MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS THE MUSEUM OF NORWICH AT THE BRIDEWELL (AND POPS INTO NORWICH CASTLE)...

Before we begin this blog we must start with a strange and obsessive tale...
I really should work as a researcher as I love checking out historical facts and am like a dog with a bone- once I get a whiff of a lead, I won't give up until I get an answer.

I must cast my mind back to the summer of 1976 (I'm almost 100% sure of the year) when I would have been 5.  We went on a day trip to Norwich by bus (I remember singing the nursery song: 'Fiddle-De-Dee, The Fly Has Married The Bumble Bee' all the way there) and ate upstairs at a fish and chip restaurant in Timber Hill.  A bit of Googly nosey parkering has revealed that it was called Valori's (I told you I'm tenacious with my research) and I guzzled a bottle of Coca Cola.
This meant only one thing: and that is that I was desperate to go to the toilet a couple of hours down the line.  The lack of public toilets available in the UK pisses (excuse the double entendre!) me off today, so imagine what it was like forty years ago, when shopping malls, which are usually well-serviced with such facilities, didn't exist.

Anyway, my mum took me down Bridewell Alleyway, pulled my drawers down, and I urinated in a shop doorway, only for the lady who ran this cake shop to come out and say (rather understandably) in her posh voice, 'Oh no, not in our doorway!' and then come back and swill the ground down with a bowl of water.

Me, being not right in the head, had to track down this doorway (I remembered the sloping, chequerboard, tiles) and take a photo of it.

And, just to make sure it was the correct shop doorway, I did more Googly research, and came up with some info about 1970s Bridewell Alley.  I was indeed correct, and the shop was called 'Home Made Bakers' and the proprietors were D. & E.M. Vignaux. 

I'm not normal, am I?😁

Back to the blog, and the Bridewell Museum started life, in 1325, as a rich merchant's house, before becoming a 'Bridewell' (a prison for women and beggars).  From 1828 it served as a factory and warehouse for goods such as tobacco, leather, shoes and boots.  It became a museum in 1925, displaying objects relating to local industry and people.

If you pop in an hour before closing, the entrance fee is only £1.50.

I did wonder about the significance of a gilded sheep hanging from the ceiling (it made me laugh!) and it would have hung outside a shop which imported eastern textiles.

I liked this sedan chair in the first cabinet you view.  I didn't use a flash as my camera EATS batteries even without using one (note to self- get a better camera!)

Textile cabinet and a bit of reflection...

This dress dates back to 1873, and is a Norwich silk wedding dress.

This is the SuperDean's photo, and he said it would make a good dress for his Irish mother to wear whilst out celebrating St Patrick's Day!

A cabinet devoted to Valentine's Day gifts.  The preceding day, February 13th, must have been very busy and profitable for local retailers and merchants!

Historical shop...

Colman's produced mustard here in Norwich, and there used to be a lovely, cute museum (sadly now closed) down the Royal Arcade, devoted to it.

Vain Old Tart (not looking her best...)

Apothecary.  Looking at some of the medical objects and 'cures', let's just say that I'm glad I live in this day and age...

This machine makes wire netting...

I briefly worked in a chocolate factory, when I was 16, and operated a machine exactly the same as this.  The factory called it a 'One Shot' (I have absolutely no idea why) and it coats the fillings with chocolate.

Another job of mine (fashion designer) is represented by this jacquard weaving loom...

And then we come to the shoe cabinets...

Shoe manufacturing is described and I got serious shoe envy looking at these...

Want...

Sparkly beauties...

I had a pair of mule slippers like these as a kid!

My favourites- I loved their crinkly front...

But, the following week I found my own crinkly fronted shoes for £3.50 in a charity shop in Great Yarmouth.  My friends think they're better than the museum piece!😃😃

The museum is not just about industry and some household items feature.  There are more display cabinets to see, but not all of my pictures were good enough to post.

The bar...

...And a Vain Old Tart...

