Potter Heigham
Potter Heigham is located in the heart of the
Norfolk
Broads on the River Thurne.
Sidney Grapes
The Late Great Sidney
Grapes
Sidney Grapes, the Norfolk humourist, lived most of his
life in the village. Originally he owned a cycle shop
(located next to the River Thurne) but, with the coming
of the age of the car, he transformed this into a
garage. He used to live in a flat
above the 'shop' with his wife Ella.
Grapes' Garage c. 1924
He is best remembered for his Norfolk dialect letters which
where originally printed in the The
Eastern Daily Press - known as
The Boy John Letters.
These detailed the goings on (as narrated by the Boy
John) of various engaging Norfolk
village characters
including Aunt Agatha, Granfar and Mrs W. The letters
were full of humour and good sense and are particularly
remembered for Aunt Agatha's aphorisms which concluded
each instalment - such as: 'Aunt Agatha, she say: All
husbands are alike, only they have different faces so
you can tell 'em apart.' There is a
oak-panelled clergy vestry in St Nicholas'
Church dedicated to Sidney Grapes. 2008 marks the
50th anniversary of his death and a new collection of
the Boy John Letters - with an introduction by Keith Skipper -
have recently been released. Keith is also keen to set
up a 'Sidney Grapes Appreciation Society' to help foster
interest in the man and his works. (See
Norfolk Literary Events
for more information about S.G.A.S.) See also
Norfolk Dialect.
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