Voices of Hickling: Stories of the Greyhound Inn (page 2)
Tony was dying to know what was happening and went outside to ask if we should ring the brewery to delay the drey, but they said no they were on their way. Apparently a man was holding someone hostage at gun point near the school (this was not long after Dunblane).
The story goes the man was in a wheelchair, they stormed the house, knocked him out of his chair and retrieved the water pistol he was holding his career hostage with.
When we first moved here in the 90’s a friend came to visit and was shocked how quiet the village was” how are customers going to find you on this goat track?
Well over the years many people have, including a few celebs. A wake for a lady from Sunset Cottage brought Julie Walters to the Greyhound. With much whispering we managed to confirm it was her and it was her aunt that had died. What a super lady, posing for photographs and making a fuss of our dog. I told her my favourite character was Mrs Overall of Acorn Antiques and lo and behold Acorn Antiques the musical hit the West End the following year.
A house party at Mill House brought Holly Willowby in for lunch over the Christmas New Year period. The party had planned to return to the Greyhound for the New Year’s Day Quiz- word got round the village and we were rammed that night, but no Holly. Her little boy was ill so they had had to go home early
Nicholas Crane has been in several times filming for the BBC for Coast and for making maps. In medieval times they would climb a church tower, look for the next church, stride it out, then climb that tower and onto the next church. So a map evolved. He also made a promotional video of the broads for the Broads Authority.
Other filming that has taken place was the film The Three Bears. It was a channel 4/Eastern Arts funded film set in the 50’s where a Russian coal fired submarine was getting low on coal and came inland to find fuel. It was filmed in the Village, the Nature Reserve and the Greyhound.
Photo by Martin Johns