Broads Theatre Project

[JennyMorgan]

Those blessed 'interpretation' boards and signs can be a mixed blessing. Yes, I do read them but on the other hand do also regard them as an intrusion on the countryside. I suppose being told that 'there once was a popular mooring here'  or that 'boats used to navigate to this point' could be regarded as educational.

Janet Anne makes the point regarding additional access. The report, for example, makes the point that access will be improved at Oulton Broad and Everette Park. As one who knows the Broad and the park like the back of my hand, other than by providing a helipad in the park, I do honestly question how on earth the already excellent access can be improved. Despite the fact that this project has been live for several years I do wonder at the depth of their knowledge.  

[Vaughan]

Would it surprise you to know that "The Wind in the Reeds" (which I hope you have enjoyed watching) was made at the request of the hire boat agencies? It's funny how times go by but some problems just stay the same. The Broads in 1959 was suffering from a bad press, with all the usual "doom watch" journalism about overcrowding and dead fish.

A place like the Broads can be portrayed according to how a film crew wish to see it, depending on their mission. Dead fish are not like other wild life, which runs or flies away as soon as you approach : they are not at all timid and will lie still for the camera. So all you have to do is throw a handful into the reeds and film them. Rubbish is the same : it doesn't scuttle off to hide in the bushes; it just stays right there on the bank where you have just placed it, so you can get a good shot. Excessive wash is even easier : you can make that with your own camera boat.

So Blakes and Hoseasons sponsored a film which would show the other side of the story, that the Broads were still there, behind all the hype. When it was first shown on BBCTV it had a short intro from Jim Brooker, the MD of Blakes.

One thing we knew about Philip Wayre and Ted Ellis : they never told "porky pies". They only ever told the truth. They were also two men who knew that the Broads have to be commercial, in order to survive.

[LondonRascal]

May I just interject another gem of a video on the East Anglia Film Archive: 'Broads Authority' from 1986 when things were so much more simple, smaller and seemed to have a tighter remit.  Even their officers were modest back then.

Link to watch: http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/897 

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, LondonRascal said:

'Broads Authority' from 1986 when things were so much more simple, smaller and seemed to have a tighter remit. 

That may be how it appears!

Thank you for this Robin and I assume you posted it to show how similar their presentations were then, to the latest offering we have seen at the start of this thread.

The first thing that struck me was that the only two people I recognised in all of that film were Aitken Clarke and Ted Ellis. The rest were presumably career civil servants. I saw a couple of the crew of Albion that I used to know, but then the Wherry Trust was not influenced or financed by the BA in those days and I don't think the Maud was either. She was raised and restored by Royalls in Wroxham and is still private to this day. And don't forget the BA wanted her raised out of Ranworth Dam as she was in the way of their plans for a "Visitors' Centre".

For the BA to present themselves as the saviours of wherries in this fashion, is a Porky Pie. In my opinion they were glibly and slyly taking the credit on themselves for various improvements to preservation and water quality that were in place long before they were born. Wind pumps? What about the Windmills Trust, which was already preserving many examples?

My father was one of the pioneers of pumpout systems on boats in the early 60s and these were designed, manufactured, installed and paid for by the boatyards. Once this was in place and therefore proved that the problem was not coming from boats, it was up to City, Town and County Councils and their civil engineering departments, to regulate the use of fertilisers by farmers and control the quality of the effluent from their own municipal sewers. I don't recall this having anything to do with the BA and it was well in place before their time.

The "saviours" of the Halvergate Marshes? As I recall it was only the force of public opinion - having seen the devastation caused to other parts of Broadland - that prevented the BA from allowing them to be dug up!

You may be saying "Cor, he's a bit grumpy isn't he? How do we know that this was a cynical piece of marketing?" Well some of the proof is right there in the film!

Have a look at the last couple of minutes, when they praise themselves for what they have created on the Maltsters Quay at Ranworth. That sign, pointing to the information centre, has a Blakes emblem on it, and it was Blakes information centre. This is because Blakes were the lease-holders of the quay (and the whole blasted broad) ever since the early 50s and it was their foresight and finance over the years that stopped the Broad from closing, and provided the facilities that we still know today. It's difficult to see, with the old quality of the film, but I am prepared to bet that that is a later style Blakes flag on that flagpole.

