This morning 25th August, the press reveal that we are to be robbed of Land of Hope & Glory at the last night of the BBC proms! I could cry. I love the proms and only wish I had attended a live concert. Its bad enough to have to watch without a live audience, part of the entertainment…
How can they do this. Its a British institution? The number of times I have stood on a chair or stool, or even our bar, waving my Union Jack and sung at the top of my voice to this wonderful tune by Edward Elgar….& Lyrics by Arthur Benson. Next they will ban me from singing Jerusalem!
My thoughts only.
Land of hope and glory, mother of the free How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee? Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet
My lovely hubby . Last night if the proms in our pub!
So we were outgrowing Adam and Eve in more ways than one. Always packed every lunch and evening, but also the children were growing at an alarming rate and needed space to play. The Adam & Eve was small, the living accommodation, just two very small bedrooms, a living/dining room & one small bathroom. We shared the kitchen with the pub. One evening we were eating out at little French restaurant on Magdalen Street. Can’t remember the name, it’s not where Rocco’s Hobbs was, nearer to Howards Fish Shop, Roger loved going there as they always cooked Lapin à la Moutarde one of his favourite dishes. Think it may just have been called French Bistro. I recall we had a table by the window and could see the Mischief Tavern. The Mischief had been in the news as the occupants, an Irish couple had been given notice after losing their licence due to a fracas with a shillelagh! Roger thought it would be a great addition for us as so near the Adam we could manage both. So we set off to the brewery once more and enquired about the prospect of taking it over. This time two children in tow. We made an appointment to look over the property one Monday afternoon in early 1976. My sister Celia babysat. The tour was memorable in that the place was horrifically dirty. Piles of dog poo in the two small courtyards, dog hairs matted over the carpets. The toilets smelled of stale urine and the private accommodation was well let’s just say, my chicken run is cleaner……. The couple that ran the Mischief before the Irish pair were Billy & Leslie Izard, typical old style landlord and landlady. Always popular with the theatre crowd as Billy was I believe an actress in her younger days. Billy and Les were given a promotion pub and moved to the Bull at Hellesdon in Norwich where they were successful until retirement. I’m glad she didn’t see the state the Mischief had been left in! It was around this time Roger was approached by the Norwich & Norfolk LVA to sit on their committee. They needed young blood and as Roger was mid twenties now with boundless energy he accepted! More background work for me as within two years he was chairman due to the premature death of Freddie Crome of the Lord Raglan, and the resignation of the vice chairman due to ill health.
The problem was that it was Monday dart night and by sheer coincidence the Adam & Eve B team were due to play at the Mischief that night. That left me with a slight problem. How could I tell my team to come home to the Adam and not touch the sarnies offered at the Mischief. …. as I saw the landlady making the sandwiches in appalling conditions. We didn’t want to disclose that we had been looking at the pub with a view to taking it on. So I lied… an expensive lie as I promised free drinks plus bumper buffet if they came straight back to the Adam after the match ended. We did confess all after we made the announcement that we were the new licensees.
The Mischief clientele had degenerated somewhat after the Izzards left. Bikers, drunks, ladies of the night, one who threatened Roger with putting a knitting needle through his eyes if he tried to move her on! We took over the Mischief at around Easter 1976. A complete refit, knocking down the two walls between the three front room/bars to open it all up. Complete refurbishment of the toilet block, re plumb, new electrics. Builder Steve Munford worked under our interior designer Lee Johnson whose father, Vic Johnson, ran the American Club for our former employer Geoff Fisher. The spacious accommodation was also refurbished at the same time. Luckily we could still live at the Adam until the accommodation was habitable. It was a push but the renovations were complete and we opened with a bumper party in late August 1976.
