Interview: My Hometown – Millie Manders ” I love the general diversity and acceptance here.”

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Widely acknowledged as one of the best of the new crop of emerging artists to hit the punk scene Millie Manders spent some time in London but now resides back in Norwich. She shares a home with her cat Mattie and the pair go on regular adventures and even have an Instagram page together. Here Millie gives us the low down on her home town, and if you like pubs then Norwich looks like a place you really need to visit.

Is there anything that Norwich is known for that locals are proud of?
“There are loads of things. Historically it’s the home of Coleman’s Mustard (and a very little known fact is that in the far reaches of my family history, we owned the land Coleman’s had before they did!) There’s also Alan Partridge, Delia Smith, the football club and, I found out a year or so ago, the highest concentration of churches, many now underground. There is also an underground city you can get a tour for. Almost forgot! Norfolk might be mainly flat but that means the skies are huge. There are several beaches that seals come to give birth and loads of beach/woodland walks. You’re never far away from a park or camping spot. It’s a bit beautiful for sure.”

What are the places where you most like to hang out?
“To be honest, I don’t really hang out that much… I prefer to meet friends in parks or have people over to mine for a glass and a chat. The Reindeer is lovely though if you want a cosy pub.”

What are your favourite places to go out for a meal?
“The Reindeer does an amazing Sunday roast. Tipsy Vegan is hands down my favourite restaurant, but there are so many good places to eat for any palate. The Belgian Monk, The Lamb, Voodoo Daddy’s Pizza, Moorish Falafel, Namaste, Thai Kitty… There’s more, but those are a few that are well up there for me.”

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Are there any good venues in Norwich? Both for larger touring bands and also local artists?
“Absolutely! LCR (also known as the UEA – editor) is the biggest venue, followed by Epic. You’ve then got the Arts Centre, Shoe Factory, Voodoo Daddy’s Show Room, The Reindeer, The Walnut and loads more. We lost Open recently which was a massive blow but live music isn’t going to beaten in this little city just yet.”

What do you love about Norwich?
“The general diversity and acceptance here. There is very little hate crime. You get assholes everywhere but it just seems to be so much nicer here. The community spirit is alive and well and I think it’s beautiful.”

And is there anything you dislike?
“The public transport locally is horrendous!”

Do you have a place that you like to go that’s off the tourist list? Somewhere that’s special to you?
“Home (the community garden is quiet and safe), Mousehold Heath for walks in the trees.”

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Have you got any special memories of Norwich that you’d like to share?
“The special memories I have are all friend related. Touring means that I don’t necessarily get to experience where I live in the same way someone who has a more static lifestyle would, so the memories I hold dear are the ones where I am spending time with people I love, laughing until my belly hurts.”

Sell Norwich to Devolution readers. Why should they visit?
“You can walk across the city in an hour, there are more pubs than there are shops, the food is incredible and you can be who the hell you want to be without fear. There are some gorgeous beaches, woodland walks and huge sweeping skies, friendly people and (when this bloody virus does one) we have a vibrant music scene.”

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Interview and Photos By Gary Trueman
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