Answers

Q. Mumsie asked me to find some African folktales for a friend at work.

A. My official recommendation is Tales From Africa. When I took Folklore at UGA we used books from this series. The stories are collected straight from storytellers in the region and then transcribed and translated. This is as close as you will get to unadulterated African folktales without traveling to Africa.

Q. Cousin Madeline asked about Bletsoe, England.

A. Bletsoe is in Bedfordshire County, which has a website: click here. The Wikipedia article is not very good, but there is a map. It looks like Bletsoe is roughly as far from us as London is.

Q. Rachel is a newcomer to the blog (I can't tell you how exciting it is that my blog is helping someone!) who would like advice about moving to Norwich.

A. To get a flat, check out the listings on Prime Location ahead of time to get an idea of where you might want to live and what prices are like. The Golden Triangle is a good area for access to the city center and the University of East Anglia, but it does cost more to live inside the triangle than outside.
You probably won't be able to secure a flat before moving. I have been told you can hire someone to act on your behalf to do viewings and such, but after dealing with the rental agencies I'm not so sure about this approach.
I would suggest visiting lots of rental agencies as soon as you move, choosing a couple of properties you like, and being aggressive about getting them.
Normally the application requires that you have a UK bank account and UK references. (I'll get to bank account advice in a minute.) A UK cosigner is also an option.
John and I had none of these things. Instead we provided them with tons of information about our finances: bank statements, loan statements, John's acceptance letter from UEA. Then we asked the agency to talk to the landlord and see what could be arranged. The landlord accepted our documents along with a deposit of three months rent.
You may be able to get a similar arrangement, but it will depend on the agency and landlord. (We rent from JSM.)
If you can provide a deposit of six months rent, you should be able to get a property without any proof of finances. A lease lasts for six months and goes month to month after that, so essentially you will be paying all of your rent up front and are no risk.
As for the bank account, if you are a student you should visit one of the bank branches on campus. Although there are branches for many banks all over Norwich, only the branches on campus have experience setting up accounts for foreign students. From what I can tell, it is much easier to get a bank account as a student.
If you are not a student, you will probably need to have an address, a job, and a decent amount of money to deposit.
The initial part of the move is the hardest, but once you get settled in, Norwich is a great place to live.


I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can do more to answer your questions!