Information from The Assembly House website:

Designed by architect Thomas Ivory in 1754 on the site of a medieval chapel, no expense was spared in the construction of the House, which historians view as one of the most important buildings in Norwich.

The Assembly House stands on land that was once crofts and fields on the outskirts of the Norman settlement in Norwich’s French quarter.

In 1248, John Le Brun founded the Hospital of the Blessed Virgin Mary here, a key civic space where assemblies were held. After the Dissolution in 1544, King Henry VIII granted the site to its last dean, Miles Spencer, who made part of it his private home. Fragments of this medieval past remain—bricked-up Tudor windows, hidden foundations, and remnants of medieval walls.

In 1573, the estate was purchased by Thomas Cornwallis, an MP involved in suppressing Kett’s Rebellion. He transformed it into Chapel of the Field House, adding a grand hall, gallery, kitchen, stable, and formal gardens. The property passed through notable owners, including Sir Henry Hobart, who expanded the estate to include what is now Chapelfield Gardens.

By the 18th century, the site had fallen into disuse until, in 1753, Norwich aldermen secured a 500-year lease to create a fashionable venue for assemblies, cards, and balls. Under architect Sir Thomas Ivory, The Assembly House opened in 1755 and became a hub for entertainment, hosting celebrations for Nelson’s Trafalgar victory, Queen Charlotte’s birthday, and Madame Tussaud’s waxwork exhibitions.

In the 20th century, it housed Norwich High School for Girls before being saved from demolition in 1935. During WWII, it became the Eastern Command Camouflage Office, narrowly escaping the Baedeker Raids.

A devastating fire in 1995 led to a restoration funded by the National Lottery, and in 2009, Richard Hughes and Iain Wilson took over the business arm of the House, adding luxury bedrooms and creating a vibrant multi-use venue. Today, The Assembly House remains a vibrant centre for arts, hospitality, and celebration in Norwich.

A more detailed history of the Assembly house can be found in a PDF document available here.

We had another refreshing night’s sleep; the bed was so comfy. To manage my breakfast portion sizes, I chose a few selected items from the full English breakfast.

After breakfast we relaxed in our room before it was time to visit friends (Wiggia and Mrs W). As we left the carpark, we got a bit confused by the one-way system around the Assembly Hall, our SatNav which is normally reliable was just as confused as we were. Perhaps we shouldn’t have had those few minutes in our room after all! Eventually we were on our way, arriving at our destination a short time later.

It was lovely to see them both for a chat and catch up. We were treated to delicious scones and cakes followed by a tour of their lovely garden with its amazing view looking over the countryside. As we were leaving Mrs W presented Mr C with a card and present for his birthday.

Back at the billet we couldn’t find a parking space in the hotel car park so we tried the other nearby car park where there were spaces. Mr C didn’t want to pay the price, we had already paid to stay the Assembly House car park at a discounted rate. We returned to the Assembly House to find one lonesome parking space waiting for us.

It was time to chill out in our room some more before heading to Norwich castle, stopping along the way for a refreshing drink in the same café as the previous day. The castle has only recently re-opened after five years of extensive renovations to make the castle and museum collections more accessible to visitors. We visited the Boadicea and antiquities collections first followed by the Norfolk Regiment’s  regimental displays. Our next priority was the Castle Keep with its related collections and roof top view. I was impressed with the way the castle and museum collections are presented. We didn’t have time to see everything, even though we left just a few minutes before closing. Hopefully we will get the opportunity to return soon to see what we missed and re-visit some things that we enjoyed most.

With time to spare we returned to the Murderer’s Arms for a glass of wine (for me) and beer for Mr C which we enjoyed in the afternoon sunshine before returning to the Assembly House. Back in our room we chilled out some more before it was time to dine in the nearby Paolo’s Italian restaurant. The food, service and ambience were perfect. The sun was shining and as I looked out towards the market square and church, I almost felt I was sitting outside in continental Europe.

