Ketteringham has a fascinating history and I only know a small amount of it. So I was delighted after crossing the fields on the way back to hear somebody call out "Peter". At first I ignored it thinking the voice must have been heralding somebody with the same first (are we still allowed to say Christian) name as me. But there was a second call and, as nobody else was around except for my wife who is definitely not called Peter, I did a back track.
So was delighted to have a lengthy chat with churchwarden and local historian Mary (from a safe distance of course) who told us some of the fascinating facts about the village.
For such a small place it really does have history at every turn. Mary had recognised us from my wife's green jacket. So you could say the green jacket has become more well known than us.
I will be visiting Mary again once lockdown is over to chat about both Ketteringham and Hethersett.
She told me there has been an increase in the number of people walking round the village - perhaps this blog has tempted people there. But as well as people, there has been an increase in the amount of dog mess - something I mentioned yesterday and certainly something very unwelcome.
The grounds of Ketteringham Hall have been closed to the public, the gates locked and a sign put up which is a great shame, but I suppose understandable.
Yesterday I moaned about the flies, thinking them to be horseflies. Thanks to everyone who has informed me they are actually St Mark's or Hawthorn flies. They are prevalent from April to June and are so named from the fact that the adults usually emerge in large numbers around St Mark's Day which is on April 25th.
On the way back we bought six rare breed eggs and will try some of them for lunch.
Yesterday I also posted a photograph of the Guardhouse wall at the junction of Queen's Road and Old Norwich Road. I suggested it could have been used for customers at the Queen's Head having too much to drink to sleep things off. Another suggestion I have received is a place for people to leave their valuables whilst they drank in the Queen's Head - a kind of medieval mobile phone suppository.
Last night I watched the Quinton Tarrantino film "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood." It was as weird and wonderful as I expected it to be. Episodic, it was also very amusing in parts and I even laughed at the final scene where the character played by Leonardo Decaprio turns a burglar into a crisp with a flame gun (I told you it was weird). It did deal with a period in American history that I'm very interested in - Hollywood, the LA music scene, Laurel Canyon, Charles Manson, Sharon Tate and cults.