Julz

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

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

Welcome home Simon, im gald to hear that you are recovering well, one of my daughters suffered a hangmans fracture of her neck as a teenager whilst skating down a subway and hitting a anti-cyling bar at speed with her jaw, resulting in several weeks spent in halo traction and some neat reconstruction to the area under her chin, and luckily has made a full recovery, and now has a normal life and family of her own, so hopefully the long term outcome will be just as good for you I thought about you on friday morning as i was flying over the ski slopes of the French alps at about 11am, awsomly beautiful to look at, but obviously so dangerous at times too, we even spotted an avalanche from up there, but were lucky enough to have a smooth flight over from Palma which i hope you did too from Innsbruk We are down at the brinks Boathouse in Wroxham in early May for a couple of weeks, if your up and mobile by then, you are most welcome to drop in for a coffee or maybe a drop of something stronger, it would be nice to see you, as we missed you at Salhouse last year before we did the pie and peas on the Sunday, and i know it can get a bit boring sometimes when you are stuck at home all day Take good care, Julz

I have some lovely pics of Potter Heigham bridge and staithe in the snow taken a few years ago, they were my entries for the competition on a forum i once was a member of as part of their calender contest, and one of them ended up on the front cover They are on my old PC, one day i will crank it back into life and post them up on here, along with some of my other Broads pics stored on there Julz

Get well soon Simon, it sounds like you took one heck of a tumble, heres wishing you a safe and comfortable journey home, we are looking forward to you being on here again with your lovely pictures Good Luck to you and Susan for a full and speedy recovery Julz

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

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

I have sent you a PM Allaboard, I have not hired Melody, but know the fleet quite well, as Brinks were our regular yard for many years The problem with many dual steering boats is they have at some location onboard them, quite steep steps, even down to the Brinks Royale which has a steep spiral down into the saloon from the helm, and a feature of many of their dual steer boats is a similar set down to the cabins and saloon I think you may be able to see this on some of their website pics Julz

We havent hired it, but we have seen it around when we have been staying in the apartments, and yes, the steps up the back are steep for a less agile dog, and although he might manage going up, coming down may be a bit of a problem if he was to slip, especially if you were underway with the obvious added danger from the prop if he was to fall in We have got an elderly Boxer too, Sassy is about 9 (rescued dog) and generally they are not a long living breed Maybe not as new and luxurious, but Countess may fit Mr Boxers needs better with easier stern access, and without the steep inner steps down to the lounge that some of the newer 8 berths have, including i think, Brinks Melody Julz

Quite likely, on the lubrication along the path left by one Choccy inebriated Hoppie Julz

Poor hoppie, i hope it was just his pride that was hurt lol Im not suprised actually that he prefared the digestives, theres an enzyme in human choccy thats perfectly fine for us, but rather toxic and not so good for our 4 legged friends, as their digestive systems cannot cope with it very well. Im not sure about our feathered friends, but perhaps hes had a bit of extra preening to do around the rear end after having a fair ammount of choccy The 'Good Boy' type choccy drops for doggies have actually had this harmful enzyme removed as part of the manufacturing process, so are perfectly safe Julz

It very much depends on the Boat Aliy, some are Blown air through ducts, very similar to a fan heater on low speed, some have panel heaters similar to mini central heating rads, and others you need a warm coat hat and gloves, extra blankets and a hot water bottle or two, especially if the gas runs out! Julz

So glad to hear that its good news for Tina Perry, I hope you have a lovely trip out, keep warm, keep well fed, plenty of good protein foods essential for healing, and keep well. Good Luck to both of you for 2009, Julz

The sad fact is that a lot of Wherry owners sank them on purpose as a way of preservation with a view to to future restoration and re-use on their return before going off to war, many then never returning having been killed in battle, leaving the Wherries sunken in the broads and lost forever, as their families often didnt have the cash required to raise them, having lost their main breadwinner julz

I quite liked it, but questioned if it was that responsible for the error messages that popped up on my laptop whilst i was on site, and stopped when the snow went away so thats why I voted no, not that i was trying to be a Christmas Kiljoy Julz

I am lucky enough to own a Voiklander (probably spelt it wrong ) from the late 50's with a Colorskopa lens, it used to belong to my Dad's boss, and when he retired he gave it to me, having been a keen wildlife and nature photographer all his life, he was awarded some new gear by the company on his retirement Its a brilliant camra, and despite having to fiddle with putting the 35mm film rolls in, I still use it today for special occasions such as weddings,and new Baby pics, with great results i was offered quite a tidy sum of money for it by an enthusiast a couple of years ago, but would never part with it for sentimental reasons Julz

I am not at all surprised by the fact that they are looking to move, we regularly stay in the appartments on the Bridge at Wroxham and witness the difficulty the poor yard staff have in getting craft back through after a hire period, often waiting till after hours for low water and having to flood the boats bilges to get them through, using what looks like an old wooden hulled broads cruiser which has been converted to a work boat complete with some pretty hefty pumping gear. Julz

