We are renting on the Essex/Suffolk border in a tiny town right on the Stour. The area is beautiful and the people incredibly friendly but it's just a bit too small for long term. We do like East Anglia, so considering both Norwich and Bury St Edmunds but nothing certain yet.

Also, not sure when this new bill is becoming law, but it will change things for landlords and tenants. So good for you as a tenant ( limits how much up front rent they can ask you for, for example,) but if it will apply in NI, and it may not, I don't know), it might mean that it will take longer to make your tenants leave if they don't want to go.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...rs-rights-bill

I have no idea what it is with them! I had to have a serious chat with mine and tell him that it was all too much for me and making my anxiety much worse. He backed off at that point and decided that I was right (I mean, Duh!) and that we should concentrate on getting a rental.

It was you who said about NFU . Thank you. We have been happy with them so far.
I'm so much better than I was, bit of a small step backwards since moving to Cheshire. Just that I don't know anyone here yet, so too much time on my own and in my own head. Just joined the local women's choir and hoping that will help.

MEN!!!
PMSL

Am sure joining a choir will help.
I’m not a natural joiner myself but am assuming I’ll have to force myself for at least the first couple of years. Doubt anyone’s going to come knocking on my door asking me out to play at my age.

Good to know. Thanks Lion.

I confess I’ve never visited Norwich but hear good reports. All I know is it’s supposedly quite dry over there in the East and, while we love nature and want easy access to it, we’re used to living in a city so probably wouldn’t be happy with a very rural setting. Plus we’re no spring chickens.

I think East Anglia is the driest place in England. Bear in mind that a lot of the dryness is in the summer, relevant for gardening, and you won't be spared damp English winters but it doesn't rain as much as some parts and the weather is very mild, at least to me after years of Chicago weather. Still haven't had to wear a heavy coat, gloves seldom, hat never.

Norwich is nice - only been a couple of times, but it's bustling, has a big market and a lovely cathedral. It's important to have pleasant surroundings. It's multi-age - families, students, not just an elephants graveyard like some coastal towns. I get the city thing, having gone London => New York => Boston => Chicago, village life is not for me. Too isolating. But Norwich, Bury, (also checking Canterbury), are all big enough, with London no more than 2 hours away on the train. And if you drive it's easy to get out into some really pretty country and to the coast. I've always liked the openness of East Anglia due to the flatnsss, but you won't see any rolling hills although Norwich itself is on a small hill. Let me know if you find a good agent!


There are lots of these, but here's one - a walking tour of the city crntre.

Thanks very much for that. It looks quite cute. And no litter!

Tea and scones on me at Jarrolds next March? If you happen to be in the vicinity!

Will let you know if we find a good agent. I have a couple of contacts in the Norwich area (friends of friends) so will be asking them if they can recommend surveyors & solicitors.

I wonder how Canterbury compares. It’s smaller, isn’t it. But would be very handy for France.

I support the answer is to go and live in all these places for a month in each and try to mingle.

Quite possibly, on the tea! Jarrolds is quite old fashioned I think.

Canterbury is a bit smaller, slightly fewer people and slightly more ketamin/heroine (proximity to Dover) but nothing dramatic at all for a practised city dweller. More tourists than Norwich, lots of students, lovely cathedral obv, only an hour from London on the train as well as easy trips to France.

I would agree about Norwich. It’s the ideal “big city” in so many ways. TWO great cathedrals. The catholic cathedral is absolutely superb - widely recognized as the greatest Victorian-era church in England. (Cambridge being the main other contender for that title.) Art museums - Sainsbury Centre is really good, absolutely unique and quirky, and worth visiting twice a year - world-class exhibitions (and some truly mediocre exhibitions too ) Castle museum is really good too.

Jarrolds is great for a really traditional lunch (includes carvery, for meat eaters.) But for tea, there are lots of very good independent cafes, although my favorite afternoon tea, both in terms of ambience & quality of the tea and cakes, is John Lewis. John Lewis is a superb example of post-war department store - at the time, it was Bonds, completely destroyed by enemy action in 1942, rebuilt in 1951. The building is lovely, if you have an eye for 1950s department store architecture.

https://johnlewismemorystore.org.uk/...st-war_years-2

And, of course, Norwich has more surviving medieval churches than any European city north of the alps. (I assume that means somewhere in Italy has more?) There were many miracles during the Second World War involving Norwich’s churches. Here’s just one. St Mary the Less literally hadn’t been seen from the street for a couple of hundred years. Then, one night in 1942, it appeared in all its glory - all the surrounding buildings that hemmed it in were reduced to rubble, but the previously hidden church was undamaged. Anyway, it’s quite a project to try to visit every medieval churches in the City, as several are only open one day a year. My favorite is St Julian’s (open every day,) the centre of the worldwide cult of Mother Julian of Norwich. I befriended a wild & whacky Australian nun there many years ago, and we still keep in touch.

https://julianofnorwich.org

Hello Robin!
Thanks for all that.
I reckon Italy could give Norwich a run for its money where churches are concerned. Am currently cycling in the mountains of Liguria. The rule is every time I reach a church or roadside shrine to an accident victim, I can take a breather. Luckily the Italians are very religious and very fast drivers.

You still spending lots of time in Norfolk?

I know what you mean about roadside chapels. We used to holiday in Switzerland when I was a kid, and my mum (totally atheist & anticlerical) was a sucker for the Astridkapelle. The Queen of Belgium, killed in a road accident in 1935. Not sure whether she or the other driver was at fault.

https://www.rigi.ch/en/attractions/a...igi-e9b091a47c

Been more than a year since I was in Norfolk, due to ill-health all round. But I do dream of spending a day in Norwich. I’d do all my favorite things - lunch in Jarrolds, visit M&S, but tea?? Either the RC cathedral or John Lewis. You cannot have two afternoon teas in one day.

The Anglican cathedral has a large, professionally run, fully featured - and disappointing - refectory. The Catholic one is superb. Much smaller, staffed by volunteers, with nice quality tea and excellent cakes. Being one of England’s most important catholic cathedrals, there are always plenty of priests around, some of them quite splendidly attired. At any one time, several of them are in the tea-room, either earnestly conferring, or flirting with the tea-ladies ( or both.)

I hope you’re in better health soon.
Will give you a shout next March just in case you’re around and fancy a scone in the Catholic cathedral.

Excellent! I see they now have a good website, that’s new

https://sjbcathedral.org.uk/garden-cafe/

I'm seeing some sort of ancient scone ritual in the future.

I like the look of their Victoria sponge, too.

Now I must go to Norwich. It all sounds marvellous. I suggest a BE meet up next March for Afternoon Tea at the Catholic Cathedral.
Thanks for the virtual tour and interesting facts Robin.
Don't tell Nutek or he'll have all the cake!

Where there is cake, there is Nutek.