Samson’s Story

Originally published in 2018

Two statues at a Tombland building’s entrance were painted bright crimson in 2014. As their house reopened as

alobster restaurant, plans were underway to transform the two formidable figures—Samson and Hercules—from

their typical bright white to a fiery shade of red. They had guarded Tombland for more time than living memory.

There was outcry in the city.

72% of respondents disapproved of the colour change, according to an October 2014 EDP story. Responses ranged

from “disgusting” and “horrible” to the more forgiving “perhaps it will blend in when they paint the Cathedral to

match.” Naturally, some admirers thought that the red brought new life to the two Norwich legends, who were

beginning to appear increasingly shabby and forgotten as Norwich transformed all around them and Samson and

Hercules fought through all the weathers in a sombre and forward-facing manner.

The fact that the Samson and Hercules you see outside the Samson and Hercules building today are actually

imposters, however, may have gone unnoticed. Since Samson’s arm broke off in 1993 and the two statues were

judged too brittle to be left outside their Tombland home, the authentic and original statues are being kept secure

inside. Even though this marked the end of an era for this particular pair, it gave historians a unique opportunity to

learn more about these sculptures and, in the process, learn that one of them had an intriguing secret.

The Mystery Man

The two statues had dried out by 2014, 21 years after Samson and Hercules were hauled from the porch of what was

then Ritzy’s nightclub and placed in the custody of the Norfolk Museums Service. This was the first time that

conservators were able to remove paint coats off the figures. They had actually dried out so slowly that, like a plaster

cast or a snake shedding its skin, layers and layers of paint would peel off in chunks at a time. The procedure on

Samson showed that he had 60 coats of paint on him, some of which looked to have been gilded. However, what’s

underneath the paint is even more amazing: an intricately carved figure of Samson, complete with sinewy muscles,

popping veins and a luscious curly mane of hair.

The Strongman

In 17th Century England, literacy was only around 40% across the male population in England. At the same time,

Christopher Jay was mayor of Norwich, and lived in a grand house opposite Norwich’s magnificent Cathedral. As a

show of power, and to mark his residence as a grand place of business, two magnificent, life-size statues of iconic

men – Samson and Hercules – were put at the entrance of the doorway to stand guard. Both figures have a different

past: Samson’s story originates from the bible, and Hercules is from Greek Mythology. Both men have one thing in

common: their incredible strength.

Samson’s story in the bible is a violent one. He was a Nazarite, blessed by God with an incredible strength that

allowed him to perform superhuman feats. According to his story, he killed 1,000 Philistines simply with a Donkey’s

jaw (in fact he is holding this jawbone in his statue). After his promised wife married another man, in an act of

vengeance he once gathered up 300 foxes, paired them up and tied them together by their tails with a burning torch

in between them, and sent them running though his enemies’ crops.

Carved eternally as the strong Samson who slayed his enemies, Norwich’s wooden Samson saw the Tombland house

– now affectionately known as the Samson and Hercules building – in many different reincarnations over the years.

In 1920 when the premises was put up for auction by Antique Dealer George Cubbit, the lot included a large

warehouse, gardens, a coach house, a stables, a vinery and the two statues, and was purchased by the Young

Women’s Christian Association. Five years later, plans were drawn up to renovate the premises to include a large

hall, and in 1934 businessman Teddy Bush purchased the Samson and Hercules Building for £3,000.

Teddy’s dreams for the building were ambitious, and it was under his watchful eye that the building was

transformed. Teddy had secretly been acquiring adjoining premises, and in 1935 opened his remarkable finished

article: the Samson and Hercules was now a grand hall containing a swimming pool, which could be converted into a

ballroom in the winter months. Teddy had financed the whole scheme himself, in the face of a recession and an

uncertain future in the wake of the First World War. The swimming pool was a great success, but the ballroom

struggled; ‘ordinary folk’ declared it ‘too posh’ and designed for ‘stuffed shirts’. Teddy galvanised and made changes

that saw trade take off, but with the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939, the swimming pool was transitioned into a

ballroom for the last time.

When the conflict was finished, Samson noticed a change. The building, which was acquired by Geoffrey Watling, the

chairman and president of Norwich City Football Club, was refurbished and restored in 1952 to give it a 17th-century

feel. It reopened in 1954 to widespread public acclaim. After that, the ballroom was transformed into a dancehall

with palm trees and vines hanging from the roof. In 1982, it became Ritzy’s nightclub, and in 1999, it became Ikon.

Two fibreglass replicas of Norwich’s original doormen guard the entrance to the Samson and Hercules building,

which is now a successful Mexican restaurant with great tequila cocktails.

Making a Case for Samson

The real Samson, our story’s protagonist, is presently in storage in London. The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell

started a crowdfunding campaign this Valentine’s Eve to raise money to bring Samson home and asked for

donations.

Similar to any endearing strong man, Samson may appear tough on the surface, yet he is incredibly tender on the

heart. His 350-year-old wooden centre is so brittle that he can no longer stand on his own (his feet haven’t held up

well over the years), and his body is exposed to the weather without his artistic shield. Samson needs a special case to

be created for him, and £15,000 must be donated in order to have him shown in the Museum of Norwich at the

Bridewell.

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