Earl Soham noughties

mo 7 Dec 2009	House sales dead in Framlingham but seem to have perked up a little in Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, and did someone really make over £100 grand in couple of months in Earl Soham?
th 26 Nov 2009	As part of the Blue Peter appeal Operation Smile children at Earl Soham school made 67 theatre gowns for Indian children having cleft lips and palettes treated.
fr 3 Apr 2009	67 year old William Dyke was found dead today at his home in Earl Soham. Police are asking for help tracing his next of kin.
tu 17 Mar 2009	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 72 New lunching chums were Amanda and her husband Ron, Eddie and Elspeth, now dd regulars Tony M and the Gentleman Plumber plus NaTCH and The Brewer who opined his veggie lunch could not have been bettered, indeed all the food was the Vic's usual honest cooking. Conversation included why Agas won't run on gas, are Norwegian and Swedish really that different as languages and Elspeth's uncertainty about what to do with the unwanted Jotul wood stove in her garage. (last visit subsequent lunch previous lunch)
fr 12 Sep 2008	... and perhaps you remember Malcolm Walker? Behind The Brewer in the pic? With his wife Lucie ran Tastebuds in Earl Soham 2001-05? We assume they are still cruising the canals of Europe and celebrating today his 67th birthday.
mo 21 Jul 2008	On Saturday Mr and Mrs Michael Fogg-Elliot opened their home for a coffee morning to raise funds for the Earl Soham village hall. Their house used to be the Falcon pub which, when discussed, was thought to have closed around ten years ago. We knew that post for the pub sign now lives outside Earl Soham Brewery and that the front garden used to be the car park but we were surprised to find there were petrol pumps to one side ... don't know why but we were, surprised.
sa 2 Feb 2008	Earl Soham Lodge is gorgeous! It actually is a moated (farm?)house, that standing water goes all the way round it's not just a medieval fish farm, and we're told some of the cellar is Roman. When we arrived around 11 this morning for Paddy and Scott's Coffee Morning Scott had already served 160 coffees (Paddy was on a sabbatical) and Scott reckoned the event would raise some £500-600 for the village hall. As with all similar events one of the great pleasures is to blether with your neighbours and by the way this nipper was supping it might have been hot chocolate.
th 27 Dec 2007	The smilies are back on the bulletin board, and this George V stamp on ebaY is a poignant reminder that there may have been a post office in Earl Soham for over a century but there ain't one now.
su 23 Sep 2007	It was a bad sign that we could easily park in the not large Earl Soham Village Hall car park last night. Ziggy was trying really hard in the nicely decorated hall but the audience, who were trying really hard too, needed to be larger. The lady on the door said they'd had 200 for Ziggy last time. Ah well, you try hard and sometimes you win ...
we 19 Sep 2007	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 63 The Vic was very on song, liver and bacon very good even though NaTCH couldn't find any bacon and the new barmaid was making a committed effort to be sociable which is very admirable. (last visit subsequent lunch previous lunch)
th 2 Aug 2007	Because the Great British Beer Festival is imminent and because a photographer has spent two hours at ESB you might see Earl Soham Brewery in the Guardian ... well actually you might see Matt.
fr 13 Jul 2007	Latitude sold out yesterday, indeed we saw Lea Shores (they're on the Sunday Sunrise stage) in the Earl Soham Vic this lunchtime having a pre-festival drink.
we 20 Dec 2006 Ed Sheeran	We only got to see White Water and Ed Sheeran at the Earl Soham Christmas Bash last night and it has to be said Ed (direct from something or other at Tommy Mills) emptied the bar. Profits went to Save The Children ... more music tonight with carolling around Framlingham.
tu 21 Nov 2006	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 58 A sombre start with the news that John B had lost his dad and that very morning David Berry from Andy Tiernan's had died motor biking to work. The Brewer nipped off after a pint or two leaving John B, NaTCH, Matt and Matt II (who's filling in time by working at ESB before a degree) to discuss Matt's somewhat surprising example of the difference between the NHS and BUPA and, not surprisingly, the extortionate fees charge by some (come to think of it all) barristers. AfARs from Rob (wrestling with trees), Hugh (sorting out a stinking, rotten compost machine in Deptford) and Richard V (just too busy). (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
sa 5 Aug 2006 Village Fete	Very pleasant afternoon at Earl Soham Village Fete where there was a permanent queue for the ES Light Railway, the draw for the raffle took the obligatory two hours and we were told "more people than usual" and "if you want a cup of you have to flirt with that lady there", so we did ... still had to pay for the tea though :)
tu 11 Jul 2006	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 56 Matt, David, Jim (without Bianchi), NaTCH, Terry, Rob and The Brewer who had just popped in for a warm before driving to Stowmarket to get a driving license because they seemed like a useful thing to have. The Vic was very much on song and the chicken curry excellent. Conversation was perhaps overly about young women in jodhpurs and boots at Otley college. (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
tu 14 Jun 2005	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 50 Lunchers were Spadge, NaTCH, Goddess Steph and Max, Kate, The Brewer, Matt not in a hat and Richard V with his two border terriers. NaTCH's curry was built on substantial principles with two poppadum's, but a Sunday two weeks later only one poppadum and a rather measly portion. Anyway amusement was garnered from Kate's misunderstanding as to quite why Spadge had gone outside and the enthusiastic and speedy way the border terriers dispatched Max's unwanted biscuits. (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
tu 9 Mar 2004	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 43 Chris' birthday was celebrated loudly by Chris' Lady Friend, Ben, The Brewer , Goddess Steph, Kate, Rob, Daughter Zoë, Richard V, NaTCH and Hugh. Conversation include the mysterious death of Marco Pantani, Los Pistoleros' recent gig at The Manor Ballroom, and Hugh ensured we all knew the Swedish for Loch Ness Monster. (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
