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In 1950, the Jewish working class playwright Arnold Wesker left London and came to stay with his sister Della in South Norfolk. Once in the county, he gained a job as a kitchen porter at The Bell Hotel on Timber Hill in Norwich. While working at The Bell he met Dusty Bicker who was a chambermaid and the couple fell in love. Dusty became the model for Beatie Bryant - the central character in his Norfolk based play Roots. It was visiting Dusty's parent's farm at Redenhall near Long Stratton that gave him the setting for the play. Roots was part of a trilogy of plays which included Chicken Soap with Barley (1958) and I'm Talking About Jerusalem (1960).

Some of Wesker's experience in The Bell Hotel kitchen may also have filtered into The Kitchen - although this was primarily about his time spent at the La Rallye restaurant in Paris.

Wesker is largely remembered for his contribution to the 'kitchen sink' school of English theatre. This was a reaction against middle-class, drawing-room-style plays and for the first time brought working class people to the centre of the stage. John Osborne was another exponent.

The Bell Hotel, Norwich.

Arnold Wesker

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Arnold Wesker