The Pub Detective

Jonathan Hooton looks at evidence of former pubs in Norwich and associated tales.
Jonathan Hooton is a City of Norwich Tour Guide, a former Head of Geography at Notre Dame High School and has a fondness for, and plenty of experience of pubs. He has been a regular feature in the Society's event programme, and had been scheduled to deliver both a live talk and a guided tour of Norwich pubs in the 2020 summer events programme.
Norwich has had the reputation of a pub for every day. This claim is examined and taken as a starting point for finding out where they have all gone. The Pub Detective examines the evidence still to be found to identify former pubs in the City of Norwich and its suburbs from the blindingly obvious to the obscure and quirky. It also is an excuse to discuss many of the interesting and intriguing stories from the past that surround our former pubs.

[@DJWerkz]

Another pub now closed and in residential use is the James I 39 Drayton Road (corner of Ropemakers Row). In the 70’s my parents would take me and my sister for a summer evening walk to Wensum Park then we would have a shandy at the pub. Between ‘79 and ‘82 my best mate at school lived there as his parents ran the pub. Ironically, in 1983 I joined my first pub darts team in the local Norwich leagues and yes, it was the James I, played one league season then we moved over to the British Legion on Aylsham Road

[@kathymcbride2425]

well done norwich society for saving the goldern star one of my many loved pubs of norwich x

[@alexatkinson7599]

Excellent video. Thankyou.

[@kathymcbride2425]

thank you Jonathan for all this history on norwich pubs ps think you deserve a pint x

[@antonchristian873]

Very interesting, It's just a pity about the sound quality.

[@mikeblackmore1075]

I’m worried about how many of these premises I’ve visited when open 😊

[@DJWerkz]

The Queens Arms on the corner of Edward Street and Magdalene Street was an absolute dive in the 80’s, you never went in there unless you looked homeless or part of the local thug/criminal element lol. I went in when it changed to the cafe many years later when I went to a gig at the old Anglia TV Studios