Mock-up of a 1950s living room...

I'll finish with this cute chap.  The canary is the mascot for Norwich City Football Club...

After this, I visited Head In The Clouds, a new age/ ethnic/ alternative clothing and lifestyle shop.  I remember popping in as a young teenager.  It advertises itself as 'Britain's oldest headshop' and has been here since 1971.  Peace and love, man!

I bought this lovely, colourful scarf...

I thought I'd conclude this blog with photographs taken from my visit to Norwich Castle, a day later, as I really didn't take enough pictures for it to warrant a post of its own.  It is a medieval Norman castle, founded when William the Conqueror (r.1066-1087) wanted a fortified place in the town of Norwich.  

He wasn't responsible for the lift, though...😉

The castle has been repaired repeatedly, with its outer Bath stone shell dating from 1835-9.

The museum and art gallery hold significant collections from nature and art in the area.

Here is the view of the modern section.  The galleries snake off from a central rotunda.

 

There were way too many artefacts for me to photograph (we would have been there all day), so I honed in on the few pieces that really appealed to me.

 There was a wonderful Rene Magritte (1898-1967) small exhibition that I chose to absorb, rather than see through a lens.  It was about a lost painting, discovered, in sections, underneath other paintings

Here is a PDF of La Pose Enchantee (The Enchanted Pose), 1927.

This is 'The Largest Teapot In The World' and was made for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851.  It's probably Staffordshire pottery, and holds 60.75 litres of liquid.

This figurine is a Seated Nude by Philip Eglin.  It is covered with newsprint depicting the Hugh Grant and Divine Brown scandal of 1996.

These are by Ana Maria Pacheco (b.1943) and are entitled Man and His Sheep I and Man and His Sheep II.  They date from 1986 and are about the relationship between the group and the individual.  I 'get' this work and often think that people are stupid and behave like sheep.

The castle was actually a bit of a let down- we wanted to visit the keep (which was probably built between 1095 and 1110) but the lower section is currently closed for restoration and won't open again until 2020.  Oh well, here is the main floor...

Lavatorial moi just had to take photos of the garderobes...

...And the modern day khazis.  These sinks in the ladies' loos were painted with shoes.  How lovely is that?!😄

We must finish this blog with another strange anecdote...

The first time I visited Norwich Castle was on a school trip, and I was 12.  Me and my best friend decided to nick sweets from the castle shop, but two busybody, tell-tale-tit boys in our class decided to tell our teacher.  This resulted in detentions all round (no police involvement- I think, if they knew, they would have been keen to pass on that one.)

The fallout, though, was IMMENSE.  My partner in crime and another 'friend' (you know who you are, Miss Wonky Gob and Miss Religious Nut) decided to turn their backs on me and encouraged others to do the same.  Well, I just went off and found newer, truer, friends.  I also have issues with my headteacher, as I'm pretty damn sure he convinced my partner in crime to keep away from me, even though she was the instigator.

All three of you are horrible people, and are going to get VILIFIED in my next novel.  

On cheerier note, though, my parents didn't take it too seriously.  My mum said, 'When the headteacher rang to tell me you'd been stealing from Norwich Castle, we expected to come home and find a suit of armour in the hallway!'

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

So I'll leave you with a photo of this chap.  He stands and guards the entrance desk.

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS BURGH CASTLE...

Burgh Castle, along with Caister, were part of a string of forts along what the Romans called the 'Saxon Shore'.  Burgh would have operated in conjunction with Caister and one (or both) were thought to have been named Gariannonum.  They would have been naval bases and perhaps trading posts.  Saxon raids were kept at bay until AD 367, when Saxons, Scots and Picts made a more concerted attack. 

This map shows its location, above the River Waveney estuary.  A lot of the water is now dry, but some is left and forms part of the Norfolk Broads.

Originally enclosing about six acres, the castle was built in the 3rd century AD and we were advised to visit it after chatting to a local man about Caister Roman Fort.  Unlike Caister, though, little evidence survives to give us an idea of this fort's layout.

