(PS this will NOT be in rhyme!)

So, these are a few of my favourite places in Norwich (and the surrounding areas!)

The Forum

I visited the British Library once, on an A Level trip, and was totally in awe of the place, I adore books, and libraries are very special to me.  I’ve never been inside one which is quite as special as the Forum, not only is there a wonderful selection of books, and music and wonder, but there is so much information about Norwich and beyond.  The big open space at the front plays host to salsa classes, comedy nights, craft fairs, and much more.  BBC Look East comes from there, you can get pizza, coffee and music.  It is a pretty special place and I don’t think I realise how special it is at times.

Whitlingham

I first discovered the broad when I was a 3rd year at the UEA, a local friend took us there one sunny sunday afternoon.  Whitlingham is (I believe) an old quarry, which is now full of water and home to some amazing wildlife.  The walk around the great broad is about 3 miles and takes you alongside the river yare.  There is also the mini broad, which is a bit like a lake with a beach, and is very serene to sit by.  My old boss, Tracy (you should DEFINATELY read her blog!) and I had a team day there to gather our thoughts and find some direction.  It was a wonderful experience and one I would definately repeat.  Get out into nature, not in a touchy feely way, but let the office melt away, its amazing what you’ll achieve.

The Fat Cat

Most of the boys in my life adore the fat cat, and I have come to love it, though am not a real ale drinker (fruit wines though are a totally different kettle of fish! and those are very much available here!) and I’ve spent many a pleasant evening whiling away the hours with various groups of friends at the fat cat.  It is also a little bit revered by many people in Norwich, and a bit of an old man’s pub.  But I love it none the less.

Wroxham Barns

Though technically not in Norwich, I wanted to include Wroxham barns because it makes me happy.  Wroxham barns has 2 big appeals – animals and crafts! The animals part is a junior farm where you can go and get a bit hands on with the animals.  Its for kids especially, but I’m a big kid really! We can’t wait to take J, our nephew for the day soon.  There are also a whole bunch of craft shops and studios which I love to just go and immerse myself in, as well as shops selling local produce (including AMAZING fudge!) and products.  There is also a funfair and crazy golf I think, but I’ve not been in that part.

And so, the list is by no means exhaustive, it’s just an off the top of my head list, I love the city I live in and it is nice to remind myself why.  I think I’ll revisit this list again another time and add to it.  In the meantime.. tell me, what places in your hometown do you love? Or have you been to Norwich? What do you love here?

1. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the knight in shining armor?

My gorgeous Dave is my knight in shining armour every day. He picks me up when I’m down, he helps keep me anchored and in general I am a very very lucky girl to have him (you can go vomit now!)

2. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the evil villain?

Cliche as it sounds, I think its myself, in the words of some song I’m sure, I truly am my own worst enemy (and my own biggest critic) but I’m trying to beat the bitch down!

3. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the loyal, comedic sidekick?

Probably my lovely Kazzy Kaz Kaz! Or my beautiful sister Sammi! Both of them provide me with hours of fun and frolics, and I wouldn’t be without them!

4. In the fairy tale of your life, what comes right after “Once upon a time…?”

There was a girl who lived with a lovely boy and they bumbled along making each other laugh…

5. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the fairy godmother?

My gran. The true matriarch in our family. We miss her every day.

So, today (this was actually written on thursday!) is definately what you would class as a good day! In order of good things (I’ll detail them in a sec):

1) great phonecall!
2) good appraisal
3) good meeting
4) decent driving lesson

These are the specifics of my good day! The best one though was number 1. Ladies and gentlemen, I have been asked to give a presentation, to a whole bunch of social media people from various companies, talking about my job and the things I’ve achieved! I’m going to be presenting to around 60 people. The thing is, I know it’s not as crazy exciting as I’m making it out to be, but this is a massive achievement for me. It will be the biggest ever audience I’ve presented too and I’ve been asked because I’m bloody good at my job. I’ve been popping with excitement all day. I feel so damned proud of myself!

The others are less earth shattering for me. But all in all I think today’s been great. My boss is pleased with my work and I’m doing good things. I met with a supplier I’ve been talking with for months and I think we had a good meeting and then driving tonight I really feel like I’m making progress!

So anyway, enough gushing! I have shopping to order, tv to watch and chocolate to nibble.

So, do I start again? From scratch? Or just reset the clock? I’m thinking of resetting the clock… Much of what I want to achieve will remain the same, I guess I’ve pretty much already decided really haven’t I? I think I’ll go back, review my list and see where I go from there.

My bus is quite friendly. Some of the drivers are grumpy sods, but as a general rule the people who get on are quite lovely.

I know I should walk to and from work, but to be honest, I’m too bloody lazy!! It takes just as long, whether I walk or get on the bus. I know that I won’t drive in when I’ve learned, but will I stop bussing? I dunno. The thing is, I also quite enjoy walking, once I get going, it’s just the getting going is a problem!!

This rambling missive was bought to you by the number 9 bus!