Norwich Talks: Issie Lemon and the Fairy Tree

Earlier this year we asked the people of Norwich what their favorite parts of the city were – doorways, door knockers, trees, paving stones, pictures, buildings, street corners, maps, documents – we were flooded with entries. 12 lucky people have impressed our judges with their personal stories and will be appearing on Future Radio’s Norwich Talks programme over the next year, with one entry featuring each month.

The first Norwich Talks episode aired last week featuring adorable local 3 year old Isobel Lemon. Issie told us about her favorite thing in Norwich: an enormous ever green tree in the grounds of the Cathedral. Issie shared stories about games and picnics she'd had under the tree and her big secret, that fairies lived up in the branches, she's seen them. She also helped us find another entry at the Cathedral, a very popular place with our contestants. We were looking for a plaque made by local artist Madie Buckingham, the Great Aunt of Ros Hawes who told us about her discovery some years ago. Together we hunted down the plaque, celebrating a kindly clergyman. Listen again to Issie, Phoebe and Roxanne introducing a personal perspective to the Cathedral and it’s grounds.

Watch this space for news of October's episode, by local book binder and avid historian Trevor, from his arm chair in his favorite day centre. 

New editions to Primary Sch Programme!

We've added two brand new sessions to our primary programme with chances to visit the glorious Assembly House and to investigate it's history as the site of Nelson's victory party or as the home of the World War Two Camouflage School.

As usual we'll meet you at the Assembly House or come to school with enough enthusiasm and razzle dazzle to create an atmosphere and a lively learning environment.

Packed with art, storytelling and story-making workshops to help teachers support the curriculum creatively and to help children get inspired by their city, you'll learn to treat the streets and buildings of Norwich as exciting places for learning and entertainment.

To find out more go to our schools pages.

HODs tours of Anteros

What a sunny weekend we've had for HODs, it has been great seeing so many people out on the streets with maps and an enormous amount of enthusiasm for some of the best built heritage in the country!


We spent our second day of HODs tours at the Anteros Art Foundation today which is housed in a building once split between various C15th shops and then turned in to a magnificent trading hall and house in 1536-40 by Edmund Wood, mayor of Norwich. Lesser known in the cities heritage landscape the building boasts the longest Tudor window of it's type; a staggering 20 feet long, a beautiful wooden door with some curious carved images of seeds or crops in the spandrels and some amazing wooden ceilings and fire places, all lovingly restored.

We day dreamed about the possibility of Queen Elizabeth I visiting the great first floor trading room, once hung with rich tapestries, worsted and velvet. Edmund's son Robert was the Mayor during her visit, he presented her with a silver cup and no less than two orations (although she couldn't stick around to hear the second apparently, he wrote it down for her instead). He must have done a pretty good job of hosting her majesty nonetheless since she not only left with tears in her eyes but rewarded him with a knighthood shortly afterward her visit.

If you're interested in tours of Anteros at other times of the year please get in touch with us or them and we'll endeavor to take you around.

HODs Assembly House Tours

Today we had the pleasure of delivering tours of the wonderful Assembly House in Norwich for 

Heritage Open Days. 

As well as the glitz and glam of the C18th rooms; parties, dances, civic pageantry and even a ball in honour of Nelson's victory, we also delved in to the lesser known history of the college of St Mary's in-the-field which was founded on the site by John le Brun in 1248. We were lucky enough to take everybody to the C13th crypt in the under belly of the building and we celebrated the C15th coat of arms of the Brownes, still on the wall in the west wing. We learned of the camouflage school during world war two and looked at Oliver Messel's sketches and then heard about the dance school and girls school in the C19th. The building really is packed with stories of fascinating characters from centuries and centuries of the city's past! Thanks to Lottie at the Assembly House who made it possible and to everyone who came on the tour.

If you missed out this time and are part of a local history group get in touch with the Assembly House who will be taking select bookings for tours throughout the year.

Don't forget that our Secret Norwich programme celebrates Norwich heritage every month of the year, with access to exclusive venues all year round! 

St Stephens. An anomaly?

