Today’s Pub of the Week is the Marlborough Arms in north Norwich
Marlborough Arms in Norwich. Manager Roberta Smart. Photo: Bill Smith - Credit: Bill Smith - Archant
'It's a back street pub and it is what it is' – that's a neat summary of its appeal given by one of the regulars at the Marlborough Arms in north Norwich.
You can picture the scene from days gone by. Rows of terraced houses with pubs and shops on every corner.
And while the shops and pubs may not be as numerous as they once were, when they still exist, they continue to serve as community hubs.
Generations of people in the area off Magdalen Road to the north of the city will have enjoyed get-togethers and singalongs at the Marlborough Arms.
Neighbours will have sheltered at the pub from the cold in the winter and enjoyed sitting outside enjoying a pint of beer during the summer.
The day I visited was one of the first nice days weather-wise we have had for about six months.
The doors were open and people were walking in to be met with a friendly greeting from friends and the manager, Roberta Smart.
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She started off as a barmaid at the pub and took over as manager after she was made redundant ay Lloyds Bank.'I've been manager off and on since about 1998,' she said.
'I worked in here part-time before. I like the social side of it and the different people you get to meet. And I only live down the road.'
The pub does not do food, but she said they had thriving darts and pool teams and two football teams. They also have live music occasionally.
She added: 'We are a community pub. While trade has been quite down since Christmas, we're hoping that things will pick up with the return of the nice weather. We're looking forward to a sunny summer.'
The Evening News has been urging people to return to pubs in our Love your Local campaign.
To see more stories from the campaign visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/ loveyourlocal