A Wonderful Childhood At St Catherines

A Memory of Norwich.

My late father, Rev H Roderick Carter, was the Vicar at St Catherines from the early 1950's to about 1968.
Living at the Vicarage meant that we had people coming and going all day, everyday. Mum was very supportive of Dad taking her part in helping to run a very large Parish. The Vicarage garden was large and we had many friends enjoying playing games with us. I loved going out onto the Aylsham Road where we would throw sticks up into the tall 'conker' trees and take our booty home to 'roast' them in the Aga to make them hard for the next conker fight!
It was a wonderful childhood - going for a Sunday afternoon family walk upon Mousehold Heath or Ringland, playing on the slides and swings at Wensum Park and drinking from the fountain.
I sang in the choir under old Mr Hammond - we looked so angelic in our blue robes and blue hats! Ringing the bells was a special treat. During the summer many of us would gather in the huge churchyard to cut lawns, tidy paths, cut back hedges, weed the wonderful rose gardens outside the church hall whilst armies of Mother's Union members would clean the inside the church.
My memories, my so very happy memories of St Catherines will always be with me.
Thank you to all the parishioners who made our childhood so extra special.