I'm back on the island reflecting on a few days away.
One of the biggest shocks was to find that the Norfolk Inn was one of many pubs in Stoke-on-Trent to have closed since my last visit. It was only fifty yards away from the house lived in from October 1978 until June 1979 (yes students used to study after Easter in those days!).
They've built, what looks like, a wonderful medical centre on the other side of the road and converted the pub into a pharmacy. So instead of putting a few pints of Marstons down your neck you go to put a few pills down your neck.
I have to admit it looks a lot posher than when I used to visit. I spent my lunchtime in there on my 21st birthday and after buckets of fun in the afternoon, failed to make it to my other planned celebration in the evening.
It is the only pub I have every been thrown out of. On the day that Stoke City won promotion to the top division in 1979 I travelled back from the match at Notts County and was persuaded to go the Norfolk without eating. After behaving like a football fan the law abiding publican refused to serve me any more. I was up to Norfolk and good.
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