Magdalen Street - Norwich's very own Brick Lane?

I love Magdalen Street, and have done ever since I moved to Norwich thirty years ago. I was living in Lowestoft during the time of the 1970's re-develoment that created Anglia Square and the notorious flyover, so cannot recall the old Stump Cross junction where Magdalen Street and Botolph Street once merged, apexed by a branch of Barclays Bank with the famous Frank price department store behind. What I do remember when moving to Norwich in 1982 as a qualified pharamacist was discovering that Anglia Square housed one of the city's two Sainsbury supermarkets, the other being in St Stephens Street. As car parking was so much easier and cheaper, we soon made Anglia Square the destination for our regular grocery shop.

Back then it was a bustling cosmopolitan shopping centre with modern stores, including Bejam (remember them?) and a thriving customer base of office workers from the HMSO, as well as local residents. An interesting selection of independent businesses snaked up both Magdalen and St Augustines Streets, and in the opposite direction the cathedral and pubs and bars of Tombland were only a short walk across the river. I remember choosing both a dinner service and a canteen of cutlery from Loose's store,

It brought back memories of teenage drinking pilgrimages to The Golden Star at the end of Colegate. In the late 70's it was one of the only pubs we knew in Norwich that served real ale - an oasis in a desert of Norwich Brewery controlled establishments. Walking from the city centre bus station, we would find our way to the market, along London Street and down Elm Hill aiming towards the Maid Marion Hotel, then taking a left at the Army recruiting office. Our sense of direction was not good, and finding our way back always seemed to lead us across the river via Duke Street and through the Lanes. On more than one occasion we lost one of our number as they disappeared into the maze of side streets and market stalls to relieve a bursting bladder never to return. There were no mobile phones to assist re-grouping in those days.

The opening of new supermarkets around the city perimeter with free parking forever altered our shopping habits, and with the closure of HMSO it was not long before the Sainsbury at Anglia Square closed, and the doom merchants were claiming that Magdalen Street, having survived the flyover, was now set to die a slow painful death. Fortunately, that did not happen.

Today, even though the empty HMSO offices still dominate the skyscape, and the multi storey car park has closed, awaiting demolition, the shop units in Anglia Square are all occupied, and mostly by national chains. Complementing these, Magdalen Street has a thriving eclectic mix of private businesses, charity and vintage shops, as well as a doctor's surgery, music venue and several pubs. Local family firm Roy's took over what used to be the indoor market, and the stores that used to be Loose's and the Norwich Camping & Leisure Centre have become flea markets and collectors' centres. What comes around goes around. The blend of cultures and the ethnic food stores and restaurants certainly maintain a tradition dating back to the arrival of the Strangers in the 16th century, but it is my eye for a bargain that now draws me back to Magdalen Street, thirty years after those first Sainsbury shopping excursions.

These days I start my visit with a trawl through my favourite charity shops for secondhand CD's and DVD's - Barnado's, Sense, RSPCA, and Oxfam. Discount retailers Poundland and 99p Stores are always a must, and if time permits, a browse in Roy's, Poundstretcher, Savers, and QD completes the experience. A Sunday will often find me stopping for a drink in The Plasterers or The Blueberry in Cowgate, especially if live music is playing, or an evening will find me at a gig upstairs at Epic Studios.

Whilst the re-development of Anglia Square is arguably long-overdue, it would be a shame if the removal of the brutalist 1960's architecture is achieved at the expense of the larger retail units currently occupied by the discount retailers. The area is still home to a lot of people who rarely visit the city centre, and are reliant on public transport. To replace that variety of shops with just one massive supermarket would be a travesty. The whole reason why the independent stores in Magdalen Street have not only survived but thrived is that they complement the multiples without being dominated by them. This creates that unique shopping experience that has prompted the Brick Lane comparisons. Although one likes to see any area prosper and move 'up-market', attracting young couples and families along the way, it would be tragic to see the area 'trendify' and fill with expensive boutiques and wine bars.

In the meantime, I would encourage you to take a look at 'This Is The Place', a photographic portrait of Magdalen Street traders by Katherine Mager. Currently on show at The Forum in Norwich until August 21st, or available to view online at http://thisistheplacestuff.tumblr.com/ , these pictures are an absolute delight, as they capture the many faces and facets of the independent traders that make up the Magdalen Street area. There are also some beautifully composed and lit shots that highlight the eclectic range of merchandise on offer at some of these speciality stores.

Admittedly Katherine has allowed her artistic licence to extend the catchment area to extend North beyond the Artichoke pub as far as Sharp Cuts in Magdalen Road, and South to Philips Cameras in Wensum Street, but this is nit-picking on my part. She has (either deliberately, or perhaps because of restrictions imposed by company policies of national chains?) chosen to leave out 'team member' portraits from some of the corporate traders, even though their staff, too, often supplement the ethnic diversity of the area, and form an integral part of the local scene. Whilst the focus of the project is certainly on the independent businesses, as a pharmacist who has spent time working for national chains, I would like to think that I and my staff were still a legitimate part of the local community, even if the profits of our labour disappeared elsewhere. However, what we can see is a cross-section of the character and diversity of those who work in, and are a part of, the Magdalen Street scene. And, as someone who already recognises many of the faces it is lovely to now be able to put a name to some of them. There are also some beautifully composed and lit shots that reflect the eclectic range of merchandise on offer at some of the speciality stores.

