Will, I've just been looking at some photos of the inside of the Royal Oak at Wineham. It's gorgeous isn't it? It reminds me very much of the Earle Arms at Heydon (village quite near us) Sadly, they've started to get a bit 'foodie', and have put more and more dining tables around the place. It's more like a restaurant now than a pub. Years ago, it was frequented by 'men of the land', and the beer was out of barrels on a trestle with a spigot (no pump) The huge log fire was lit, and the decor was unchanged from over a hundred years ago. Old 'kitchen chairs' painted Georgian green. Broad Norfolk accents and singing the old songs. Wonderful.

Same thing has happened to the 'Ratcatchers' and the 'Saracen's Head'. I suppose it's the only way they can make a profit nowadays. I used to follow Kemp's Men (Norwich Morris side) around during the summer and got to know many olde worlde pubs.

Doing that, one got the countryside, Morris dancing, folk singing, lovely old pub and Adnam's ale. I used to think 'heaven must be like this!'