At the opening party John Stokes, MD of Norwich Brewery, asked me a question. “If you could go anywhere in the world now where would you go?” I didn’t think for long I just thought I’d be a bit adventurous and say,” well I fancy China or Russia”! Two weeks later we got a letter to say we had won Innkeeper of the Year and were being taken to Moscow for a short trip with several other couples who had been outstanding! Before the trip we had to meet the other couples and were primed on what to expect, how to behave in Russia at that time. We must wrap up warm! We were warned about the strict laws in Russia at the height of the Cold War. We were told not to mention The Beatles or Rolling Stones but that chewing gum and Levi’s & ladies tights were in great demand. I must have had a reputation then as I recall customers joking that I’d probably end up in Siberia working in a prison salt mine! So in November that year we were off. I remember landing and being taken onto a coach from the plane, the coach had blinds so you couldn’t see out. I made a move to pull the blind back to look outside but was quickly stopped by a rifle butt on my shoulder! Not before I got a glimpse of a Nissan hut type of building! This was the Moscow arrivals terminal! Inside all our luggage was opened and inspected thoroughly. My copy of Cosmopolitan magazine – a new monthly was confiscated!!! Roger was questioned about the large number of tights in his suitcase!!! We stayed at the prestigious Hotel Rossia! Not like any posh European hotel, more a huge new block hotel but very basic. Each floor was guarded by a stocky female guard! We were also sure there were listening devices in our rooms. The food in the hotel was almost inedible! Lots of beetroot soup and most meats cooked in yak fat! We all booked a coach tour around Moscow, our female guide proudly admitted to us she was a member of the KGB, our visit included the fabulous St Basils Cathedral, the beautiful marbled underground stations lit with chandeliers whilst beggars paraded the streets with feet bound in scraps of rags. We visited the statue dedicated to the first Russian in space – Yuri Gagarin. The huge department store – the Harrods of Russia – was a store called Gum – more like an indoor market , very poor selection of clothing and electrical goods & the smell of halitosis. We visited Lenin’s tomb, queuing along with various other members of the public ranging from KGB officers to beggars! Nothing fashionable or any range of choice in any shop. The fashion seemed to be very 50’s. We attended the Bolshoi ballet – my personal highlight. We all dressed up evening dress expecting this to be “de regueur” but alas we were embarrassedly over dressed as many Russians were in very poor clothing. In the interval though we had a reception to attend with Champagne and canopies! Roger reminds me we all had thick coats to store but were told there was much pilfering so the boys bribed a guard with chewing gum to look after our coats – he was very obliging. Another evening we visited a large restaurant with a caberet stage. On arrival we were served a bottle of wine, a bottle of champagne and a bottle of vodka EACH along with lashings of smoked salmon and caviar! We couldn’t drink it all obviously so many of us passed the vodka and wine to the soldiers ! We were all “Starvin Marvin” by now so tucked in and drank rather too much. The show was great with a difference. All circus type acts such as strong man lifting, juggling, acrobatics and so on, no singing and defo no comedians! We sat on very long tables, very few tourists other than the 30 of us, but Red Army soldiers & KGB all trying to out sing themselves completely drunk on our booze! Roger had a dance with a very attractive female KGB officer whilst us girls found ourselves being chatted up ( we think) in Russian by a guy in uniform – I have no idea what he was saying but his commanding officer warned him off! Back at the hotel we managed to bribe the guards with tights and chewing gum so they allowed us to have a gathering in one of the guest bedrooms! Monica and Kelly from the Red Lion Stoke Holy Cross ( now Wilderbeast) had packed nibbles, biscuits and such like which we all tucked in to. The trip was amazing despite the restrictions and we made lifelong friends such as Sally & Norman Brown ( Sally Clements) Bob & his wife from the Royal Oak North Walsham road, Bob after he retired became our first ever cellar man at the Ribs years later.
The addition of ‘Hesters Carvery’ ( named after the wife of Alexander Thurston who built the original building as a merchants house ) a chilled food cabinet at the end of the bar was a helpful boost to our catering trade at lunch time. Our lunch trade was supported by the HMSO staff, many offices in and around the area, Jarrolds printing works and the Army recruitment office to name a few. Soon the catering trade at lunchtime was booming and we refurbished the back bar. We knocked the old toilet block and corridor down and put a bar in, then knocked through the wall to the old back bar and put in steps. We reopened this in 1981 Called it Alexander’s room! Beautifully furnished with dark green buttoned back leather furniture made for us by Alan Daynes of Norwich Reproduction, opposite on the corner of Fishergate, now a coffee shop. Another copper top bar from Trevor Hall. Alexander’s Room was in fact the old Jaquard Club before it moved to Magdalen Street. Alexanders room became popular as a weekday lunchtime restaurant and function room in the evening and weekends. business boomed and I found myself needing help in the kitchen and with the children. Help came in the form of my dear old friend Carol Squire and new lifelong friend Jilly Schmit (now Bulger). Jill and I produced some amazing buffets catering for many weddings & celebrations. If there was ever a dull moment we had a party but more of that later.
When we first opened The Mischief Roger was very proud to be one of the first owners of a sit down Pac-Man Machine! He got the idea from Amsterdam where he had seen it on our travels with Douro and Jenny Potter! Dear old Brian Bedford from Bell Fruit supplied it wondering if such a thing would take off !!! Roger would sit and play on it for hours in his break, despite me getting the children to call him for dinner! Later we extended the side bar at the front of the pub adding luxurious new toilets and a pool table. Always looking for more space, years later we added a cellar bar called The Pits!!! The entrance was from the front bar so gave us good access from our original cellar entrance. We had a cage built to house our private wine collection which could be viewed and admired. I say admired as Roger lost the key so we couldn’t drink any of the good stuff! That we had years later at Catton Old Hall with many great friends – another story fit later on!
Opening Day Aug 1976
Very bad copy of my children helping the builder at the Mischief early 1976. They were so tiny.
Chairman of Norwich & Norfolk LVA 1982-85
Alexanders Room. Yet another Copper Bar top.Alexanders Room.
My thanks to the EPIC Albert Cooper for the use of his video.