Another opportunity to celebrate all that is Magdalen Street comes in the Autumn with the sixth annual 'Magdalen Street Celebration' on October 10th a community-led extravaganza that claims to be the city's liveliest street fair. Taking full advantage of local musicians, dancers and performers, and using spaces along the length of the street (including the cavernous 'under-flyover' stage), as well as the businesses themselves, this is a chance to really get behind and get involved with this unique business area. For further details check out http://magdalenstreet.weebly.com/ . You can even volunteer if you want!

Together, let's keep Magdalen Street special!

Water Slides, Giant Inflatables and Fireworks - It's the Norwich Lord Mayor's Celebrations

Although the Lord Mayor celebrations were only revived relatively recently, in 1976, they have been an important part of the Norwich summer ever since I moved back after university. Unfortunately, being a pharmacist meant that most years I would be working on the Saturday, and therefore unable to come into the city in time to catch the procession, and we usually then did not make the effort to come in for the evening fireworks either. In fact, I cannot remember ever bringing my children in to join in with the festivities. What a lousy parent!

Having now given up full-time working I am in the enviable position of being able to fully enjoy every aspect of the Lord Mayor's Celebration, and this year, with the weather being so fine, I was parked up by lunchtime and exploring what was on offer. Inevitably, in order to lay on a full programme of events there are bound to be a lot of road closures and suspension of parking bays in the city centre, and motor cyclists are affected just as much as ordinary motorists. Both of my usual motorcycle parking areas close to City Hall were out of action, but the bays by Castle Mall were still open so that's where I left my trusty Piaggio for the day. From here it is just a quick cut through and down Timber Hill to Orford Place and Rampant Horse Street where one of this year's new attractions, the giant water slide, had been installed.

Operated by Cancer Research UK, this was the first time the water slide had been installed in a city centre. For a £10 donation you were able to ride the slide twice upon an inflatable ring from a point almost level with the Chantry car park right the way down as far as Marks and Spencer. There were no changing facilities, so careful choice of clothing was required, although at least a scorching sunny day meant that you dried off really quickly.

Although it seems churlish to offer criticism of an attraction designed to be a fun way of raising funds for a worthy cause, it is fair to say that the ride would have benefited from a bit more water. Although the pumps were working flat out there were parts of the slide that remained dry - the water tended to run towards the sides of the three lanes leaving the central portions exposed to slow down, or even stop, the inflatables on their downward journey. It is also true that the water, although clear and fresh at the beginning of the day, was looking a bit murky by early evening. Still, those using it, and those looking on, seemed to all agree that it was something a bit different.

Which is more can be said for the giant inflatable octopus draped across the Guildhall. It's re-appearance is a bit like getting the Christmas decorations out of the loft in November, and deciding that we will use the old ones after all. It is not even as though their is any obvious connection between Norwich and the cephalopod molluscs, unless you think of all those main roads radiating out of the city as being somehow tentacular. Also putting in a familiar return was the flaming arch on Chapelfield Gardens, although Fred Flintstone, the giant figure outside City Hall (Gulliver?) and the inflatable dog (Gromit?) contributed further this year to the random nature of the decorations. Did someone in the council purchasing department purchase a job lot of these inflatables a few years back? Are we to expect to see them re-emerge next June, and the June after that...? Are there even more of them lurking in the basement of the municipal stores awaiting to be used, and if so, do any of them have any connection with each other, or even any significance to Norwich?

  As well as the usual street closures, visitors to the city centre over the weekend also found that the Chantry Road car park had been taken over by local good-time promoters BoNanafana, and a group of Graffiti Jam artists were preparing a series of panels for the St Stephens underpass. The smell of spray paint was quite intoxicating, but the results were impressive. Although the heat of the day meant that the temptation to stop and dance may have been tempered by the scorching sunshine, coupled with the absence of any accompanying bar or catering facilities, it was good to hear yet another source of music adding atmosphere to the day. I also caught a show by the two members of Team Power Stilt springing their way across the car park dressed as giant basketball players. Later in the evening a performance by The Shooting Stars would have appealed to anyone in the mood for a bit of Rockabilly Western-style Rock'n'Roll.

A makeshift stage at the bottom of London Street was created by comandeering the popular busking spot close to the old entrance of Habitat. During the day a succession of world music acts performed under the umbrella of 'Going Global', and later in the evening Norwich Arts Centre rolled out their grand piano and invited a succession of local musicians to entertain us with a tune. It was a feast of colour and rhythm during the day, and a gentle delight to hear the tinkling of the ivories in the evening, but such a shame that the performers had to appear in front of the giant board proclaming the imminent arrival of an 'all-you-can-eat-buffet-style' restaurant. Surely this could have been masked over for one day, or an alternative vista found?