There are still a few fairly large barges around though, one passed us last year on the mouth of the Yare just up from the Berney Arms, it was being escorted by a River inspectors boat due to its sheer size Julz :santawave:

1973/74 was not a happy season for the small family businesses on the Broads, families were feeling the pinch in their pockets financially due to the Miners strike that had caused the three day working week. The coal fired generators were unable to get enough fuel to provide the necesary power to operate tools and machinery, bread became short due to the time the ovens could be operated, some foods were rationed including sugar, milk and butter, as the farmers struggled to milk the cows without power, and panick buying set in. Hospitals relied on the generators of icecream vans to provide emergency power, and all non urgent admissions and operations were cancelled. Shops with electrically operated tills were reduced to cranking them by hand where possible, or retorting to a pen and paper and cash box, Victorian style. Many homes were left without heat, and only candles and torches for light in the evenings, as power cuts nationwide were rife as the powerstations ran out of coal, and the birth rate the following year took a dramatic increase! With reductions in income, and household debts such as morgauge and rent to be caught up on which were caused by it being much reduced during the strike, and with fears of a repeate situation later in the year, holidays were far to the back of most families minds. Quite a few small businesses nationwide had found the crisis too much, and had closed down with many jobs lost, and unemployment levels were running high. Along the Norfolk coast, rows of gleaming new brick built Chalets were standing, and their owners had installed all modern convieniences, fitted kitchens and carpets, showers over the baths, and coloured bathroom suites, all things we take for granted today, but considered luxuries back then. The site facitities were pretty impressive for the day also, they offered on site family Cafeterias, the fore runners to the fast food joints we have today, que up with your tray canteen style food sold cheaply compared to the equivalent in a local restaurant or riverside cafe, and often geared with gimmicks of a free toy or lolly for the kids when the whole family dined. They also included in the price of a weeks holiday a pass to gain entry to the onsite swimming pool and entertainment centre, all run along the lines of the 'Butlins' and 'Haven' parks of today, with some famous Stars of the era appearing in the onsite nightclub Caberet. Some even offered a Baby and Child listening service, with an illuminated 'crying baby' sign displayed beside the stage with the chalet number chalked up underneath, as to alert the parents to the fact they needed to return back and attend to their youngster. Today that sort of situation would see the parents landed in court under the child protection acts! Given the competitive price tag the big corprative owners were able to sell these holidays for, against the prices having to be charged by the smaller parks to cover their expenses, and the by now quite outdated look in comparison of the 'Cuckoo Clock' shape of the St. Olaves chalets, and their rather basic facilities, in what was afterall a gloryfied shed, bookings for this season were very low indeed. At the end of this financial year, and with the now added expenses to pay for appearing in the Hoseasons brochure, and the Chalets starting to need some structural repairs and refurbishment to keep them in line with the competition in the hoilday market, plus a drop in takings from the shop and restaurant caused by the reduced custom off the river, with many boat hire cancellations having been recieved by the hire yards due to the situation, the Robinsons found themselves in financial ruin. The yacht basin was standing as a muddy dug out hole filled with rainwater and only frequented by the local wildlife, and the tired looking chalets needed several thousands of pounds worth of upgrade work doing to bring them in line with the compatition. There was no choice left by to sell up and cut their losses, sadly from owning and running a thriving Business, the family moved into rented accommodation in Norwich, and after a couple of Christmas cards, Dad lost contact with them. I will always remember Mrs Robinson for being such an hard working woman, we arrived for one holiday to find her handling 'turn around' day for the chalets all on her own, and scrubbing their doorsteps on her hands and knees just a fortnight after giving birth to her youngest son, Andrew James. My Mum, being a childrens nurse, and loving babies, but unable to have anymore children after me due to the 'Rhesus factor', for which treatment is now available, took pity on her, and as a family we looked after Andrew for a few hours each day during the week so as she could get some rest. I have very fond memories of Pram pushing along the track at the side of the New cut, feeling very proud of being trusted with such a new born baby at around 12 years old! The following year we returned to find he had grown into a happy little toddler, and was known by his second name of Jamesey, I often wonder where he is know and how life turned out for him in the end. contd later. contd ....

