Norwich Nights Books Pages: What we’re reading this month! The Ballad Of Fat Labrador - by Dave Holwill. It’s been a blissful ten years since George put down his bass, left the Artful Badgers and vowed never to play in public again. But when tragedy strikes his best friend he’ll do anything to help. Unfortunately that means going back out on the road, and this time he’s taking his daughter with him. Join George, Alice, Tim and a whole host of familiar faces as George is dragged back into a world to which he hoped he’d never have to return. “An absolute joy! Full of heart, soul and rock n roll” - Stephie Chapman Price: £7.99 Available online only from:
https://mybook.to/fatlabrador
Pleasure— by D.E Boyd. Sophie and Lorna. Two sides of
the same coin : bound developed through the dramatic adventures of tequila and party games. Kennedy is the rich boy heartbreaker. It's not a question of who ends up with who, but where the heart’s true desire lies. Pleasure, the first in the Kinship Trilogy tells the story of the trio with various twists and turns along the way. Prepare for funny, sexy and very current characters you will want to love, slap and laugh with.
Price £4.99
Available from: Amazon.co.uk
Book Pages Cont’d... Karma’s Slow Burn by Nalini Warriar. Sports writer Karma Deepika Huntington wants revenge. Rafael Henley, star pitcher for the Sliders, feels guilty. And then there’s their attraction to each other. Once they give in, all bets are off. Price: £0.99 — £7.31 Available from : www.amazon.co.uk
Torn Asunder by RennyDe Groot Fiercely loyal, Emmet Ryan plays his part in the war against the British to see a free and united Ireland. As a 16-year-old boy, Emmet is thrilled to join his father and brothers in the Finglas Volunteers during the 1916 Easter rebellion. The effects of that week mark Emmet for the rest of his life as he wrestles between his allegiance to his country and loyalty to his family. At times he isn’t sure he’s given enough to the fight until the day he realizes he may have given too much. The story of Ireland’s birth as a modern nation and her turbulent formative years is woven into the very fabric of this multi-generational family drama.
Price: £14.00 Available from: www.amazon.co.uk
Books, Books, Books... Belvedere Crescent by Misha M Herwin. Abandoned as babies, twins Sadie and Thea have been brought up by Great-Aunt Jane and when she dies, they inherit her house in Belvedere Crescent. They plan to sell the only home they have ever known, but the house and its past will not let Thea go. Haunted by the woman with the red-hair, she is drawn into half understood secrets and the more she probes the greater the danger.
Misha Herwin is a writer of books for adults and children. Her novels cover a variety of genres from contemporary women’s fiction, to family saga and time slip. Price: £11.86
Available from: www.amazon.co.uk
Words of Alchemy by Camila Downs. In Words of Alchemy, Camilla Downs invites you to walk with her to share her love of Nature and Life through a heartfelt free-verse poetry memoir. During her daily strolls she is mindfully present as she delves into life in the raw and experiences her heart’s observations.
Camilla embraces what happens when she opens her heart and invites the written words to flow. The Alchemy of Love and Healing is what happens. “This poetry collection offers contemplative words, soothing thoughts and peace to the reader.” – Sue Bentley, Bestselling author of Second Skin Camilla Downs is a bestselling author, indie publisher, mentor, and mom. Nature and life experiences are a constant source of inspiration for her writing. Price: £12.69
Available from: www.amazon.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS Melissa Compton: Editor and Creator of Norwich Nights Magazine. Melissa’s other credits include: writing reviewing for Cardiff Times Magazine, published Poetry, and writing the: Cardiff, Let’s Talk Theatre blog before relocating to Norwich to write full time in Norwich.
Beth Banks: Sub-Editor at Norwich Nights Magazine. Beth is a promising 3rd year student at Cardiff Metropolitan University studying English and Creative Writing with the best command of the English Language we have seen. An aspiring poet and Editor and has just been accepted to study her MA in English andCreative Writing.
Zena Leech-Calton: Food Feature Writer. Zena runs Love Norwich Food, has became a good food blogger after her many years of experience in the food industry. Read all about Zena in our: Introducing Zena Feature on Page 12.
If you would like to be a contributor, get in touch with us. Website: https:// norwichnightsmagazine.com Email: norwich-nightsmagazine@outlook.com
A Warm Welcome to Zena Leech-Calton from Love Norwich Food.
