Drove in for around 9 am. There was virtually no traffic around and we actually negotiated the Chapel Field roundabout in one go. I still question why they have to have traffic lights on this roundabout at off peak times. The number of times I have sat on a red light when there has been nothing going round the roundabout. It's particularly annoying late at night.
So we went to Marks and Spencers to do some food shopping and to order some turkey and other things for Christmas. The sanitiser at M and S has to be the worst around. It is very sticky and smells strongly of Sandalwood - a smell I really don't like. That pong stayed with me all round Norwich. I guess it does prove that I don't have COVID though.
Trying to book Christmas food was problematic. They seemed to have very few of the items listed in their Christmas book where it states that orders need to be placed by December 15th. Here we are not even at the beginning of December and they have already run out of certain commodities.
You then have to put down a deposit of £40 which wasn't a lot of good as we were 60p short due to the turkey crown we wanted and the cheesecake not being available. So we had to order a substitute crown and a caterpillar cake! I checked the brochure later and nowhere does it mention that there could be problems with ordering items. The only saving grace was the very pleasant lady who served us.
We got a takeaway coffee from Jarrolds Department Store and a couple of replacement bulbs from Thorns - everyone's favourite hardware store. Unfortunately yesterday there was no chance to browse as they were doing counter service only.
For those who don't know Norwich, Thorns is one of those old fashioned hardware shops that sells virtually everything. In the past it would have been called an emporium. It's a higgledy-piggledy store with different sections all over the place, making a mad melange of cornucopia (just thought that phrase up and I'm rather proud of it). Thorns got an honourable mention in the film "45 Years" which is set in Norwich. The lead character played by Sir Tom Courtenay mentions going into town to visit Thorns and is then shown walking down London Street in the direction of the store.
Had a bad day on the photographic front though. With Norwich very quiet, it was the ideal opportunity to capture some lockdown photos. Took a handful before the battery on my camera ran out. Then the back-up camera jammed. I know I should use a mobile phone like everyone else but I'm old fashioned when it comes to taking photos. I have published what I took here but they aren't very good I'm afraid.
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As mentioned in yesterday's blog, I spent well over an hour on Friday night walking round Hethersett looking for homes lit up for Christmas. Walked through the Great Melton Close/Park Green area. This is such a magical place at Christmas. It's difficult to put it into words. Just think of Christmases in the past, just think Harry Potter's Diagon Alley, just think magical Christmas jigsaws, just let your imagination run riot.
Last year there must have been close to 500 people at the Sunday afternoon switch on. This year the lights were turned on at 3.30 pm without fanfare or any gatherings. They will be on every day from 3.30 pm. Don't take my word for how impressive it is, just go and visit if you live close enough. There's a wishing well for donations to the Finnbar Force charity which does such a blistering job in raising funds for research into childhood brain tumours in memory of Finnbar Cork from Hethersett. The charity also supports families with children suffering from the disease. I wouldn't mind betting that most people throwing money into the well will wish for an end to this virus.
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The fifth part of Stewart Hewitt's A to Z of Norfolk is now on You Tube. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Go to You Tube and search for Stewart Hewitt A to Z of Norfolk. There you will find parts one to five of the six part series.
Let's just say you will love it if you have a Norfolk sense of humour. If you don't you will probably wonder what the hell it's all about.
It makes me laugh out loud, particularly when you know the places and the people he is talking about. And of course Stewart Hewitt isn't his real name. I'm not giving anything away other than to say his real name has the same initials and he was brought up in Hethersett.
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Today I will be popping along to a field around the edge of the village where environmental enthusiasts and young people will be planting 1,000 trees. Will report on this in tomorrow's blog and also unveil where the first advent calendar window will be on Tuesday.