tu 9 Dec 2003	Pettistree Three Tuns/Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 41 Well it had to happen. For the first time in three and half years NaTCH didn't make it to lunch club - he had been waylaid coming from London by a stranded nephew in Essex and arrived already late at the Copdock roundabout to find the Orwell Bridge closed and everything blocked up solid. To avoid the traffic he gave up trying to reach Pettistree and set off in the opposite direction. The opposite direction passed the Vic so he dropped in to find Goddess Steph, Daughter Zoë, The Brewer , and Matt in a Hat drinking and laughing. Conversation included how a lottery bid might be raised to fund Goddess Steph's re-emergent desire for decadence. (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch ↓)
tu 7 Oct 2003	Bedfield Crown/Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 40 A bit of a cock up as the Bedfield Crown doesn't open Tuesday lunchtimes (though the collapsing Jensen at the side has gone). A convoy formed and Rob, Goddess Steph, The Brewer, The Brewer's insurance man, Spadge, Spadge's customer Mark (AC Cobra owner!), Matt in a Hat, and NaTCH had a jolly time in The Vic discussing pubs in sit-coms; Tony Hancock - The Hand & Racquet, Ted Ray - The Frog & Nightgown, Only Fools & Horses - The Nags Head, Men Behaving Badly - ? (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch ↑ previous lunch ↓)
tu 12 Aug 2003	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 39 On an almost as scorching a day as record breaking Sunday The Bjornson Ladies, Spadge on a motorbike, new chum Rob, The Brewer formerly known as John B, Suzanna, Malcolm in an Old Git t-shirt he wanted everyone to know had been washed, Goddess Steph, NaTCH, and the entire Barkley family arriving on two tandems and a bike, crammed into the back bar where they eat, drank, and shouted to be heard over everybody else shouting to be heard. Snippets NaTCH picked out were that Campsea Ashe is called that because it once was a camp and Spadge's bon mot "What's that word like D'Artagnan? Ah yes, pathos." AfARs from Hugh (in Sweden), Jane and David (on holiday). (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch ↑ previous lunch)
tu18 Feb 2003	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 34 Another brilliantly successful Ladies Day even though Malcolm didn't get a spoon or any parmesan. Lunchers were Goddess Steph with Rosie and daughter Zoë, one Bjornson Lady, John B, Matt, Malcolm (see above), new chums Pete and Jane, NaTCH and Richard V with two border terriers ... neither of whom bought a round:) According to Matt the conversation was quite intellectual, actually, and included plan hatching to see Noel Coward in Colchester and Fred Dibnah in Felixstowe. AfARs from Suzanna, a tearful Spadge, David, and Rob. (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
we 9 Oct 2002	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 30 NaTCH arrived at Brew House Corner to discover David ("We may not look busy bit there's lots to do"), Malcolm (even more important than usual), and Matt (work of national importance) couldn't attend and John B was about to make a mercy dash to The Station, which he did after buying NaTCH a pint because NaTCH discovered he had neglected to visit the hole in the wall and consequently had £1.58 in his pocket. Then Hugh, who had previously AfARed (might be in Ireland), arrived and kindly bought NaTCH lots more of the very on song Vic! Conversation included chromatography and Hugh's new web site. AfAR from Pippin and Gib (both working). (Last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
we 12 Jun 2002	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 27 NaTCH arrived 10 minutes late to find depressingly he was the first but John B and David soon arrived followed by Malcolm (very smartly turned out to buy his new Norwich Terrier puppy a basket), new lunch club chums Pippin, Gib and Ben, and eventually Spadge who had got sufficiently lost on his motorbike that at one point he was in Norfolk. Not much eating was done though NaTCH enjoyed a lamb casserole and, as usual, sinking a few Vics made the world a better place. For some reason David introduced streptococci as a conversational subject and Malcolm opined I'm glad I'm not doing the report as I can't spell streptococi. AfARs from Hugh (in Ireland) (last visit ↓ subsequent visit previous visit)
we 13 Feb 2002	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 23 Lunchers were Althea, Lady KRJ, NaTCH, The Bjornson Ladies, Goddess Steph with Rosie, Malcolm (who is now so important he could only stay long enough to eat a chop), John B, and the Brewer from a French brewery called Henrys and his Danish mum; easily our best ever turnout and sufficiently large to make seating everybody difficult but we succeeded. Conversation inevitably included brewing in France but also where to get your hair cut now Adam has had a skiing accident and the real reason Ray Kent's shut. AfARs from Spadge (stuck with visiting customer) and David (stuck with work). (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
we 13 Jun 2001	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 15 Apologies were received from everyone except NaTCH, Las, Spadge, Hugh (who seemed to have made it by default rather than by design), Malcolm, David ("the Post"), and John B (eventually). Like all "Home" games, it was bound to be a winner. The reasons for these Lunches has never been clear to me - it's enough to send any young brewer reaching for his auxiliary finings - however, once again staff at the Vic excelled themselves and the Vic - that real throat opener - well, what can I say? You lucky people! Being just after the General Election, absolutely no politics was mentioned but conversation included my watch that really doesn't have a date facility on it - despite written instructions to the contrary. - Malcolm (last visit ↓ subsequent lunch previous lunch)
we 12 ju 2000	Earl Soham Victoria des' dinners 4 Malcolm's mild was particularly on song. (first visit subsequent lunch previous lunch)

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