Jumping ahead a bit….. I’ll go back to carry on the story later but it is 35 years Sunday 9th August 2020 that we launched The Ribs of Beef…. so I’d record how we came to have it!
We were living over the bridge running the Mischief Tavern & had always loved the building of 24 Wensum street. All the while we had been living at the Mischief we had known it as The Antique Shop run by Mr & Mrs Fairman. The couple were retiring and sold to Spectrum Lighting.. However the building came up for sale again quite quickly. I was extremely interested and persuaded Roger to take a viewing. Difficult to find time as a Roger was chairman of the local LVA and heavily involved in the British Institute of Innkeeping as well as running the Mischief and George & Dragon in Haymarket, We were really impressed with the condition of the property and immediate started talking about what we could do with it. Knowing that new liquor licenses were not heard of and change of use would be pretty near enough impossible we still looked at purchasing it. We had money from the recent sale of our house and a little cash from the Adam & Eve which we had just relinquished. ( 1981) The Fairman’s had kept the property in tip top condition and the flat had been refurbished to a high standard. What had we to loose! Tired of spending a fortune on the Mischief which belonged to Norwich Brewery, with ever increasing rents – as soon as we increased trade up went the rent. We were tied to everything we bought liquor wise too at inflated prices. We talked to the planners about opening a public boat club and moorings and doing up the riverside to attract tourists and boaters into the city centre. The council were just not interested and laughed at the idea. A good friend Phil Tolly suggested Norwich needed a another real ale Freehouse as the only others at that time were the Ten Bells in St Benedicts and Colin & Marjorie Keatley ( later Fat Cat fame) at the White Lion in Oak Street. Meanwhile we took the gamble and purchased the property with a small mortgage – after all it would make three lovely city centre apartments if all else failed, and it was a shop on the ground floor. We let the shop to a friend of mine from art school who did her own costume design, this helped as a little rent came in. Roger’s brother Andrew an architect was working abroad and recommended his brother in law Jim Bond to do the plans and change of use. Our solicitor Sandy Munro at Overbury Stewart & Eaton introduced us to the man who would change our lives his colleague Alan Keford who he thought would be the man for such a task. We met with Alan and told him our plans to open a Freehouse. He laughed for two seconds then said. “Right this is what we do! “ To save you my fees if you can do some research yourself this will reduce them enormously. Roger was set his homework. He must research how many pubs had been closed in the city as far back as records were held! He wanted Roger to mark these in red stickers on an ordnance survey map and mark all the ones remaining open with a green sticker. The closed ones would stand out more in red he explained. He wanted dates they closed and any other records Roger could find. We needed to prove a need for a new licence. Bear in mind the early 80’s computers were very basic and certainly no Google! We had by this time moved into the property and hired a full time manager at the Mischief as we were also running the George and Dragon on Haymarket( now McDonalds). Our lounge/sitting room/dining room come main living room was to become a research center, office, full of files, boxes of data collected by Roger from the library and various other places. Alan asked me to do a mock up of the menu I intended to use, to ask local brewers Ray Ashworth at Woodfordes brewery and Ted Willams at Reedham brewery the only two breweries in Norfolk at the time to give us letters stating they needed supporting. We needed letters from friends and colleagues stating they wanted new pub life blood and ale choices. Life became centred around the rush to get a license and change of use from shop to public house. The Ribs had been a popular public house previously but closed in the 50’s. Poor James & Joolia had to do school homework in the kitchen, fighting for space to work along side me trying to prepare meals & the pub accounts. The upside for the children was they had use of Riverside jetty to fish and launch their rowing boats from and became popular with school friends….. eventually after two long stressful years Alan Keford felt we had enough to take to the licensing bench. In those days it was a magistrates court application, the panel would also sit to issue extension Licenses, pub change overs, occasional licenses etc. The bench sat in the Old Guildhall. Now Norwich City Council issue licenses and of course we have extended hours. No closing dead on 11 pm or the local police entering the premises…..
I remember many sleepless nights worrying about it all, it seemed to go on endlessly but eventually we went to court. Armed with files and prepped on our statements, the three of us attended court at the Old Guildhall. For those who remember it, it was an imposing room and we seemed dwarfed by it. Not to mention the nerves. Alan Keford put the case for a new licence, praised us both as fit and proper persons with no criminal records or serious diseases. Roger and myself had to go in the witness box to answer any questions the members the bench enquired. Lunch was called and the magistrates went off to consider the case. It seemed like the longest hour of my life. When we returned there were more questions. Eventually the panel retire to mull over the application. They returned looking very stern and I remember thinking oh no now what. To our astonishment not only did they grant the licence but they congratulated us on our bold application and looked forward to inspecting the premises before we opened. We were jubilant and could not take it in. Alan invited us back to Overburys where the word had got round and the other partners were waiting to Pat Alan on the back. I can’t remember what his fee was but it was worth every penny. The Champagne flowed generously after all this was the first licence granted since the Second World War!
The following weeks were a blur, plans, hiring builders, seeking out breweries to use and loans to beg for….