The funfair rides in Chapelfield Gardens offered plenty of white-knuckle ways to pay good money to feel like throwing up, or a chance reminisce up on the gloriously traditional merry-go-round. Busy queues at the food and ice-cream stalls never seemed to shorten quite enough to tempt an indecisive punter like me, even though those over the age of eighteen could pass through the flaming arch and enjoy a pint of Woodfords from the beer tent, unconvincingly themed as The Flintstone Bar. I churlishly settled in the end for a £1 goody bag from one of the EDP sellers, which provided me with something to read, something to eat, and a bottle of water.

Outside the Forum the main stage was playing host to a variety of entertainment, and at times it was difficult to find a spot to stand, let alone sit, and watch. This is exactly what the organisers were hoping for and, with glorious weather lending a hand, everyone was clearly enjoying either being a participant or spectator. I watched the Rock Choir, Gandini jugglers, and a selection of young dance acts, and the mix of local and national talent gave a lovely balanced feel to the day. Coupled with a compere, and a video link to the big screen, the whole programme seemed to run extremely professionally and almost produce a 'festival' feel. Top marks.

Simply walking around the city led to more acts and surprises. In Gentlemans Walk a stage had been erected in front of the old HMV store, with about a dozen tall poles and a variety of foliage. We later watched as a couple of young acrobatic dancers performed an interpretation of Kate Bush's 'Red Shoes', which was a s mesmerising as the music itself. Later, several street theatre groups mingled with the crowds to provide pop-up performances, and even the Gandini jugglers returned to entertain with another dazzling display of precision and synchrony.

The highlight of any carnival is traditionally the carnival procession, and whilst Norwich does not have anything as politically incorrect as a 'Carnival Queen' we do have a gender unspecific 'Lord Mayor', who is elected in June and is celebrated with a procession through the city streets as the shops close for business at the end of the Saturday afternoon. Starting in Newmarket Road, the floats make their way down St Stephens Street, passing Debenhams and The Bell Hotel before circumnavigating Castle Meadow and ending up in Tombland. Picking a good spot to watch is key, and many people start to arrive, complete with folding chairs, several hours before the procession is due to start. I settle for a place on the slopes of Timber Hill, adjacent to the Bell, and know that it must be a good place when the Mustard TV crew arrive and set up their cameras directly in front of where I am standing.

After the extremely fit and dedicated runners participating in the Lord Mayor's 5km road race had done their thing, which explained why we had been unable to cross the road even at the designated 'crossing points' from just after half past four,  the tension mounted as we awaited the arrival of the procession. We heard the unmistakable sound of the bagpipes even before we saw them, but sure enough it was the pipes and drums of the City of Norwich Pipe Band that first came into view, and stopped just by us. It must be thirsty work, and one of the pipe players must have been celebrating his 70th birthday, judging by the helium balloon attached to his pipes. After a rousing chorus of 'Happy Birthday' he was presented with a pint from the crowd, which he willingly emptied.

After the pipers came the town crier, our traditional Whifflers and Snap Dragon, followed by the civic dignitaries including our new Lord Mayor, Brenda Arthur, and then it was the variety of dancers, floats and local clubs and organisations that make up the annual procession. Thanks to a campaign by our own local Eastern Evening News the number of floats had been boosted a recent high of 70, and included a complete cross-section of Norwich life, businesses, and clubs and societies. Many clubs had acquired the use of trailers pulled by HGV cabs - the sight of a convoy of lorries with so many people on the trailers had a surreal topicality after all the recent television pictures of the M20 in Kent, and the approaches to the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais.

Congratulations to the winning floats, but a special mention to local company InTouch Systems for their magnificent pirate ship. Correctly placed right at the rear of the procession to create maximum impact, this float has now become an annual favourite, and really lays down the gauntlet (or cutlass) for other local companies to get behind the Lord Mayor's Celebrations. If InTouch can come up with something that spectacular just think what our larger local businesses could contribute if they had the will.

As the crowds dispersed at the end of the procession and the streets filled with the hordes in search of refreshment the pubs did a roaring trade, as did the food stalls on Theatre Street. One of my favourites, the Bite The Bullitt mobile BBQ, had completely sold out by the time we arrived. Even Tesco Metro on Guildhall Hill was doing a roaring trade in take away sandwiches and wraps. The demand for beer had left even The Garnet struggling to meet demand, they could not chill down the white wine quickly enough, and had run out of ice. By contrast, The Murderers on Timber Hill served us up with a chilled Chenin Blanc and a refreshingly cold pint of Peroni without any delay.

There still seems to be some confusion about public consumption of alcohol on the streets of Norwich. The majority of Norwich city centre is covered by a Designated Public Place Order, which gives police the power to confiscate alcohol from anyone behaving in an anti-social manner, or from persons under eighteen years of age. Alcohol purchased from pubs and clubs most probably has to be consumed on those premises under the terms of their license, but alcohol purchased from 'off-licenses' and supermarkets can, in theory, be consumed in public if you are over eighteen so long as you are not behaving in an anti-social manner. What constitutes 'anti-social' has to be argued on the spot with a police officer or a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). Not a particularly satisfactory arrangement, especially on a gloriously hot Saturday evening when many law-abiding citizens would like the freedom to drink responsibly without having to endure the long queues and pay the high prices at some of our licensed premises. Rant over!

