The Lord Nelson

Real Ale, Good Food & Live Music in Reedham on the Norfolk Broads

The founders of The Water Rats Jazz Band back then in 1965 were a handful of young lads. They came for a week's holiday to the Norfolk Broads, hired a boat and felt a little bored. What could be done? The answer was easy: lets drink some beer and play some music. The music was Jazz, traditional Jazz, possibly not the very best in the country, but at least recognisable. "We'll meet again next year", they promised to each other after that week. A long, long, long tradition had started.

In 2007, The Water Rats Jazz Band played it's 42nd tour of the Norfolk Broads. Until today it is the only place in the world where you can meet the Water Rats and listen to their music. The band never accept any of the numerous offers to play elsewhere. not the White House or Buckingham palace; not a week's tour on German river Rhine; not even the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Silly, you may think, but remember: the Rats started by chance as a purely recreational activity and there was nothing else intended. The boys meet once a year, travel together on a boat, play twice a day if they want to, and if they do not want to, they don't. This is very important to all of them: it's still a kind of holiday for the Rats' musicians, and should they suddenly decide to take a day off, they do. not that this has ever been known!