Lost Norwich - Elm Hill

[@roseogrady8785]

Lovely area.. oozing History and tasty Nosh at the Briton's Arms.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@annasutton8078]

Thanks for the video, we are so lucky to have this street.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you for commenting, we are indeed!

[@mudfacegirlhistoryhuntings6866]

Another calming and informative video from you. A quick breather from cutting the lawns with a cuppa tea and that video from you , and I'm good to go again. Thank you.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you so much for such a sweet comment! Glad to be of help!

[@IDreamOfGaming]

Another fantastic video. Thanks.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you Simon 👍

[@paolettatrogu1968]

Thank you. I love Elm Hill

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for your comment, Elm Hill is very special.

[@BuhayS1ngle]

WOW nice video KABAYAN hello from Philippines walk tour channel 👣🏃🏃🚶📹🎥

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Wow, thank you, hello to the Philippines!

[@theoloyla]

Always loved Elm Hill. My sister had ballet lessons there in the 60's and on recent visits my wife (not from Norwich) loves the teddy bear shop

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

The teddy bear shop is a one-off! 🐻

[@philkfoto]

At number 32 in 1949, my parents took me here to E. Johnson Taylor to have my photos taken.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

A great memory, thanks for adding that!

[@Retirement_Life]

Lovely area of the city. Great video, John.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks John

[@Analoguebubblebath89]

My favourite content creator! Thanks again for another great video. Lived on Elm Hill in 2014. Good times.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

You lived on Elm Hill...? Wow! How was that?

[@Analoguebubblebath89]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich It was nice waking out of your front door onto such a lovely cobble road. But a little too central in the city for me. My heart belongs to NR3

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@Analoguebubblebath89 thanks, NR3 has its own character.

[@HauntedandAbandonedNorfolk]

My favourite street in Norwich! Another amazing insight into times gone by. Thanks as always for sharing your historical knowledge John :)

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Edward, I appreciate your comments.

[@martinthirkettle599]

Another excellent video. Yes, it still amazes me that it was nearly demolished! Always great to see it featured in films like Stardust and Jingle Jangle. I would imagine that it has also appeared in ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ at some point but that’s just an assumption! 👍

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

That's probably a very reasonable assumption, thanks Martin!

[@samsamkin4647]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich Even the Monty Python team have filmed a few sketches at Elm Hill. One such sketch was Colin "Chopper" Mozart - Ratcatcher that appeared in an episode of the second series of Monty Python's Flying Circus. You see Michael Palin riding a bicycle all the way from the Antiques Shop (now the Games Room) to the Crafts shop. The sketch supposedly takes place in Munich in the year 1821. Of course you can understand why they would choose Elm Hill is the perfect exterior setting.

[@cbarton64]

Fantastic video John. Thoroughly enjoyed 😀

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@samsamkin4647]

I love Elm Hill. It's always been one of my favourite places in Norwich. I always walk through Elm Hill on my way towards the market area and Chapelfield. I always prefer to go through Elm Hill rather than walking up toward Tombland. I particularly love walking past the Bear Shop, seeing all those adorable teddies in the window at the front of the shop. I've always wondered what it was before it became the Bear Shop. I always assumed that it might have been a clothes shop or something before it became The Bear Shop.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Yes, it is a great street, completely unique.

[@wowwaterfalls]

Lovely architecture. Thanks for sharing the history!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you for commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@christate3976]

Excellent edition as always ,much if Norwich's history was demolished for reasons known as progress ,I termed it as periodical vandalism , we were lucky this gem survived for us to enjoy ,I can recall as a child going to what is /was the stamp / coin collectors at the top of Elm Hill , great part of our city to visit for it's historical past and the occasional twisted ankle or maybe that was just me !

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Not just you, Chris. I saw a scooterist taking his (and others') lives into his hands when I was photographing it.

[@traceyculyer5811]

Thankyou John, Great as always.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Tracey, glad you liked it 👍

[@dangerduo9179]

Very interesting video as always. An amazing street steeped in history. Thank you!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks - yes it's a special place.

[@adrianrutterford762]

Good Morning John and everyone. Wonderful video, as ever. I remember the wonderful bakers at the top of Elm Hill. They advertised “Cake and Continental Gateaux”. I often wondered what made a gateaux continental.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Nice story, thanks Adrian!

[@adrianrutterford762]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich No worries. It always made me giggle when I saw that sign. Lovely cakes, and gateaux there. Please forgive the following suggestion if it’s not appropriate… Following on from your recent video on Gildencroft perhaps a careful and speedy walk across St Cripins Road into Coslany might be interesting.

[@philmorris7974]

If you mean in the 1980s it was Gedges and their cakes were wonderful!

[@adrianrutterford762]

@@philmorris7974 Thanks for reminding me of the name. It was a wonderful proper “old fashioned” place.