So it was, then, that we ended our day watching the firework display from the top of Timber Hill, a fantastic burst of colour and noise to end a marvellous day in this fine city. Crowds thronging, drinking in the streets, dancing and music, and everyone enthused about the summer vibe. If only we could get the same thing going throughout the rest of the year, and if only we could have that weather all through the summer.

Congratulations to Norwich City Council, and the people of Norwich. You done good, boy.

'Head Out, Not Home' - Bringing Covent Garden to Norwich?

This Thursday evening will see the third in the series of 'Head Out Not Home' events organised jointly by the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) and Norwich & Norfolk Community Arts (NORCA). Designed to tempt city workers to linger a while after work, perhaps enjoy a drink or something to eat at one of the city's bars or restaurants, the 'Head Out Not Home' campaign is focusing on the Thursday evenings between June 25th to August 27th. Although I am not one of those who works in our 'Fine City', I made the effort to come in for the first two of these evenings just to see how successful they are turning out to be.

This is the second year that 'Head Out Not Home' has attempted to sustain the city centre footfall beyond the 5.00pm drop-off as the shoppers and workers largely drift off homewards, abandoning the area around Market Square to the pigeons and the Big Issue sellers. Only later will the numbers begin to swell again as the cinemas and theatre audiences return, possibly grabbing something to eat first at somewhere quick like Wagamama or Pizza Express. Family diners are more likely to drive outwards to visit Pizza Hut or Macdonalds somewhere on the circuit of retail parks that now surround the city.

 The late opening of the Norwich bars and clubs mean that youngsters now come out much later - it is not unusual for friends to now not meet even for pre-drinks at someone's house much before 10pm, and when they do go out it will be Prince of Wales Road or Riverside that takes their cash. So how exactly can Norwich city centre expect to acquire a regular evening 'buzz'?

Thursday was chosen as the day most likely to stimulate interest - many of the larger stores and the two shopping malls traditionally remain open later on a Thursday, and indeed in the lead up to Christmas the streets can seem as busy, if not busier than a Saturday afternoon. In the Summer, though, even the big department stores seem quiet.

On the first Thursday of this year's campaign I arrived in the city centre at about 5:00pm, just as the outward traffic jams were approaching their peak. I had done my homework, so knew exactly where to head to see the planned entertainment. I also knew that several of the local car parks have cheap deals in the evening. For example, Chapelfield is flat rate £2 after 3:00pm, The Forum is £1.80 after 5:30pm, and on a Thursday night John Lewis is completely free after 5:00pm. The weather was warm and sunny, and I was optimistically looking forward to catching some summer atmosphere.

Betty Brawn on Timber Hill

The line-up for June 25th was advertised as indie band 'Thieving Icons', performing on St Gregory's Green (adjacent The Birdcage and the Grosvenor Fish Bar), Covent Garden favourite Betty Brawn appearing on Timber Hill, Cuban rhythms on Gentleman's Walk from singer Kandela Mi Son and the Chilli Con Salsa dancers, and 'local' Gambian musician Sefo Kanuteh playing on Hay Hill.

Sefo Kanuteh on Hay Hill

First disappointment was finding that 'Thieving Icons' were a no-show. Their pitch had instead been poached by a local busker. Betty Brawn had her work cut out attracting a crowd on her pitch on the cobblestones of Timber Hill - not exactly the busiest thoroughfare at any time of day, and struggled to find volunteers to feature in her act without depleting her audience even further.

 Sefo Kanuteh was performing to a small scattered audience on Hay Hill, close to where the local soup kitchen later provides hot food to the city's homeless. One shirtless young man, obviously under the influence of something much stronger than Calpol, was swaying rhythmically whilst oblivious to the fact that his tracky bottoms had slipped down exposing much of his buttcrack.

Kandela Mi Son on Gentlemans Walk 

Kandela Mi Son sounded wonderful on Gentleman's Walk, and the dancers led the way for several passers-by to be tempted to join in. In between sets, though, there was nothing of interest going on to stem the exodus and, more worryingly, no blackboard to announce the start of the next set. For all we knew the show could have been over for the evening.

The Vagaband on Gentlemans Walk

Last Thursday, unfortunately, was not much better, even though we had enjoyed an absolute scorcher of a day, and the temperature was still up in the high twenties. Local favourites 'The Vagaband' were doing a sterling job under the shade of the gazebo in Gentleman's Walk, and guitar duo 'Café Warriors' were doing their best on Hay Hill. Kilted knife juggler and Rubik Cube solver (I joke not) Pete Dobbing was suffering the same fate as last week's Betty Brawn underneath the trees on Timber Hill, and seemed almost embarrassed by the absence of an audience. After performing at Covent Garden Market, Norfolk must seem a little quiet by comparison.

Pete Dobbing on Timber Hill

The most successful pitch seemed to be the spoken word Open Mike event on St Gregory's Green hosted by Cat Woodward and Shey Hargreaves from Norwich's Writers' Centre. Whether it was the quality of the poetry, the chance to sit on the grass with a portion of cod and chips, or simply sup at a cold drink, but this was the closest thing I had yet seen to a Norwich evening 'vibe'. Well done.

