Norwich Road
History of Stoke Holy Cross by Michael Ranson click here.
Aerial view of the village looking north, October 2004.
(Pic. copyright Mike Page ).
General views of the village. c.1925. The bottom left picture shows the Post Office which is now number 60 Norwich Road. Moved along Norwich Road, towards the Church, in the early 1950's. (Pic. Nick Elsey).
Stoke Church and Vicarage c.1920.
1920's
The Vicarage. c.1908. (A. Postcard)
The north side 1924.
The church of Holy Cross. (Pic.Mike Fordham).
Grade 2 listed.
This memorial, on the south side of the church, is for Rev.Thomas Havers who died 27th. June 1719 aged 60. He was skilled in Theology, Medicine and Surgery and was good at the removal of bladder stones, without the use of anaesthetics. This would have been a terrifying experience for which a charge of 5 shillings was made. At the bottom are representations of his surgical instruments, a catheter, forceps, scissors and a knife.
Pictures from inside the Church c.1965
Click this link to see other similar memorials at Hekint.
( A journal of Medical Humanities).
The memorial of Thomas Johnson, eighteenth-century barber surgeon (hekint.org)
Choir stalls and Altar
c.1925.
Font in front of choir room.
WW1 Memorial
Flower Festival 1977. (Pic.Nick Elsey)
West side of the church yard which is occupied by a number of the Lemon family. William Lemon and his wife Emma. William was the Sexton at Stoke Holy Cross church for many years during the 1950's. (Pic's. Martyn Lemon).
Emma Lemon with her family, L-R ;- Albert, Geoffrey, John (Eddie) and Clifford. Albert was to join the 2nd.Battalion the Norfolk Regiment in 1927.
See Shotesham Road, Poringland.
Stoke Church choir 1953/54. (Pic. Peggy Clarke).
L-R;- Keith Nudds , Pat Armiger, Joyce Baker, Valerie Armiger, John Abel, Margaret Baker,
John Stuart, Basil Turner, June Clements , Gene Duffield, Hazel Mann, Geof Clarke,
Richard Utting, Roger King, Tony Armiger.
Limekiln Farm pictured in 1919 as a part of the Stoke Holy Cross Estate sale.
The Entrance Lodge to Stoke Holy Cross Hall, pictured in 1931, when the hall was sold.
The Lodge. c. 1920
The Lodge in 2011.
Pic. Mike Fordham
The catalogue for the Stoke Holy Cross Sale of 1931 describes this as a Capital Detached House, split into 2 cottages and rented to a Mr.W.G. Elsey, having the roadside aspect, with Mrs. Baxter living in the rear half. Eventually George Elsey lived in the one cottage with his wife Bettine. On the 1st. April 1947 they began selling provisions from the front room before building the "breeze" block structure seen today, with the help of a neighbour Mr. Baldry. This opened as a Post Office and shop in Easter 1953.It closed 31st. March 1974 after having a spell as a Wool shop. It is now Tas Valley Antiques. (Pic's. Nick Elsey).
60 Norwich Rd. was the old Post Office in c.1920 as depicted in the postcard above.
Moved to Mill Road in 1974.
Re-opened in 2013 on a temporary basis in the Church Hall.
The old Post Office, now a Take-away. 2014 (Pic. Arthur).
Jeremiah Cottage c. 1920 .
Jeremiah Cottage in 2013.
Looking south along Norwich Road, with the 'Red Lion' (now The Wildebeest Arms) on the left c.1920.
(Pic.Ann Bond).
The Red Lion in about 1925. Note the trademan's bicycle leaning up against the window. The house to the left of the pub sign was the home of Mrs. Daisy Baker's family. It has since been demolished and this is where the Wildebeest car park is located. (Pic.Nick Elsey).
The scene left in 2010. Now called The Wildebeest. (Pic.Arthur Bennett).
Looking north along Norwich Rd. c. 1918
c. 1920
The Red Lion in the distance and the old Chapel on the right, formally the Blacksmiths.
Postcard advert c.1925.
New Pic. 16/3
1960.
The same scene in December 2012. (Pic. Richard Gooderham).
Horse dealers day at The Red Lion. Sidney Goodwin had just retrieved this runaway horse.
(Pic.Janet King).
See also;- www.norfolkpubs.co.uk
Some locals playing cribbage in the bar. Left front, with the glasses, Stan Wilson ,then David Smith and at the rear with the hat is Sonny Baker, on the right with glasses George Hardy, the landlord, and front right is Cifford Lemon.
Leaving from somewhere near the Red Lion, this coach party is on it's way to the Sunderland v Norwich cup tie on 10/2/1951. Norwich lost 2 - 0. In the doorway ,wearing the hat, is Bryan Buller and next to him is John Leech. Front centre ,kneeling, is Roy Copping. (Pic. Derek Bales).
Fisk's Garage - showing the rear of the workshop's in 1959/60 and vehicles inside .
Two old invoices from the garage. ( Derek Bales).
The forecourt of the garage prior to demolision in1998.
The final act 1999.
Fiskes Court, replaced the garage, pictured in 2011. (Pic. M. Fordham).
This picture, taken outside Fisk's Garage, shows The Royal Mail coach in the Norwich Union livery. This is the original coach used between Norwich and London, in the early 1800's and was fully restored.
Owned by John Parker of Wingfield (sponsored by Norwich Union ,now Aviva).
Seen here with the mail sack is Eric Wilson, postal worker at Norwich H.P.O. in about 1985.
The garage has now been demolished and replaced with domestic dwellings. (Pic.Janet King).
The "Old Stokers" pictured outside The Rummer Inn in 1899. These were all staff who worked at Colmans Mill when it moved to Carrow in Norwich in 1862.
The Rummer and the school, Norwich rd. c.1925.
Now private residences, in August 2011, (Pic. Mike Fordham).
Stoke Holy Cross School class 1913.
c. 1918. (Pic. Peggy Woods).
c. 1930. (Pic. Peggy Woods).
From the back L-R, Hellen Cullum, Shirley Copping, Maureen Filby, Margaret Smith, Gail Pettit.Valerie Barnard, Carol Nudds, Gerald Cullum, Christine Read, David Utting.Gillian Revel, Richard Saye, Richard Armiger, David Hunt, Rodney Saye, Jean Davey.Christopher Nudds, Trevor King, Jennifer King, Jaqueline King.David Kerrison, Brian Chapman, Ann Cushion, Mary Hinkins.
The Rummer Inn c.1903, was at the Norwich end of Norwich Road.
(Pic.Janet King).
Grade 2 listed.
1930
Some of the locals c.1945. (Pic.Janet King)
C.1945 Bertha Lemon and son Cyril make their way home.
(Pic.Janet King).
See also www.norfolkpubs.co.uk
The year is 1987 and this is the scene at the end of Norwich Road.