[The 2009 NBN's 2nd Birthday Bash - Sat. 19th September]

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[The 2009 NBN's 2nd Birthday Bash - Sat. 19th September]

As far as I know its the same one Martin

For the saturday night we just need to count bums on seats to let the Kings arms Know how many seats and tables we need reserving down in the bottom corner of the bar, we dont need to count up for food for the Saturday as its being left to members to decide if they would like a barmeal and order/pay for the food in the normal way

However we do need to know how many would like to join us for the Sunday BBq, as we will be providing food for this one and need a fairly accurate head count of attendees to do so, without risking shortages or waste food

Julz

[Calorifiers and hot water]

I feel a bit daft posting this with all you technical experts around but on our landlubin broadland boat we have a Thetford duel fuel waterheating system which heats the water brilliantly using either bottled gas or 240v at the flick of a switch. Whould one of these systems solve your problem Simon? the entire unit including insulated tank fits under one bench seat and holds enough hot water for us both to shower before needing about 10 mins to recharge up to holding near boiling hot water again, suppiled via domestic type taps.

Julz

[The 2009 NBN's 2nd Birthday Bash - Sat. 19th September]

Hopefully it wont come to that stage Barry, and you will still be able to join your Holiday ok

We are down on the broads for 10 days in September, so we may be able to catch up with you and Olive later in the week if you are back in time, otherwise we will be down for several weeks next year, both North and South based hopefully and will be setting up a few NBN meet opartunities then

Julz

[The 2009 NBN's 2nd Birthday Bash - Sat. 19th September]

Just a bit of an update on this one for all you lovely people

We will now be running a 2009 NBN prize draw competition, with tickets on sale from Mid August, further details to follow once we have finalised our list of Super Prizes

The draw for the winners will then take place in the Kings Arms Ludham, on the Night of the Birthday Bash Meet, with proceeds going towards site funds

We have had 21 people (Adults, but young ones welcome too) sign up for this meet so far, so it looks like being a good night out to be had by all, and hopefully we may get a few more people able to sign up and join us nearer the time

To date we have ....

Brian and family (By car)

Mark and family

Brucec

Bill and Julz (By car)

Col and Lou, Connor and Jay (HappyJaxII)

Dave and Christine(Aquaholic)

Jimbo,Jonzo & Lu + James Lons

Simon (Plesbit)

Jim and Partner

Jonzo

Martin(Goodall_M1)

Steve and Jax +1

Roy and Diane

Dont be shy, everyone is most welcome to join in for this Birthday Bash celebration, members old and new, just sign up on this thread please so we can let the pub Know how many to expect and reserve an area for NBN where we can all be seated together Thanks

If anyone would like to join us on the Sunday lunch time after on Womack staithe for a drink and a bite to eat, please could you sign up on the Lunch meet thread below, a full and final menu will be decided then depending on approx Numbers attending, and when i have had a chat with Brian hopefully in a couple of weeks time, but it could be BBQ, Hot roast pork Baps, or perhaps Bacon Butties and brunch for the late risers amoungst our members thanks!

Anyone whos veggie please let me know and we will be happy to sort out something suitable food wise for you.

Julz

[3G Coverage maps]

My T-Mobile dongle worked fine for me from Wroxham, but that might have been because it was picking up the Wi-fi access from MacDonalds, which is a feature of the package i have, to be able to pick up wi-fi hotspots via the dongle, which i believe is normally an add-on costing around eight pounds a month

Julz

[Round Britain - keep turning left]

We did our own bit of around Britain last week, with a trip to the Menai straights and a sail out of Dickies Boatyard at Bangor, we also spotted a twin model to David's boat (Antares_9) up for sale there, although it looked like it could use a bit of TLC, and was badly in need of a lick of paint around its Hull, such a shame to let it get into that state

Our second leg of our 'Around Britain' is starting in 7 days time, with a trip to see our friend with the Crab boat who fishes at Bempton on the North Yorkshire coast , and weather permitting we will get a ride out with him one day to haul in a nice big crab for ourselves, yummy!

We are looking to take the caravan out for the first time before the end of July, but it depends on how quickly the Motamova arrives and can be fitted, and were trying to avoid the first 2 weeks of madness when the schools break up and the sites go crazy lol, but if all goes to plan we will be pitched on a country park at the side of a well stocked fishing lake in Lincolnshire, watching them pull a few big ones out!

Next stop Sandringham mid August!

September back to the Broads for the Meet and to use up a long term booking

Its a busy life being retired!