Introducing Zena from Love Norwich Food. If you have been following our social media, you will have seen that we are being joined by Zena Leech- Calton of Love Norwich Food for the next few issues! We couldn’t be happier about this at Norwich Nights. Incase you haven’t seen Zena’s website here is some background: Zena, is a Cookery tutor and food writer with 15 Year’s experience, as a chef and 15 as a tutor. She went to Norwich City College and did a stint in London as a chef, where Zena also studied patisserie at Westminster college. She also runs a cookery school in Bawburgh specialising in Asian cuisine, organise Food and Drink Walking Tours in Norwich and through that she then created www.lovenorwichfood.co.uk to bring all her love for food on to one platform. Since the website launch 4 years ago, Zena has become an accidental food blogger. She also got to gather with other like minder bloggers to form Norfolk Food Bloggers where they put on food events and help promote local food businesses. Zena also created Secret Menu Norfolk for 2020 where 100 restaurants all over Norfolk are offering off menu dishes along with Battle of the Burger. But when she’s not busy with that lot Zena loves writing recipes and food articles - mainly because she can eat them afterwards or simply have a liedown on the sofa with her laptop perched on my knees along with a lovely cuppa. This month Zena has created a delicious Welsh Cakes recipe which is on
Let’s Talk Food: St David’s Day Dinner In Norwich. In preparation for St. david’s day, we set ourselves a culinary challenge; pulling off a 3-course St. David’s Day dinner in Norwich using locally sourced ingredients. This article will explore how we faired in our challenge. Our menu, filled with traditional Welsh meals, is below.
Starter: Welsh Cawl, a dish which is halfway between casserole and a soup. Main course: Cider Baked Ham with Bread and butter. Dessert: Zena’s Welsh Cakes
The Cawl was fairly simple we used vegetables from Norwich Market and Diced Lamb from a local Butchers. Find the recipe below:
For the Cider baked Ham we used Raid Cider and ham from a local butcher,
Ingredients:
1.9kg Ham Joint
1 Onion Sea Salt and Black Pepper 1kg of Diced Lamb 1kg of Swede 4 Carrots
2 Parsnips 3 Leeks 4 Small Potatoes.
Method: Season the lamb with the salt and pepper and lightly fry till browned. Slice the onion and add to the lamb in the frying pan. Peel and chop the rest of the vegetables into chunks and add to a Casserole dish. Add the lamb mixture to the dish and stir well. Fill the dish with water and cook in a preheated oven at 190C.
Ingredients: 750ml Raid Cider Parsley Peppercorns
Method: Boil the ham in stockpot for 5 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water. Place ham into a dish and ,with a sharp knife, slice a couple of grooves into the joint before covering with Cider, Parsley, and Peppercorns cover with foil and place into the oven. Cook at 190C for 1 hour before removing the foil and cooking for a further 20 minutes, remove from oven and plac e on a tray, leave to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Finish with Zena’s Welsh Cakes for Dessert. (recipe pg14)
Breakfast at the Marlborough Guesthouse House: A Review. The Marlborough Guest House is a friendly home-from home style Bed and Breakfast located on Stracey Road, Norwich. Run by husband and wife duo Robert and Maxine Harvey, the guesthouse has been in the family awhile. Robert and Maxine took over the guest house in 2011 from Robert’s parents. The Breakfast at the hotel needs to be ordered 24-hours in advance. All the ingredients are purchased to demand, and breakfast is cooked fresh upon your arrival in the dining room. The dining room is located to the back of the reception and is quite large and beautifully set up each day with dark wooden tables and crockery and cutlery. Guests generally receive a warm welcome from Robert upon arrival who shows them to their table and checks details of what they would like included in their breakfast. Generous amounts of cereals are available on a counter to the far side of the room, and fruit juice was also offered. I opted for the cooked breakfast without tomatoes with tea and toast. The tea was served immediately and then the toast, followed by the cooked breakfast. The nice thing is there is a Tv on the wall so not only can you watch Good Morning while you eat, it also cuts out that uncomfortable silence that often occurs whilst people are eating in a hotel. The food is beautifully cooked and beautifully arranged on the plate and finally a chef who knows how the serve just the right amount beans, nothing ruins presentation more than a river of baked beans all over your breakfast. There’s no mistaking this is a quality breakfast complete with 1 sausage, 2 slices of thick bacon, 2 poached eggs, mushrooms, 2 hash browns and beans. It was all cooked to perfection, but I must mention the eggs which were perfectly done, it takes a lot of skill to cook eggs like that. As you cut into the yolk it was just firm enough to give them a perfect round shape but also still runny enough that you could dip your toast in it. Think of the way the hollandaise sauce runs on a good Egg’s Benedict, simply amazing (Well Done Marlborough House). The eggs and thick bacon were my centre attraction on this breakfast. Finished off with a mug of tea (the pot holds two mugs). This was the first occasion I had breakfast. The Breakfast pictured above was cooked by Maxine, to the same great standard but I had a fried egg, toast, mushrooms and bacon this time, I loved Maxine’s decoration especially the little white pot for the beans as the centre piece, and the mushrooms were delicious. This duo both have their strengths in the kitchen, meaning breakfast at the Guesthouse is always going to be of the highest standard. You do need a hearty appetite to be able to finish the breakfast, the ingredients used are of a very high standard and therefore more filling. If you’re looking for a breakfast to fill you up for the day – the breakfast at Marlborough House is highly recommended. Breakfast priced at £8.50 Guests can request breakfast at reception when they book in. Breakfast is normally served: Tuesday – Friday 7.00 a.m. – 9.00 a.m. Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays 8.00a.m – 9.30a.m.
