AdnamsGirl

I've done a little more digging this afternoon and am now wondering about it being the original bridge at Reedham again, looking back upstream towards the village. In Sheila Hutchinsons Reedham Remembered book there is a photo of some men in a boat near to Bridge House, which is to the east of the rail bridge and in the background is Benns' farmhouse & steam pump, which must presumably be on the Norton Subcourse side of the river, just upstream of the New Cut. There is a tall chimney in my photograph too ... could this possibly be what we are looking at and the boat is moored alongside that farm? The original, single track rail bridge did look very different ...this was it from Reedham Quay. This must be c1900 although the postcard itself wasn't posted until 1927.

This is a rare bit of footage dated to 1927 from British Pathe of the new, electrically operated swing bridge which was installed at Aldeby c1926. Unfortunately, it doesn't give any wider shots to see if there were any buildings nearby. An interesting little bit of film of a lost landmark though.

Ok. I've found the original file now. It definitely came from a batch of glass negs which included shots of wherries and identifiable Broadland locations. I guess that doesn't automatically guarantee that the image was taken at the same time or in the same area though. This is one of the others from that batch.

I thought it came from a set of images of the Broads taken from glass plate negs, but I'm now struggling to find the original file on my computer. My filing system seems to have gone rather pear-shaped over the last year! Perhaps it isn't actually the Broads after all. I'll keep looking ...

Given the limited number of swing bridges to choose from, it does narrow it down, but it's those buildings which I don't recognise. Aldeby swing bridge was, I think, replaced in the 1920s, so possibly the Haddiscoe one was too. It certainly doesn't look like the couple of images I do have of Haddiscoe & Aldeby which are definitely later than this photo. The signal box may have been a 1920s addition if the bridge was replaced? Someone suggested those might be the buildings where the EA ones now stand, but that doesn't really work as those buildings are close to the New Cut and on the opposite side of the river if that was looking towards the old rail bridge at Haddiscoe. Unless the glass neg that the photo came from has been reversed? This was Haddiscoe, probably in the 1950s - not enough of the left bank to see if there were any remains of buildings there. I know I have some more pics of Haddiscoe & Aldeby bridges somewhere on my PC ... it's finding them that's proving difficult at the moment!

Haddiscoe swing bridge would certainly have been there in 1910 ... not sure about the pylons though! Good suggestion though ... I hadn't thought about looking at it from the other direction. Will see if I can find any other images of Haddiscoe with which to compare it.

OK. This image has me stumped. I've studied it for ages and am still none the wiser. It must date to around 1910 (but may be slightly earlier) and there's lots going on in the photo ... including the chappie taking potshots at the local wildlife! It looks as though there is a rali swing bridge in the background but those buildings on the left are really throwing me. At first I thought it might have been Reedham and the original swing bridge there, but would have thought we'd have seen the Ship Inn. Any thoughts?

I tweeted the old postcard this morning as part of my virtual early 20th cruise of the Norfolk Broads on Twitter. It seems that the bridge does still exist although getting too it it may be difficult. There is more information about Little Switzerland on the BIg Sky Productions blog and Google searches will bring up more current images too. http://bigskyproductions-jonno.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/there-are-no-mountains-in-norfolk.html There were several entrances to the chalk pits from the River Bure. We had a look last year and they are difficult to make out as they are heavily overgrown now. I do have some photos somewhere on my PC. The thing which intrigued me was the fact that there used to be a pub which stood near to one of the entrances called the Groves End. Nothing remains of it now (I seem to remember that it was destroyed by fire) but I've been told that this was it, pictured c1910. I was trying to look into it before life went all pear shaped with mum in law! Hopefully I will be able to devote a bit more time to website matters in a few months time.

That wouldn't surprise me at all I wonder what would happen if I took one of their boats without asking .....

The 1930s film clips that I linked to before are no longer there. I can't edit that post so thought I'd best explain. I had to upload a new version of the 1930s footage as I'd had problems with the film being used on TV without permission. I have had to add a watermark in the hope it might prevent future unauthorised use .. hence watermarks on all new films uploaded from now on. It's a shame that I have to do that, but there we go! When time allows, I hope to start working on and uploading a collection of family cine films which were sent to me a while ago and cover holidays taken on the Broads in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. I also have another new 1960s 16mm cine film which I've not even seen yet, let alone had transferred. Anyway ... here is the new version of the 1930s cine film clips which I had posted earlier in this thread.

