But here goes. I have talked in the past about coming across hidden areas of Norfolk that are intriguing to say the least. One day I ventured forth and came across Fusty Weed but that's not what this blog is about.
This is about another hidden gem - Elsing Hall. Anne booked to visit and so off we set. Got there to find we were the only people present. The car park turned out to be part of the parkland and we were the only people there. Then we got a definite "wow cor blimey guv take a look at this lot" feeling. if I gauge the interest I have in a place by the number of photos I take this would be a five star visit. I took about 200! There are a selection with this blog.
It was wonderful and so far hidden from the real world. It took us a couple of hours to walk around it all. The house is private but the grounds were remarkable - ponds and lakes everywhere and a large moat surrounding the house itself which is only approached via a stone bridge.
The Hall was built in about 1470 by John Hastings on the site of a much earlier house built by his ancestor, Sir Hugh de Hastings. There's a full history of the hall on the website:
http://elsinghall.com/history.htm
More areas in the park are being given over to wilding but the whole feel of the place is one of peace and tranquility. I can thoroughly recommend a visit, although dates are very limited and need to be checked on the internet site.
Being a big cricket fan I was intrigued by a meadow which has been allowed to grow wild. There were a couple of heavy rollers nearby which always makes us think of cricket. And sure enough there was a building with a sign stating "Elsing Cricket Club". By the look of things cricket hasn't been played there for some time and I can only assume that the club has either moved or gone out of existence.
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From there we drove to Swanton Morley where we had a booking for lunch at Darby's. This is a pub/restaurant converted from two cottages. The food was enjoyable enough but there was a side entertainment that was awful but in some ways amusing.
We had a joke when we went in with waitress Rachel who told us that a couple of dishes were not available due to the venue not having any beetroot. That was amusing as we regularly eat beetroot at home. It is supposed to be very healthy although the only thing I notice is it turns pee and poo red which can be a bit worrying and disconcerting until you realise what is going on. Actually a number of people including myself find beetroot indigestible. We did tell Rachel that we would have to cancel our booking due to the lack of beetroot (thankfully she realised we were joking).
In the interests of science here is something you need to know about beetroot: "The chemical that's in beetroot that makes them red and makes some people wee red and also pass red faeces, which is what can happen if you eat a lot of beetroot, is a chemical called betacyanin." Now you know.
Anyway we didn't have to worry about all this at Darby's as beet was off the menu.
That was acceptable of course but many years ago at a pub in Cambridge we ordered burgers to be told that they had run out of chips. I was with a friend and we were on our way to see the rock group Idlewild. "There's a supermarket opposite. I'm sure they sell chips," my mate said only to be told that they couldn't serve just any old chips but could only use those from their suppliers.
We ended up with burgers with roast potatoes!! Anyway back to Darby's.
There was a couple on a table across from us who were, well let's just say, knocking the vino about a bit and the man was being extremely loud and aggressive. Anne said he was just being Normal for Norfolk but I really don't think that was the case. That's something she always hits out with when angry or confused by something. This couple were nearing the end of their meal when this rude and by now rather drunk man, took a look behind him, saw there was nobody there and tossed the wine from his glass over his shoulder.
The staff coped with it very well, mopping up the mess. Apparently this couple were local and regular customers, but, of course, that didn't excuse the brutish behaviour.
"You couldn't write it" said Rachel.
Well actually I can because I promised her I would mention it in my blog and so here it is. I gave Rachel the blog address and so she may be reading this. If she is I would like to thank her for her service, her kindness, her friendliness and putting up with some brutish behaviour (not from us I hasten to add) that staff shouldn't be subjected to.
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We then walked to Swanton Morley Church, a vast building raised up above ground level and quite magnificent. It was closed but a gentleman doing some work in the grounds had a key and let us in and what a cornucopia of history we found.
A huge association with Abraham Lincoln and the early settlement of Massachusetts in the USA. Once again this proved my view that there isn't a church in Norfolk that doesn't ooze with history. You just have to enjoy the surroundings and it almost comes to you.
All Saints Church, Swanton Morley was built in the 1370s and is little heralded despite being an outstanding and dominant building that in many other counties would be seen to be of vital importance.
Local historians have done a very good job in bringing the history of the place to life with a number of displays with particular emphasis on the Lincoln family and their connection with the USA.
Richard Lincoln (1550-1620) was a churchwarden who also built the Angel Public House in the village. He was the grandfather of Samuel Lincoln. Richard Lincoln disinherited Samuel’s father Edward in favour of his fourth wife, thus throwing the Lincoln family into penury and forcing young Samuel to flee from Swanton Morley to Hingham, Massachusetts. His great-great-great-great-grandson was none other than Abraham Lincoln!
Again there is plenty on the internet regarding Abraham Lincoln's Swanton Morley connections, not to mention plenty of other bits and pieces to definitely warrant a future visit. Many people associate the Lincoln family with Hingham, so it was nice to find a different connection.
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Our village parish council this week discussed the thorny matter of people using e-scooters. The rules around their use seems to be very woolly. Not to put too fine a point on it, they are illegal if ridden on a public road or cycle path. To be able to ride one in public you would need a licence, insurance and much more but there is not a lot of chance currently of being able to find a company willing to issue insurance.
The Government is currently carrying out tests with e-scooters in a number of cities where they can be hired. Elsewhere they remain illegal unless used on private land with the landowner's permission.
The problem is e-scooters are readily on sale on the internet. I had a look at one site which not only sold them but gave tips on how to use them on roads with potholes and roads going uphill. Hidden away on the site was the fact that the machines can only be used on private land.
This is misleading advertising and I'm sure that many people happily using them are unaware that they are breaking the law and could face a £300 fine.
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And finally here's two more of those useless and ridiculous headlines that pop up on my browser.
"BBC Breakfast fans baffled as Dan Walker moans he's never owned a £50 note in his life." (Not sure I have either but I don't moan about it. I find a couple of £20 and a tenner pretty much do the same job).
"Carol Vorderman splashes around on beach in new video" (reaction to this is simply big deal). I actually watched this video and it's Carol taking off her boots and having her socks sprayed with water. There is a two second clip of her laughing. It does look more like a car park than a beach though.
I really need to do something a bit more sensible with my life than watch this rubbish!