www.marlboroughguesthouse.co.uk
The Marxist In Heaven at The Garage, Norwich: A Review To be honest with you we were hooked on this play the second we read the title, so, it was a complete pleasure to pop along to The Garage to watch it and they didn’t disappoint. When the announcement was made that it was time to enter the theatre and take our seats, entry was seamless with non-allocated seating everyone was seated quickly. Injected with lots of Disco music the performance was a joy to watch, read the review below: Directed by Daniel Burgess The Marxist In Heaven is a fun, thoughtprovoking play that does exactly what it says on the label, performed by a dedicated and talented cast. This play is exactly what community theatre is created for the range of emotions displayed by the cast was varied and convincing. The Garage is an intimate setting, so the need for conviction in the acting is essential in this performance, the cast were excellent, and timing was flawless. A huge well done to all involved, fun was injected throughout the play with the 30 sec disco dance scenes. The Play tells the story of what happens when Marxist Val is admitted to Heaven and challenges the hierarchy system asking all the right questions and challenges the status quo and championing equality. The cleverness of The Marxist In Heaven is the way the stories of the supporting characters are intertwined into the overall plot to give the play its powerful thought-provoking effect. The youth cast further enhance this effect with their on-point delivery of emotion during the performance. The Garage is Norwich’s performing arts centre conveniently situated on Chapel Field North. This community hub provides the perfect setting for The Marxist In Heaven as the strong sense of community, enhances not only the show but also the centre there is a café where you can wait pre-show while enjoying a drink or snack, and the announcement for the start of the show can be clearly heard from here. The play is both interesting and light and delivered in a manner that encourages warmth, compassion and teamwork.
Norwich as a treasure chest— Buy Local.
It doesn’t seem to matter where you go in Norwich; it’s full of hidden gems from tea from Castle Quarter shopping centre to the lanes or Anglia Square there is a large hub of small independent businesses—one of the things is that Norwich seems to be the perfect environment for nurturing. Here at Norwich Nights Magazine we have a strong buy local ethos. To celebrate local products in Norwich we are putting gather our buy local mystery box to be given away to one lucky reader. Follow our social media channels over the next month for details on how to enter. If you are a local business who would like your product to feature in our giveaway, contact me at norwich-nights-magazine@outlook.com
6 Things to look out for in March!
My favourite night-time treat. Pictured above is Coast to Coast’s Sticky Toffee Pudding, quite often (probably too often) I pop in on the way home for my favourite night-time treat; which also includes their Bailey’s coffee price at £4.95, is creamy and smooth going down easily as an indulgent treat. Followed by this moist toffee sponge and pure white ice-cream. This dish is everything you would expect it’s moist and springy sponge with all the flavour and sweetness you would expect. FYI: their Salted Carmel Pecan Pie is also delicious (same price as below) Price: £6.45
Out of the way breakfast at Anglia Square.
Café On The Corner On one of my daily walks, I happened upon Café On The Corner in Anglia Square. After searching their large menu posted on the side window for a option without bread. I decided to try the cooked breakfast. Although the breakfast comes with the choices of tea or coffee and toast or fried bread, I avoided these options and chose a diet cola, and the breakfast above. The breakfast was everything you could expect, well cooked and presented the mushrooms were nice and lighty fried and thinly sliced, the most striking thing about this breakfast was how fresh the egg was. Service was fast and friendly in this café which seemed to serve as a hub for the local community with many customers offering a friendly ‘see you tomorrow.’ With the radio gently playing in the background, this was a peaceful, friendly relaxing way to enjoy breakfast. Why not give it a try. Price: £4.95 Diet Cola costs extra.
Theatre: The shows to watch out for.
The Man Who Left is Not the Man Who Came Home at The Garage, Chapel Field North With Chloe’s future hopes come imminent challenges. Being married to the military means facing deployment. Behind closed doors there’s tenderness and humour, but as the day of Ashley’s departure comes ever closer, anxiety and confrontations multiply. Kevin Dyer’s new play, presented by Farnham Maltings, is the product of more than 100 one-to-one interviews with soldiers and their wives – where secrets, regrets and experiences have been shared for the first time. A story of resilience, of hope, of change and what it’s like when the man you love is going to war and might not come back.