We used a young builder called Peter Jones and his team. The work took eight months, during which time we were called to Norwich Brewery and scolded by Rodney Mann for Rogers words which had hit hard…. in court Roger mentioned that Watneys had done what Hitler couldn’t— Close the Norwich Brewery! It did not go down well and they took away our temporary lease on the George & Dragon Hayhill as punishment….. We got the last laugh though as less than a year later we were asked to take it on again as they couldn’t find a tenant who could cope with it. It was a very busy sometimes over excitable market traders pub, best way to discribe without offending, but we had doormen most Saturdays…….
Our dear old friend Norwich Historian Geoffrey Kelly composed a brief history of the Ribs for us to display on the wall but a more details one is available which I will add later. ( when I’ve gained his permission)
We decided we would open on my birthday 9th August 1985. Make it a double celebration, but before we opened we had the licensing bench to tea! Naturally I got out my best china for them. I planned the day meticulously, designing invites and posting them through doors of professionals in the area, friends relatives all the people that had supported us over the years plus the people who supported our application. We booked the Town Cryer, Major Jones from the Army Recruiting office provided a bugler from the Life Guards, we extended the jetty with a platform of scaffold poles, decking planks and dressed up with carpet. We booked two wherry’s the Hathor and the Albion for the day along with a few smaller boats and dingys. On the day we had Woodfordes deliver beer from the brewery by river. I prepared a banquet which we served in the Wherry room for all the guests. The pub was officially opened by Paul Howel MEP and Rev Jack Burton blessed the new pub and all who drank in her! One Wherry was moored opposite the Ribs & Rogers brother Andrew resplendent in white suit was in charge of seeing guests onto rowing boats and our son James rowed them across the river to the Wherry for tasters.
Many of our friends will remember the day as it turned into a rather jolly occasion with one or two people taking a swim before the day was out.
Opening day 9th August 1985.
Some of Roger’s research for the licence.
A few alterations.
Rear of Ribs 1985. Now Roaches Court. The cars belong to builders working on the Crown Courts. Before Riverside Walk completed.
The only way in for these long church pews! Rear of the Ribs in 1985
So another memory of the early days at the Adam, we were approached by ITV Anglia to use the Adam for a weeks filming. They paid us well and we used the money to send James to St Christopher School. Well I think it paid for his uniform. I can’t for the life of me remember which episode it was. I believe they are being shown again so maybe you might recognise the old place.
The downstairs bar was getting packed every night & Roger needed more bar space so we engaged a builder Blackie Fenn (of Al Jolson fame) we were friendly with Blackie and his wife Pat and he had a good reputation. Blackie started to knock through the solid flint walls at the back of the bar where the sink was originally, he had to do it in the afternoons when we were closed because of the noise and dust. It took several days as the wall was so thick. We would take the children out for the afternoon. One day we returned and Blackie was sitting outside the pub looking very pale & shaken!! He said he has seen a ghost of a monk !!! He was adamant and would not go back inside without us…….Eventually the passage way was open and stairs put in, although the height wasn’t great Roger was used to stooping behind the bar but us girls could manage. We had a bar built using wood from a part of a Wherry and Trevor Hall made us a fabulous beaten copper bar. This had to be cleaned most days but was my pride and joy. I believe a landlord since removed it and sold the copper. It really was a great addition and soon the top bar began to be popular with the trendy set!. David Turnbull, Mike Davenport, Keith Honeywood, Peter Cross, Barry Boswell, Dave Dowson & his brother Terry, Roger Ward, Robin Warden, Alan Boswell, Roger Carr, Barry Howes, ( who later managed it for us) Sniffer Clarke, Stuart Clark Dick Foxhall and of course Jimmy Archer, Barry Howard & Roger McKee (Mac). Many more who will come to mind I expect during my ramblings… Many employees of Jarrold”s Printing, teachers from the Norwich school, Sauls woodyard, Norwich Motor Company, Lawyers, Accountants, Artists and con men, would all frequent, we had them all.
We had two darts teams and a cribbage team. I felt like I was always making sandwiches and sausage rolls. The two darts teams A & B, one serious players like the BT boys who were only interested in the technical side and beating the crap out of the opposing team ( and beer consumption) and the other the silly team the likes of Dowson & Davenport, what they got away with was well……say no more… the team got suspended more than once & I was always writing to the brewery begging them for another chance after their pranks upset the opposing teams. One chap a guy called John from Yarmouth who was in the serious darts team was convicted of murder!
One morning I woke up and went through into our living room with Jooles in my arms. I noticed the window on my right which looked over the Great Hospital, it was the private hospital in Norwich before BUPA, I looked to see where my houseplants were and found them on the ground below a ladder with the window open. Suddenly I realised we had been burgled. They had taken the contents of the till, left on the dining table the night before and our stock of tobacco & cigarettes. We were shocked and it made Roger get a safe. I wonder if that same safe is there today. A secret hiding place……
We had a new customer a charismatic guy called Twan Cuppens!!! One day he was very generous and treated everyone in the bar to drinks. He ran out of money and asked Roger to let him off until he could get in again. Roger being hesitant asked if he could leave identification but Twan did better than that – he gave Roger this extremely attractive, very expensive Rolex as collateral. Roger was so scared of losing it he slept with it that night! Of course the lovely Twan came back and another friendship began. After that I would often find notes from Roger that he had given tabs to customers and we had a mixture of junk watches in the safe, they never came back!
