George Borrow Society

NORWICH REVISITED

THE GEORGE BORROW SOCIETY 2026 CONFERENCE

Wednesday 29^th April – Friday 1^st May 2026

George Borrow Society members and their guests are warmly invited to our 2026 Conference, which will be based at the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich.

A conference fee of £25 per person covers essential costs related to this event. Meals are optional and paid by attendees.

Early registration is encouraged, as space is limited. Registration deadline is Friday, April 17.

Provisional Schedule

Wednesday 29th April

Travel to Norwich, settle into your accommodation and start to explore.

7.00 pm: Informal Borrovian conviviality at the Maids Head Hotel, 20 Tombland Norwich NR3 1 LB https://www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk/

Thursday 30th April

10:00 am: Guided tour of Borrow’s Norwich led by John Day, adapted from a walk planned by the late Dr Ann Ridler and Mrs Phyllis Stanley

12.30 pm: Lunch at The Norfolk Club, 17 Upper King Street, Norwich NR3 1RB https://www.thenorfolkclub.co.uk

2.00 pm: Visit to Norwich Castle - fees and accessibility information at www.norwichcastle.norfolk.gov.uk

7.00 pm: Evening meal at Zizzi, 25 Tombland, Norwich NR3 1RF https://www.zizzi.co.uk

Friday 1st May

10.00 am: Walk on Mousehold Heath led by John Day, followed by free time

2.15 pm: Reading of Conference Papers in Conference Room at the Maid’s Head Hotel (subject to confirmation):

Tony Fielder – George Henry Borrow, Pedestrian

John Day – Crome, Borrow and the Sublime

Pete Ansell – The Image of Gypsies in Literature

Stuart Hobday, The Martineau Society – Borrow, the Martineau family and Norwich in the 1820s

6:00 pm: Free time

7:00 pm: George Borrow Society Annual Dinner in the Conference Room at the Maids Head Hotel, finishing with our three traditional toasts: i) To Borrovians the world over; ii) To absent friends; iii) To the immortal memory of George Henry Borrow

10:00 pm: End of conference

Suggested accommodation in Norwich

The Maids Head Hotel, 20 Tombland, Norwich NR3 1LB https://www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk/

Premier Inn, Duke Street, Norwich NR3 3AP https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/norfolk/norwich.html

Other options may be found online via search engines such as Trivago or Expedia.

What to do if you would like to attend the George Borrow Society’s Norwich Conference

If you are not already a member of the GBS, join here and then register for the conference.

If you do not live locally, make travel arrangements to and from Norwich and book your accommodation for the period 29th April to 1st May 2026 (see suggestions above).

Make any arrangements needed for your travel or health insurance.

Please join our WhatsApp group Borrovians in Norwich 2026 so that we can communicate with each other quickly before and during the Conference.

Please register using our online form no later than Friday, April 17. Payment may be made by card via PayPal or by cheque. Note that because the Conference is restricted to GBS members and their guests, you will need to log in in order to sign up.

Register here