Many thanks again Bill for allowing me to share this great film via the Broadland Memories YouTube channel. It's such a fantastic record of Broadland at the time. I always think that these old films are a bit like having a time machine! Here is the direct link to it on YouTube

These were indeed Kia Manzi, Southernholme and Broadwaters on Daisy Broad. I had some more information about these from the nephew of a previous owner: http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/blog/2012/04/kia-manzi-daisy-broad-villas-update/ In fact, I did a series of blog posts about these particular buildings. Very unusual looking and probably built in the late 1920s or early 1930s. There are more pictures of Kia Manzi on the website too, from the 1960s/70s http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/page323.html#raynor_70s I managed to do a "Then & Now" as these have now gone. Rather stupidly, I forgot to take a copy of the original postcard along when I took the now photo ... but you get the idea Carol

A slightly different Norfolk Broads Ghost. This is the Locks Inn at Geldeston 1957 and 2009. That's Susan Ellis with notebook in hand taking down the drinks orders, photographed by Ron Harrison. Apparently, she couldn't do the maths though, and would hand over the notepad to her customers at the end of the evening so that they could tot up their own drinks bill !! Norfolk Broads Ghost - Geldeston Locks Inn by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr Carol

I've just had another batch of old cine footage of the Norfolk Broads digitised for me which date from the 1960s and 1970s. I am now starting to edit these and intend to make them available to view via the Broadland Memories YouTube channel. The first has been uploaded this evening and features a sailing holiday taken in 1967 featuring the yachts Reverie 4 from Chumley & Hawke and Rapier (Scamp) from the NBYCo. More to come in the near future, plus two large reels of film from the 1980s still awaiting transfer! Carol

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from me too It must be time for this old chestnut again ... Carol

Glad that you like them I don't specifically try to get "ghosts" when I do my Then & Now photos because it is so difficult to get all the angles, focal lengths etc. etc. near enough to be able to match it up with the original. Getting a close enough comparison for a Then & Now is often hard enough !! I tend to leave it the people like Nick (Blitz Ghosts) who does that sort of thing far better than I could .... I don't have the equipment or the skill! Occasionally I do get one that lines up nicely, which is always a bonus, but it is more by luck than judgement! I've done a few more and have another couple that I'm working on. This was the first one I did and it shows Lower Street in Horning c1920s and 2009. The row of cottages in the foreground on the right have long gone and Tidings newsagents now stands in it's place. Further back on the right is what was Gillard's Stores which later became the Horning branch of Roy's - it's now home to the Bure River Cottage Restaurant. The LX registration on the old car indicates that it had come from London. Norfolk Broads Ghosts - Horning by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr A river based one ... Norwich Power Station 1970s and 2011 - the original photograph was taken by John Chesney. The power station was opened in 1926 after the original station in Duke Street had reached its full capacity. The coal which was needed to power it was transported by large coasters which were once a regular site on the Yare and Wensum. I haven't been able to find out exactly when it was demolished, but believe it to have been sometime in the 1980s. Norwich Power Station Ghost by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr This is the latest one I've done which is Loddon High Street 1920s and 2013. In the 1920s this was Lemans Universal Stores which apparently sold everything from hats to bacon! It's now a video rental shop and an estate agents. Norfolk Broads Ghost - Loddon Lemans Store by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr Carol

I've done a couple of new variations on the "Then & Now" theme .... these are Norfolk Broads "Ghosts" in which the old is superimposed over the new in a photo-mashup type thingy! Inspired by Nick Stone's superb Norwich Blitz Ghosts (he has also done some Norwich City Ghosts too): http://www.flickr.com/photos/osborne_villas/sets/72157625836754972/ First up is the Roys of Wroxham ghost - 1934 & 2013. 1930s people casually stroll across what os now a very busy main road in the centre of Hoveton! Roys of Wroxham Ghost by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr This is Stalham High Street c1920 and 2013 - the shops are still there, although no longer selling cycles. The far end of the street has changed rather dramatically though! Stalham High Street Ghost by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr Carol

I hate to correct dad again, but ........ The "near Hardley Cross" is a little bit further away ... that is the distinctive tower of the church at Burgh St Peter (by the Waveney River Centre again!) in the background. But he was right that it was on the way to Beccles!

