Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Norfolk notes - pubs and wi-fi

One of the things about getting away from it all is that it's good to be able to check up on what the all is that you're getting away from in order to ensure that you're not missing anything. That is what the Internet is for, well, that and porn obviously. In an area renowned for it's eccentric mobile phone signal reception and love of analog broadcasting (the electronics shop in Sheringham has a sign up proudly announcing that the area can now get digital radio, and I can just imagine the excitement of anyone forking out a hundred quid for a new radio, tuning into BBC radio 7 and getting a vintage episode of 'Hancock's half hour') the best tactic is to find a wi fi hot spot and ponce off their broadband.

And if pubs are the most frequent provers of that service, then so much the better. The excellent Crown at Wells and the equally excellent Ship at Brancaster both do excellent coffee and first rate broadband. Of course, one goes to a pub to converse and interact, but it's good to be able to check out the rugby scores too, not to mention research local attractions and use the weather forecast to work out how to spend the day tomorrow - although walk the dog on the beach, picnic, coffee then back to the cottage for dinner sounds like a safe bet.

The Crown at Wells has long been a firm favourite and so we wanted to check out the newly acquired and refurbished Ship Inn, at Brancaster, part of the same chain. This too was excellent, warm and friendly with just the right amount of quirk. It also had quite the best sink in the gents' loo I've ever seen - a solid slab of stone that had a trough carved out of it. The tap at one end released a stream of water that ran along the length to the plug at at the other, like a very small, slightly soapy stream.

And the rooms are called 'cabins', how wonderful is that? One could spend the entire stay talking like a pirate, ordering grog and making numerous references to the 'poop deck'.

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