents charged.
A tenner sounds a good deal...I hope it's a good game for all Addicks.