The Spoken Word Open Mike at St Gregorys

So we have more of these evenings to come, all paid for through the 1% levy on the rateable value of local businesses levied by the City Council on behalf of Norwich BID. So what do we think of it so far?

I certainly do not want to appear negative, and support the whole principle of  'Head Out Not Home' wholeheartedly. Anything that can help create an evening atmosphere close to what we have come to expect elsewhere in our European cities has to be welcomed. But there are one or two observations and comparisons that have to be drawn.

1) The Name - 'Head Out Not Home'. I am sorry, but I have really struggled to get my head round this one. I have been writing it and researching it for over two weeks, yet I still end up calling it 'Don't Go Home, Stay Out' or something else that is close, but earns no cigar. Whatever was wrong with 'Norwich Evenings', or a name that would draw people in, not simply attempt to stop them leaving? Whilst I would not necessarily advocate anything as edgy as Robbie Powell's 'Dirty StopOuts' evenings (which are not at all dirty, but actually very good!), it needs to be more snappy.

1) The British Weather - One reason why we never plan in advance to eat or drink 'al fresco' in this country is the unreliable nature of our weather. Last year it was too cold or wet to linger on many evenings, so going home seemed like the sensible option. This year we have been so much luckier. In order to provide shelter to performers and equipment 'Head Out Not Home' provides white gazebos at each pitch. When the weather is favourable, it would be nice to see the artistes emerge from under the gazebos and perform in the evening sunshine. Whilst the St Gregory's Green gazebo had the beautiful backdrop of the church, the 'Cafe Warriors' had to perform with  a rusty white Renault van parked up immediately behind them on Hay Hill. Temporary stages are probably out of the question, but the gazebos should be positioned more carefully if they are to be used as performance spaces.

Café Warriors in front of that white van on Hay Hill

2) Location - Many European cities are lucky enough to have central squares or plaza surrounded by bars and restaurants. In order to create an atmosphere conducive to stopping and watching street entertainers we need to feel comfortable and relaxed. Whilst St Gregory's has its own intimate atmosphere that appears to work well, Timber Hill conversely has little going for it. Hay Hill is little better, and whilst Gentlemans Walk has the greatest potential there is little in the way of ambience once the market shuts. The best pitches are probably outside the scope of 'Head Out Not Home', or not under the control of the City Council, but one would have thought that The Forum, or Millenium Plain outside of Chapelfield, would lend themselves better to this type of entertainment - bars and restaurants, and plenty of space for a casual audience too. And what about a limited local relaxation of the by-laws banning public consumption of alcohol? I would have loved to have sat with a bottle of wine enjoying the recent live feed of Don Giovanni, but three bum-numbing hours on the steps of The Forum without a discrete slurp of Pino Grigio was too much to contemplate. Presumably 'Head Out Not Home' is currently deemed an alcohol-free zone, too? (although several performers seemed to have cans on the go).

3) Information - Yes, I did clock the volunteer stewards at each pitch, but what was badly missing was a timetable of events or shows at each pitch. If you happen to wander past in between performances you have no way of knowing whether you have arrived too early for the start, or too late for the finish. Not everybody previously researches their Thursday visits as carefully as I did. I know from volunteering at events organised by Norfolk & Norwich Festival that attendances are heavily influenced by distribution of leaflets, and carefully worded posters. The current display of Go-Go Dragons has captured the public imagination because they know exactly where to find each dragon.

The feedback that came overwhelmingly from last weekend's Lord Mayor's Celebrations was that we all loved the atmosphere of those three activity-packed days and evenings in the Summer sunshine. Whilst nobody expects the centre of the city to be like that every evening, it does show that folk will come out in large numbers, and want to see the city centre buzzing.

Thank you Norwich. We do appreciate it, and really do want it to work. I know that this is not the Mediterranean, or Paris, but there are a lot of us that cannot afford to eat out every night or go to the theatre. This initiative should not just be about making the corporate tills ring, or attracting tourists, but about creating a vibrant streetlife for us because, without the Norwich residents coming out in force you cannot create a fake vibrancy for all the tea in China (or beer in Southwold).

Keep up to date with the rest of the 'Head Out Not Home' Thursday evening programme at http://www.norwichbid.co.uk/the-norwich-experience/early-evening-events/summer-events-schedule/
or by checking out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/norwichevenings?fref=ts

Hope to see you all there one evening!

451 Degrees Fahrenheit , and I'm a Firestarter (well, a Bookburner actually)

451 Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper ignites. Allegedly. It is also the title of a Ray Bradbury novel, published in 1953 amidst the height of Cold War paranoia and McCarthyism, when pro-Communists and pro-Communist literature were sought out in the United States and dealt with - many lost jobs in government positions, many in the creative arts were 'outed' as Communist sympathisers, and the idea of 'book burning' arose out of the seizure and censure of pro-Communist literature.

