Norwich once had a pub for every day of the year.
Old Norwich boys supped at the Adam and Eve,
and in the Angel Gardens.
Taverns tracked artisans, life and livelihood
through The Beehive and The Brickmakers,
Dyers, Plasterers and Bakers
Arms, wielding Trowel and Hammer
or a fishing rod for the Compleat Angler,
and The Lawyer
with his Wig and Pen.
Norwich once had a pub for every day of the year.
We must not forget the eaters and drinkers
smearing Colman’s best from The Mustard Pot
on their Ribs of Beef and their Bread and Cheese,
and quaffing in The Cidershed;
or the writers and thinkers:
Dickens’ Artful Dodger and Pickwick
pontificating in Micawber’s;
and figures of history we know so well:
the Queen of the Iceni,
Robin Hood, Nelson and Edith Cavell.
Norwich once had a pub for every day of the year.
There are many threads in the rich tapestry
of Norwich’s immigrant legacy
at The Belgian Monk
and the Fat Cat and Canary.
There’s a Whiffler, a Wildman and macabre Murderers,
Mischief, Perseverance and Refreshers.
We’ve lost six months’ worth of pubs
and those that remain
wouldn’t even get us to Fathers’ Day.
Kim M. Russell, 2017
Images found on Alamy, Pinterest and SmugMug
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night.
This is a poem I wrote in response to a Poetry School assignment for their Re-Writing the Map on-line course.
The pub-names are perfect for a poem… and i do love myself a great pint if I can get it… yesterday evening I had some great Irish Cider at a pub in Stockholm
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should visit Norfolk, Bjorn, you’d love it!
LikeLike
Nice nostalgia for the pubs of the past.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Frank. Some of them do still exist. The Adam and Eve is the oldest pub in Norwich and boasts several ghosts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My goodness this is so rich in culture and history ❤️ I love how you list the names of the pubs and describe them in such vivid detail. Beautifully done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sanaa!
LikeLike
What a wonderful colourful display. I love these pub names, and your portrayal. I’ve been to The Bishops Mitre, and The Cittie of York, and Blackfriars in londontown. Oh, England, my lionheart!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Eric!
LikeLike
Great subject for a playful write Kim and you certainly pull it off with aplomb!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Scott!
LikeLike
You wove the pub names into your poem artfully, and introduced us to faces of history along the way. It was a delightful read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Bev!
LikeLike
Brava.. 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dorna!
LikeLike
This is really fun, Kim! I wouldn’t mind catching a glimpse of a ghost at The Adam and Eve, and who would think that you had a year’s worth of pubs in Norwich? Sorry that you’re down to only six months worth now though. 🙂 Love the names and I enjoyed seeing the actual signs that hang outside the taverns.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Gayle. Along with York and London, Norwich is known for its many ghosts.
LikeLike
I like this alot. A fun read. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
I think the English consume more alcohol than most other countries–but to have almost 400 pubs in one area is fearsome & cool. Our taverns & cocktail lounges are pretty numerous in Seattle & Tacoma & the suburbs; I don’t drink alcohol, so your liquid history lesson was fun & informative.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t drink alcohol either, Glenn, but I think that in the past, when there was no public transport, people would walk to their local after a hard day’s work. It was the hub of the community, where you found out the latest news, met up with friends and clients, and conducted business. It was probably the only affordable entertainment for some people. Now it’s all on the Internet and you buy cheap alcohol in supermarkets.
LikeLike
Love the names of the pubs… wonder why so many closed down?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t drink, so I’m not sure but most probably during times of economic pressure and following the smoking ban. I see so many empty and derelict pubs these days. People tend to buy cheap alcohol at supermarkets and drink at home.
LikeLike
Thank you.. that must be the reason. Lovely how some of the old ones have so much history and culture associated with them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would love to visit the pub and look closely at the figures of history Kim ~ Hope some of them continue with the business and legacy ~
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the Adam and Eve will still be there on Judgement Day – they wouldn’t dare pull it down. For one thing, it’s just outside the cathedral grounds and the Law Courts; for another, it’s extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. It’s also the starting point for the ghost tour of Norwich with the Man in Black.
LikeLike
I love all those old pub names and you have created a wonderfully nostalgic poem here that makes you want to order a pint of Theakston’s Old Peculier :o)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Xenia! You should try Adnam’s Ghost Ship!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, sounds wonderful! :o)
LikeLiked by 1 person
🍻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Drinking at home alone is entirely different thank drinking at a pub
LikeLiked by 1 person
🍻
LikeLike
I enjoyed the juxtaposition of pubs with the calendar year– it adds an extra dimension to your lines beyond what is written, quite nice 🙂 ~Jason
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jason!
LikeLike
One thing we missed when we were in NZ was the english “pub”. A hub of public interfacing…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our local is quiet in the winter and then livens up around Easter when tourists start to visit the Broads.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a proper pub here in the US.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you can’t find one, Bekkie, visit the UK – we’ve plenty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would love to visit the UK someday! (Hey, that rhymed!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the incorporation of so many wonderful pub names. Pubs in N.America usually have such boring names
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure there is a book about the pub names of the British Isles. There are so many unusual names alongside the usual King’s Arms and Dog and Duck, Bryan. My particular favourites are The Bull and Spectacles, My Father’s Moustache, The Piddle Inn and The Pyrotechnists Arms!
LikeLiked by 1 person