It was an absolutely glorious day when we visited and some of my photographs show brilliant, shifting clouds.  It was a bit of a pain in the butt to get to from our holiday home in Caister- involving two buses and keeping your eyes peeled for the correct countryside bus stop- but was well worth it.

Firstly, we walked past the church of St Peter and St Paul.  With some parts dating over 1000 years, it is one of 124 round tower churches in Norfolk.  Dippy me saw the tower and wrongly said, 'Oh, that must be the castle!'

This was the first time I had ever seen the Norfolk Broads and the views were stunning.  Over the water is the remote (inaccessible by road) settlement of Berney Arms, which consists of a pub which takes its name from the area, a windmill, a farmhouse and a railway station (little more than a platform) which operates on a request stop basis.  Parts of it are below sea level.

   

   

A lone boat making its way along the River Waveney confluence.

This area is known as Breydon Water.

The castle formed a quadrangle, but only three walls still exist.  The other has fallen into what was once an estuary, but is now a marsh.

The walls once reached a height of around 4.5 metres.  They would have been 3.5 metres thick at their base, tapering to 1.5 metres thick at the top.

The walls were constructed on both the inside and outside of the fort with facing consisting of alternating bands of cut flint and tile, with a mortared flint rubble core.  Over the years, they have been plundered for building materials.

Corner bastions.  They have holes which were used for either anchoring catapults or supporting timber watchtowers.

Chunks of castle and the view over the Broads...

Our leaving views of the castle...

It really is a desolate part of the county- but beautiful in its peacefulness too.  Would I return?  On a lovely day, maybe... especially if I could arrive by water...

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous.

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MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS CAISTER ROMAN FORT...

Caister Roman Fort was a short walk from where we were staying during our recent trip to Great Yarmouth.

It was part of a chain of forts that were built to act as defence mechanisms to Saxon seaborne invaders, and was occupied by the Roman army and navy.  The fort occupied a small island on the north side of the estuary of the rivers Yare, Waveney, Bure and Ant.  These were important routes into East Anglia, where people lived in settlements, and are now mostly dry and have become modern Great Yarmouth.

It was built around AD 200 as a military base unit, but archaeological objects such as beads, brooches, bracelets and hairpins have been found (as well as spearheads, arrowheads and masculine buckles) suggesting that women and children lived alongside the soldiers, as families.

This map shows the estuary as it was then.  During my time in Great Yarmouth I took a trip out to Burgh Castle, which also had a fort, built around AD 260.  One of these forts was thought to be known as Gariannonum.  Caister-by-Norwich (not to be confused with modern Caister-on-Sea) was an important large town during these times.

Part of the fort and its defences were discovered during archaeological digs between 1951 and 1955.  It is not a large, or deep, fort and the remaining foundations are only about 18 inches high at best.  I'll refrain from describing it as 'bas-relief' as it was a very significant find and not quite that shallow!

It was a beautiful sunny day when we popped along.  We were descended upon by about 30 primary school children working on a project, but there was enough room for all of us and they didn't disturb me.😄

You enter from Norwich Road via the south gate, and the area is surrounded by houses as the original area is largely silted over.  Here is the view from that angle.  There would have been a perimeter wall, and what we can see is only about one eighth of the fort.

The view from the other end...

This was thought to be a fireplace...

These show the foundations of the hypocaust (underfloor heating system).  Who can deny that the Romans were very clued-up when it came to construction?

The modern steps down into the fort.  Population and development always cause land to rise over time.

There was a cobbled alley running along the south side of the fort and this is part of the wall which was the other side of it.

Caister was a larger than usual fort, so when it was built it would have included headquarters, barracks, stables, workshops, stores and granaries.  The interior would have been divided into a grid of streets.