One other thing is clear. Their priority then, as now, comes out as walkways and footpaths to "open up" certain places to pedestrian access. I notice their pleasure at showing the new public toilet block on the road near Salhouse Broad. That was pretty much the first thing they ever did and all of us at that time were saying "What do we need that for?" I didn't see anything in this film that spoke of improvements, or maintenance, to the navigation.

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

I don't think the Maud was either. She was raised and restored by Royalls in Wroxham

Are you sure?  I thought she was raised (From Ranworth Damn) then taken to Eastwood Whelptons yard and restored there?

Griff

[LondonRascal]

Vaughan, I think I speak for a number of people that your contributions to this Forum, insight to the past and personal stories both entertain and educate and are priceless. So thank you for carrying on to enlighten and cause me to sit avidly reading every sentence and coming away richer for knowledge as a result.

[LondonRascal]

By the way looks awfully like a Blakes flag to me..

[JennyMorgan]

For Maud click here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_(wherry)

Other than that Vaughan is almost entirely right. The Authority is proving adept at taking credit for events and improvements that have happened in their time. 

[JennyMorgan]

Re Halvergate I always thought that Friends of the Earth were the driving force in the Battle for Halvergate Marshes. The BA has had its successes, Barton Broad springs to mind. Regarding Wherries, if the Authority really wants to help the wherry cause then they might consider a zero toll for them, even as a relatively small gesture.

[johnb]

It seems to me that sometimes, projects with a 5 year time scale can sometimes lose  focus, people involved at the beginning sometimes have the attitude that "I will be doing something else by then"

SO

I think it is up to us to monitor the outcome. Hopefully we will all still be around in 5 years time,( so I suggest we all meet together on this forum then to discuss our findings. If you can't make the 29th, perhaps the 30th September?

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, LondonRascal said:

Vaughan, I think I speak for a number of people that your contributions to this Forum, insight to the past and personal stories both entertain and educate and are priceless. So thank you for carrying on to enlighten and cause me to sit avidly reading every sentence and coming away richer for knowledge as a result.

Robin. I also read every word of your posts. We both tend to express ourselves at length, don't we?

You are a modern lover of the Broads, with a modern outlook and above all, modern knowledge, which I do not have. In other words, you are an inheritor of the Broads.

But it is very obvious that we both have the same passion. Long may that continue!!

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Re Halvergate I always thought that Friends of the Earth were the driving force in the Battle for Halvergate Marshes.

In all humility it was myself and Standley Bushell who persuaded Andrew Lees of the FOE that the Broads boaters, and especially the hirers, wanted the same thing that he did. None of us wanted to destroy the Broads! Once he had taken this aboard he became one of our strongest supporters.

Sadly he is gone now, but he was a very genuine man, and I can say that he became a friend of mine.

[JennyMorgan]

Thank you for clarifying that historically important point, Vaughan.

[Timbo]

13 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

The report, for example, makes the point that access will be improved at Oulton Broad and Everette Park. As one who knows the Broad and the park like the back of my hand, other than by providing a helipad in the park, I do honestly question how on earth the already excellent access can be improved. Despite the fact that this project has been live for several years I do wonder at the depth of their knowledge.  

I've got the whip out again Iain!

Not wanting to be negative, I'm just basing this on twenty years experience dealing with these schemes but...

When they talk of 'access' they don't for one second mean anything physical. They are not talking about walkways, footpaths, navigable water or even a helipad. What they are talking about is the 'concept' of access. Giving a slide show talk to a group of school children is giving them 'access' to the Broads. Putting on a play about the Broads in 1935 is giving the audience 'access to the history of the Broads'. Building a website is giving access to the Broads...in this case they would even call it a 'gateway'.Making a film about the Broads is giving the viewer access to the Broads. In his own way Robin will have fulfilled the scope of this scheme ten times over. Just look at the number of views his video's get.He's providing access to the Broads to thousands of people under the scope of this funding.

If they are still taking bids for funding in this round I'm fairly sure that if Robin and I get together with Jenny Morgan and Vaughan with some cameras, mics and lights...we could have it on our toes with a sizeable chunk of the loot by producing a film on Broadland social history and culture.

Whaddya say guys?

[VetChugger]

Hmmmmm.... it might come as a bit of a shocking surprise to some to learn that not everyone who comes to the Broads comes to "navigate"! OK, I know, blasphemy on a site like this!

