Simon Michlmayr, of Norwich clock and watch makers and repairers S Michlmayr & Company, returned to the scene of his first summer clock repair job as a 14 year-old – the Maids Head Hotel.
Forty years ago Mr Michlmayr, under the watchful eye of his late father Fritz, repaired the mid 19th century clock, which overlooks diners in the Maids Head Hotel's 2 AA Rosettes Wine Press Restaurant. Now it was the turn of Mr Michlmayr to oversee his assistant, Esme Collins, who repaired and restored the clock.
“It has been really interesting to come back to the Maids Head and help repair this historic timepiece again,” said Simon Michlmayr. “I remember being very excited forty years ago as I embarked on my first official job.I am pleased that I was able to give the work to Esme.”
The Maids Head clock, which dates from the 1850s, is weight driven and runs for a week. It was originally a striking clock. The mechanism is accessed from a small cupboard in the hotel's 18th century Assembly Room, now called the Minstrel Suite, which overlooks the restaurant courtyard.
Simon Michlmayr set up his own business 33 years ago, after his father died. He looks after City Hall's clock and has worked on many of the church clocks in the area, as well as repairing domestic clocks and wristwatches.
Esme Collins has completed the first two years in the British Horological Institute's Diploma in the Repair and Restoration of Clocks, with one more year of studying to come.
Christine Malcolm, General Manager, the Maids Head Hotel said. “It has been wonderful to welcome Simon Michlmayr back to the Maids Head to look after our historic courtyard clock, which has been a constant presence in the hotel for more than 150 years. With Simon and his colleague Esme's expert work, the clock will continue to oversee proceedings for many more years.”
For more information about S Michlmayr & Company t. 01603 403687, www.michlmayr.com
For more information about the Maids Head Hotel t. 01603 209955, www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk
Two members of the Maids Head Hotel Housekeeping team have notched up an impressive 50 years of service between them.
Mandy Ames, has just celebrated her 30+1 years of service with Denise Edwards celebrating 20 years. The hotel was not able to celebrate Mandy’s 30 years in November 2020 due to the Hotel having to close because of lockdown.
All the team came together at the quarterly Vision and Values Awards Lunch to mark their achievement and to thank them for all their hard work, dedication and loving care of The Maids Head Hotel.
Mandy became Head Housekeeper in 1992 when the hotel was owned by Queens Moat House and over the years has seen many changes in ownership. Mandy said “since the Hotel became independent in 2015 the hotel has gone from strength to strength and these have definitely been the best years due to all the investment and developments which have taken place. I love the Hotel and it has become my second family”.
Marcin ‘Magic’ Pomierny (age 35), Head Chef at the Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich and Chef of the Year in the EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2016, is one of the top 10 chefs in the country, following his appearance in this year's final of the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year competition.
Ten chefs competed in the final cook off at Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in London on Monday, September 7, and the winner, Nick Smith, Head Chef at Vacherin, London was revealed on Wednesday, September 30 during Hospitality Week.
“Commenting on the competition Magic said: “It was amazing to be in the final top 10 in the UK. The judging panel was great, featuring some of the best chefs in the country – the Chairman of Judges was Paul Ainsworth. I enjoyed the final a lot and was 100% happy with my dishes.”
Marcin ‘Magic’ Pomierny (age 35), Head Chef at the Maids Head Hotel in Tombland Norwich and Chef of the Year in the EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2016, is a semi-finalist in the 2020 Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year competition for the third year running.
Forty chefs are competing in the semi-finals for a place in the final 10. This year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the live semi-final cook offs will not take place. Instead Magic has been tasked with submitting a short video presenting a signature dish which sums up his personality and tells his story 'in a couple of bites'.
Magic, who was a finalist in the 2008 Craft Guild of Chefs Young Chef of the Year competition explains: “My video features an amuse bouche, 'Summer of the Sourdough Crisp', inspired by the summers when I was growing up in Poland. My family went to work on my Grandparents' farm. The work was hard, but my Grandmother produced fabulous meals and I particularly remember the wonderful tomatoes that she grew and we picked from the garden and the sourdough bread that she baked every day. My Sourdough Crisp features avocado and elderflower tatare, Heritage Norfolk tomatoes ,soft white cheese and smoked onion powder.”
The Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich, one of the oldest hotels in the UK, will emerge from lockdown on Saturday, July 4. It is believed that this is the first time that the hotel has been closed since it started trading as the Murtel Fish Inn during the 13th century.
Christine Malcolm, General Manager said: “We are all looking forward to welcoming guests to the hotel after this three month closure. It will also be very good to see our staff return from furlough. They have been keeping their spirits up with a whole range of activities from a baking competition, to a Zoom lunch and a virtual run between the Maids Head and our sister hotels, The Gonville in Cambridge and The Ship at Brancaster.
We recently delivered a lockdown gift of Norfolk strawberries, clotted cream and chilled rose wine to our 90 staff who live across the county, from Norwich to Wymondham, Reepham and Gorleston. This resulted in some great feedback, Dawn said: 'Lovely surpirise today, thank you Christine and the team, miss you all...' ”
Throughout 2019, Break was the Maids Head Hotel's local charity. During the year staff and guests raised £1,184.06. We invited Danielle Gravestock from Break to receive the cheque and celebrate the fundraising success with our staff.
The money was raised through collection buckets, a Christmas raffle and donations at special events including resident tour guide Paul Dickson's Shardlake's Norwich tours during English Tourism Week and Norfolk Day and Rob Knee from the Paston Heritage Society who gave talks about the Pastons and the Paston Letters on Norfolk Day and on 22 November. The second talk was on the anniversary of the Maids Head getting it's first official written mention in a Paston letter. A team from the Maids Head – Jonathan Brasnett, Andrew Shorthose and Rose Taylor - also completed the City of Norwich half marathon in aid of Break.
