14 Go, Thursday, May 21, 2015 ECS-EO1-S3 essexchronicle.co.uk

Escorted Holidays

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Or visit us newmarketholidays.co.uk/eveCall us on 0330 160 7739 Quote EVE

Join us in one of the Mediterranean’smost spectacular corners, a stunningcoastline of colourful towns bustlingwith life, glorious views and warmwaters. Choose between world-famousSorrento or its overlooking neighbour,Sant’ Agata, and enjoy well-pricedoptional excursions, including Pompeii’shaunting ruins, enchanting Capri andthe scenic Amalfi Coast.

Our price includes

• Return flights to Italy direct from

London Stansted

• Seven nights’ bed and breakfastaccommodation at the Villa Angelinain Sant’ Agata (half-board and arange of upgrade hotels in Sant’Agata and Sorrento are available fora supplement)

• Return airport to hotel transfers

• One suitcase allowance per person

• The services of a tour manager*Book by 30 Jun 2015. Quote code B9QAMB & save £50 perbooking on advertised prices. Applies to Apr to Oct 2016departures & may be withdrawn any time

Sorrento & The Bay of NaplesFlying direct from London Stansted, departing Jun & Jul, Sept & Oct 2015, Mayto Jul, Sept & Oct 2016

8days from

£399.00

per person

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Based in quintessentially Andalusiantown Antequera, this holiday includesfull-day visits to Granada – withentrance to the Alhambra – hill-toppedRonda and glorious, historic Seville, the‘City of Flamenco’.

Our price includes

• Return flights to Malaga direct fromLondon Stansted

• Guided, escorted visits to Seville,

Granada and Ronda

• Entrance to the Alhambra

• Comfortable coach travel throughout

• Five nights’ bed & breakfastaccommodation at the three-starHotel Las Villas de Antikaria inAntequera (half-board and upgradehotel available for supplements)

• The services of a Tour Manager*Book by 30 Jun 2015. Quote code B9QAMB & save £50 perbooking on advertised prices. Applies to Apr to Oct 2016departures & may be withdrawn any time

Seville, Granada & Classic SpainFlying direct from London Stansted, departing Jun, Oct & Nov 2015, Mar to Jun,Aug to Nov 2016

6days from

£499.00

per person

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TRAVELCITY BREAK

On the ALE TRAILI

like Norwich and I likebeer so when I wasinvited to go to the city’sannual ale festival Ijumped at the chance.

I've been to Norwich manytimes but never really visitedthat many pubs so this was achance to explore the city'sfamous range of hostelries.

I remember being told oncethat Norwich used to have apub for every day of the year.I'm not sure if that was evertrue but the City of Alefestival celebrates the pubs ithas now and there's animpressive diversity.

Set up five years ago, theCity Of Ale festival has been agreat success and is unique inthe UK. While other beerfestivals are about putting aload of beer and a load ofpeople together in one place(nothing wrong with that, ofcourse), the City Of Ale getspeople to visit pubs and get toknow them. It’s a simple ideabut a very good one.

The 10-day celebrationstarts this Thursday, May 21and runs to the end of themonth showcasing what thecity has for ale enthusiasts.

Last year, 44 public housesand 39 breweries took part sothere’s no shortage of placesfor the beer lover to visit.

I started my ale odyssey atLamb Inn in Orford Place,which is just off the city’smain shopping area – whichI’ll certainlyi bear in mind onfuture shopping excursions.Tucked away from the street,you can hear the livelycourtyard area of the pubbefore you see it.

Inside the pub is traditionalwith dark red walls, exposedbrickwork and an impressivefireplace which I settled by inthe comfort of a Chesterfieldarmchair.

My first pint was Sirius DogStar from the Wolf Brewery at

Besthorpe near Attleborough,not far from Norwich. It was avery good start, a ruby red alefull of fruity flavour.

Like a lot of Norwich’s pubs,The Lamb has a long history,with this hostelry dating backto an inn known as The HolyLamb in the early 12thcentury.

