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Yes we had a fortnight on Sunset Six 1 in August 83. They were originally King of Light from Woods who only kept them for about three years. They all went to Beaver Fleet who we hired that one from. The external colour scheme was horrible and they weren't much better inside - very dark wood. The main reason we hired one was it was one of the first years that discounts for children were introduced. The one we had was hired out as a 4 to 8 berth - we paid the basic price for five adults and the three children went free. Probably well fitted out originally but considering they were only four or five years old they were in a poor state inside . . . doors not fitting or hanging off runners, windows leaking etc. Oldgregg I have more pics of her which I will post tomorrow.

There were many woodies in immaculate condition in the 50s & 60s. Brooms, Moores, Ernest Collins, Hearts, Landamores, Chumley & Hawke and many others.

1963 now and Crusader 1 from Richardson's. The M&GN railway bridge over the Bure at the Yacht Station. It had been disused for at least four years by then. There are cars on it in the pic but I don't know if it was used as a road or just for parking.

A few more from 58, mainly Potter. I have posted a couple of these previously. It's my younger brother swabbing the decks. We used to shove him up the chimney at home.

Few more from same holiday. Stokesby and Acle.

Couple at Stokesby in Aug 58. Suppose it could be interesting to see things like the type of floatation jackets that the hire yards supplied in those days. And the yachts moored on the opposite bank - don't think that happens nowadays.

Hundreds, quite a few of which I have posted in different topics over the years. Also scans of black and white negs (tend to not always be sharp and grainy). Most of them tend to be pics of our family on hire boats. I'm fine with posting any of them but I don't want to risk boring people.

I remember going under it to fill up with water at Rowancraft. That could have been 1966 but possibly 1982. There was a sign to use the bypass in 1983. Badly faded slide taken from the bridge in 83.

Martham swing bridge

Just got date for 2nd Oxford Jab - 3rd April. Just over 10 weeks between tham.

9 weeks today and waiting.

We were there in 97 and the pub at Stoke Ferry (the Bull?) had been closed for a few years. Heard there was a chippy in the village. When we got there a note on the door said "Albert has now had his operation and we will be reopening next weekend, in the meantime you can use the factory canteen" The local (sugar processing I think) factory had a menu on its entrance gate with two prices - one for workers and another for villagers while the chippy was closed - Brilliant, could only happen in Britain. The pub I was thinking about was the Jude's Ferry at the end of navigation on the river Lark - which is narrow enough for the boat to almost touch the reeds on each side. We also went in the Ram at Brandon at the head of the Little Ouse. All three pubs are not too far from Mildenhall and I recollect American accents in all of them. Grazing meadows make up quite a lot of the routes of all three tributaries and in places stakes about 30 foot apart are placed along the banks so you know where the river channel is if its in flood.

Spent a very enjoyable early September fortnight on Sunquest from Bridge Boats, Ely quite a few years ago. We managed to reach the head of navigation on the three smaller rivers and Jesus Green lock on the Cam. Didn't make it the last few miles to Bedford as the boat was a couple of inches too wide to pass Cardington lock. The GOBA moorings were very welcome. The last mile or so on one of the smaller rivers we were almost touching the reeds on both sides. Its was unusual to spend you evening in pubs where the main accent you heard was American.

Our first ever Broads mooring was St Benets in late August 58 after picking the boat up at Hoveton. The bank was hard edged soil with hollows washed out by passing boats. I remember jumping down into one of these hollows and then pulling the boat up to a hard edged part to tie up on rhond anchors.

We were seldom able to get much of a TV signal on the Broads until digital TV came along, so usually didn't bother to switch it on. Certainly never rented one on a boat when you had to pay for them separately. Since digital TV either has a signal or it doesn't we've not bothered with TV much since.

We often had 10 or 11 days around the school holidays in October during the 80s and early 90s and always had at least one evening fishing on the St Olaves morning. On one holiday we were there on the night of the 31st October (just us an one other boat) and when we woke up the next morning there were anglers front and back of us and all along the moorings. In retrospect, seeing Tom's reply, I presume it could have been the club's annual 'end of boating season' fishing match. With regard to fishing from a boat moored to a bank where the fishing rights have been let to a club, you usually still have to have the required permit from that club as well as your national rod fishing licence. If it has been a day ticket water and is now an annual ticket only water, would it be that if a bailiff came along you would have to pay £20 or stop fishing until you can arrange to be a member of the club.

Looks like a Norman 20. Possibly a Norman 18 but looks a little too modern for one of those.

i can think of somebody whose boat that would match.

The boat in the last pic looks like one of Windboats' Concorde class.

Hope they haven't trained the forwards to give jabs. They'd probably miss your arm.

Trapped in the house with little to do, I thought I would compare Broads motor cruiser tolls with other waterways. Working on a 40ft x 10ft 3in motor cruiser. (10ft 3in beam is the widest that can navigate the whole of the Gt Ouse system). Norfolk Broads (21-22) £552.50 for 125+ navigable miles. River Thames (20-21) £832 for 125 navigable miles. Canal (21-22) £858.50 for approx 160* navigable miles. *Grand Union, Regent's canal, Hertford Union and Rivers Lea and Stort - This is the longest connected length of C&RT waterways that can be navigated without going out to sea - there is a headroom pinch point of 6ft 3" on this route. The Leeds & Liverpool (127m) and the South Yorkshire waterways give a longer connected wide beam length but the SY are commercial waterways. Great Ouse system (20-21) £756 for 140 navigable miles - it would be the same price if your motor cruiser was only 33ft long. Cost wise the Broads seem to compare very favourably with all the other waterways especially as the Thames and Ouse rates are last years.

Back in the 60s and before it was always up, and it was mainly hirers as there weren't many private boats about in those days. If they weren't up it wouldn't be long before a passing crew pointed it out.

Not much getting under the bridge on the day of those pics.

Before C&RT took over the canals there were very few paid lock keepers, usually only on large flights e.g. Hatton - 21 locks; Caen Hill - 29 locks and possibly a few other flights. A few other flights had keepers in the main boating season only: Watford and Foxton on the Leicester line and Delph (Birmingham Canal Navigations) come to mind. These keepers were not really there to work you through but to make sure you didn't waste water or hold up other traffic - of course most would give you a hand if you wanted it. Except for the larger commercial waterways the only places I can think of that have lock keepers for safety are Bingley Five Rise staircase on the Leeds & Liverpool and Tuel Lane (fall of almost 20ft) on the Rochdale which is so deep because it was built to replace two locks that were covered by road widening before the canal was reopened. I presume they still have some of these paid lock keepers but the majority of the volunteers are not taking peoples' jobs but are at locks which in BW days wouldn't have had lock keepers anyway.

Reminds me of back in the 90s my software RIP was playing up and not being very computer literate I went into a specialist computer store in Manchester to look for a replacement. Me: "could you tell me which models will run Windows NT" Assistant: blank look and "wot's that" I said "I think its server software. Assistant: "never heard of it, I'll ask the boss" Boss: "I've heard of it but no idea what it will run on".