Going back to your second photo. In 1964 there was still a foot ferry operating from Coldham Hall, but I'm sure all the photos I've seen of that show it as a traditional rowing dinghy rather than the one seen in your photo. I'm not sure that the background would look right to be Coldham Hall anyway. As Alan said, the chain ferry at Buckenham/Beauchamp Arms was discontinued during WW2. I'm really not sure whether a foot ferry was operating here after the chain ferry ceased, but thinking about it, I have a vague recollection of seeing something about a foot ferry at Buckenham in the 1960s but can't for the life of me remember where. I think I came across it when researching river crossings on the Yare and I have a feeling it was in a guide book. It was only a passing reference and I couldn't find any further info to confrim it anywhere. I have had a quick look in the contemporary guide books I have to hand, but couldn't find anything. If it is Buckenham, then I wonder whether it shows the bank on the opposite side of the river to the Ferry Inn. I don't know what the track is like over there now, but looking on Google maps it looks as though it may have been a similar width to where the cars are parked on your photo and you can see the remains of the cut leading up to it. Perhaps they were just crossing to get to the pub in the 1960s? I'm guessing that there was access for cars across the rail track further up back then? It just seems more likely for people to be crossing on foot to the pub than the other way around to me. Hopefully someone may know for sure. It's interesting though and I will keep looking to see what I can find.

Great photo of Stalham Yacht Station! The films sound very interesting .... if you manage to rescue them and can put them on YouTube please do let me know. Carol

Hi Bryony I don't think I do have any photos of Millers yard but, as Clive says, there are some wonderful photos of the yard in Pippa Millers book. This is it - Norfolk Broads The Golden Years published by Halsgrove & edited by Peter Haining: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Norfolk-Broads-Golden-Years/dp/1841147028/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382026224&sr=8-1&keywords=norfolk+broads+golden+years Carol

Well, I'm afraid that dad certainly did get it wrong this time with photo number 1 as it is most definately what is now the Waveney River Centre. The postcard below is from the 1960s and you can see the Waveney Inn, the black sheds lines up behind it and the lamp posts which all correspond with your first photo. I can't be certain about the second photo however. It may have been Buckenham Ferry/Beauchamp Arms but Im not sure if I have seen any photos of camping or caravans there in the 50s and 60s .... I will have a look. I know there were caravans at Coldham Hall at that time. Carol

That news story in the Telegraph is actually dated to 14th August 2009 The same article was linked to on a discussion about this incident on the NBF in 2009 and I believe the boat had indeed been identified. The original film was shot by forum member BuffaloBill so hopefully he'll be able to fill in the details and update as to whether any prosecution ever took place. Carol

We spent a week on the northern rivers recently and I managed to do another batch of new "Then & Now" pics. I've made a start on uploading them to Flickr - Wroxham, Horning and Coltishall so far with Potter Heigham and Stalham still to sort out. As always, the ones taken from the river have been the most difficult to recreate as I can only take one or two as we pass and positioning yourself in the right place on the river can be rather difficult ... especially in Horning! Those ones are not perfect, but they'll pass for now. Here is a selection of the newbies. This shows the site of John Loynes boatyard c1920s and 2013: Loynes boatyard, Wroxham Then & Now by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr I wouldn't reccomend reading a newspaper in the road in the centre of Hoveton these days! The old postacrd dates from the late 1940s. Hoveton/Wroxham Then & Now by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr Quite a sad Then & Now which shows some of the boatyards which have disappeared in Horning over the years - the original photo is also from the late 1940s. Horning Riverfront Then & Now 02 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr One for Clive! As we passed Horning Staithe a boat pulled away giving us the rare opportunity to moor there ..... well, we couldn't not could we? Handily, it turned out that we had moored Crown Gem 1 in almost the same spot as Delight XII had been moored in the original c1960 postcard so I'm quite chuffed with the result! Horning Village Staithe Then & Now 03 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr On to Coltishall - this was the Lock c1908 and 2013 Coltishall Lock Then & Now by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr And in the village of Coltishall itself, there have been some major changes since the original photo of the High Street was taken c1935: The Street, Coltishall Then & Now 02 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr These are just a few of the new additions to the set with, as I said, more to come. The full Norfolk Broads Then & Now set so far can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28466597@N04/sets/72157633781760971/ Carol

Sorry that you didn't enjoy the film Fred. I must confess that it must have been six or seven years ago that I saw it ... maybe I am remembering it with Broads nostalgia tinted spectacles! It does have to be said that I'm known for liking some cheesey old films though. I do remember there being lots of dodgy, supposed Norfolk accents (as usual!). I've bookmarked it to watch again once winter sets in. Carol