The Murderer’s Arms called us for one last drink; the next day we were leaving the Assembly House for Windsor and the Sir Christopher Wren.

Feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep in the bed that was as comfortable as it looked, it was time for breakfast. There were interesting and unusual options on the menu. I opted for the American style pancakes with fruit compote and when it arrived the portion was huge. As other dishes were delivered to nearby tables I noticed that the other choices were also huge.

We had a few hours available before our ‘Afternoon Seas’ lunch, which was part of Mr C’s ’special birthday’ present in 2024. Circumstances got in the way so we only managed to enjoy the present just – before his next birthday. The ’special lunch’ was in the Assembly House which is why we chose to stay there.

We walked into town to find the lovely art shop that is part of the Jarrold’s department store. There were a lot of things to tempt me but I have enough colouring pencils and resisted the urge to add a new make of pencils to my collection. I bought a few smaller (useful) items that will enhance the enjoyment of what I already have.

There is currently a GoGoSafari animal trail around Norwich and I took the opportunity to photograph the sculptures that we saw on our morning walk. Our walk took us past the colourful market stalls where Mr C bought his first Christmas present when he saw the perfect present of 2025 for one of his friends. Our walk took us past the model shop where on our previous visit Mr C had made a purchase. He didn’t need anything new this time but couldn’t resist going inside because we knew they stock a few board games.

I saw Castle Combo which looked interesting but rather than impulse buy I researched it on the Board Game Geek whilst having an Elderflower Presse in a nearby café. The game had a favourable write up so I purchased it before we returned to the billet to freshen up for the main event of the day, the long awaited ‘Afternoon Seas’.

The ‘Afternoon Seas’ lived up to our expectation, the service was impeccable and the food was both delicious and beautifully presented. After our indulgent lunch we chilled out on the patio next to our room before walking back into town to visit the Cathedral.

It was good to see the Cathedral without the scaffolding that had surrounded the organ on our previous visit. Now the building felt complete rather than split into two halves and I was able to feel and enjoy the atmosphere of the space within.

We then returned to the billet where I had a refreshing shower to wash away the afternoon heat before another lazy chill out on the patio. Well, a chill out was the intention but it was interrupted by a rather noisy demonstration in the nearby square.

Our evening meal was in the Gem of Norwich which serves Turkish cuisine. Mr C had miscalculated how far the restaurant was in relation to where we were staying. It was a long walk… The menu was extensive, I chose chicken salad which I thought would be a light option. I was wrong, the portion could easily have fed two people and the dish Mr C chose was just as large which, unusually, left him over faced by his portion. From where I was sitting, I could see most people were going home with doggy bags. The food quality was excellent but for me it wasn’t the best dining experience due to the enormous portions.

On the way back to our billet we returned to the Murderers Arms for a nightcap which we enjoyed sitting outside in the warm evening air.

Unforeseen circumstances led us to setting off later than we had planned but once we were on our way our journey ran smoothly. The route was just as tedious as we remembered it from our previous visit to Norfolk, although on this occasion we arrived without a cracked windscreen.

We broke our journey at Cambridge services for lunch. The options were limited and uninspiring, leaving me to succumb to the call of a Crispy Kreme doughnut which was plain, simple and delicious.

Our long journey required a second break for a refreshing drink before continuing our journey to the Assembly House where we were staying for the first part of our two centre holiday.

On arrival at the Assembly House, we checked into the B&B and were shown to our amazing room which had an outside patio area that was just perfect for the hot sunshiny days that we were being treated to.

We unloaded the car and chilled out on the balcony with a cup of tea and homemade biscuits that we found in our room. The weather was so warm and lovely that it was just calling for a glass of wine to enjoy on the patio.

Mr C went out to recce the area and find out where we had booked in for our evening meal. He returned with a nice bottle of Rose wine which we enjoyed whilst I was relaxing with one of my colouring books and pencils.

We dined in Middleton’s Steak Bar where I opted for a chicken burger. There were several fish options which I would normally choose but the following day we were having ‘Afternoon Seas’ for lunch, a fishy version of afternoon tea.

