Fishy Stuff

On Sunday we had a lazy day - lazier than usual, in other words. One thing we did do, however, was go with our rellies to East Harling (I think it was East) where there's a shop that sells tropical fish, gold fish and all sorts of other fish, along with assorted snakes, crocodiles and tortoises. If ever you want to check out God's imagination, go to a tropical fish shop. It isn't just that the colours are extraordinary, from the dullest to the most startling, but the shapes and sizes and variety of extras show a mind at work that has no problem coming up with something new - or something odd.
There were tanks with dozens of identical fish in them, and the slightest movement would send them off in a group to the other end. There were tanks with large koi (or carp) in them where the fish were keen to make friends, and were coming to the surface opening their mouths wide and happy to let you touch them. There were strange wormlike creatures that were some form of anemone. Ten or more of them would be entangled with each other in a thick bunch, so entangled that when one of the staff needed to get one out for a customer, he had to literally pull them apart. And then the worm would open up its end and produce a great flowery display. There were other black creatures, whether fish or plant, I don’t know, (though they seemed to be able to climb), and they consisted of a little ball with a bunch of the thinnest spikes all over it, especially on the ‘top’. These spikes waved round continually, checking out the environment, and making sure something didn’t happen to step on them or swim past.
Walking around at a great pace were tiny prawn-like creatures, their legs going nineteen to the dozen. And in other tanks – more the size you might see in a house – there were so many tiny fish that the tank was ablaze with the particular colour they were made of.
The crocodiles were only about two feet long at the outside, with very flat, square tops to the heads. They were in the same tank as dozens of turtles, and the latter were happily using the crocs as stepping stones up onto the stones at the side of the tank. One large tortoise was outside in his own little enclosure, eating grass, and inspecting the world with wise old eyes.
And in a very large glass tank, a huge fish rolled back and forward, and certainly seemed to be well aware of the world outside the glass, as he reacted to people passing by not by flitting away, but by coming up and inspecting them.
Ain’t creation incredible? (I was watching a David Attenborough doco last night on bugs and things. Some of what they get up to is absolutely mindboggling.)

St Nicholas

After we’d been to Ickworth yesterday, we took a bit of time wending along the back roads near where we’re staying. Came to Little Saxham and the church of St Nicholas, which has a round tower – a crenulated round tower in fact, for those who want to know such details. This means that it’s not just round, but has various indents and ‘windows’ in it.
It’s also been described as the most spectacular Norman round tower in Suffolk, by somebody called Pevsner. A man who ought to know, by the sound of it.
It’s a lovely little church, set amongst the quiet and peace of a graveyard (nothing like being reminded of where you’re heading when you go to church), and it’s in good condition, considering its age. It dates from the 12th century, though of course, as with all these buildings, there were various modifications over the centuries.
Inside, within the tower, is a small stained-glass window, made all the more effective by being set in walls that are a couple of feet thick, so that it shines out into the gloom.
The place was empty when we went inside, and we had to ourselves for the whole of our visit. I took a number of photos, though whether they’ll come out well is debatable; the flash wanted to keep flashing and made everything brighter than was helpful for detail. What I most wanted to try and photograph wasn’t the tower, which we couldn’t see well anyway (though I’ve included a photo from the Net here) but the wonderful carved animals on the ends of the pews. They were at both ends of each pew, and also at the place where you lean your arm, if you’re lucky enough to be sitting on the end of the row. Each one was different.
Unfortunately, a number of them have been worn away with time, and with children digging at them and various other mishaps, but the best remain. There are dogs, and lions, and sheep and various fierce exotic animals, all in height about the size of the full open stretch of a hand. They bring a delightful homeliness to the atmosphere of the place – even the exotic animals – rather like the pictures in a children’s book rounded out and made ‘real.’The Norman tower may be the architectural feature of the place, but I think we’re more likely to remember the animals a lot longer.

Royal Norfolk

Long day today. Didn’t even sleep in as we have been because our hosts were having a dinner party tonight, and we needed to help get things moving. Not that I contributed much, but Celia made two quiches in record time, and generally organized other things in advance of the meal tonight.

But we also had to be out by 8.45 because our niece and her husband were taking us to the Royal Norfolk Show. This event has been going in some form since the mid 1800s, and has occupied it present space of some 375 acres. There are a number of permanent buildings, but today the place was loaded with tents and marquees and open-air rings (the largest would be two or three acres on its own, I suppose).

I had in mind that it would be like the A&P show that we have in Dunedin, which is a bit of a dud these days, as far as most people are concerned. Not so this show. Over 105,000 people attended last year, and judging by the number of people there today – wall-to-wall they were – that figure would have been surpassed. The weather was great, for a start, and though it threatened to rain at one point, it never did. Apparently last year the people selling raincoats made a killing!

Of course there were farm animals galore, including great hulking bulls and their cows and calves; a bunch of geese being herded by a sheepdog around several groups of schoolchildren and up and over a bridge; huge pigs; owls, ferrets, and you name it.

Everybody and his uncle was there selling stuff, and in the food building they were giving away samples of food in a way I’ve never seen at any of the shows in Dunedin. You could have had a taste of practically everything that was on display – we tried out quite a bit ourselves.

Our relatives paid for us to have an excellent meal presented by the Catering School, and we sat at a table which included one of the vice-presidents of the Royal Norfolk, his wife and son.

There are several entrances to the grounds, each of them leading to a car park connected to one of several main roads in the area, so that you can come in from Dereham, or Wymondham, or Norwich itself. The car parks were expertly handled by a large team of mostly young people. You wouldn’t want to forget where you parked your car, however. The car park we were in would have held a couple of thousand cars, I’d think.

There are a few photos of the facilities here.