Giants, Tombs and Whistlefish

So where have I been?  We went to Norwich to see Miss Aimson at the weekend, then I have been stuck in the house with a cold.

Norwich - what can I say?  First impressions are that it is the Canada of England: really, really nice, polite, unhurried, the kind of place where bad things don't happen very often.  Loads of old stuff, loads of bookshops, the kind of things Aimsons like.  And a HMV.  You don't see many of them about these days.

There seemed to be some sort of Bolsover connection which I haven't looked up yet.  But they like big things in Norwich too:

A Bolsover-style Big Portico



Some Bolsover-style Giants



A Giantess

Oh no, that last one isn't a giantess; it's Miss Aimson standing in a tiny doorway.

Norwich's speciality seems to be great street names.  Try Whistlefish Road or Upper Goat Lane (and of course, Lower Goat Lane)

And, as I have asked on other occasions: Where are all the Goths?  Norwich has an area of town called Tombland:

Where are all the Goths?

Gothland

In Tombland we spotted Tombland Alley, Tombland Antiques and Tombland Books.  Miss Aimson hasn't been in that one yet, but surely she needs to work there?  Tombland Books would be perfect on her CV.

Tombland is the area immediately around the Cathedral.  We went in for a look round.  It isn't too good for art history as it was well and truly cleansed by the Puritans, so there isn't much to see.  I did spot a coat of arms which included the three crescent moons of the Ogles.  There is the possibility then of a real connection to Bolsover Castle, not just in their mutual love of Big Stuff.  Although I must say Bolsover still has them beat on the Big Stuff front.  Obviously Norwich is too modest and gentle to go for really big stuff, and certainly not for balls and boobs.  Far too polite for any of that sort of thing.  More the gentle humour of silly place-names.  I think I agree with them for long-term amusement.