Now, in 2015, Periplum, the visual theatre company founded in Brighton in 1999, has designed a spectacular outdoor show based on Ray Bradbury's book and, after performances in Newbury and at the Brighton Festival, has taken over the development site by St James' Mill in Norwich in order to perform '451' as the free outdoor finale to thisd year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

It is Thursday afternoon, and along with thirteen other festival volunteers I have arrived at the site expecting to be briefed on stewarding the following evening's performance. The shift is scheduled to last from 5.30pm to 10.30pm, and is described on the volunteer rota as a 'rehearsal'. We assume that we are here to watch the rehearsal, and to learn how and where we are to be placed in order to assist and guide the audience. The site can hold up to 3500 people, and as this is a performance that occurs within and around the audience, using 360 degree sound effects, lights and pyrotechnics, health and safety is obviously going to be a paramount concern.

Some of the volunteers have received an e-mail suggesting that they wear dark-coloured clothing and sensible shoes. I have turned up in my blue festival t-shirt. Only when we are greeted by stage manager Danielle with, "Are you the volunteer performers?" does the penny drop. We are not just here to steward. We are going to be a part of the show!

We are to play the part of firemen, or 'book-burners' as they are in the storyline. We seek out, seize and set fire to all books, which have been banned completely in Bradbury's dystopian society in which '451 Fahrenheit' is set. In reality, we are really there to aid and assist in allowing the performers to move around the site safely during the performance without setting fire to, or running into, any members of the public. However, because of the layout of the action, which moves between three main locations throughout the show, we need to be dressed in black coats and balaclavas, get into character, and be rehearsed in moving with the action as the show progresses. We also get to use whistles to move the crowds back, and some of us get to actually detonate the pyrotechnics.

Danielle walks us through the script, explains the plot, and directs us through our movements and roles. By 9.45pm we need to be good enough to take part in a full dress rehearsal, with members of the press present to preview the show and take photographs. Some of us are more confident than others - some of the younger volunteers are drama students from the UEA, but some of us are considerably older. Not only do we take longer to learn the choreographed movements, but we find it more difficult to perform moves like holding a kneeling position on hard concrete for what seems like hours, but is actually only about five minutes.

We are taken up to the dressing room, which is actually a floor of the office block in St James Court directly above Barclays Bank. As we emerge, fourteen of us dressed in black with balaclavas, we hope and pray that we are not stumbled upon by a pair of passing PCSO's. After the recent Hatton Garden heist I'm not sure what they might think we are up to.

The dress rehearsal seems to go off OK, although there are are a couple of moments where we exchange worried glances with each other, and try and remember what the cue is for our next move.

Friday afternoon comes around. I have just got back from picking up a couple of Irish musicians from Stansted Airport who are performing in Norwich Cathedral tonight, got home, had a cup of coffee and now arrived back at the St James site. There is time for just a couple more run-throughs for the volunteer book-burners in order to refresh and remind what we are doing. After a meal served at the company's red double-decker bus, we get changed and get ready for showtime.

We have been asked to hand out, in character, burnt pages from 'banned books' as the audience arrive with instructions for them to keep the text safe and hidden, and to remind them that they are being watched. All part of the fun, and helping to build a sense of tension and subterfuge. The site is filling up, and audience are still streaming in as we line up ready for the start. This time it's for real!

The next forty minutes fly past. The audience gasp as the book tower goes up in flames, scatter as the giant wheeled turntables are escorted by the whistling book-burners around the site, and gaze in wonder as the character of Montag spins on the trapeze. At the show's finale the pyrotechnics are detonated, and then we can remove our balaclavas. We join the cast in exiting the site whilst reciting text from the 'banned' books, and the audience are left to reflect on the spectacle that they have just witnessed.

I am sure I speak for all the volunteers when i say how much we have enjoyed our involvement with the production. In the space of just over 48 hours we have gone from arriving for a stewarding shift rehearsal to having actually taken part in the show. The adrenaline and the buzz from us all is palpable, and we all want to do it all over again!

Thank you so much to the whole company from Periplum for making us feel so welcome as a part of the show, and especially to Danielle, and to artistic directors Claire and Damian (and, yes, I did eventually get my jacket back off Damian!), and to all the performers and crew including Milo, Florencia, and Will for all their support and encouragement. Please can we do it again soon!

Photo credit from www.edp24.co.uk

Find out more about Periplum, past and future shows at their website http://www.periplum.co.uk/content/home/ , or 'like' them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Periplum/26693955851?fref=ts

White Lines, Smoking Men, and Green and Yellow Shirts - The Chapelfield Garden Party with Norfolk & Norwich Festival

If there is one event within the programme of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival that is really dependent on the weather, it is the Garden Party in Chapelfield Gardens. Now before the shivering maids, and anyone else who has had their crow's feet frozen off over at Felbrigg theses last few weeks, have a go at me, from an audience perspective a little bit of rain and wind considerably adds to the elemental authenticity and power of WildWorks' 'Wolf's Child'. However, nobody enjoys standing around watching jugglers with wet balls in a downpour.

Last year's weekend event was held in glorious sunshine, and although I spent much of it inside the Norwich Puppet Theatre, constructing dinosaurs out of scrunched up newspaper and lolly sticks, my enduring memory is of enjoying a leisurely pint of Adnams from the Spiegeltent bar, lying on the lawns in the sunshine with some fellow volunteers at the end of our shift.

