The first was a walk along Elm Hill in Norwich where the photos accompanying today's blog were taken. I find this a fascinating road and one I have written about in the past. For those that haven't been following my blog that long think of The Shambles in York without the people.
Elm Hill is one of the country's hidden gems. It's a hugely historic cobbled street that started life as a place for rich merchants and then changed to what was considered a slum area. Today it is recognised as a place of significant historic interest.
Thankfully the work of the Norwich Society prevented Norwich City Corporation from pulling down the street in the 1920s and replacing many of the Tudor buildings with a swimming pool!
Our second history event of the day was a lecture in Norwich Forum on shopping in Norwich in Georgian times. The Forum is another unusual piece of architecture. Can a disastrous fire bring good? Well in the case of Norwich Forum the answer is probably yes.
The Forum replaced the old Norwich Central Library which burned down. That building was quite horrible. I remember it from my youth with a car park in front of it and great blocks of concrete. What took its place was an ultra modern building that just seems to be in keeping with the area despite its lack of age. Today it is home to lecture rooms, restaurants and cafes and the most visited library in the country (not to mention the home of the local BBC and Radio Norfolk).
One of our guides on one of the walks said that the whole square with St Peter Mancroft Church, City Hall and the Guildhall gave the impression of a film set.
Sad to say the shopping lecture was rather dull. I do so hate presenters who just read a script rather than bringing their subject to life. Anyway I hope you enjoy some of my photographs of Elm Hill.
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I'm now going to describe a way in which you can remember whether you have locked your door on leaving home. It works equally well for remembering whether you have turned the lights off, the gas off or remembered to take your tablets. The basis of this idea comes from the truth or lie section of the television programme Would I Lie To You.
First of all you have to assign an animal to each day of the week. Something that makes a distinctive noise along the lines of
Monday - Cow
Tuesday - Dog
Wednesday - Cat
Thursday - Sheep
Friday - Horse
Saturday - Pig
Sunday - Parrot
You than assign the noise that animal makes to that day so:
Monday = Mooo
Tuesday = Woof
Wednesday = Miaaow
Thursday = Baaaa
Friday = Neigh
Saturday = Oink
Sunday = "Pieces of Eight" or any other phrase a parrot might say.
Are you still with me?
Now all you have to do when you say take your tablet is make the corresponding animal noise for that day. So if it's a Wednesday you take your tablet/lock the door etc and then make like a cat. Later in the day you may not be able to remember whether you have locked the door or taken your tablet but you will probably remember that you have made a prat of yourself but loudly making a cat sound which will automatically tell you that you have done that thing.
The only problem might come if you mix the days up and Baaaa when you should have oinked. Just give it a try and see if it works for you.