JennyMorgan

The gentleman in the foreground wearing a 'black top' was actually a 'pongo' during the war and apart from the occasional dalliance with his yotty cap at regatta time always wore his black army beret, even when at work at his Ford dealership.

I don't know when this picture was taken but I would guess it's either side of WW2, most likely just after. Back then wearing a 'yotty' cap was taken quite seriously & I can remember my mother's humour regarding my dad's. The same could be said of white, wool roll necks which my mother was good at knitting, a number of dad's friends had them too. I would like to know the location of this one, if any one has any idea. Dad & his fellow 'lads' would start their season at the annual Coldham Hall Regatta before moving onto, amongst others, Wroxham, Oulton Broad, Beccles and Lowestoft Regattas. That was a time when the Broads had Royal patronage with Prince Phillip and his crew, Uffa Fox, also visiting various regattas. On one occasion, at Oulton Broad, Phillip & Uffa entered the annual 'ladies race', both wearing woolen mop heads as wigs. My involvement, as I was only a few years old, was to be Uffa's baby! Phillip had his own baby by way of Prince Charles. Of course it was seen as an absolute hoot, especially as Uffa was trounced by a real lady. Prince Phillip would often visit his god-son who back then lived beside Oulton Broad. Back to the picture, five boats being towed astern of each other, one I recognise as a Waveney One Design, back then dad owned W6 (Orchis), the rig of one of the others suggests that it might be an Oulton Broad Rater. The crew are, now all departed, were local, well to do businessmen. I remember two of them plus dad. It was the life back then, fishing and sailing interrupted by the occasional regatta and work. Mind you, dad did work incredibly hard but then he played hard too. The tow boat was, I believe, a rather tasty motor-yacht called Dympsil, I think I've spelled that correctly. My parents lived aboard her at Beccles during the worst of the East Coast bombing raids of WW2, Lowestoft being targeted almost daily at one time.

Jon at Weyford Bridge has been plugging a rather nice timber hulled day-boat with a bog on face-book recently. She looks lovely but whether she is decent or indecent I don'r know.

Jonzo, that offer says a great deal about yourself and the forum in general.

I suspect that Broom's reserve the right to charge for replacing damaged gel-coat along the waterline! Re getting off the Broad yesterday, I'm guessing but perhaps the harbour master's steel workboat opened up a channel for Thunder to cross the Broad.

Charlie, I take it that that's a NO then.

The George Borrow pub, R.I.P., used to serve 'Pure Polish Spirit', allegedly 110% proof although I could never work that one out. Never tried it myself but my girl-friend of the time did, I had to borrow a friend and his Luton Van to cart her comatose body home to her remarkably understanding mother. Well past midnight and the good lady offered us two lads a fry up which we duly accepted, greed and novelty value I suppose. So impressed was I with the mother that I subsequently married the daughter! My wife to be could down a yard of ale faster than I could, amazing girl!

Good morning, Cat, thank you for taking my comment in the spirit in which it was intended. I did have a flare up once when I put in a refill that had a faulty lip but other than that, like you, I haven't had a problem. It doesn't throw out as much heat as another stove that I have but I do find it useful. You've hit the nail on the head, it needs checking and care. I bought mine from Lathams, just a tenner, well pleased but after the safety warning, and one flare up, I wouldn't recommend that others buy one although I do continue to use mine, with care.

Provided your guns are not the product of Messrs Purdy & Co., by appointment to the filthy rich, then I suppose you could cut the barrels well down and that would open up the spread of the salt, wouldn't it? Could be worth trying.

I'm not and never have been a gulper of spirits although I do like the odd Morgans Spiced or a tot of Woods. However I have had the odd gin and that has been my downfall on rare but memorable occasions, although I might not remember it. Was moored at Southwold and found myself & the crew invited to a gin and cheese night at the sailing club, such is the bonhomie of the sailing community. To cut a long story short I must have had one or two, even three over the eight and I do not remember leaving the club or boarding our boat. Apparently we had to cross two fishing boats to get back onboard and, so I'm told, there was a bit of a gap between the two fishing boats and yours truly provided his body for a gangplank to the crew. Ungrateful lot left me to fend for myself and, legend has it, rather than climb down a boarding ladder to our boat I just stepped off the fishing boat, into thin air, and dropped about eight feet, didn't kill myself and went to sleep on the engine casing where I was found in the morning. It was then that we realised that we were one crew member adrift. Having resigned ourselves to the obvious and that he had drowned and as skipper I was wondering how on earth I was going to explain it to his doting mother. Gloomily I set off to the harbour master's office. The office is built on stilts and right there, on the tide line, was a body, fortunately dry and gently rising and falling, phew, I wasn't looking forward to facing his parents. From that day to this I have kept off gulpers, unless it's been beer, preferably Adnams!

One of those herbal drinks, in excess, could shorten the lives of any red blooded male! As for Birdham Pool, during the 1970's I spent a lot of time down there, in the pub too. There used to be a Lowestoft registered barge-yacht moored there called Dinah. I worked part-time in the yard down there during the winter when delivery work was short. Did a lot of rigging on Dinah but I never saw her sail.

Sippers not swiggers!

Woods rum for me, normally neat but sometimes with a whiff of alcoholic cloves.

All these good people dying in their seventies is beginning to worry me!

Here's the EDP's take on the non story of the week: http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/seriously_stupid_chilling_photo_prompts_warning_over_dangers_of_walking_on_ice_1_4858475 I feel quite sorry for the bloke. At most he was standing in about four inches of water, enjoying the novelty of breaking ice with his child.

Norwich is still a fine city and well worth the visit. If you should end up in Oulton Broad then it's only ten minutes or less easy walk to Oulton Broad North railway station and eight quid return ticket to Norwich. The train journey is enjoyable and a chance to see the Broads from another viewpoint, a journey I never tire of.

I admit, I do use one of those cookers on-board, in the cockpit, but be careful: http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/about-us/news-and-press-releases/news-releases/nr15-005-never-use-lpg-camping-equipment-aboard/

Re GRP & ice, I have seen the damage done to the gel coat on moored boats by the ice being carried along by the tide. Indeed ice boards are not unheard off in places like Reedham. Further to the above after the big freeze of 63/64 boats at Yarmouth & Reedham were damaged by ice being washed out to sea as the big thaw took place. I understand that there was a repeat some years later but I don't remember the year. I have never heard of any crush damage, only damage by abrasion.

Re GRP & ice, I have seen the damage done to the gel coat on moored boats by the ice being carried along by the tide. Indeed ice boards are not unheard off in places like Reedham.

As an angler I googled Chub, that was, errrr, revealing! Curiosity got the best of me so I tried again and got chub, last time it was pictures of plump American ladies in revealing poses.

Maybe you'll have to get your skates on.

Oulton Broad this evening:

The way things have been going lately I rather suspect Wolves had an off day Let's be 'avin yew, City, prove my pessimism as unwarranted!

Amen to that, Helen, sure beats chugging along with the constant drone of a soulless engine! As for rural cities, Norwich has a lot going for it, apart from its football team

However, Polly, in Norfolk we have the real thing: http://www.easyballoons.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/21-Concrete-cows-original-train.jpg?w=640