As darkness faded over Norwich on a cool summer’s evening, a brisk wind wandered down King Street. This gust of air floated past Hayden the bakers, Barbers the fish shop, and Swatman the butchers. Eventually, it joined the joyful King Street community as they all piled into The Old Barge. 

At the side of the thatched building, there is an entrance to the pub through a fourteenth-century gothic door. Once inside, it is essential before ordering any drink to observe the many pointed arches above all the customers’ heads. An older gentleman sits beside an extinguished fireplace that holds memories of the past through its carved etchings. Suddenly, a young boy named Joe rushes through the medieval door to alert his grandfather that his dinner is ready. The older gentleman, with his mug of beer and clay pipe in hand, informs Joe that he will leave as soon as he finishes his drink, prompting Joe to join his grandfather in the chair beside him. 

Further into the bar, a young girl named Elsie practises a delightful tune on a piano, inviting in more customers. Beside her, a man with a worried expression plays darts with his friend, whilst his fiancée Pam watches him closely from the bar. 

A comforting voice behind Pam reaches out to her. Pam swings around on her barstool to find landlady Ivy Wodehouse pulling a pint. Ivy carries herself with such confidence that even her presence is enough to console Pam, who expresses her worries of the war. She reflects everyone’s fears, especially due to the Norwich Blitz, which had occurred earlier that summer. 

Ivy reassures Pam that they’ve been through the worst of it — they’re survivors — leaving Pam with an uplifted smile. 

The landlady then carries over a couple of pints to a nearby table, where two locals engage in the stories of two American servicemen. Ivy thanks them for their service as she places down their drinks, and they thank her for hers. 

Before Ivy has even a moment to herself, an engagement party stumbles through the front door, laughing and chatting with one another. Ivy rolls her eyes as Gladys, the bride-to-be, requests a round of free drinks, considering she is set to marry one of Ivy’s relatives. Ivy agrees with an amused smile. 

The engagement party cheers wildly, causing all the other customers to join in, raising their glasses in solidarity. Ivy passes the party and greets a frazzled older lady at the door, who asks for her husband. Before Ivy even has a chance to respond, the woman marches right over to confront Joe’s grandfather, exclaiming that their dinner is now cold. 

Ivy tries to break the tension by offering Joe’s grandmother a drink for all her trouble. There are no complaints from Joe’s grandfather, who orders another drink, that he ultimately must pay for. Joe’s grandmother chuckles as she relaxes next to Joe, who begins telling her about his day. 

Ivy smiles to herself, but it only lasts a second, as the air raid siren begins to echo through the streets of Norwich. 

Calling out to the crowd, attempting to diminish their panic, Ivy instructs everyone to head down towards the cellar as there is not enough room in the Morrison shelter. 

The customers follow Ivy’s advice and make their way to The Old Barge cellar. Ivy notices Elsie in the crowd, overcome with fear. She bends down to hug her daughter, encouraging her to join Pam and the other customers into the safety of the cellar, whilst she has a mission of her own. 

Ivy exits The Old Barge in the opposite direction and into King Street. That’s where she finds her husband William, staring up into the cloudy sky, waiting. Ivy places a hand on William’s shoulder, sharing her wisdom with him; all shall be well. 

Ivy takes her husband’s hand and leads him into The Old Barge cellar with their customers, where they all wait out the sirens. To keep up morale, Ivy shares stories of The Old Barge, as everyone listens eagerly to take their mind off what may be happening above the surface. She tells tales of past residents, from Robert Toppes to Agnes Palmer. Then, they all went around the room to share their own story, which would be remembered for years to come. 

Once the siren had stopped and it was safe to leave, everyone resurfaced in the pub, glad to learn it was just a warning. As each customer left, they made sure to thank Ivy, grateful for her continuous hospitality. 

A couple of years later, a familiar breeze led the group of customers back to The Old Barge to celebrate the end of the war. Yet they also mourned the loss of their friends, old and new, including Ivy’s husband William, who passed away in 1943. They reminisced on past times, astonished that The Old Barge remained standing despite being damaged during the bombings. 

In the 1980s, there was widespread dissent about the change of name from The Old Barge to Dragon Hall.

There is no doubt that the many stories of the Hall’s past residents – such as Ivy Wodehouse – will be celebrated and remembered by countless visitors for years to come.

Story Makers is made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.