JennyMorgan

Lowestoft's problems stem not so much from housing being built after the railways but more a case of the transport infrastructure not having kept up with the town's growth.

For those wishing to save fuel then hiring from Hunters has to be the way to go! http://www.huntersyard.co.uk/home/sailing-with-hunters/

All ways worth a visit, always something interesting, always worth haggling! Enjoy.

Charlie, believe me, in this case it's the locomotives that are excessively noisy, just one particular type, not the more usual trains that service the Lowestoft/Norwich line.

The BA Rangers will be out in force so anyone needing advice on mud weighting will have no problems. As for bookings, it's still worth phoning the yacht station for advice or a possible vacancy. Being on a mud weight is probably the best way of watching the fireworks. To those with headlights or spot lights. PLEASE don't turn the horrid things on, they make it really hard for other boaters.

Back in Martin Broom's time apparently it was rare for there to be less than forty boats for sale. Perhaps the profit from selling a new boat is somewhat greater than selling a second hand one so why tempt people with old boats?

Whiskey for the Navvies who built the bridge?

This picture shows the old railway bridge at Beccles being demolished. The central piers have long gone but the two on the banks are still there, one with a house on it.

Problem with Oulton Broad is that it is unfortunately close to Lowestoft. The hourly train from Norwich passes through Oulton Broad North on its way to Lowestoft, twenty minutes or so later it goes back to Norwich thus Oulton Broad has two trains per hour. Very often the train is a pair of exceedingly noisy 'goods trains' hauling a couple of old carriages.

The Beccles/Aldeby bridge, along with the bridges at Haddiscoe and Geldeston, were all part of the Beccles to Tivetshall line. I have never researched this one but I believe it connected with Bungay & Halesworth and Gt Yarmouth, a rather tenuous route for folk wanting to get to Lowestoft!

Aldeby/Beccles swingbridge being updated from single to double track in 1926. The old pier for the single track is on the left.

You really should!

Do Brooms pay as well as they charge?

Looks pretty darned chaotic to me! Just needs a couple of tacking yachts to create absolute bedlam and maybe a touch of carnage!

The fireworks over the Broad are quite spectacular, well worth coming South for!

W

The right shed, Chris, wooden rather than breeze blocks, one with atmosphere, Adnams and friends, couldn't agree more.

We might or might not, not really the point that I was trying to put over though. In this day and age folk's expectations are far higher than they were back in the 1970s/80s. If I were to come to the Broads on holiday then I would, I think, quite reasonably expect a degree of quality when it comes to pubs and restaurants. As we all know there are some cracking pubs and restaurants in the area, hardly need to regurgitate a list of them, but equally there are some that for far too long have been quite prepared to take the money but have never reinvested a single penny more than they have had to, and it is really beginning to show. A downward spiral if ever there was one. A problem for pubs is is that people are used to their back at home prices and those are the prices that they are prepared to pay. As far as boats are concerned, people pay what's asked of them because they have no back at home prices to compare with. Pubs with a seasonal turnover need to charge more, but would they get away with it? Something of a Catch 22. In this day and age people expect better than a shed with a licence.

A welcome trigger for John's quick wit for which I thank you!

Ray, something of a dilemma I suspect. The place has one of, if not the finest of vistas in Broadland so there is potential there, I'd really love to take it on. It is what it is though, probably built during the 70's or 80's when the area was awash with holidaymakers and just about anything went. Unfortunately the place doesn't appear to have been developed much over the years and is now long overdue a serious revamp, get away from the acres of cream paint. Problem might be that the present, probably very seasonal turnover doesn't provide for a long overdue redevelopment. On top of that I doubt that the place will, as is, attract the right calibre of manager. On top of all that the area is surrounded by holiday parks all of which offer entertainment and probably a far more attractive ambiance thus I doubt that it touches that market. Whilst we were there a large walking party (30 or so) came in, looked at the menu, put their haversacks back on and left. I'm sure that it could work though. Nice enough mooring, good selection of drink, nice garden area, not all doom & gloom.

I now understand that the pub in question is a managed house and that there is a new manager in for 2017.

http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/st-benet-s-abbey-celebrates-open-air-service-near-ludham-1-5139586 So it was Ardea, she does have a white wwhatnot. From Parisian prostitutes to the Bishop of Norwich, if nothing else the old girl has an inclusive guest list!

Don't all the best traditional wherries, Norfolk & Suffolk ones alike, have black flappy wwatnots?

John, Mr Knight is still a committee member and yes, he does know who to raise his concerns with and is doing so, as are others.

Broadland CC has resisted suggestions from Thorpe House that they ditch Lana and promote another, 'acceptable', candidate. As I understand it Broadland CC's CEO & the Broads Authority's CEO are at loggerheads over this issue. Whether Broadland has complained to the SOS or not I don't know.