[@donnabilling3061]

Interesting as always John 👍🏻☺️

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Donna

[@raspberrytreacle]

Beautiful. Excellent work

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you 👍

[@Cal900]

A church not used for almost 140 years!? Cracking video as ever, thanks

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Callum, yes I was surprised at that. I thought that would have happened more towards the second half of the last century.

[@jules5019]

Excellent video! It was fascinating to see the older photographs alongside those of the present day.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you very much. May I recommend this video.kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZOXoHiGbKeqhbM

[@kanarykev]

Thanks again for posting the video John.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks!

[@andyt8216]

Next month will mark 30 years since an 18 year old me went to UEA 😫. I’ve only been back to Norwich twice since I left, but am planning to come later this year and be a tourist. Elm Hill will be top of my must see list!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

That's brilliant, welcome back!

[@andyt8216]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich thank you. I’m excited about it. I had hoped to do an unofficial 30 year reunion, but as that’s not happening, it will just be me, my thoughts and memories and I’ll explore a city I have very fine memories of. First year was spent at Fifers Lane (think we may have been the last year to ever stay there) and later on a house share up Thorpe Road next to the “Mustard Pot” pub as it was then. Can’t wait to come back and revisit it all! :)

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@andyt8216 that's great Andy! You might like to see this video before you visit Thorpe Road! I hope you have a great time - seeing somewhere you knew well after such a long break would be very interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6q6Znilf52qr7c

[@geoffpoole483]

Fascinating as always, John. I noticed at least two shop signs advertising "shaving", a trend that's reappeared with the emergence of barber shops. Regarding the proposed demolition; maybe Elm Hill wasn't as easy on the eye back in the 1920's as it is today. Thankfully it wasn't demolished- the place just oozes history and character.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Yes you're right about the shaving - which reminds me..... And it probably was a bit of an eyesore if the city council considered it as slums.

[@AliceLR]

Brilliant video!!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you 👍

[@keithwinters3031]

Wonderful. Have to look out for it on the box. Super as always. I used to take the walkway and ponder on the benches at the back next the river. Does the river tours boat still have a boarding point there? .. I wonder.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Keith. I really feel Norwich needs to do more with its river. There used to be a river bus but no more. I guess Bishop Bridge is a problem for bigger transport!

[@The_Brit_Girls]

Thank goodness the Elm Hill was saved - it was a very close call! I really enjoyed this video. There was so much fascinating information and some wonderful photographs. Good old Father Ignatius got a mention too, haha!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Father Ignatius had to be there!

[@eatsamazingwithsusan]

nice share my friend new here see you around too keep safe FR: EAWS

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for watching!

[@kevintracey4644]

I love these videos!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you Kevin 👍

[@davidcronan4072]

As Coventry born and bred I am glad that Elm Hill was saved. Unfortunately we had similar streets in Coventry ( Butcher Row and Little Butcher Row.) which were equally of historic interest. These were demolished in the 1930's to make way for two new and wider roads. It was said that these streets were equal to the Shambles in York.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for adding your comment. I read somewhere that in Nottingham, a shopping mall may be demolished and replaced by the original street layout. Former streets can have such character, looking back.

[@CheapoCardCompany]

Another great video, John. Perhaps the best use of Elm Hill on screen (IMHO, of course) was in Monty Python’s Flying Circus, TV series... when featured as home to both Colin ‘Chopper’ Mozart’s Rodent Exterminating Boutique... and, further up, as John Paul Sartre’s house... (plus other scenes at Norwich castle).

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Wow! I knew about MP using the castle but didn't know about them using Elm Hill. Thanks for adding that comment.

[@simongee8928]

It's a shame that the Briton's Arms has in recent years gone so upmarket. When my sister worked at the craft shop in the 1960's, it was an affordable place that did good snacks and light meals. Not so much now though.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

I suppose that's down to the location.

[@simongee8928]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich Indeed. A lot of places are going 'trendy' with prices to match. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find a proper 'caff' - ! 🙄

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@simongee8928 I can think of one which combines fair prices with excellent friendly service, butterfly had better not mention it here!

[@simongee8928]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich I know exactly where you mean - ! 😊 Have been intending to give it a try sometime. There's a certain square corner cafe which is excellent. Always good friendly service, great food and decent prices - ! 😄

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@simongee8928 🤣🤣

[@kanarykev]

Along with The Close this is one of the prettiest thoroughfares in Norwich,thankfully early councillors didn’t get their way!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

As somebody says elsewhere in the comments, it may not have been so pretty when the decision to save it was so close! But fortunately for us, it was saved, with the pressure of the newly formed Norwich Society.

[@luagacolienquan1498]

Lost Norwich - Elm Hill

[@talmadge1926]

Saved from demolition by 1 vote. Chilling!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Absolutely!