There are a lot of ghoststories about The Lamb suchas the so-called ‘storytellinglandlord’ John Aggis who wasbrutally murded by hisbrother-in-law in 1787. Hisghost is reputedly a friendlyone though I didn’t make hisacquaintance on my visit nordid I meet the ghost of theShady Motor Cyclist who wasfound dead in the courtyard in1979.

The pub has undergonevarious misfortunes over theyears, including floods andfires, but it remains a jollyplace... by day anyway.

My next destination spokefor itself. Murderers, alsoknow as the Gardeners Arms,in Timber Hill just over theroad from The Lamb, has itsown grisly history and hencethe name.

The evident popularity andfriendliness of the place beliesits dark past which is relayedto me by landlord PhilipCutter who just happens to bethe founder of the City Of Alefestival.

He also introduces me to theconcept of beer tapas, whereyou get three different ales inthird of a pint glasses that fitinto a handy wooden paddle.And so I get to try three morebeers – Lacons’ Four Kisses,Woodfords Wherry and EdithCavell, another Wolf Breweryspecial. All very moreish.

Friendly, enthusiastic andknowledgeable, Philip tells meabout the stories that haveearned the pub its name.Firstly, there’s the tale of the

prostitute who murdered aclient here in 1890 because hewouldn’t pay up. But Philiptells me that story is a bit iffy.Apparently the real murderhere was in 1895 when anex-soldier bludgeoned to deathhis estranged wife. The pubhas been known as bothMurderers and The Gardenerssince then and photographs ofnotorious killers from aroundthe world can be found on thewalls.

Far from putting people off,Philip says this sort of storydraws people in and makespeople recognise what rolepubs play in the social historyof a place.

As founder and co-chair ofCity Of Ale, he’s seen theevent grow in popularity eachyear and says it’s much morethan just a glorified pub crawl.

“City of Ale is aboutcelebrating Norwich,” saysPhilip. “That’s what makes itwork, it’s the sum of all itsparts. It’s about local beersand brewers as well as thepubs.

“I think City Of Ale has putNorwich on the beer map,” headds.

Speaking of which, I get

back on to my own personalbeer map and head to anothernearby haunt, the Walnut TreeShades in Old Post OfficeCourt which is a differentproposition again. A 17thcentury building whose cellaris said to connect to a maze ofunderground tunnels, it’s apretty rock ‘n’ roll pace nowwith Jimi Hendrix, The Doorsand Van Morrisson blaringout.

Perhaps the most intriguingvenue on my visit was MrPostles in Upper King Street.In the city’s Tombland area.This bar recreates a 1920sstyle chemist or apothecaryand serves up intriguingcocktails with names likemeringue martini and cherrybakewell. It also has a widerange of bottled beer and craftales so it’s a definite must onthe list of places to go.

That’s the thing withNorwich, there are so manygood pubs and bars to visit , Ifelt like I’d only reallyscratched the surface. But it’salways nice to leavesomewhere wanting more andknowing you’ll come back andfind new places. Toparaphrase Arnie: Ale beback!

FACTFILE

Darryl Webber heads to Norwich to get a taste of the forthcoming City of Ale festival

Norwich City of Ale 2015runs from May 21 to 31. Findout more about the pubstaking part, ale trails andevents athttp://cityofale.org.uk/2015/Follow the festival on Twitter:@CityofAle

Where to stay:Norwich Holiday Inn North,Cromer Road Norwich. NR66JA. (Currently undergoing a£2.5m refurbishment)Tel: 01603 410544www.hinorwich.comPrices start from £79 for adouble room with bed and

breakfastEmail: reservations@hinorwich.comHoliday Inn Norwich CityCarrow Road, Norwich NR11HUTel: 0870 890 1000Prices start from £80 for adouble room with bed andbreakfastwww.holidayinn.com/norwichcityEmail: reservations.hinorwichcity@kewgreen.co.uk

Find out more about placesto go in Norwich atwww.visitnorwich.co.uk

CHEERS: Dawn Leeder and Philip Cutter, co-chairs of City Of Ale, raise a glass to this year’s event which starts this week