Remains of a house, which was completed in AD 300 on the site of an original wooden house, and burnt down, for whatever unknown reason, have been excavated.  Its original purpose is unknown and it was single storey and divided into at least seven rooms.  Evidence of comfortable living was found, in the form of plaster from inside the house decorated with elaborate designs.  It was also believed to serve a business function, with a workshop and butcher's shop included.

It was named Building 1 by its excavators, is the section to the right of the photograph and there really is not a lot left of it.😐

Caister Roman Fort is nothing to get yer knickers in a twist about, but is worth half an hour of your time if you happen to be in the area.

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous.

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NOT DEAD YET by PETER JAMES

NOT DEAD YET

BY PETER JAMES

THE BLURB:-

For LA producer Larry Brooker, this is the movie that could bring him the fortune that has so long eluded him...

For rock superstar Gaia, desperate to be taken seriously as an actor, this is the role that could get her an Oscar nomination.

For Brighton and Hove, the publicity value of a major Hollywood movie being filmed on location, about the city's greatest love story- between King George and Maria Fitzherbert- is incalculable.

For Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex CID, it is a nightmare unfolding in front of his eyes.  An obsessed stalker is after Gaia.  One attempt on her life is made days before she leaves her Bel Air home to fly to Brighton. Now, he has been warned, the stalker may be at large in his city, waiting, watching, planning.

THE REALITY:-

I bought this novel after a visit to Brighton to see the restored Royal Pavilion Saloon, although I have to say I also liked the more contemporary and relaxing way in which the Saloon was decorated before.  I absolutely LOVE this weird building (although it does have a sense of loneliness and melancholy about it) and was quite impressed with the new decor, which returned it to its original state as it was on completion in 1823, during the reign of its profligate creator, George IV.  In a side room there was a film showing on a loop, and it was about the tunnel running from the Pavilion to the stables and also the Saloon Bottle- the roof space area above the Saloon- that was once used to house servants and is not now accessible to the public. It was extremely interesting (I think what you don't/aren't allowed to see often is just as much- if not more- interesting as what you can) and it aroused my curiosity. A bit of Googling brought this novel, set in those unvisited areas, into my lap.

And what a read it was! The author has certainly done his research into the life of a Detective Superintendent really well and the character Roy Grace is very believable. He's also researched police procedures and acronyms faultlessly (or so it seems, to a layperson such as myself!) There were, however quite a few characters and events which seemed a bit superfluous to requirements. The return of Grace's wife, Sandy, was not brought to a conclusion and I didn't see the significance of the police informer. I know that the Roy Grace novels are part of a series and I'm assuming more have been written since this 2012 work, so maybe it's all foundation for future books. I also can't, for, the life of me remember who trashed Cleo's car.

I read this novel at a time when I couldn't let it become putdownable as I was on holiday, and tend to get out and about and do touristy things as opposed to slobbing around all day, but it was easy to pick up and reclaim the thread. The chapters were very short so it was easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bedtime... and find that I'd completed six!  I did, however, question the author's use of commas- there were too many and some of them seemed to be in the wrong places. A learning note to self for writing future novels.

With more than one murderer on the loose, in two different glamorous cities with the obligatory criminal underbelly (Brighton and Los Angeles) and an iconic female lead (I think she was based loosely upon Madonna), this story couldn't fail to have a bit of a wow factor, with some very human characters added to a likeable novel.

But, for me, it was the scenes set in the Pavilion that were really gripping, and the sheer thought of (spoiler alert!) the chandelier in the Banqueting Room crashing down was awesome! I didn't guess how the chandelier episode would play out, nor the OTHER Brighton perpetrator and their alter ego... but I'm not spoiling that part for you.

This is a PDF of the trapdoor in the Pavilion, which sits right above a section of the kitchen.  It has a 40 foot drop underneath it and it's where the impressive, breathtaking, crescendo finale is played out.

A superb crime thriller with a well-written climax and quite quick conclusion, this book was everything it should have been and I'd like to give more books in the series a go.