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May. 22nd, 2014 10:24 pmBeast and I just went on a preliminary exploration of Norwich, checking out (a) gyms and (b) areas and streets we think we'd like to live in. And whether we can get cable broadband. Hah.
Well. It was interesting. I'm a bit baffled at the absence of 'local shops' in most areas, excepting only the post-office-mini-supermarket hybrid which seems to struggle on at random intervals. Here, we have a Chinese takeaway, a convenience store/small supermarket (?), an excellent butcher who also sells vegetables, a delicatessen (quite new), a bakery, a pharmacy and a post office/newsagent all in a neat little line and less than ten minutes' walk away. And a hairdresser, beauty salon and dentist up above. Indeed, all the differentiated areas contained within the town have a shopping parade, ours being one of the smaller, but there doesn't seem to be anything comparable in most of Norwich (honourable exception of Unthank Road, near where my Boy lived as a post-student). Just a scattering of random hairdressers. Odd. And I think I'm going to miss those shops, if/when we move. During the snows of last year's winter, I didn't bother to get the car out to brave the roads, I just pulled on my wellies and went to the local shops. I'd like to think I'd be able to do the same thing if we move east, but it looks as though I won't.
It was quite interesting, moderately enjoyable, hot (I got burned scarlet on the back of the neck, sigh), and also pretty. On our many previous visits to Norwich we'd never taken much note of the rivers, but this time, our guest house was across the road from a river (we had supper in the pub's riverside garden one night), and as one of the gyms is next to a river, we went along the riverside walk to find it, which was lovely. There is a Norwich Railway Station and a Norwich Yacht Station. Seeing a place in May is cheating, of course, one should really be braving it in November for a less fabulous impression. Still, it was a good start.
Well. It was interesting. I'm a bit baffled at the absence of 'local shops' in most areas, excepting only the post-office-mini-supermarket hybrid which seems to struggle on at random intervals. Here, we have a Chinese takeaway, a convenience store/small supermarket (?), an excellent butcher who also sells vegetables, a delicatessen (quite new), a bakery, a pharmacy and a post office/newsagent all in a neat little line and less than ten minutes' walk away. And a hairdresser, beauty salon and dentist up above. Indeed, all the differentiated areas contained within the town have a shopping parade, ours being one of the smaller, but there doesn't seem to be anything comparable in most of Norwich (honourable exception of Unthank Road, near where my Boy lived as a post-student). Just a scattering of random hairdressers. Odd. And I think I'm going to miss those shops, if/when we move. During the snows of last year's winter, I didn't bother to get the car out to brave the roads, I just pulled on my wellies and went to the local shops. I'd like to think I'd be able to do the same thing if we move east, but it looks as though I won't.
It was quite interesting, moderately enjoyable, hot (I got burned scarlet on the back of the neck, sigh), and also pretty. On our many previous visits to Norwich we'd never taken much note of the rivers, but this time, our guest house was across the road from a river (we had supper in the pub's riverside garden one night), and as one of the gyms is next to a river, we went along the riverside walk to find it, which was lovely. There is a Norwich Railway Station and a Norwich Yacht Station. Seeing a place in May is cheating, of course, one should really be braving it in November for a less fabulous impression. Still, it was a good start.