Audience: Age 14+
12 March 2020 at 7.30 p.m.
Tickets: First 15 tickets £5, then £15/£8.50. Available from: www.thegarage.org.uk
The Garage, Chapel Field North, Norwich, NR2 1NY
It’s Theatre Time.
My First Play: After the Storm— A retelling of The Tempest at The Garage, Norwich. A sunken ship’s crew find themselves trapped on magical desert island with the wizard Prospero and his daughter Miranda. They must all try to get home aided by the magical creature Ariel. The latest interactive musical play from The Garage and All-In Productions for ages up to seven. Buy your tickets to My First Circus: Lessons of The Jungle Book and My First Panto: Goldilocks and the Three Bears and get your tickets for My First Play: After The Storm – A Retelling of The Tempest for free.
Show Times: 10.15am, 1.15pm, 3.15pm; 25 March-9 April Tickets: £12.50 Adults/£7.50 Children, Children under one go free. Available from: www.thegarage.org.uk
The Garage, Chapel Field North, Norwich, NR2 1NY
Games in March. Dead or School Launches on 13 March 2020
Travel across Tokyo visiting iconic locations such as Shinjuku, Asakusa, Akihabara and Roppongi using the subway system while defeating hordes of the undead at each location in both close and ranged combat. Hisako’s weapons and abilities can also be upgraded for even more destructive force while hidden collectables will reveal more about the truth behind the zombie apocalypse. Will Hisako be able to find salvation at SCHOOL, or is the world just DEAD? Find out in DEAD OR SCHOOL!
DEAD OR SCHOOL is planned for a 13th March 2020 release on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe. Further release details and availability will be confirmed at a later date. DEAD OR SCHOOL is rated PEGI 16, USK 16, MA+15 and ESRB M.
Welcome to Heroland—a bright, tropical theme park resort where guests partake in an authentic RPG-styled adventure, exploring dungeons, beating up baddies, and become a legendary hero! Unfortunately, the role-playing becomes reality when Lucky, an unexceptional part-time tour guide, and his guests including Elric, the spoiled, fallen prince of the Knowble Kingdom, unintentionally begin unravelling Heroland’s dark history. Now it’s up to Lucky, Elric and a ragtag team of tourists-turned-heroes to save Heroland (and the world)!
Heroland is now available to purchase digitally from the Nintendo eShop and the PlayStation Store within Europe and Australia.
Let’s Talk about Gaming Videos! What makes a good gaming channel? This is something we have been thinking about a lot this month at Norwich Nights Magazine. While essentially it depends what you want from you viewing experience, there are gaming channels that cover an array of approaches. An important quality of any YouTube video is how you engage your audience. From unboxing video’s to exploration of games the variety is vast, so what do we look for: Variety – a good selection of uploaded video’s so we can choose one that suits our mood. Access - make them easy to find noone has the time time to search YouTube for hours for the perfect video, send links, maintain good social media help us find you. Provide a unique experience, we want to experience the game with you for the first time see your reactions be taken on a journey, be real with your content if you hate the game say so. Interaction – talk to your viewers whether from behind a gaming screen or in front of the camera, these are our views and I am sure someone, somewhere loves to watch a screenshot of you playing your favourite game without narration. Energy – show your viewers you are passionate about what you do, would you want to watch a video with low energy, give us a reason to want to watch more. That being said there’s one gaming channel we’ve been watching, in truth it's the only one we watch regularly, M.A.D. Gaming, their channel hits all of the above spots and we’re proud to say they are based just outside of Norwich here’s a bit more about what they do. M.A.D Gaming are Mike and Dawn Boyd their videos mainly consist of Mike but it’s not unknown for Dawn to make an appearance. The channel mainly focuses on Let’s Play games and their indie horror games video are a favourite of ours; have you watched the My Cooking is to die for – The Supper, it’s brilliant. With 4.82K subscribers M.A.D Gaming unique use of British wit and sarcastic sense of humour and great games is highly entertaining.
Mike and Dawn are very approachable and willing to take game suggestions. Check out their latest video at //https://www.youtube.com/c/ mikeboydgaming
Gaming Resources!
Gaming Channels we’re watching: M.A.D Gaming— https://www.youtube.com/c/mikeboydgaming
One Life Left Gaming Café Twitch sessions: https://www.twitch.tv/one_life_left_ngc
Nerd Problems Gaming: Another Gaming channel we’re watching, check out his I’m obsessed with... videos— https://youtu.be/HluT33VPxB8