JennyMorgan

The point has long been made, the Broads is largely a man-made, industrial landscape. Our history and many of our ancestors predate the Roman Empire, it's a long story well worth telling. I will say it, I find those blessed information boards intrusive, I don't welcome them. By and large I find them condescending. However, I do welcome the information being available via the internet. By the way, the Dutch Tea Gardens was named thus out of political expediency by a sharp minded businessman called Miller. It was his creation, his Tea Gardens, accessible to his customers using his boats. I've forgotten the previous name but it was one of not very nice people relating to WW1. The Dutch were thought to be very nice people, which indeed they are, thus the Tea Gardens became Dutch!

Wymondham? Nobby enough to have both a Waitrose AND a Morrisons!

Time to move? We do tolerate incomers! (Most of 'em)

I'm sat here in my front-room looking out of the window, there's a beautifully coloured Jay de-worming my lawn. He's not alone, there's a cheeky blessed fox scratching and licking its **** on the patio within yards of where I'm sat. The other day I had an egret land in my fish pond, not at all discouraged by my pet heron (plastic). I'm about a hundred and ten yards from the water's edge and it's not uncommon to see various deer in the garden, the occasional hedge hog, even the odd otter. During the summer a grass snake took up residence in my pond and a seal took to beaching himself on my slipway. As for the bird life, I'm no twitcher but I do appreciate what I see, even if I don't know what it is. And it's going to get better! Suffolk Wildlife Trust is creating a massive nature reserve on the other side of the Broad. I can never understand why folk insist on blasting across Breydon, the longer the journey takes the better, there is just so much to see! I suppose I see pretty much all that one might reasonably expect to see in the course of a year, but I have yet to see a bittern either in the garden or even on the Broad although I did hear one last summer. Just a case of keeping your eyes open and some folk I talk to clearly don't!

We are about equidistant to one Lidl and two Aldi's. Whilst we use all three it is Lidl that is our first choice. Beccles now has a Lidl well within walking distance from the Yacht Station.

That does not surprise me!

We all have to! Especially when we are in that 'circle of goodness' that envelops and follows a Ranger's launch!

I think it fair to suggest that the SOB was probably bought in ignorance but suitably re-engined she could be a good workhorse. Aquabells are well proven hulls and perhaps with a dis-mountable derrick, as well as top hamper, she might prove herself as a useful 'muscle' boat. Poncing backwards and forwards across Breydon, with the odd extended vacation at the boatyard, has given rise to some less than complimentary but understandable reactions to her original purchase. She was predictably unsuited to her previous, much vaunted roll. However, tomorrow is another day, as a suitably powered workboat I would like to think that the Authority has made the right decision, this time, in reactivating the SOB.

Try phoning Broads Beat.

So our local 'meadow ladies' had better keep their aft hooves together then !!

He's won me over, he doesn't like JP!

The one back home might not be too happy!! Good luck

Glutton for punishment? Gunton

We had noticed.

Nearer home, for me, we have the Cantley Sugar factory. Went there on a planning consultation and as we were there we were shown round, loads of own label stuff, all the same sugar! Nearest that I come to 'posh' around here is Sainsbury at Great Yarmouth, catering for posh chavs I suppose. I rarely go to our local Tesco but when I do, and compare their prices with our local Lidl, well every Lidl helps! As for Lidls I do know some exceptionally rich and genuinely posh folk, regularly bump into them in there. We do have a local Aldi but that is stuffed to the gills with feral brats and mothers in either their night attire or onesies, don't often lower myself by going there ! As for shopping snobs, near neighbour gives me big laughs. He shops on line, Tesco always deliver well after dark, John Lewis & Waitrose (from Norwich) always deliver in daylight, generally at dog walking time, maximum exposure! Presumably he hasn't cottoned on to us curtain twitchers having cottoned onto this vaguely amusing idiosyncrasy of his! He sails so he isn't all bad!

Not entirely deserved, at least one of the big three has shown himself to be fair minded and socially responsible. Indeed he is well respected along the rhond plus he doesn't like JP so he can't be all bad!.

Thank you, Tom, as ever much appreciated. Will watch further developments with renewed interest.

Chris, I agree, but nevertheless there does appear to have been near continuous mechanical problems with the SOB, allegedly relating to the original choice of engine. It must be remembered that the SOB was a cancelled order and that perhaps that had something to do with it. SOB may well have had a subsequent change of engine type, I don't know, but the harsh reality is that SOB does appear to have suffered a questionable series of down times. Hopefully Tom will be able to come up with the facts. My feeling, for what it's worth, is that she should be treated as a displacement craft, powered & propped for towing on the Broads, rather than as a planing hull for coastal use. Granted that she wouldn't be able to access casualties so quickly but she might be more reliable and thus have a greater presence on the water. To-date the problems don't appear to have been overcome thus my suggestion for an alternative yard and with it fresh thinking. I am not questioning Goodchild's undoubted ability.

BA Tom, should you see this then perhaps you could look out some answers for me and maybe others. During the BA's ownership just how many engines or engine rebuilds has the SOB had please? There can be little doubt that SOB has had more than her fair share of down time, can you comment on that too? Perhaps, if SOB's problems are engine related, then the BA should consider asking such as Richardsons to re-engine her for Broads use. Broads hire yards do have considerable experience in fitting out boats with engines that run faultlessly for months and even years without major problems.

From our good friend Richard H

There is a picture of SOB in all her new glory on a Broads news F/B page, with RANGER in extra very large letters on her side. In truth I suppose the BA is making the best of a bad job but I do tend to agree that she should have gone to the highest bidder but even then they would have been criticised!

Apparently there was limited interest from Lowestoft and questions were at least asked. As it appears that the decision was made by September I am surprised that her reincorporation within the fleet was not mentioned in the Broads Briefing, that might have lessened the inevitably humorous comment along the rhond! Down South she might have found a roll in such as Chichester Harbour but I suspect that the demand was severely limited. No reason why she shouldn't remain for sale whilst patrolling Breydon though. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/broads-authority-sell-spirit-of-breydon-1-6160569

Better being used rather than deteriorating in some brokers mooring where there has probably been little interest so perhaps the best is being made of a bad job. At least the boatyard engineers will have a reliable meal ticket so some good will come of it! Perhaps not the wisest choice of broker. Inevitably the Authority is in a no win situation on this one but it is a problem of their own making.

Apparently SOB has had her BA decals reinstalled and I note that she's no longer with the brokers. I can only guess that she's been withdrawn from sale & is being recommissioned by the Authority. She was always going to be a difficult boat to sell, especially locally where her penchant for being moored up at the boatyard is regretfully all too well known.

I have attended a number of Drascomb Rallies and have rather envied those with their boats in tow behind a motor-home. Owning a caravan is fine, but I'd rather have the extra facility of a boat on a trailer.