Julz

[Good deal on Varnish?]

Bill (the joiner) says just be careful if it is very old stock, as it can go off in the tin, and tends to remain sticky when applied instead of drying off to the normal hard gloss finish, then its a pain to remove afterwards as its always tacky to the touch and clogs up the sandpaper quicky

Julz

[SeaFishing]

Good luck Jonny, sadly the fish dont pop up to order lol, and you will probably catch a few that you just have to chuck back because there not good for eating for various reasons

My first fish i ever caught was a Cuckoo Wrasse, very pretty to look at, but one that even the cat would probably turn his nose up at if cooked due to loads of tiny sharp bones

There are also things like Blennies, which are only good for crab bait, and so i have been told would give you a bad tum ache if you tried to eat them

Then sometimes you dont catch anything other than a couple of tiny crabs!

Im sure you will catch something Jonny, but it might not be what you had hoped for in cod Plaice or Haddock, also the coastal waters are a bit warm at this time of year for Cod, who prefare the colder climates of winter and tend to stay north in the summer months

Julz

[SeaFishing]

Theres a boat goes out regularly from the dock behind the Britainia monument in Gt. Yarmouth Jonny, times depend on tides and he posts up the next trip times on a chalk board along the roadside

Im not sure of his prices, but the boat our friend runs out of Bridlington for a rule of thumb is between £40-£70 per person per day, depending on the size of the fishing party and the distance they want to go out to fish, coastal waters or Wreck fishing ect and if they need to use the boats rods bait and gear or their own.

Last time i fished with my grandson, we caught loads of mackrel sometimes pulling three and four out at a time, but not much else apart from a couple of small cod too small to keep, so if you dont like mackrel, it might be fish and chips from the chippy for tea lol

Julz

[The 2009 NBN's 2nd Birthday Bash - Sat. 19th September]

dress is optional Bruce :... but we cannot promise that you wont start talking like one when you have had a few pints

Its strange how peoples accents change to match the company there with at the time

Julz

[The 2009 NBN's 2nd Birthday Bash - Sat. 19th September]

The team are planning to celebrate the NBN's 2nd Birthday this year with a meet up and Pub evening at the Kings Arms Ludham, on Sat 19th September at 7.30pm

The theme will be Pirates as we have been informed that its national 'Talk like a Pirate' day on that day, and there will be a prize for the best dressed and impressions :

There will be bar meals on sale, and we are still negotiating for further attractions, so please watch this space for future announcements

A NBN forum Birthday cake will be lit and shared out between the members attending

Moorings will be available on Womack water, and at the bridge in Ludham, with a lift possible for anyone up to the pub on the evening from the bridge stores (bookable by pm)

There may also be an event on the Sunday lunchtime at Womack, if enough people sign up

Everyone is welcome to sign up and join us for this event

Any further Ideas for adding to the fun, and im all Ears lol Just pm them to me for further discusion

Edited to add that we have now gained permision form the trustees of Womack Staithe to hold a big NBN forum BBq and Sunday lunch time meet on the 20th, the day after the Birthday Bash, more details to follow later

A big Thankyou to all concerned for arranging the permisions and to the trustees for generously allowing us to do this

Please sign up below to attend this event

Julz and the Team

[Calling all iPhone users]

Im running via a dongle, mini laptop and 3g most of the time Pete if that would help

Julz

[Do you use Yellow Pages Book]

Here in Derbyshire we have something called 'Thomson Local' its a free directory of local business ads and numbers with website addresses which i believe is much cheaper to place an add in as its a much thinner directory and specific to the local area, unlike Yellow pages which often covers more than one county

Maybe the Norfolk equivelent would be an option for you to consider Brian, as i believe there are still those who rely on the directories to fine the service they need, especially in an emergency as with burst pipes or electrics off ect when theres often no time to start phoning around friends first for advice

Julz

[Do you use Yellow Pages Book]

Im not so sure Brian, theres still quite a few people who dont have access to the internet and still rely on directories such as yellow pages. Ok I know that its possible to get online via your local libary, but the hassel of booking a slot, getting yourself there, knowing how to use the PC when you do can all be a bit much for some, and they still prefare the old fashioned methods of a directory or scanning the local paper for the information they need

Julz

[Boat Names]

Bill and I were discussing this one yesterday as we cruised the river Ant,and decided that if we did buy a boat , he rather favoured the name Lily-may after our youngest grandaughter, but as it would be unfair to the older ones, who may see it as a bit of favouritism, we decided it would have to be after the words we mutter when we spot her or any of the older ones toddling down the drive ...