This year, whilst it may not be a heatwave, the forecast is looking good, and a mixture of blue sky and fluffy white clouds greets me as I turn up for my Saturday shift. Originally I would have been scheduled to work right through to the close at 5.30pm, performing a range of duties including the completion of Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires (CSQ's), and some Festival fundraising. As it turns out, I will now only be approaching visitors to get some important feedback on audience demographics, and reaction (good and bad) to the day's events. Which is an excellent excuse to approach anyone listening a radio, or checking their mobile telephone, and get a score update from Carrow Road. For today is the second leg of the Old Firm soccer match between local rivals Norwich City and Ipswich Town. The winner progresses to a Wembley final, and a chance to play in next season's Premier League.

Over the next two hours I manage to get a clipboard full of completed surveys, and still keep abreast of the football. Most people are quite happy to provide feedback, although as it is still only the beginning of the first day, it is possibly a little too early for them to have formed a representative opinion. Some are quite happy just to chat, and a few moments spent engaging with the public is always good PR. Only a very few treat me with the contempt normally reserved for a timeshare salesman, and a few that have already been asked several times already by other volunteers are beginning to show signs of their patience being tested.

Two advantages of a shift that finishes at 2.00pm are, a) I get a chance to enjoy the rest of the day, saved from having to point out the toilets every two minutes, and b) my son, who has driven up from Hampshire to watch the football, can join me for a pint of Adnams Ghost Ship in the Spiegeltent bar. Before he arrives, jubilent at a 3-1 victory for Norwich City, I get a chance to hear the wonderful House Gospel Choir perform from the bandstand, prior to their Spiegeltent gig later in the evening; I marvel at the choreographed juggling from the Gandinis; I am mesmerised by the strength and fluidity of Company Chameleon's street dancing; and I am bemused by Plungeboom's 'Smoking Man', a gentle ambulatory comedy performed by Ben Faulks (CBeebies' Mr Bloom).

Gospel House Choir

Gandini Juggling

Company Chameleon

'Smoking Man'

After that, it all goes a bit pear-shaped. We enjoy the Adnams hospitality until the bar ends its afternoon session, then adjourn to the nearby 'Sir Garnet' for a couple more before ordering a taxi home. Leaving the motorbike in the city seems like a sensible idea.

Day 2 - Sunday. The son and I are up like larks - he has to meet friends for lunch in Cambridge, and although I have until 11.00am to get myself back to Chapelfield Gardens for a full day of stewarding. I am dropped off back in the city centre just after 8.30am! Plenty of time for a stimulating cup of coffee to re-ignite the brain cells.

Kat and Lewis give us our volunteer shift briefing - just to check that we have not forgotten where the toilets are, and that we remember how to deal with a lost child, then we are assigned to our roles. Four of us are posted to the main performance pitch and bandstand area, where we will get to watch both performances by Gandini Juggling and Company Chameleon whilst at the same time attempting to keep the audiences behind the demarcated lines of white tape. We also have to protect the sound equipment on the bandstand from over-enthusiastic children, often encouraged onto it to dance by their parents.

The jugglers perform on dance mats, which have to be unrolled and swept before each performance - cue more inadequately supervised children whose parents seem to think that the dance mat arrives courtesy of Tumble Tots, whilst the street dancers, obviously, perform on the street. We still have to sweep the area thoroughly for them, in order to remove enough the smallest of potentially sharp stones. White tape is again used to attempt to keep the swept area clear before the performance, and, to be fair, most of the audience remain stalwartly behind it during the actual performances. In between, local folk band Feral Mouth arrive and perform a rousing set on the bandstand.

Feral Mouth's singer Jape

The weather remains bright and sunny, and the afternoon is a great success. There is one lost child (who is quickly reunited), one minor injury over by the café, and a couple of concerns over anti-social behaviour, but these are inevitable at any large-scale event, and the Festival organisers have plans in place to deal with all these eventualities, so that the audience experience is not in any way compromised.

There is just enough time for a quick pint at the end of our shift before dispersing. I am safe to reclaim my motorcycle, so head off home for a quick bite to eat, and a change of t-shirt, before heading back to Norwich Arts Centre for the Festival's Sunday Night Beat Club with local jazz band, Mammal Hands.

  

Caterpillars and Conductors - from The Castle Museum to St Andrews Hall with The Norfolk & Norwich Festival

Tonight I steward at the Philharmonia Orchestra concert at St Andrews Hall, the spiritual home of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Dating back to 1449, it forms a part of the most complete medieval surviving friary complex in England. Bought from the king by the City Corporation during the Reformation, it was used as a 'common hall'. Norwich's four day 'Grand Music Festival' of 1788 used St Andrews Hall for the evening performances, and the establishment of the Norfolk & Norwich Triennial in 1824 (the precursor of today's Norfolk & Norwich Festival) formed a partnership with St Andrews Hall that exists to this day.

