In 2023 I took a trip to the Churches of Suffolk with Ace Cultural Tours, lead by Imogen Corrigan, and I liked it so much I booked the Norfolk equivalent in 2024. That trip got inexplicably cancelled, so, nothing daunted, I tried again. I had a new camera too, a Fujifilm X-E5, brought out on its first serious outing.

Monday 25th
The trip begins with meeting a coach at Norwich train station tomorrow at 4.00, which takes us to our out-of-town hotel, so I'm treating myself to a couple of days in Norwich for a more stress-free start. The 11 o'clock train from Liverpool Street to Norwich was long, empty and on time. And the lady with the refreshment trolley had fruit cake! We discussed her husband's preference for Victoria Sponge, but agreed that he's wrong. No noisy children or phone users either.

I left my case at the Premier Inn when I got to Norwich and headed into town, via the Cathedral grounds. I had a very nice hummus roll in Bread Source, with Dalston Lemonade. (I come to Norwich, where many of my forebears were born, and drink lemonade made by a company based near were I was born.) Wandering in search of a cake I checked out the bookshop with the good selection of local interest books, and found one to buy on Medieval Stained Glass in Norfolk. From the fondly-remembered gelato joint by the Castle I had coconut (which was very) and orange with almond (which was a bit fake, like a biscuit, but edible). On the way back through the Cathedral precinct I found a Bread Source stall, and so I got my cinnamon bun fix for later. With still some time before 3 o'clock check-in I went to the old-fave Rosary Cemetery to try out my new camera. My room at the Premier Inn was the same as it ever was, and because I know they're a problem I was not phased by the seagull poop streak down the window. Tea, bun and a siesta did the job of recharging.

I had, of course, forgotten to pack a flannel, so my evening stroll took in a supposedly-open Boots, according to Google, which wasn't, and a plant-based burger in McDonald's. The city centre was full of semi-dressed hussies and pushy seagulls so I went and loitered and took evening-glow photos in the lovely and quiet cathedral grounds.

Tuesday 26th
The Premier Inn breakfast held no surprises, but did the job. I left my case in the hotel, and headed for Boots. Got a flannel and a tube of Bonjela for last night's sudden sore.

Norwich Castle has only just reopened after being six years closed for work. A new entrance and shop leads to the old familiar underground rotunda of galleries and exhibitions. It also leads upstairs to a new gallery of medieval life, which is chock full of good stuff. The floors above see a restoration of the original structure, but the new spaces are full of painted scenery, child- friendly activity and selfie ops. Sigh! Leaving I headed for some lunch and peace towards the RC cathedral, via St Giles church, and a nearby branch of Bread Source where I got the same roll as yesterday and a can of rhubarb soda. I asked the woman if she could recommend somewhere nearby to sit a lunch, and she recommended the Plantation Gardens and... wow! An instant new favourite place, full of walls and stairways full of bits of old Victorian stonework and terracotta mouldings. And walking around everyone was keen to stop and talk about how wonderful the place is. After a piece of carrot cake and a coffee where I'd bought my lunch I headed back into the centre. The cathedral was a bit too busy, although I did get to meet Budge the famous, if not sociable, cathedral cat. After a short turn around the cloister I went back into the church and it was weirdly peaceful, so I took some calmer photos and went up into the Treasury with its impressive and  unmissable old wall paintings.

Back to the hotel to collect my case and then over the road to meet tour manager Leonie by WH Smith in Norwich Railway Station at 4.00. As I was on time I was the last arrival. Our Orange Coach took us to the Park Farm Hotel, near Hethersett, five miles south of Norwich. After checking in and checking out our big modern monochrome rooms we had a glass of welcome prosecco and a lecture called The Signs of the Times, where Imogen introduced us to quirks and saints and symbols and such.

Our first dinner was, for me, leek soup, pasta in a tomato sauce and a bread and butter pudding made from croissants, with custard. I liked the latter a lot. To bed around 9.00, which was civilised.

