At the tail end of summer, we took an afternoon excursion to Wroxham, gateway to the Norfolk Broads. We expected pretty and quaint with teahouses, old pubs and happy holiday-makers splashing about in boats. We were disappointed. Anything worth preserving got bull-dozed in the seventies. The small town is entirely dominated by someone called Roy – Roy’s Supermarket, Roy’s Pharmacy, Roy’s Toys, Roy’s Garden Centre (and, no doubt, Roy’s Baby Care and Roy’s Undertakers – a company town from cradle to the grave). Even Ronald McDonald, that global corporate clown, has thrown in the towel by flogging his sweaty burgers and thin chips inside one of Roy’s gaffs. It’s probably a franchise. Far be it for me to criticise anyone who provides local employment but what’s the special deal if Roy kicks the bargain bucket?
Hi Jack whats the surprise God knows what those English do for their their kicks ! boredom comes in all sorts of discusses.
Certainly does 🙂
Those bargain buckets have already been kicked! The Roy’s brothers were local Norfolk retail royalty, and the empire is currently being run by the third generation of Roy’s brothers.
As someone who had to endure more than her fair share of Broads Holidays, part of the perk of picking our boat up at Wroxham, was the obligatory trip around Roys to buy our “all-aboard” essentials – where I squandered my pocket money at the bargain bin.
Wroxham has changed over the years, and has definitely lost its village charm … but there are plenty more rural villages nearby to fill up your quaint-quota … with ne’ar a Roy in sight.
Thanks for the potted history from my favourite Norfolk broad 😉
All the conglomerates and big cheesy money = big box stores (over here) are mucking up the view everywhere. 🙁
Roy is a small cheese in a big way! 🙂
You mean not a conglomerate but might as well be in Roy’s ‘town’. 😉
That’s it.
😉
. . a company funeral and an hour off for the staff to mourn!
Docked from their pay, no doubt.
. . by-the-by, think you must have turned left instead of right – that place is in Hertfordshire!
Sounds a pleasant enough place (according to Wikipedia).