Before returning to our billet for an earlyish night we had an after-dinner drink in the Murderers & Gardeners arms which we found to be cosy and friendly.

Ted has returned from his adventure to Norwich and Windsor. Ted was travelling with a new friend, Jemima.

Amongst other things, Ted and Jemima visited two Cathedrals, a palace, a tower, The Long Walk at Windsor and an ancient stone circle.

They are now back home relaxing after their adventure.

Photoshop Elements randomly creates collages from my photo catalogue. This collage brought back some happy memories.

I loved receiving these reversible skirts hand packed with a personal note making me feel special. When the parcel arrived I always took time to open it slowly and savour the personal touches that were added to my purchase.

I enjoyed wearing this skirt for the first time during a holiday in Norfolk.

Bags packed and ready to check out of the hotel, we chose not to eat in the Brewers Fayre but instead to head out to a nearby mill that advertised ‘cooked breakfasts’ every day. As we neared the mill it appeared to be closed and not at all inviting.

We drove the short distance to Acle where we had breakfast in Scooters Café. The breakfast was amazing. There was a build your own option which suited me perfectly; I chose egg, tomatoes and hash brown with a slice of brown toast.

After breakfast we drove to Ely Cathedral, a perfect place to reflect on the loss of our friend. We arrived to the sound of children singing; I think they were practising for a concert they were due to perform in. This meant that for a while the central part of the cathedral was not fully accessible.

Currently on display at Ely Cathedral is an exhibition called ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ by Sean Henry. The exhibition displays sculptures of figures of varying scales in strategic places both within the cathedral and the grounds outside. The figures are captivating and intriguing, causing pause for thought.

We had lunch in the Almonry Café where we both chose tuna mayo sandwiches before heading homeward. We had a brief stop at a motorway service on the way home. The food and drink options didn’t suit us (modern life being about burgers and paper cups)) so after a leg stretch, we returned to the car but not before I was tempted to buy a Krispy Kreme donut (Biscoff Brookie) which I ate in the car.

Back home after picking up milk and visiting mum we had a cuppa and unpacked our bags before dining on stew made with leftover chicken. It was delicious.

After the long walk into town the previous evening, we decided that we wouldn’t be in the mood to walk into town for breakfast so we booked a table in the Brewers Fayre restaurant which is located next door to the hotel. This turned out to be a wise move because a lot of people without bookings were being turned away and asked to come back later.

Our friend’s funeral was at 2.30 so we had time to visit Great Yarmouth Minster which we had walked past the previous evening. The building is amazing and has a rich history. Whilst we were there, we each lit a candle in remembrance of our friend.

We still had a bit of time to spare so I was able to visit Edinburgh Woollen Mill where I ended up purchasing a couple of tops.

We returned to the hotel to change for the funeral. We were slightly delayed by the arrival of room service which turned out to be a far better service than some of the more expensive hotels we have stayed in recently.

We arrived at the crematorium in plenty of time so Mr C took the opportunity to finesse the Eulogy before we braved the heavy rain to walk to the waiting area. The service was secular, although the celebrant included some traditional words used in Christian ceremonies. The service included words of memories from his wife, words of tribute from Mr C and a poem written by one of his daughters.

For some reason I can’t quite explain, I shed more tears than I usually due on such occasions. Something for me to reflect on.
At the wake, I was able to spend time with our friend’s widow and share her grief whilst reflecting back on memories and regretting that future plans were not to be. The four of us, after many years absence, last met just a few months before his cancer diagnosis.

Later, Mr C had booked us into the Furzedown Hotel for an evening meal. The hotel turned out to be much further away than he thought it was. I felt like I was on a route march to dinner. Finding a bar for a post dinner drink also proved problematic. All the pubs we saw were closed or shut had already stopped serving for the evening. We had to retrace our steps to Weatherspoon’s which for some reason Mr C had wanted to avoid!