[JanetAnne]

30 minutes ago, VetChugger said:

Hmmmmm.... it might come as a bit of a shocking surprise to some to learn that not everyone who comes to the Broads comes to "navigate"! OK, I know, blasphemy on a site like this!

A very good point sir. And there are many businesses and individuals who rely on the non boating visitors for their very existence.

Not sure what there will be left to visit should the tolls paid for the right to navigate dry up with the loss of the actual navigation though?

[Vaughan]

10 hours ago, Timbo said:

I'm fairly sure that if Robin and I get together with Jenny Morgan and Vaughan with some cameras, mics and lights..

What about old Wussername then? We need him for the actions.

[JennyMorgan]

10 hours ago, Timbo said:

I've got the whip out again Iain!

Not wanting to be negative, I'm just basing this on twenty years experience dealing with these schemes but...

When they talk of 'access' they don't for one second mean anything physical. They are not talking about walkways, footpaths, navigable water or even a helipad. What they are talking about is the 'concept' of access. Giving a slide show talk to a group of school children is giving them 'access' to the Broads. Putting on a play about the Broads in 1935 is giving the audience 'access to the history of the Broads'. Building a website is giving access to the Broads...in this case they would even call it a 'gateway'.Making a film about the Broads is giving the viewer access to the Broads. In his own way Robin will have fulfilled the scope of this scheme ten times over. Just look at the number of views his video's get.He's providing access to the Broads to thousands of people under the scope of this funding.

If they are still taking bids for funding in this round I'm fairly sure that if Robin and I get together with Jenny Morgan and Vaughan with some cameras, mics and lights...we could have it on our toes with a sizeable chunk of the loot by producing a film on Broadland social history and culture.

Whaddya say guys?

Fair point but all that information/access is already out there, it's called the internet.

[JennyMorgan]

9 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

What about old Wussername then? We need him for the actions.

Wuss & me will do all the slow motion!

[Wussername]

21 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

What about old Wussername then? We need him for the actions.

Blast me bor!

All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players..........with fair lined belly and good capon lined.

I remember it well, the roar of the grease paint, the smell of the crowd.

I'm your man master Vaughan

Wussername. Lol

[Vaughan]

9 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

10 hours ago, VetChugger said:

Hmmmmm.... it might come as a bit of a shocking surprise to some to learn that not everyone who comes to the Broads comes to "navigate"! OK, I know, blasphemy on a site like this!

A very good point sir. And there are many businesses and individuals who rely on the non boating visitors for their very existence.

Not sure what there will be left to visit should the tolls paid for the right to navigate dry up with the loss of the actual navigation though?

I agree with both of you, from your viewpoints.

Mine, however, goes back to that film, The Wind in the Reeds, posted on this thread. Those were the days when the Broads really could only be seen by boat. I would contend that this fact also gave their wildlife and countryside an important protection of its own. What it will soon be like with all these pedestrians and baby carriages all fighting their way through the reeds on the bark chippings, I dread to think. They won't see any wildlife, especially if they have a dog with them. 

Where do bitterns and other rare species thrive and nest? In the places with no "access" where they feel safe. I reckon there is already a good amount of these public friendly areas, such as Ranworth and indeed, Salhouse Broad. Do we need any more, if they risk destroying the fragile nature of these wetlands that the BA say they are determined to preserve?

The other point by Janet Anne is the commercial one. Just like the cyclists I have been grumbling about elsewhere, all these footsloggers are going to pay nothing towards all the expensive facilities laid on for them.

 

[Vaughan]

13 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Wuss & me will do all the slow motion!

Does that mean Timbo and I are going to have to nip about? I hope you're joking. . . . .

[BroadScot]

11 hours ago, Timbo said:

with Jenny Morgan and Vaughan with some cameras, mics and lights...we could have it on our toes with a sizeable chunk of the loot by producing a film on Broadland social history and culture.

Whaddya say guys?

Well, get on with it !!!! Aye, n smartish laddie ! 

11 hours ago, Timbo said:

I've got the whip out again Iain!

Ok Timbo aka Annie Oakley !   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6hpkSm2Q9M

Iain

[Timbo]

I'm working on it... On location in some medieval plaster pits with Arbi, the grip and focus puller! 

[BroadScot]

2 minutes ago, Timbo said:

I'm working on it... On location in some medieval plaster pits with Arbi, the grip and focus puller! 

A very strange looking.....whip !!!