We would often have people come in with vegetables from their allotments or game birds from their shoot and we would trade for food and drinks. It worked really well. Ken Blacklock a rather posh well dressed gent used the pub at lunch times. He was MD of Mann Edgertons car sales. He would always park the newest model in our car park which was wonderful for our esteem. He liked wine and Roger would get him carafes of Paul Masson wine – horrible stuff but that was before wine ever became fashionable, that came in the mid eighties. However the carafes were nice and I used them for candles and flowers around the pub. Our dentist Robert Cobb once came in and ate the whole vase of daffodils – I was speechless!
As if we didn’t have enough to do. On Thursday afternoons whilst we were shut Roger would load the car and take bottles of beer around to the Great Hospital. As well as the private part there was, as is today a retirement home. We had many “in mates” as we called them that could use the pub but many others were elderly and unable to walk. So Roger would do his delivery service for them. We always said we would put our name down for a place in the Gt Hospital after we retired… I think there is still time Roger…. One of the old residents was murdered in a bungled burglary which brought the police in and the pub was closed for a while whilst investigations went on. ( and a bit of boozing went on).
Joolia fondly remembers her view over the Gt Hospital to this day and indeed her & Gary were married in St Helens church instead of Norwich Cathedral.
One night we had this very debonair chap come in, well spoken RAF type called Mike Hamlin, he was Colin Chapmans pilot at Lotus Cars Hethel. He was attracted to my sister Cece! Being the protective big sister I was very sceptical as we didn’t know him well and she was only 18! However he was to become my beloved brother in law. They have been married for over 40 years and have four amazing beautiful daughters. Mike was trusted by Colin and Hazel Chapman and often did the school runs bringing the Chapman children in for an odd coke and crisps occasionally. Not sure I should say that but ……. Mike always had the latest Lotus car. He was always getting parking tickets as he parked it out front of the Adam…. however the not so posh beaten up cars nearby never got tickets – something we could never understand. One Sunday Mike was late picking Celia up from the Adam, I’m sure it was a Sunday as the band had packed up and gone, Mike has gone to to Le Castellet for the pre practice race near Toulon. We got a call eventually from Mike. Colin Chapman had heard a plane had crashed and didn’t know if it was Mike. But it was Graham Hill who had taken off 10 minutes after Mike. All airports around London had been closed due to fog and Mike was the last one to land at Stanstead. Sadly Graham crashed two miles short of Elstree, Hill’s plane had crashed killing him and five others on board.
My good friends the Mason family, we had some fun times with them, some trying to get served under age. The fabulous Civil War Society members, David & Joan, Sons David, Mike, Steve and Daughter Dee( Dianna) and great friends Anna Thorsen & Nick & Penny Bussey. Dee went on to marry the handsome Brian Bunce, we were all devastated when Steve drowned on the Norfolk Broads in 1976 sailing with Richard Edmunds and Bobby Hook.
Another horrible memory is that of my friend Phronsie who disappeared leaving her baby Michaela. Never to been seen again. They mystery is still ongoing. I am in touch with her family but we have never found out what happened to her. She is obviously dead but how or who … well that’s another very long story that I will tell later.
Just a few shots of some of the regulars. Can you spot yourself? Sadly many are no longer with us. Photo credit Seth Reeder & Anthea Cawdron
James first day at St Christopher’s. September 1974. Age 3 and a bit. Arthur Sauls wood yard in the back ground. Now a public car park.
The photo of Cow Tower was taken in 1974 long before the addition of the Riverside Walk and housing.
