JennyMorgan

Boatsheds have a lot to answer for! I have spent many a delightful hour in the sheds at Martham, surrounded by good Norfolk talk.

A precious heritage indeed, as are our beloved Broads, a fact seemingly not considered by those in Authority.

Re the Strumpshaw steam museum, I knew another of the leading lights, a Jack Tye. He used to sail Orchis, Waveney number 6. Jack was undiluted Norfolk aristocracy, a farmer that was never seen without his old cloth cap, whether he had hair or not I have no idea. When Jack went sailing then so did his cap, he never had one of those pretentious yotty caps.

French was never my strong point, dear Miss Mathers was not the most inspiring of teachers, bless her memory. On the other hand I did manage passable Latin, very useful, even with a Norfolk accent. At Taverham I did know a Mack, broad as they came, but whether his first name was Michael or not I have no idea. Mack's mum decided that he needed to tork posh so on a number of Saturday mornings he went into the City, as he proudly proclaimed, to have his RRRRRs rolled. Inevitably we gleefully chose the alternative meaning of RRRRRs. Good bloke was Mack, only like any Norfolk borr rolling his RRRRRs didn't come naturally.

Going through Yarmouth is, as John shows it, all so easy so why do folk get it wrong?

Posh schools in Norwich & Norfolk, in my day, were the prerogative of rich Norfolk farmers, and occasional boatyard owners, for their sons and daughters. As one who went through the system I came out knowing how to drive a tractor and speak good Norfolk. Not quite what my dear Mum had hoped for!

Fishy goings on? T'is one way to achieve & maintain control.

My folk too have been crew members, at least on my mum's side. One even became coxswain of the Pakefield boat: http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/XJ101269/Nathaniel-Colby-coxwain-of-the-Pakefield-Lifeboat?img=5&search=Pakefield&bool=phrase In recent times the nearest any of us got to the lifeboat was me being an auxiliary Coast Guard, leaving the heroics to the RNLI.

T' buggers hev orl reddy cum! I always regret not recording my Granny Colby, good old Pakefield name is that. Born about 1880 her dialect and more especially her vocabulary have all but disappeared over the last fifty years. Local accents do exist to this day but many words of my youth have been lost.

Brave folk indeed, but bravery can, regretfully, lead to tragedy: http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2013-11-25/memorial-to-one-of-the-regions-worst-lifeboat-disasters-given-a-make-over/

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/accents_are_under_threat_from_the_encroaching_estuary_english_1_4554190

Scroll down on this link for more info on Sarah Ann: http://stmalo.boatshed.com/ex_lifeboat_35-boat-144451.html I note that she's a Liverpool class boat, not that she was stationed there. Reminder to self, pressure wash the old lugs!

Thanks Iain, nice one! Any idea where and when she was on the Broads? I don't recollect seeing her down this way.

Not the same boat, possibly not the same class but if nothing else she's similar and in her element: Sarah Ann was, I believe, stationed at Liverpool, the above was at Flamboro Head.

Her wheel house is functional, reckon her skipper would just need a Sherlock Holmes style pipe of equal character to puff as he motors along, peering out the door at admiring or inquisitive bystanders. Errr, he already has one, evil furnace like affair!

Here she be!: She's lost the shell-back cabin that she would most likely have had and has had a serviceable and reasonably good looking wheel-house built in its place. Got to say that if I was going to buy a 'stinky' then this would have been the one. Built for survival at sea, rather than just to extract cash from buyers, she looks pretty much right to me, I admit to being a tad envious! She's now owned by a man who's father was one of the founder figures of the Wherry Trust. Good to see that she doesn't have one of those dingily, dangily, plastic fender thingies swinging from her stem-head !

Thanks for finding that, Alan. I was aware of the Rotary Service, she's at the yard where we keep 'Spray' during the winter. Didn't realize that she was an ex-lifeboat let alone one with a local history. My friend's boat is a sweet looking vessel as boats built for purpose tend to be. I'll waddle down the garden later & take a snap or two so folk can have a taster of what will be on display.

There is a gathering of ex RNLI lifeboats at Oulton Broad Yacht Station on Saturday and there will be a parade around the Broad during the day. The event is being ran to raise funds for the refurbishment of the Lowestoft built ex lifeboat 50-001 for use as a youth training vessel by the Thames Class Lifeboat Trust, A near neighbour & friend of mine has been refurbishing a 1938 ex lifeboat over the last few months. He told me about the event, apparently there will be four ex lifeboats of varying vintage on display. The Thames Class Lifeboat is at this moment on shore at the Brooke Business Park, outside the shed that she was built in. Hopefully it will be an interesting day.

Best lock up our daughters and granddaughters away from the Bonking Ambition then! Boatyman, prices for boats can be eye wateringly high, especially in July. Perhaps the Broads Holiday Village at Oulton Broad could provide you with a really nice base for the NBN meeting. A tent in my backgarden is another option, that won't cost you a penny but I'm afraid that it's not quite in the same comfort league and it's a mile's pleasant walk to the Yacht Station!

Or perhaps a cat-o-nine-tails for those who offend against the strict fender code?

I agree, just a question of balance perhaps?

The Millers also ran a 'hotel boat', a converted Thames barge, seen here at St Olaves. They also ran the Dutch Tea Gardens as a cafe at what is now the 24 hour mooring of the same name in Oulton Dyke. Innovative Broads business folk.

A later shot of the Belaugh boat sheds, 50 or so years later. I wonder if the cruiser in the foreground is the Romany from Robinsons of Oulton Broad, she's still afloat?

Off to Belaugh this time, Bee-lar, and the boatyard of Press Bros, Many Broads yachts were built there, including my daughter's 'Spray' during the winter of 1908/09. I believe that this card is of that time. Interesting to note that the wherry has dropped her peak a little, probably to help her sail the winding river at that point.

A view of Geldeston Locks as I have never seen it before. Anyone who knows the Locks will be able to relate to the layout and position of the weir in the foreground. Methinks it's an interesting picture.