The Long Weekend
It’s another month to keep us on our toes, Easter treats and a chance to meet Super Mario says Melanie Cook of www.VisitNorwich.co.uk
We have a four-day long weekend this month with the arrival of Easter (7-10 April). That’s 96 hours to get a bit more sleep, do a bit less ‘business’, stay out a bit late and treat ourselves in whatever form hits the spot. In four days, there’s room for self-care and socialising. See it as preparation for the three Bank Holiday Mondays in May we have to look forward to too!
Easter and food are much like chips and vinegar. Though not quite the madness of Christmas, nonetheless, we’ll see TV ads for get togethers proffering plates of colourful food and, of course, chocolate eggs.
Let’s start with a bit of trivia.
Did you know that this year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first chocolate egg? In 1873, Fry’s made hollow chocolate eggs from moulds (unlike in France and Germany where they made solid eggs, that must have been hard on the teeth!). Two years later in 1875, Cadbury’s – their rival – started producing them too.
Norwich is no stranger to chocolate – seeing Caley’s production for the troops during WW1, then selling up to John Mackintosh & Sons Limited in 1932. Following this in 1969, Mackintosh’s and Rowntree’s of York partnered, resulting in the Norwich factory producing 40 million eggs a year! Forty million!
Today, we not only have chocolate eggs, but also bunnies, cute little figures, and so much more to choose from. The world is our chocolate oyster. I personally like to stick to traditional eggs (though Hotel Chocolat’s Sunny Side Up chocolate half eggs – Chantry Place and John Lewis – look very delicious). Is it a thing to have an Easter list?
Other glorious temptations are to be found at the Deli in Jarrold (for some of the best local offerings). But why stick to just chocolate? Macarons & More in The Royal Arcade, Norwich has a mouth-watering selection in soft pastels, so pretty! It goes without saying that all of these are beautifully presented, so whether gifting them or buying for ourselves, even just looking at them will bring joy.
But it really isn’t just about the chocolate. Really. An Easter lunch is something many of us cherish. A chance to get together as most retail businesses close (giving many hard-working people a valued extra day off), much like we have on Christmas Day. And with fewer arguments about beef versus turkey, or whether to serve Yorkshires or cauliflower cheese, both, or none, Easter lunch should be that much more relaxed.
Let’s make it a weekend long affair. At The Ivy Brasserie in Norwich, they’re serving between 7-10th, a Peter Rabbit carrot cake with chocolate soil, pistachio crumb, vanilla ice cream, candy floss, and mint (£8.95). And cocktails like the Choco Nut Martini with vodka, Baileys, dark chocolate sauce, Macadamia Liqueur and double cream (£11.00), or a Pineapple Rumble, which is Plantation Pineapple Rum, Antica Formula, Rubis Chocolate Wine, Cherry Heering, and Campari (£11.50). It all sounds very decadent, and the last one? A challenging concoction of things I’ve never heard of so, I think I’d better try one.
Head over to North Norfolk, where you can pick some up goodies for Easter lunch or swerve lunch altogether to buy locally made produce for a relaxed smorgasbord of delights in front of the TV. At the annual Holkham Easter Market (Saturday 8, Sunday 9 April, free entry, £5 parking) you’ll find over 50 local artisan producers selling food and drink, gifts and crafts. There will also be street vendors to keep up your strength as you wander around (always irresistible). I like to pack in as much as I can into a day out, so, depending on the weather, why not tack on a beach walk, or at the very least a stomp around the lake?
And if you have a young family to keep occupied, Holkham caters for them too, not only over the Easter weekend, but during the long Easter holidays. Get involved with crafts, games, nature trails and dressing up, performances of The Velveteen Rabbit (7-10 April), Park activities, Grand Tour tractor trailer tours and their Mini Feast in the Park (10–16, 11am–4pm). Check their website for exact opening times and costs.
Back in Norwich, on Saturday 8th April we have Easter entertainment, but not as you know it. Any child (or adult) who loves Super Mario is going to love this event. Celebrating the release of the brand new The Super Mario Bros Movie (screening nationwide from 7 April), Castle Quarter has two special guests racing around the centre, dressed in their iconic red and green under blue dungarees. You’ve guessed it – Mario and Luigi are making an appearance! There will be four free 30-minute opportunities for meet and greets at 12pm at Level 1, 1.30pm at Level 2, 2.30pm at Level 1 and 3.30pm at Level 4 & 5. Don’t miss it! Also, perhaps stay a bit longer to have a go in their retro video game arcade and gaming lounge – Retro Replay – for some classic gaming fun afterwards. Or if VR games are more your thing, Castle Quarter has the new, bigger Vector VR experience with its VR gaming pods on level 1.
And whilst we’re in the mood for games. Bowling House on Dereham Road gives you retro bowling, meals, drinks and karaoke. Give it a go, channel your inner Lizzo, Stormzy or Sinatra. And newly opened Mulligans at Riverside has loads of activities (great for teens) with crazy golf – like you’ve never played it before – shuffleboard, electro-darts, axe throwing, pool and more.
Finally, throughout the school holidays, Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April, Chantry Place has a free family Easter trail around the Centre, and opportunities to meet the RSPB team on select days when they give out free sunflower packs and let little ones get hands on with nature. There are prizes to be had too!
Collect a free map for the Chantry Place Easter Eggstravaganza trail from Langleys and then follow the posters to collect letters, which will spell out an Easter themed word. The competition prize on offer for one lucky winner is worth over £100, including Easter eggs, Jellycat toys and an H&M voucher, with some bird houses up for grabs for runners up. Everyone who completes the trail can also pick up a sticker from Langleys at the end. Who doesn’t love a sticker?
Easter top tips to enjoy the long weekend
Wroxham Miniature Worlds is the largest indoor modelling attraction in the UK stretching over 10,000 square feet. See some of the largest model railways in the world, slot car displays, a whole city made from LegoTM bricks, model boat displays, Vintage Penny Arcade, Interactive Flight Simulators, Train Simulators, new railway layouts (some of which you can drive yourself), and a host of toys from across the decades! Adults £11.95, Children 8 – 15 yrs £8.95, under 5’s free.
Park Farm has re-launched their afternoon tea with The Drawing Room for Afternoon Tea. Prices from £25 per person in glorious Georgian surrounds (open Easter Sunday). It really is beautiful.
If you are looking for a very special Easter gift, take a look at Sonkai, located in The Royal Arcade. Sonkai design and make unique and one-of-a-kind pieces with some inspired by the local history and landscapes of Norfolk & Norwich.
Full details of everything mentioned here, and loads more ideas can be found at www.visitnorwich.co.uk
