Wrights Court, Elm Hill, Norwich

I have a new book which is all about the yards and courts of Norwich. I have a lot of reading to do, but in essence these were slum type dwellings, housing lots of families in one place, with poor sanitation and little in the way of facilities, from medieval times through to 1920s. During the early 20th century, as times changed, governments recognised that things had to improve for the people living in the courts and yards (interchangeable terms for the same thing) and council estates were built, and families moved out.

I seem to have become particularly enchanted with Elm Hill - no surprise, I am sure most visitors to the city of Norwich are the same. When walking up last week I noticed a blue plaque outside Wrights Court, so today I returned. It says it is the only remaining court in Elm Hill and one of only a handful in a Norwich. There were between 600 & 700 yards and courts originally.

In Wrights Court there is a very small tea shop and 'Mr Milnes's Antiques & Curios'. I went in. It was one dark room, full of bizarre curios as the name suggests! A counter with lots of bells was tempting....I resisted. Then I spotted 'Mr Milne' in the back room, wrapped up with his collar pulled up high and a big hat - there wasn't any heating. He gave me a wave, and I smiled. I felt quite at home in this odd old curious place!

I took this photo looking back out to the street. My phone won't let me upload any extra photos, but google it. It is sooooo interesting. History was not a favoured subject at school. I got a C at o'level. But this city's history is going to take me a lifetime to discover...and I'm going to enjoy this belated history lesson.

Home for 6.00. I'm nursing a horrible sore throat. Not done much and now I'm going to bed.