A-ha! That’s where Alan is coming from...
BRITAIN AT ITS BEST: NORWICH
AS a fan of the fictional DJ Alan Partridge, my only real knowledge of Norwich before visiting was a well-publicised row over pedestrianisation of the city centre.
Partridge famously objected in the 1990s: ‘I’ll be honest, I’m dead against it. People forget that traders need access to Dixons.’
My own trip wasn’t a Partridge pilgrimage – I detect some of the residents might have wearied of the association – but I did inspect the city centre for myself, and thought his concerns were largely unfounded.
It’s a very pretty centre, with rambling back streets and ancient buildings, many of which appear to be on the verge of toppling over after centuries of subsidence.
I was there to meet old university pals, one of whom lives near the city.
Travelling from Scotland can be a bit of a slog by road or rail, but it couldn’t have been easier flying from Edinburgh (watch out on the return journey – there’s a mandatory £10 airport ‘development charge’ to leave and no WiFi when I was there).
The five of us – reunited for the first time in a decade – began our exploration (I don’t recall seeing Dixons) with a subterranean sojourn to the basement of the Grosvenor Fish Bar. It’s something of a Norwich institution, but since redevelopment in 2012 it has re-branded itself as a fish and chips ‘grotto’, with a converted medieval cellar. In tribute to our Scottish origins (we all studied at St Andrews), co-owner Christian Motta gifted us all Tunnock’s tea cakes. As Partridge would say: ‘Back of the net!’ It took some effort after such a feast to tour the Norwich Lanes, a miscellany of thoroughfares and buildings, including the beautiful Guildhall dating from 1407. I recommend the 20-minute walking tours which cost £5 and run from April to October. Private tours can be arranged at any time for up to 20 people. The tours end at Norwich Cathedral, completed in 1145. It’s worth a stroll around the cathedral close, one of the largest in Europe.
After these exertions, we treated ourselves to dinner at the wonderful Rooftop Gardens, on the top floor of the Union Building. It was something of an upgrade from the fare we recalled from our Students’ Union days in the 1990s...
The next day we hit the Norfolk Broads, spanning nearly 120 square miles consisting of seven rivers and 63 broads (or lakes), mostly less than 13ft deep. We all took turns at the wheel of our Broads Tours ‘day boat’, which had a cover we thankfully didn’t need. As heretical as it may be for Scotch purists, there’s also the St George’s Distillery, not far away, producing English single malt.
Norwich is an extraordinary historical gem. Whatever your views on its controversial pedestrianisation, do give it a try.
Loganair flights from Edinburgh to Norwich cost from £65.99 one way. Norwich Tourist Information, tel 01603 213999. Learn more about Broads Tours at www. broadstours.co.uk, the Grosvenor Fish Bar at www.fsh shop.com and the St George’s Distillery at www. englishwhisky.co.uk.