Early in Covid19 lockdown Roger & I decided to walk into Norwich City centre. It was a beautiful day, we started out early as Roger has to keep out of the sun due to his very pale skin. We walked along Yarmouth Road and down to Thorpe Station. From the Complete Angler Pub we took the riverside walk. Everywhere was deserted. We waved at a couple sitting on the balcony of their townhouse and admired the gardens. Passing Pulls Ferry brought back so many memories of city living. Roger was running Fishers Freehouse in Prince of Wales road when we married in 1970 and when James was born in June 1971 the weather was great, I would push his pram along the Norwich Cathedral Close for him to watch the ducks & swans. Along past Cow Tower where James learned to walk and on to the Adam & Eve Pub. This was our first joint venture. In Autumn 1971 Geoff Fisher sold his Freehouse Fisher’s to Trumans Brewery and whilst they kept Roger on as manager and we were allowed to stay in our fabulous penthouse sadly they reduced his wages and extended his hours. We had heard that the Adam & Eve pub nearby was available as the tenants Rene & Arthur Larke were retiring. We immediately rang Watneys Brewery and asked about the tenancy. We were told the place was derelict and was not to be inhabited especially with a baby. We met with the area manager Mr Gibson. I shall never forget walking into his very grand office, Mr Gibson sat at this enormous desk, Roger plonked James in his papoose on the desk and we took a seat! We took James everywhere as he was only six months old and such a good baby. Mr Gibson explained that the pub was in a very bad state, the roof needed repairing, the pub was not on the main sewage system, no heating other that one electric fire in the public room, and a couple of electric lights. We were not deterred. We persuaded him to let us have the pub rent free for six months, Watneys would do up the pub living accommodation, and repair the roof but we must live in a caravan whilst this was being done as it was not fit for habitation. Nothing was signed it was all a gentleman’s agreement, an ingoing fee of £80 for fixtures, fittings, stock and goodwill, no rent in advance just our word. Many people both friends and family begged us not to risk the move. They thought it madness to leave a comfortable job and home with a young baby but it made us all the more determined to succeed.
We did not have the money to rent a caravan so we did actually live in one room all three of us until after the repairs were all done. This was after Joolia was born in the September 1972. Originally there were two bedrooms. One was reached through the living room at the rear of the property the other was reached from the public rooms near the front door. This bedroom had a tree growing through the roof and was spooky so we didn’t attempt to use it.
On 4th January 1972 we moved in. We packed up all our clothing and few belongings the night before, Roger still had to work the bar, close and cash up Fishers or The Griffin as it was then called. Early the next morning our furniture – just a bed and a sofa & James cot were transported to the Adam by two friends Barry & Mac whilst Roger went to court to get the liquor licence changed over from Arthur Larke to him. That left me to check the flat was clear and pack up. With the help of my best friend Carol we walked from Prince of Wales Road to the Adam & Eve with just two suitcases perched on James Pram and a few heavy bags. Roger arrived at the Adam by opening time 10.30 am and our new life began. The press arrived as we were the youngest couple in the city to take a licence at that time. We both remember that first night. Three of us huddled together after closing trying to sleep after such an exciting day – wondering what on earth we had done. The creaking started and we were spooked!!! Rene had said the place was haunted by Lord Sheffield and our minds ran wild, we soon dropped off to sleep and discovered the next day the creaking was the electric fire cooling down! The pub had no bar. It consisted of three little rooms, stone floors a few settles and tables, smelly brown cushions due to the heavy smoking in those days. Drinks were served by table service from the cellar. We were the last pub in Norwich selling beer from the wood. The toilets were outside across from the pub next to Arthur Sauls woodyard ( now a public car park). I remember Mrs Larke telling me she gave customers the key, a torch & two squares of Izal toilet paper. After a week or so our good friend Barry Howard & my Dad began to dig out the cellar to give us more standing height, dad built us a bar, we took off the cellar door, widened the staircase access put in new steps and hey presto the new cellar bar was open. However this was not as easy as it seemed. After the flagstones and first few bucket loads of soil were removed we were alarmed as human bones were discovered and the police were called in, this held up work for a while whilst the coroner ordered historians to check the age of the skeleton. Thankfully they were found to be very old, probably the remains of a medieval monk prior to 1249 when the site was a monastery cemetery, we believe he was later interred in the Norwich cathedral grounds. Meanwhile the domestic kitchen was another story. It did have a plumbed in sink, it would be fashionable today as a butlers sink, Mrs Larke kindly left me her cooker. Its was bloody useless and I burnt the first thing I ever cooked in it as it didn’t have a regulator. We ordered a new one on account from the gas board. The fitter was about to retire, he said he remembered helping put the old one in when he was an apprentice some 40 years before…..
Mum and Dad donated a little refrigerator from their shop and we got by. We had borrowed £100 from Mum & Dad to get started this helped with all the refurbishment. Mum taught me bookkeeping – at that time it was done in a thin green hard covered book called a Simplex. Wages had to be calculated on paper. Local tax office sent you a booklet with all the tax codes and calculations for you to work out, it worked pretty well. Then VAT was introduced in 1973 it was 10% and replaced purchase tax, we had just got used to decimalisation the year before so it was full on. After a month or so we had to find accommodation for Roger’s Mum & sister Sue who were homeless (Roger’s parents spilt up in September 1971) they had been living with one of Teds brothers but he was moving & they had no where to go. We had no choice but to put them in the other side of the the pub in the room with the leaking roof. It was winter so they must have been freezing and we really worried about them. It was handy though as Betty & Sue would sit in our one warm room and baby sit James so I could work at night in the bar. By this time I realised I was pregnant with Joolia. By the time the alterations to the bedroom layout started Betty & Sue were able to move into her old house in Rosebery Road .
