This has been the loaded question from some of those in the loop. Do I sense smidgeon of incredulity? A soupçon of smugness? To be fair, until quite recently, all I knew of Norwich was the Sale of the Century from the Seventies, Bernard Matthew’s gobbling turkeys and the acronym, kNickers Off Ready When I Come Home. I used the latter in text messages to Liam when we were at it like rabbits during our honeymoon years. By common consent, the former Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia is full of in-breeds shagging their siblings and marrying their cousins (sound familiar?). This may be true in the rural flatlands of England’s gobbling breadbasket but surely not in the pretty cathedral city, a hidden gem with its student vibe, wine bars and arthouses. We are delighted to be joining the north folk of Norfolk as neo Norwichians (not to be confused with Norwegians who, as Vikings, did a bit of raping and pillaging in that part of our Sceptred Isle). And just in case you need further convincing, take a look at this:
Okay, Norwich didn’t win but we all know that Derry (or Londonderry, depending on what side of the fence you pray on) won for political reasons. Just in case you’re thinking of sending me outraged of Derry/Londonderry letters, I’m entitled to say that. I’m half Northern Irish and I don’t pray at all.
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Perking the Pansies 
did I miss a memo…are you moving back to England or just paying a wee visit?!!!! I’ve been meaning to ask but didn’t want to appear STOOPID!
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Yes, we returning to England full time.
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I cant believe you wrote that about the in breds ,I thought you were talking about Selcuk for a minute but that is so not PC.
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Obviously I don’t think all people in Norfolk are in-breds. That would be silly. You’re right though. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know I’m not PC.
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Never been but looks nice enough. The question on my lips is why Norwich over and above other English settlements of note… Close to London? Near the coast? Proximity to Bernie’s turkeys at Xmas? You’ve decided to follow the football team? Do reveal all.
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We can’t afford to live in London without going back to our old lives (no bleedin’ way!) so we drew a circle around London and picked the town/city that best met out criteria for:
Renting costs
Nice place
Entertainment and social scene
Close(ish) to family
City life
Norwich came out on top. Simple as that really.
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Sounds perfectly thought out to me. And you’ll have peace of mind that you did the sums and Norwich came out tops. I’m sure you’ll love it – and very different to the London life which is no bad thing.
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Thanks Russell. And, of course, we can pop down to London on the train when the mood takes us!
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In the list of things Norwich is famous for you forgot to mention . . . mustard 🙂
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Oh yes, Colemans!
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I like your response to Russell’s question; sounds like tomorrow’s post. Makes perfect sense. Small university cities often have a lot going for them. You don’t have to be ‘West End’ on top of things, but still have a sense of what’s going on in arts & culture. Looks beautiful, too.
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Having lived in Bodrum which is nice but small by European standards, I think Norwich is going to seem huge!
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Garn! You’re seeing Delia on the side!
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As much as we admire the Goddess Delia, we won’t be going to see Norwich play.
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I think Norwich is a good choice though not been too many times I would visit friends there abouts the alternative types that lived in sort of converted barns. They always had great parties and I would go from London and often try and make it back to work the next day but never did so would throw a sicky which was pretty well how I felt anyway. Too old for all that now so happy to stay in my recluse here in Turkey but have some very good memories of the folks from around Norwich, Good luck with all you do hope you keep blogging and write another good book or two.
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Thank you Yvonne. That’s really sweet of you. I’m glad to hear that Norfolk has life beyond the wheat fields!
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We came very close to moving to Norwich back in the ’80’s. I think its a lovely place and hope you really settle in and are happy there. You could have named any place in the UK and someone would have found a way of making it sound like they were wrinkling their nose at your choice. Ignore them, as I know you will. I hope the move goes well, best wishes to you both 🙂
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😉
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all I can say is Norwich sounds great – and you are inspiring us to break the chains of wage labor sooner than we might!
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Don’t forget the mustard!
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I jumped off the train in Norwich once, completely unplanned, and ended up spending a few days there. Really enjoyed the town.
Cheers,
Sophie (Norway)
ps Sorry about the raping, pillaging and all that…
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