JennyMorgan

I take your point and agree entirely but the issue, I suspect, is one of unnecessary travel, not whether you can repack your stern-gland or grease your own nipples. In your case the journey itself is surely insignificant. Effectively your call.

And quite a few just don't know!

Thank you, Tom, for clearing that up. As you must realise by now we are a touchy lot with long memories and battered trust. History is not always helpful to the cause! Was the threat of a twenty grand hit also an inadvertent error?

Marsh, I have given you the links to the relevant BA articles. It might be an old story but it is still live, still relevant. The original Horsey issue, with threats of a twenty grand fine is being repeated, it's a fact! That in itself was probably when trust in the BA walked out of the door. Let's be clear, the BA can not impose a £20,000.00 fine, not least on restrictions that they have no power to impose. The roots of this story might be old, but these latest threats are current.

For us the joy of the Fireball was that it was designed to be home built and that is what I and three others did in the loft of my then home. We built three hulls which when complete were lifted through a tightly fitting window and then lowered to the ground on a tackle slung between two nearby trees. Mine was the first boat out, that was a leap of faith but despite a frightening drop as the tackle took the strain my boat landed safe and unscarred. We had a huge amount of fun with that boat, racing her at Southwold, Kessingland, Lowestoft, Gorleston and Snetterton as well as across the Broads, the joys of a trailable boat. We also raced Fireballs in Holland, the Dutch lending us boats as we in turn did when they returned with us to race in England. Three sets of three races in each country, the Dutch won, by one race. That was huge fun, the long waves off Holland were a new experience and well suited to a Fireball and its planing hull.

Marsh, it is the BA itself that has 'regurgitated' this topic. Yes, it is in another place, on the BA's Facebook page.

So many highlights, which ones should I choose? This pictures sees me out on the water in a Fireball that my wife to be and I had built in the loft of my parent's bungalow. No, we didn't win but we are still together which is a pretty good result!

Just as an afterthought, the BA has told us that "There are four areas at Hickling Broad and Heigham Sound which are restricted from November to March inclusive." However there is no power to 'restrict' the public right to navigate in this way. The term 'mission creep' springs to mind as does 'over-stepping the mark'.

For those of you who assiduously devour all things BA the topic was resurrected on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BroadsAuthority/photos/pcb.3338587232929085/3338587099595765

For those of you that might find themselves in a similar situation I have now had excellent responses and support from the police as well as my local council and victim support. Just a shame that it came to that.

I'm talking about the linked page on the BA's website, the wording of which is quite clear.

The bloke is all wind!

Some time ago huge fines were threatened in an effort to dissuade boaters and anglers from using Horsey Mere during the winter. It was an event that opened the eyes of many in regard to the Authority. In some respects good came out of it in that voluntary agreements were entered into in order to protect the wildlife. Nevertheless it was a major public relations boob by the BA. In threatening £20,000.00 fines in an effort to close the navigation during the winter the Authority made clear its priorities. Clearly nothing was learned from that faux pas. Sandford is alive and well. https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/looking-after/projects/upper-thurne/winter-waterbirds-refuge?.fbclid=IwAR3QfzGzBFI8aHkdXR_NOQbo1xA5zgBTruz2zl434VoQOC0Apnow_4Q3EgY

Thank you, Tom, appreciated. As ever, you are one of the good guys! Preventing campaigning, ummm. By whom ?? A privilege that I wish that I also had .

In an EDP 24 BA related article we are all invited to follow a BA link which I duly did, only to be told that I am blocked from the BA's Twitter Account. I can only think that is because I have questioned the great Doctor's assertions regarding the BNP. Doesn't pay to make unhelpful to the cause comments, even if they are true. Control is the name of the game, make no mistakes about that.

Wasn't the dear Sid F from Thurne was he?

0 to 30 in 3 minutes, with a stern wind! How could we take Plod seriously?

Little old ladies from Norfolk can be the worst offenders!

I've been told off, several times, for using that naughty word! Every day usage in Norfolk but seemingly not elsewhere! Bit like mention of 'meadow ladies' in Norfolk, acceptable in one county but not another.

I can be even more sad, I remember when the original panda cars came out, light blue and white Maurice Mynahs, sorry, Morris Minors! I also remember walking around both a police driver and his new car outside the 'cop-shop', asking if it was fast enough to overtake a milk float? I was indignantly informed that the pandas were 'souped up', I had my doubts. 0 to 60 in 5 minuets!

Are you sure? Not even when you are accused of it?

If it's JP that we are talking about then 'quixotic' is entirely apt, as clearly illustrated by the Acle Bridge visitor centre.

The joys of a private education or a military career, or hanging around the boatsheds of a Broads boatyard?

That's interesting, out of curiosity I googled Gordon Bennett, I felt that I had too! Yes, he did exist.

There's thought!