'Here Comes Trouble!'

Looking at the pics above, we too love the continetal boaty places, our favourite being Volendam in the Netherlands Its the place we spent our honeymoon at, and have returned to quite a few times since

A few years ago we went 'Famous people and their boat' spotting around Marbella, and spotted Bruce Forsyth and Peter Stringfellow in one of the posh seafood bars around the harbour, and watched them stroll back to their boats, super megga gin palaces complete with staff and sailing crew

Julz

[Water deck filler]

Have you had a look around your local caravan dealers accessory shop?

They often sell several diameters of waterpipe including the flexible types for use around inboard water tanks on Motorhomes, plus the very bendy stuff for draining away the wastes on shower trays and grey water points in caravans.

Worth a try is a place called O'Leary Caravan Supplies, I havent used them for a couple of years now, but hopefully they will still be around, and they are also good for all the types of switches and light fittings, laminates and clips ect that maybe difficult to find anywhere else, their speciality is DIY supplies to the home convertion enthusiasts, who buy a Van and convert it to a Motorhome, or those who are building their own narrowboat from a purchased hull

I will try and find the link off my old computer and post it up, they also do a forum with 'How to do it' advice with pics

www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk

Julz

[Old Carpet removal]

Lighter fuel of the sort sold by tobaconists is good for removing the residue from Evostic and Sticky labels, but im not sure if it would work here due to the large area to be treated, the obvious fact that its highly inflamable, and the strong fumes from it

Although irrelevent to this thread, It will also remove Road Tar from Car Bodywork and Shoes

Julz

[Old Carpet removal]

Hi Barry, Just asked Bill for you, and he says it depends on the type of glue used, but he says that it may be able to be softened with a blast from a hot hairdryer, and scraping with a floor scraper as you go.

Julz

[Which one to buy?]

Thanks for the advice guys, i will have a look at these in the shops and investigate further as to the best one for her needs

Julz

[Which one to buy?]

I need a bit of advice please from those of you in the know in the Camra department regarding the purchase of a simple digital camra for my grandaughter's 11th birthday next week

It needs to be fairly simple to use and compact, although she has said that she would like one where the picture quality was good enough to be able to blow up the print occasionally to make a poster for her bedroom wall

I normally give them all a birthday pressie of around £100, so what make and model do you recommend would be best for her photography needs?

Thanks

Julz

[Boat recommendation]

Just to add that there are two bridges on the southern broads that need care and passage at low water, these are the ones at Beccles just past the Marina on the way upto Geldleston Locks and a quaint little broadland pub up their where time stood still, The locks Inn

The second ones come as a pair, and are situated at either end of the Green at Thorpe St. Andrew , on the upper reaches of the Yare, there is a few shops and a pub and restaurants in aproximately half a mile of river up there, but its possible to avoid this area by staying on the main river (which is actually a man made diversion away from these bridges, although its hard to tell) and carry on to cruise upto Norwich

Some of the taller boats still wont pass these bridges at low tide, but this is normally stated in the brochures

Weyford Bridge at the top of the river Ant is another low one, but is right at the end of navigation for larger boats, so it shouldnt be a problem to you, and most people explore the upper reaches by canoe or rowing dingy which can be hired from the yard opposite the small public staithe, which has free moorings for about four boats

During High season, a ferry operates up to The Locks Inn from Beccles marina, i believe the fare is around a tenner per person return, this is a pretty area, and well worth the fare if you like old historic pubs

Julz

[The Broads - then & now]

Have you thought about hiring a mobility scooter to help you get around Simon?

Pride do some super light weight ones that easily fit into a car boot and they can be a brilliant way of keeping your independance, I have just bought a Go-Go Elite model for my Dad, which cost me just over £600 on the net, as his needs are long term, but I think the Hire rates start from around £40 a week, or you can speed around Norwich on one from their Shop Mobility Scheme if you want a trial run for a small charge by the hour

Julz

[pc help]

Uninstal it in the control panel Add/remove programs section Jonny?

Julz

[Moonfleet marine ?]

They were the yard of choice for a work collegue of Bill's for many years, and we got to go onboard a few times and were very impressed by the standards of upkeep and presentation

We are no longer able to stay on a boat 24/7 due to a medical problem and Bills arthritis, but they would certainly be one of the fleets we would consider hiring from if we were

Julz