Wednesday 27th
The hotel breakfast was fine: juice, coffee, muesli, croissants, Tiptree jam...all good. No troublesome shower controls either, and I have a bath tub also. Our first trip, on the Orange Coach, was to St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Knapton which had so many angels in the roof - 138 (see right). Also a fresh hole dug in the graveyard ready for a funeral at 2.00. Then to St Botolph’s Church, Trunch. Which has a special wooden font canopy and a screen, in very poor repair, with some intrusive and scary electrical wiring, but with full-length saints, with defaced faces, as is common. Also evidence of a hermit’s cell.

To Holt for an independent lunch. I’d never heard of Holt, but it's very chi-chi, although at a trendy bakers I had a Moroccan Roll, which was like a sausage roll but stuffed with sweet potato, spices and such. Coffee was taken with the heaviest and domiest Eccles cake ever.

Next to St Margaret’s Church, Cley (pronounced cly) . Big and impressive on the outside (see right), plain with another notable font inside. No screen but some nice tombs and graffiti, often of ships. Thence to All Saints’ Church, Bale, which has a great big multi-panelled window created from bits, jigsaw puzzle style, like you sometimes see done on a smaller scale.

Dinner at the hotel, chosen from a menu at breakfast, was carrot and coriander soup, a but roast, which I'm assured is a misprint, and a sweet which I've forgotten!

Thursday 28th
After Breakfast we had a lecture in the hotel on The Black Death & its Aftermath, and then it was on the coach to Sparham to visit St Mary's, which has an odd pair of panels from a rood. One depicts St Walstan and Thomas Beckett, the other a pair of macabre death-related scenes. Then it was all back on the Orange Coach to All Saints’ Church, Weston Longville. Which has a large faded Tree of Jesse wall painting, and figures painted on the pillars either side of the screen. It's kneelers make an impressive vista too (see right)

We then had our Independent prechosen lunch at the Parson Woodforde, Weston Longville. Mine being a brie and cranberry baguette with some chunky artisanal chips and a pint of Abbot.

The post-prandial church was St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Salle. Which only has the bottom panels of it's screen. Then to St Agnes’s Church, Cawston which has a very tall stone tower, a surprisingly very intact screen and some impressive wall painting remains. The saintly figures on the screen are finely painted and justly famous, especially St Matthew wearing spectacles. The north wall pews are very old and the brick floor under them is convincingly crumbling and uneven.

My dinner at hotel was tomato soup, a too-salty tagine and bakewell tart with custard

Friday 29th
Our three-church last morning, destined to be wet, began with to St Andrew’s Church, Wickhampton, on the edge of its village - nicely napped, no screen, but a north wall covered in wall paintings - a Three Living and Three Dead, and a St Christopher to the left and the Seven Acts of Mercy and Christ Blessing on the right. Tea and cake was served and tasteful tea towels featuring the wall paintings were available (see far below), thoughtfully ready-wrapped in xmas paper.

Then on to St Edmund’s Church, Acle which had a font with paint remains, an interesting screen with shaped holes in lower boards for people to see through, plague-related graffiti and a dinky side chapel behind a door with a lovely little Romanesque altar (see right). Also the churchyard had a wet but friendly cat, the first of the trip. Our first round tower too.

The Orange Coach then took us to St Helen’s Church, Ranworth. Which has the best screen, for quality of art and completeness. Our independent lunch was also in Ranworth, a Broads resort. In the Maltsters pub the vegan kofte flat bread with chips was v. nice, as was the landlord, who helpfully rebooted his router for me.

Then to All Saints’ Church, Hemblington, which has a very, but nicely, restored painted-carved font and a huge wall painting devoted to St Christopher with, unusually, scenes from his life, on the north wall.

The tour dispersed with fond farewells at Norwich Railway Station and my train to Liverpool Streetwas long, empty and peaceful. Coffee and fruit cake from the trolley again.