It’s the Easter holidays. One of my regular battles during school holidays is persuading the six-year-old that he needs a trip to the barber: a suggestion that’s always met with resistance. The answer? Bribery – this week, with the offer of lunch somewhere in Bury St Edmunds town centre. For me, the criteria were somewhere independent and somewhere that wasn’t ridiculously busy. For him? Somewhere we could sit outside and soak up the occasional rays of sunshine that were peeking through the clouds. I figured it was as good an opportunity as any to try the Old School Café, which has been ..read more

  What do Moyse’s Hall museum and The Nutshell pub in Bury St Edmunds have in common with the Guildhall in Lavenham and the Mill Hotel in Sudbury? The answer: all four buildings are home to the same type of macabre-yet-intriguing attraction – mummified cats. Their existence is no accident – and their geographic proximity to each other is no coincidence. It’s common to think of cats as being associated with witches – but these particular cats were no witches’ familiars…   Seventeenth-century superstitions In the 17th century, Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General (a title he most l ..read more

  Cromer, said the Eastern Daily Press in May 2023, is “fast becoming Norfolk’s coolest seaside spot“. It’s always been a popular haunt for tourists, but what is there to actually do and see while you’re there? If you’re in need of inspiration for an upcoming Cromer trip, read on…   1. Cromer beach Cromer’s sand and shingle Blue Flag beach is popular with paddlers, sandcastle builders, sunbathers, walkers and surfers alike. Flanked by chalk cliffs and with the obligatory brightly coloured beach huts, there are plenty of facilities within walking distance and lifeguards to keep swimme ..read more

  **This is a sponsored post**   You may be planning a summer or Christmas party for your company, or organising a team-building day. You could be looking to host a corporate event for clients, prospects and suppliers, or simply organising a lengthy board meeting that requires its attendees to be fed and watered. There are plenty of occasions when corporate catering might be needed – and it’s not always as simple as ordering in a tray of sandwiches. If you’re hosting a party or a big client event, you’ll want to make sure it wows. If you’re planning a themed event, you may be after f ..read more

  Annoyingly, we visited Cromer just before the Norfolk seaside town’s famous crab season really kicked in. Crab may not have been on the menu, but fish and chips definitely was. Recommendations from two separate people meant No1 Cromer was at the top of our list. Since opening in 2013, it’s been a popular place: a collaboration between celebrity chef Galton Blackiston and Spencer Gray, who founded Cromer Shellfish at just 17 years old. The imposing blue building overlooks the North Sea, giving great views from inside. Downstairs, there’s a takeaway and a fish and chip restaurant. Upstair ..read more

  Until last week, I’d not set foot in a branch of Bill’s for a long time. I think the last time I went was when we were back in Bristol and I was one of the judges in the Bristol Good Food Awards, and I honestly wasn’t that impressed. That was probably eight or nine years ago, though. We were in Canterbury, Kent, for a family day out and one of our party eats here regularly. It was time to give it another go. It’s a place that certainly looks attractive from the outside, with its beautiful light blue paintwork and pink flourishes – and that translates to the interior, too.     ..read more

  The medieval wool town of Lavenham in Suffolk is particularly photogenic. With 321 listed buildings in total, its wonky half-timbered buildings make for a picture-perfect visit – and if you’re planning on heading over for a day trip, here are five things you shouldn’t miss.   1. The Crooked House     When you see this jauntily-angled orange building, you’ll be unsurprised to learn that it’s one of the most photographed houses in the country. The Crooked House, which dates back to 1395, once formed part of a wealthy merchant’s grand hall house. It’s also said to be the in ..read more

  Walk up Abbeygate Street in Bury St Edmunds looking for a pizza and you’ll have a few places to choose from. There’s a Prezzo and a PizzaExpress, which are always reliable. There’s also a Dough&Co restaurant: one of six in Essex and Suffolk. I’d managed to grab a £10 gift card from them in a recent social media giveaway so we decided to give it a try.     Their website is full of promise. “Real wood-fired ovens”, it proclaims. “Only the best ingredients sourced directly from Italy”. It does also say, though, that they recommend booking to avoid disappointment. Maybe faili ..read more

  I love a good carvery. The problem is, finding a good carvery can be a challenge. I’d seen The Priory Hotel – a Best Western property in Bury St Edmunds – crop up in local Facebook groups as somewhere to try…now, a hotel wouldn’t normally be my first pick for a Sunday lunch booking (unless I was staying there) but the TripAdvisor and Google reviews looked pretty good. I booked a table for the three of us for fairly early in the afternoon – which also meant there were plenty of free parking spaces when we arrived. Hidden behind an old priory wall, we’d never seen the building itself unti ..read more

  I do love a good afternoon tea. In recent years, I’d say the best we’ve had is at The Ivy Clifton Brasserie in Bristol – an expensive treat, but one that ticked every box. Our recent experience at The Ickworth just outside Bury St Edmunds – part of the Luxury Family Hotels group – was a little more hit-and-miss. There’s no denying the beauty of the place. The hotel is housed in one wing of Ickworth House: a stunning Italianate palace that was sold to the National Trust in 1998, known for its beautiful rotunda, .     In fact, we’d booked the tea (with vouchers that we’d receiv ..read more