Well a bit about this little mentioned Broadland village first, from around 1964. Haddiscoe is a name most people familiar with the Broads have heared mentioned before because of its connections with the New Cut, but very few have probably ever taken the hike away from the river and up into the village to sample the pubs and shops there. Back in the mid 60's, the two main pubs were the Crown Inn, run by a landlord named Jack Baxter, who was a typical friendly Norfick charicter, and allowed my Dad to use the pub's coach house to garage his car, which he also shared with loads of Coypu trapping gear and several breeding pairs of Swallows, who regularly left their calling card on the roof of my Dad's Black Wolseley 4/44, which was his pride and Joy! The Crown still remains today, and has been recently refurbished into a 'Sports Pub' and appears to be owned as part of a chain, judging by their logos and Menus. Across the road was the other local pub, The Three Tunnes, which was situated with his gable end to the road. This pub was rather run down and in need of some major repairs, and in the later 60's was sold off to be demolished to make way for the building of some new homes, mainly bungalows,which remain today. The main employers in the area were the Gravel Pit which was down the lane of the same name, which produced some fine quality flint gravel and pebbles of all sizes, and the Birds-eye pea plantation and processing plant, which was down the lane at the side of the 'Crown Inn, and is now a rather disussed farm compared to the vast activity it enjoyed in its heyday, with many wagon loads of peas and the unwanted shells exiting the site every day. The Bird scaring machines they used on site were rather like a 12-bore going off, and caused quite a few complaints at the time from the neighbours who had to endure the noise of them from dawn till dusk! Sadly the old village shop which was once run by a Mrs Catchpole, who my Mum claimed had a very apt name due to her quite inflated prices, had long since closed down, and the building has now been converted into appartments. The old school which most village children attended still remains at Toft Monks, and attracts children from surrounding villages who mostly arrive via the school bus service. more later.. Julz :santawave:

Aww, sorry Palmtree, was it you who sent the pic to me last year? it must be me getting forgetfull in my old age lols! Glad that you are enjoying the story Red Rover, I can just about remember the 'Dutch Tutch' from my childhood, and was rather confused as to why someone had thought it better to use it as a home rather than a fairground ride, which to a child of my tender years back then was a much more attractive option! Around the same time, I can also remember an old neighbour of ours who worked for a pre-cast concrete company as a crane driver taking part in the building of the Oasis tower in Gt Yarmouth, and bringing us back free tickets for an express elevator lift to the top of the tower, where my mum was scared stiff because a strong wind was howling up there and causing quite a bit of structural movement, she couldnt wait to get back down, although the views were quite far reaching and stunning. Poor Reg the neighbour got a bit of an ear bashing next time she spotted him, mum was convinced he had sent us up there before the building was complete and safe. The same guy also worked on the construction of the Wroxham precinct and Hotel complex, again inviting Dad to a tradesmans evening there with free beer and cornish pasties! Julz :santawave:

Im sorry its not very clear, and many thanks to Dan Horner who originally found it for me last year, after i had searched for it for many years, one day I hope to be able to post up some pics of me as a youngster standing on her bows during her maiden voyage around 1968. My Dads loft is a treasure trove of old Broadland slides, I just have to find a way to tame the dragon (aka the Wicked Stepmother) who blows fire at the mere mention of me wanting to spend an afternoon up there! Sadly pics of my real mum, and reminders of my Dad's past before he met her seem to bring out the worst in her Ok more tonight folks :-D The haddiscoe village and its pubs, the chalet park story, up to today, and the 1973 miner's strikes effects on Broadland tourism.

hope this pic works!

Along with many other smaller holiday parks, and following suit from the Johnsons yacht station yard who often provided dayboats to visitors to the Chalet park, with booking numbers down in the face of the new compation, the St. Olaves Chalet Park was handed over to Hoseasons to promote to a wider market, rather than relying on reputation, small adds in magazines and word of mouth that had bought in a good stream of bookings before, and by now, most of the bridge contractors who had patronised the site out of season, had gone home. The next couple of seasons the Chalets continued to thrive and make a living for the family, but the Yacht basin remained unfinished and the project somewhat abandoned, as profits simply did not meet expected targets. Around this time the birth of the cheap package holidays abroad were also drawing customers away from the idea of a British holiday in general, although holidays afloat still apeared popular and quite in vogue, with many famous personalities being spotted out enjoying the rivers. The rivers therefore remained busy, and after watching a boat being built in the workshops at Johnsons, and after many dayboat hires from them exploring the Waveney, New cut and Yare,to celebrate my Dad's promotion at work into management, we hired our first cruiser as it was launched that year. I will try and edit a pic and hire details from the brochure in later, sadly all Dads own Broadland pics are still on slides. continued below

By 1970, they had managed to get the necessary permisions and start digging out the basin working under the guidance of the engineers and had reached the point where they were ready to break through into the main river by creating a small dyke. It had all been very expensive work, and tough going at some points due to the flint layer they had hit in the strata, which unearthed many unusual and facinating shapes of flint bolders, which i was happy to collect as a child, and disapointed that Dad refused to take my entire collection back home due to their sheer weight in his cars boot! : Due to funds running low, the final 'breach' into the river had to be delayed, and the area remained an abandoned building site for quite some time. Along the Norfolk coast, other holiday parks were also being planned and developed around the Caister, California cliffs and Hemsby areas, and these were mostly owned by large entertainment groups such as Ladbrooks, Guiness and Rank, which had the buying power and advertising network to build cheap and reach the mass market of holiday makers with bargain opening gimmicks and prices. This situation was not good news for the smaller family owned hire firms such as the Robinsons. continued below