From day one the Adam was a huge success. However that came with problems. One baby and another on the way, the only living room was directly above the cellar bar with a very low ceiling. I had to try keep the children quiet at lunch time as every little movement could be heard and almost felt by customers. James loved to race around on his fire engine too. The beer cellar was right at the back of the pub . Chilled Beer lines did not exist then and beer barrels had to be rolled through the passage past my kitchen down three steps and fitted under the bar, something I was doing right up until Joolia was born. We did not have mains sewage so every month the “honey wagon” would arrive to empty our cess pit. After a couple of months we had to have it emptied every two weeks as we were so busy. I didn’t have a washing machine so every other morning I would load up the pram with the babies to take our washing to the laundromat at the top of Silver Road. Lots of washing in those day as we didn’t have disposable nappies/diapers they were all terry towelling. I was so proud mine were so white.
Eyes raised and some Church goers complained that our new pub sign of a naked Adam & Eve was inappropriate being so near the Cathedral so had to be repainted with the addition of fig leaves on certain parts of their anatomy!!!
A couple of the best barmaids came with us from the Griffin. One of them Lynda was a great help, she would work and I would look after Tracy her daughter and visa versa. Later Lynda was spotted by Jimmy Archer on his return from a night out with his mates. He was of course immediately smitten. They were married shortly after. We made many many friends whilst in the Adam – many are still our great friends today. One day I was cooking jugged hare, Roger had been shooting with his friend Nick Bussey and brought back fresh game for me to skin and cook. A customer asked what the lovely smell was and suggested Roger should sell him his lunch. That was the start of pub food for us and I believe one of the first pubs in Norfolk to serve food. You could of course eat in hotels and we did have Chinese restaurants in Norwich then, also our favourite a lovely little Italian restaurant on Prince of Wales Road “Bon Apetite”, La Bodega in London St, where Roger and I had our first date. Another restaurant I remember was the Europa, was opposite us on Prince of Wales Road. Also the Savoy which was at the time very grand. The very first Indian opened whilst we were at Fishers, I could not believe how hot the curry were!
The next big break we had was the Watneys drayman strike in 1973. A friend brought a lorry load of beer from London for us. We were one of the only pubs in Norwich not to run out of beer. The brewery reps came in and monitored us but there was nothing they could do and even when the strike was over we still had lots of cheaper beer to sell- funny that…….
We bought our first terrace house in Wodehouse Street for £3,500 with a large deposit!
It was hard work though. Roger did every session including cellar work, stocking up, we cleaned the pub ourselves, would do the cash and carry in the afternoons when we were shut ( closed at 2.30 open again at 5.30) . We did pub food every day including Sundays. The children would sit in their high chairs in the kitchen with me. In September just before Joolia was born we were busy enough to have a cook at lunch times so I would only cook on Friday and Saturday nights. The menu would be Steak Dianne and Dover sole Meniuer, they would fly out. Soon there was no room to sit and eat and every night was packed. Sunday nights we had music. Those nights were epic. The Jerrypot Banjo Band, later called the Big Smile Band. Mick & John alias the Murphy Brothers. We inherited a Poetry reading society who met weekly. A young group of friends formed the Kings Army/ Civil War Society and they met regularly at the pub and ran reenactment battles of roundheads & cavaliers in full period costumes on the meadow by Cow Tower. A favourite crowd were the BT boys, some I remember were slightly under age but always in great spirits. We liked to raise money for charity so ran silly games like Dwile Flonking & pram races in fancy dress. We would risk serving after time as that was the norm…. lots of police CID used the pub. One day Roger told me to take the children for a walk as he had something important to do. Little did I know he had a call from the police to say the Kray brothers were in Norwich and headed our way, sure enough the brothers came in with two side kicks. Roger didn’t want me about. They were well behaved. Roger was glad when they left. We other had famous customers too. Leslie Davenport the artist lived in the Hermitage in Bishopsgate. His wife Heather would look after stars from the theatre Royal who would often use the pub. Once we had Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey in together – it was hilarious and filthy! Once walking by the river with James we had a birds eye view of the Duke of Edinburgh, along with the Lord Mayor as he travelled from Thorpe Station to the City centre by boat. James waved eagerly at everyone, this time the Duke waved back and smiled. We were lucky enough to have my sister Celia join us to help run the pub, that meant the odd day off. Other staff, Lynda, Kathy, Emma, Gill, Sue, Wendy & Judy are still our good friends today. To get a rare holiday Roger’s brother Andy and wife Juliet would do the odd week or weekend. When exciting news came through that the Norwich Crown Courts were to be built next door to us we rejoiced but it was such a long while coming we almost forgot…
Just before we moved to bigger premises and our second venture, Roger decided he has waited long enough for the brewery to build us the promised inside toilets so he took things into his own hands. A lorry driver friend who must remain nameless, backed into the old outside loos rendering them useless! Of course that was useless itself as they couldn’t be used at all. Roger soon sorted that out – we enlisted a boy scout Elsan toilet and awning. That was real fun and got loads of free publicity. There are many many stories from the Adam days… they will have to wait until another day….
