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A AYLSHAM Index
 
 
ANCHOR ANGEL INN AYLSHAM MOTEL
BLACK BOYS HOTEL BREWERY INN BUCK
BULL INN BUTCHERS ARMS COFFEE TAVERN
CROSS KEYS DOG HOTEL FEATHERS
FOX GOAT GREENS
GRIFFIN HALF MOON KINGS HEAD
MANOR NEW FORGE NEW INN
PORTERS ARMS PRINCE OF WALES RED LION HOTEL
RIBBONS RIBS OF BEEF ROYAL OAK
SHIP INN STAR STONE MASONS ARMS
SWAN UNICORN WATERMANS ARMS
WHITE HART WHITE HORSE ~
UNLOCATED NORTH NORFOLK SUPPLY STORES
 

 

On Wednesday 16th January 1850, the church bells were rung throughout the day and at night, because for the first time, the streets were illuminated by gas lights. A brilliant gas-light star shone resplendently in front of the Black Boys and illuminated the Market Place. Country people came in crowds to see Mr. Coe's display of fireworks and numbers of people paraded the streets, as if pleased with the "new light" shining around them. Festivities and dancing were the order of the night in every inn and public house.
~
The "Aylsham Derby" took place on Tuesday 1st June 1869.
The course being from the Dog Inn to the Cemetery and round the town in several directions.
There were running matches for boys and donkey races.
The principle attraction was the bicycle race by some Marsham men, who rode machines of their own make.
Prizes of cups, bridles, spurs and money were given to the several winners.
There were a great many spectators who seemed greatly pleased with the sports.
The cost was raised by subscription.
The amusements on the Butt Lands in the afternoon, were largely patronised, the steam horses, roundabouts and stalls being a source of never-failing attraction.
The Dog, Star and Unicorn greens were open to the public and on the former, the Rifle Band discoursed some very capital music.
  ~  

On Tuesday, 19th December 1916 Charlotte Elizabeth Clarke and her husband William Clark, hairdresser's assistant, were charged with supplying intoxicants to wounded soldiers. This was prohibited under the Defence of the Realm Act, 1914.
On the 4th of December four men had given Mrs. Clarke money to buy them some beer. She had obtained two dozen bottles and returned to her house where the men were waiting, but they ran away when the policeman arrived. The events had been observed by Superintendent of Police, Francis Southgate.
The following day the Superintendent cautioned Mrs. Clarke and disclosed that he had discovered that she had also obtained three bottles of whisky; She said -
"Three soldiers had one bottle at the dinner hour and the four men observed by the police had taken the other two bottles with them".

The Bench thanked Superintendent Southgate for his smartness, and Mr. and Mrs. Clarke were each sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labour.

~

  Memories collected by Chris Holderness of Rig-a-Jig-Jig for the East Anglian Traditional Musical Trust.
The CH numbers refer to Chris's Archive on eatmt.org.
 
 


John Wright, 2006 (CH B1-3-24a)

JW: 'You see, that'd be the [Aylsham] King's Head or the Black Boys, or The [Red]Lion, or Tuttington Ship, or Gresham Chequers, or, I mean you'd got that many pubs to pick from, you could go to a different pub every night, nearly every day of the year. You know you didn't have to go that many miles. I mean there was ten or eleven in Aylsham, weren't there? I mean, what is there now? Two? The Unicorn and the Black Boys. There was the Dog, the Lion, the Ship, the Anchor, New Inn.
RJJ: Which one was the music pub?
JW: Well, to be fair, they all had music then. Y'know, I mean I been in the old [Aylsham] Dog plenty of time on a Monday, when father was up there for the Sale; get in there and that'd be full. There'd be some old boy up the corner having a squeeze, or an old dulcimer, or something like that. They'd always have a little bit of music, sort of keep the momentum, if you like.'