Soundings

JohnK i really cannot argue wit that. I have to say well said and mean it :-)

Mmmm account still open! Look, I have no gripe with Riccos or their business model. My gripe is damage to what should in my view be a quiet landscape, where to use it is a privilege rather than a right to some wholesale adventure playground. It is regulation on the Broads that dictates business practice. The question is does that regulation work. You know what I think. The pressure on a unique landscape is clear and with the amount of development going on in the area I really do fear for the future. Clive, sorry if I have offended you and your business. That is not my intention. You have the right to run your business in any way you wish provided it complies with local regulations. Indeed you have a responsibility to do the best for your investors and customers within that framework. What I dispute is that framework and its impact.

PS the mods were quick at deleting my post but not so nimble at closing my account. Cannot find a way to close it myself - any pointers?

I do not want a protracted debate and we all have valuable views. IMO big business does not necessarily support the Broads, it uses it. I know all the arguments but I think over the past few years we have seen illustration after illustration that the only interest of business is self interest (intentionally or otherwise). And that is from a guy who has been "blue" forever. Anyway enough is enough, I have asked the mods to close my account. I care for the Broads and for reasons that I hope are clear cannot / should not continue as a member of this forum. The deletion of my post also shows this is not a place for open debate. I just hope that in years to come the balance is sorted. I do wish Richardsons well and appreciate they are a great holiday outfit with great customer service. I will now retire to my home village and look lovingly at "that bridge". No hard feelings this end and goodbye :-)

Yup I agree, value for money for users but not value for the Broads as a natural resource. Yes it has been bottled up and I no longer boat on the Broads because of the commercial drivers that business sees as the only purpose the Broads serve. Thank heavens for that bridge, it keeps a bit of Broadland sane. There is no particular issue - this is general. The Broads should be a real National Park....sorry. Interesting to note my post has been deleted. Says it all!

They will probably insure third party without survey though. Which might be good enough for a cheap boat.

In your opinion

Just been a sort of victim of it. We are selling and had a buyer (Norfolk borne and bred) who had sold to a family who have lived in Norfolk in rented for two years and work as nurse and paramedic in a Norfolk hospital. Unfortunately our buyers house has a Section 157 restriction - can only be sold to those who have lived/worked in Norfolk for three years. The council would not let the sale go through and an application to have the restriction lifted was refused. It is now going to appeal. Obviously I have my own views which I will not share seeing as I have a vested interest!

Being an old cynic I rather suspect that councils rather like the developers. With the cuts in funding these days they can get the construction companies, as part of the planning deal, to provide "essentials" that they cannot afford to put in place themselves - like roads, new schools, etc.

I have strong views on all this building and I had best leave it as that. BUT, I do get fed up with the way these big building companies just plunder the area (has anyone looked around Takeley recently and all in a few short years. It is still being developed). Somehow once they get a foot hold there is no stopping them: in-fill, back-fill, side-fill and every other conceivable kind of fill imaginable. And all with houses and estates that look exactly the same - no individuality between neighbourhoods at all. I drove across the Cambridgeshire fens the other day, through a village in which an old friend of mine once lived. It has not escaped development but the development has been undertaken by local builders and there are all sorts of houses with reasonable sized gardens. It looks so much better and has I think rather enhanced the village.

There is a lot to be said for Linux nowadays but it does, as you say, lack some software. I am heavily into photo editing and music recording and find the support on Linux to be lacking.It is a shame for distros like Ubuntu are so stable now. For email and word-processing though Linux has all Mr Average really needs.

Such, sad, sad news. Never met him but it somehow did not feel that way. He will be missed greatly. Condolences to his family.

Good luck. We need all the pubs we can get!

Sad news Grendel, but she was in the best place in her world when she made the journey to Rainbow Bridge. That must be a great comfort to you.

We just do not seem effective in front of goal. It was the same when playing Russia and Wales. There is something wrong somewhere because it is a consistent failing it seems. Yes, we are a hard team to beat but it appears to stop there. We were all over the opposition but .......