As pressures grow on Norfolk to fall into line, face up to the inevitable and accept the dull blanket of
uniformity without further argument, along comes this powerful volume to defend the glorious cussed
streak.
Taking a liberty with the SAS motto “Who Dare’s Wins” Keith Skipper suggests a new battle-cry “Dare to
Dew Diffrunt” should echo across Norfolk’s flat (but not so very flat as everyone thinks) landscape.
Mixing the satirical with the serious, the puckish with the passionate and the whimsical with the stark warning,
Norfolk champion Keith Skipper calls for a bold and united front in the battle to keep his county daring to
do different.
A worthy successor to his highly successful Normal for Norfolk, he describes this as “a manual for longsuffering
locals, crafty commuters, naive newcomers, testy tourists, well-heeled weekenders, sophisticated
second-homers, metropolitan missionaries and any other observers drawn to one of the last great outposts
of sensible living.”
That just about covers the lot. As Norfolk's leading disciple of defiance declares. “If you can't beat 'em -
enlighten 'em!”
Keith Skipper has been writing and talking about his home county with rare
humour and passion for over 40 years as journalist, broadcaster and entertainer -
"and there's still plenty to come!" He has produced more than 30 books, the bulk
of them celebrating the unique qualities of Norfolk dialect and wit, as well as a string
of proudly parochial videos and CDs.
Keith was awarded an MBE in the 2007 New Year Honours List for services to the
Norfolk community, an impressive follow-up to his appointment four years earlier
as a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk.
He was founder-chairman of Friends Of Norfolk Dialect (FOND), set up in 1999
"to help get rid of those abominable Mummerzet tones in so many national
television and radio productions”. The malady lingers on.
He has fronted the Press Gang troupe of local entertainers around village halls and other temples of culture
for nearly 25 years and is in constant demand as a speaker at all kinds of events.
Keith lives in Cromer on the North Norfolk coast with wife Diane. Their sons Danny and Robin are studying
at university and college “nurturing their proud Norfolk roots”.
Imprint: Halsgrove. ISBN 978 184114 654 6, hardback, 138x216mm, 160 pages. Published November 2007. Reprinted February 2008.
REVIEWS: Eastern Daily Press.
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