A series of concerts at this year's festival celebrate the 19th century German composer, Felix Mendelsshohn, and along with the tonight's Philharmonia Orchestra performance, there have been concerts of the composer's chamber music at The Octagon Chapel, choral works at Norwich Cathedral, and culminating with a performance of Elijah, back at St Andrews Hall, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Festival Chorus. The soprano role in 'Elijah' was reported written for Jenny Lind, the Swedish singer whose name is associated with our own Jenny Lind Children's Hospital. Mendelssohn himself was once courted for the role of director of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

But before I present myself, suitably attired in volunteer t-shirt, at St Andrews Hall, I have time to visit the Castle Museum to check out the Artist Rooms exhibition of works by Jeff Koons, the American artist, and former New York commodities broker, renowned for his reproductions of banal objects.

'Puppy' by Jeff Koons outside the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

The first piece of Jeff Koons' work that I remember was the enormous topiary 'Puppy' outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Whilst Artist Rooms have not managed to have this 13 metre high living work of art dismantled and transported to Norwich, they have managed to secure a number of pieces which illustrate the different stages in his creativity, probably the most iconic of which is 'Winter Bears' (1988) from the acclaimed 'banality' series. To stand so close to this polychromed wooden masterpiece that, in photographs, looks simply like a piece of cheap kitsch pottery, is quite wonderful, a bit like seeing the 'Mona Lisa' for the first time.

'Winter Bears'

Other pieces include the gorgeous marble 'Bourgeois Bust - Jeff and Ilona' (1991), a self portrait incorporating his newly-wed wife at the time, Ilona Staller. Staller, an Italian pornography star of the time, was also immortalised musically by English band Pop Will Eat Itself in their 1990 dance hit 'Touched By The Hand of Cicciolina'.

'Bourgeois Bust'

The vitrines of basketballs  and Hoover vacuum cleaners from 'The New' series (1980-87) pre-dates Damien Hirst's tanking of ordinary objects as art by almost ten years, and manipulates familiar objects into an artistic setting, realising the artist's desire to capture and preserve the instant of perfection when everyday objects are first formed and released.

 

The coloured mirror animal heads from the 'Easyfun' series reflect not only the viewer, but also the surrounding exhibits, suggesting that neither should not take be taken too seriously, or even take themselves too seriously. Art is just another consumer product. The fun of 'Caterpillar with Chains' (2002), a heavy aluminium sculpture hung from the ceiling, is that it looks exactly like a weightless inflatable pool toy. The beauty and exquisite quality of the Murano glass pieces that together form 'Mound of Flowers' (1991), is balanced by the fact that, in a photograph, it looks exactly like a cheap piece of pottery.

'Mound of Flowers' with 'Easyfun' mirrors behind

'Caterpillar with Chains'

Koons may be controversial in challenging our perceptions of what constitutes art, but he cannot be ignored. This is the first chance to see his work publicly exhibited in Norwich, and really should not be missed. I took advantage of the Castle Museum's 'Pop in for £2' offer, which includes access to the temporary exhibitions for one hour at lunchtime, or for one hour before closing. I still had enough time to visit some of the works by artists from the Norwich School of Painters, just to remind myself what a traditional landscape artist also has to offer.

Back to St Andrews Hall, and the start of my shift has been brought forward by half an hour to 18.00hr. This is a big venue, and the seating plan can be slightly confusing so, as this is a sold-out performance, we have been brought in earlier to familiarise ourselves with the layout. After placing promotional material from Festival sponsors Abellio Greater Anglia onto the seats, we are given our roles for the evening. I am to be responsible for guiding ticket holders for the South Aisle to their seats, and for marshaling the audience away from the Steinway grand piano as it is moved during the interval. We are given reserved seating so, once everyone else is settled, we can take our places.

The programme starts with Mendelssohns' Overture 'The Hebrides' Op.26, before Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi joins the orchestra for the stunning Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor Op.5. After the interval, during which the piano is intriguingly removed by using a cantilevered ramp hidden beneath a section of the hall floor immediately adjacent to the stage, we re-take our seats for Wagner's 'Siegfried Idyll', and the concert finale, Mendelssohn's Symphony No.4 in A major Op. 90, 'Italian'.

This is my second concert of Mendelssohn works this week, and I have to admit that, despite the undoubted quality of the settings and the performers, I have not changed my personal appreciation of him as a composer. I have never really been a huge fan of the early Romantic composers. The 'Italian' symphony is a little too familiar and 'jolly' for my liking. The Schumann Piano Concerto, though, was absolutely beautiful, the conducting of Jérémie Rhorer, and the technique and concentration of pianist Francesco Piemontesi a pleasure to hear as well as watch, combining together to produce an inspired performance.

A final sweep around the venue to clear glasses and litter form the floor and the seats, and we are discharged. Another packed day as a volunteer for the Norfolk & Norwich Festival comes to an end as we head towards the weekend, and that orgy of free entertainment in Chapelfield Gardens that is 'The Garden Party'. Oh, and there is just the small matter of 'that' football match as well.

Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs until May 24th. For full programme and tickets go to http://www.nnfestival.org.uk/

The Jeff Koons exhibition runs at the Castle Museum until September 6th. For ticket details go to http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/Visit_Us/Norwich_Castle/index.htm