As part of our Secret Norwich: Heritage After Dark Series last night we were treated to the expertise of church heritage professional Nick Groves. In the newly refurbished St Stephens, still awaiting the final glitz and glam of it's restoration project, we oohed and aahed at the amazing masonry work lit by the new up-lighters and considered some intriguing historical facts against the physical evidence. Why was St Stephens being expanded amid the turmoil of the Reformation and how did this effect it's design?

Was the stark contrast in corbel design between the chancel and the nave a clear expression of changing opinions on church decoration pre and post Reformation? For this is the common theory supported by the dates of the builds. The chancel was built on the cusp of the reforms around 1530 so perhaps got away with the beautiful angel corbels, where as the nave was built 20 years later when firm views were now upheld about idolatry and the corbels, while beautifully rendered, are somewhat more plain and geometric in design. Or is it less clear cut than traditional views about the schism of the church in the C16th would have us believe?

Nick rather thought that this was too obvious an explanation and that perhaps the masons capable of crafting angels from stone were simply caught up on prolific house-building else where, leaving the parishioners to deal with second best masons only capable of simpler, more geometric designs. If you haven't seen the evidence it's certainly worth a visit to ponder this for yourself.

Nick went on to map the building pattern of the church against the actions of Henry VIII which was very interesting. The nave programme was started shortly after the king's death. We looked at patterns of re-builds and demolitions across the city and wondered why the Cathedral, the owners of the chancel, chose to rebuild St Stephens as they demolished other chancels in the city. We considered the influence of wealthy patrons such as the Brownes and Mingays but even Nick couldn't uncover the patrons of the nave with any certainty. If we could, perhaps we could get to the bottom of the rebuild and the impetus and theology behind it. For now it was great to open up so many more questions about the building and to have such an expert on hand to help us navigate the re-use of windows, stone re-used from neighbouring churches and the backdrop of English history which must have influenced the lives of the dean and parish.

Join us next time as Dr Richard Cocke explore St Andrews church and, among others, the Suckling monument it houses. 18th October, 7-9pm.

Call for participants. Magdalen and St Augustine's St Celebration

LivingNorwich will be there! Will you????!!!!

The Celebration are looking for participants for a performance, aged 16+. If you're interested get in touch....

I am embarking on a project for the Magdalen Street festival 2012 and am looking for movers/performers/anyone who feels comfortable in moving in an outside space. 

I am proposing to do three short 10-15 minute performance pieces that 'pop up' in three different locations around Magdalen street, Anglia Square and St Augustines ending up at the graveyard.

The piece will celebrate the spaces represented by a developing long line of stones which will link the spaces(TBC). The audience/passers by will be incouraged to walk along the line as a guided walk at the end of the pieces. At the moment I am using the shifting spaces and characteristics of the shoppers as movement inspiration. Movements which involve simple repetitive gestures, everyday movements, walking, sitting and standing. The movement material will come from both in studio and on-site workshops to take place in September and October.

There will be a total of 5 rehearsals with an extra 6th rehearsal on the week of the performance. The dates are: Wednesdays 12th, 19th, 26th September and 3rd, 10th October with the last date TBC.

It would be great to see you at the First workshop on Wednesday 12th at St Thomas Hall, Earlham road.

Please email me to confirm your interest in the project kaylastclaire@hotmail.com, or phone me to discuss it further on 07525613398

This is a great opportunity to perform in a site specific project and I hope you can join me....

Best Wishes,

Kayla x

Learn English through your city

Foreign language learning is too often detached from context and hard to apply in real situations. Our new Love Norwich ESOL is about getting to know a new city while building confidence and language skills. 

We’ve teamed up with NILE language school and the Mind Inclusion project to offer new comers to the city, as well as established groups who find it hard to learn English, the chance to learn in the context of their new home. Participants will explore the city’s exciting and unique past through visits to local sites and organisations, engage with objects and buildings and discover that Norwich is built on a history of immigration. While accumulating vocabulary students will also build the confidence they need to help them integrate and feel at home. It’s about learning for a reason and learning in context.

Classes start on 18th September at NILE. To enquire about a place for you or a friend contact Paola Colombo on 01603 432 457 inclusion@norwichmind.org.uk for an appointment to assess your level.

With special thanks not just to NILE and Mind but also to the museums service and library service for their help and support to make the project happen.