Our first menu coverGraham King, Charles Bartram & Seth Reeder.My BT boysAround 1973/4My sister Celia & Emma4th January 1972 1st day. Roger & me with James & very embarrassing wig.Mick & John The Murphy brothers.Say No More…….Sister Celia & me.Harry Sayer, Celia, Dave Platten, Me, Mac & Tony
So we have all experienced Covid19 lockdown in different ways. For myself the worst thing is having too much time on my hands. For the last fifty odd years running pubs, restaurants and a guest house, we have worked 24/7 some weeks 90 hours on our feet would be normal. These days we only have one pub and that is run by a lovely capable team under our general manager Jon. I stay involved where I can doing errands for Jon, running the office, bookkeeping, payroll, admin etc, but that takes a maximum of 4/5 hours a week. On our return from the Epic Cruise, Britain and most of the world was already in lockdown so apart from paying the weekly furlough to staff and juggling cash flow whilst being closed Im pretty much redundant. Its very different now that the pub is back open, with staff having to run it and we can’t visit, well shouldn’t but we have popped in when its quiet.
Of course the weather has been fabulous so Roger and I have spent lots of time shaping up our garden something we never had time to do before. Missing people is the most strange feeling. I love mixing with young people, especially our family, pub staff and customers. Like us “over 70” our close friends are shielding so can’t even meet up unless in the park or garden at a distance. However by far the worst thing for me is not being able to get on a flight to New York to see our Son James, daughter in law Leslie and 11 year old grandson Alexander. We would have seen them for our 50th anniversary party in May which was cancelled due to lockdown. Last time we were with them was June 2019, it seems ages ago now and each day I long for a hug with them all. I wonder if we will ever go to NY again? Certainly not in the next year. Of course FaceTime is brilliant but nothing beats a hug. They are managing quite well in their 40th floor apartment in Manhattan despite not nearly doing as much as usual, they are real galavants and hardly ever at home. Our 11 year old grandson loves school and misses his friends, not to mention summer camp.
Normally with all this time on my hands I would gladly volunteer somewhere but no body seems to want us and our daughter, a nurse feels we should still be careful.
Last weekend I organised a Picnic on the Green,a beauty spot by the river near our home, a meet up for local residents, which would normally coincide with Thorpe St Andrews Church fete. Sadly the fete couldn’t go ahead but our lovely Rector James Stewart arranged a hugely successful plant stall raising over £800. The picnic was great, residents of all ages, children and dogs from the area came some had a glass of wine with their picnics, some stayed longer , the weather was perfect and we caught up with all the local gossip. I chatted with my lovely neighbour a GP, I was interested in how the new system of telephone appointments was going and pleased to hear the medical staff were fitting everyone in and keeping the surgery covid free for those that needed to be seen in person. The biggest issue she told me was mental health. I not surprised. I have a friend who is refusing to leave home after four months as she is terrified of catching Covid. So sad. Life must go on.
For me I’m pretty positive – Im just feeling time is racing ahead and I’m speeding towards 80 and I can’t find the brakes!
Leslie with brother Jonathan and parents Marcia & MichaelHervè, Alexander, James & Roger – Fathers Day June 2019Alexander & JamesAlexander aged 10 & me.
Yesterday I got a call from my hairdresser with a provisional appointment date. I cannot believe I am so excited to get my hair sorted. The last appointment was late February , we were going out to supper at the Ivy for Hubby’s birthday, followed by our epic Cruise to South America. See my blog http://www.landlordsontoursouthamerica.wordpress.com.
This 14 day cruise to celebrate our golden wedding was to be around Chile, Argentina & Brasil ended up being 33 days and an extra cruise around the Caribbean & Florida thanks to Covid19 and the Argentinian President! Luckily all 400 of us brits on board Coral Princess were repatriated eventually thanks to British Airways and the Government. I shall never forget my joy at finding we were in business seats only to then find no alcohol or food other than sarnies & coffee & had to spend the whole flight home with masks on 12 hours total from ship to home. The hair needed doing badly then and that was nine weeks ago!
My hair dresser is also my niece by marriage, not only a great hairdresser but a larger than life personality and a real stunner. The appointment not only gets me a posh new hair do but free entertainment from the stylists all of whom recall all sorts of hilarious tales of their lives and that of their customers….
I wonder if the new appointment which I am asked to wear a mask, wait outside until called and no cash will be as much fun as normal. Knowing the staff at Mane Place they will find the fun side of the situation and so I can’t wait until its confirmed.
They say to extend life expectancy you need to eat healthily, exercise regularly, and keep your mind active. Well I do try to eat a natural healthy diet, although the alcohol consumption is too high, I have a personal trainer twice a week, try to walk 30 minutes a day and keep myself busy in the garden. However I’m hopeless at crosswords and such like and not ready to learn a language yet. So I though I’d blog my memories of life in the pub trade as they come to me along with my daily twitterings. It probably won’t interest anyone but it will at least give me something to do whilst my hubby plays golf.
Liquid Tales 