JennyMorgan

Due to the Lock-Down the Broads is remarkably quiet, a thieves paradise. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/norfolk-police-broads-crime-boat-reedham-inn-1-6596579

The price of marriage perhaps?!

There is indeed, I was offered and accepted it when I turned 70. My wife regretfully wasn't, perhaps because not long after her birthday Corona Virus reared its head. For most folk that I know who have had it it has been relatively localised, Lynn has been very unlucky, it's in her hair and right down to her feet, she's covered.

My poor wife is going through it! Now she has galloping shingles, the pain and irritation is really getting her down. Every two hours I need to put drops in her eyes, but that turned out to be an unexpected bonus this morning. Six o'clock and looking out of our bedroom window revealed a real bonus feature! A gorgeous dawn highlighted a deep mist over the marshes and the river. From our bedroom we look down onto the mist, despite the shingles a grand start to the day! The Broads at their very best.

Shades of various forums there!

Where's his hat?

A one off, in the nicest possible way! RIP.

Final PS to the last word, honestly! In fairness to the Rangers, the BA's good guys, I think it worth recording that the Rangers do not have the authority, and probably not the inclination either, to stop anyone using the river. This is a police issue, not one for the BA.

My last word on this one! I'm not so much worried about the money but I am concerned that the wording of the Act has been 'adjusted', as it has been, to support yet another questionable policy. It does bring into question the ethos & credibility of those charged with managing the Authority. We have had far too many examples of similar 'adjustment', witness the illustrious BNP saga. If you are content with that then so be it, personally I am not.

I seem to remember a recent report telling us that one of the BIG holiday home companies is giving its owners a break, that their year will run from when their season recommences after the close-down. Seems very reasonable to me. My season ticket to the excellent Africa Alive is subject to the same policy.

I haven't read it but I had been told. If it is the case then I can only suggest that Authority Rangers have been over zealous.

In the last Broads Briefing. I'm not arguing about the message as such but the middle column makes it quite clear.

Worrying development. There have been moves to exterminate badgers because of TB concerns. Where on earth would we start if it is transmitted to animals? Will the famous Number Ten cat have to be put down because it slept on Boris's bed?

I posted James's topic, lifted from FB, because links to other forums are not encouraged on NBN. One way or another the topic is relevant to all of us who own and use a boat on the Broads. That aside what I have not done is to post FB responses, some of which answer points made here. We have been told by the BA that we cannot use our boats whilst also being told that we must pay our toll. This is a discriminatory demand. Had a request been made, e.g. despite not being able to use your boat would you mind paying your toll so that we might continue with our good work, then just maybe more of us would have accepted the BA's position. We ALL benefit by the work that the Authority does, and that INCLUDES the hire yards and their customers. The demand was badly made, not least because the Act was misquoted and I suspect intentionally so. Where the Authority is concerned we have long since ceased 'being in this together' and I don't blame the boat-owners for that.

An entirely apt comment with which I wholly agree.

James Knight, he may or may not be a member. Since it's a topic relevant to many of us I thought it quite reasonable to post it here. You could well be right but the words of the Act are taken verbatim. Exceptional times that we are living through, clearly the Act was never written in anticipation of Corona Virus but the Act is the fact. I hope and prey that we all come out on the other side of this pandemic and will be able to use our boats this summer, in which case we will be due for the FULL toll, the Act is also clear on that. Those of us fortunate enough to own our own riverside moorings have no such relaxations, we have to pay! It could be argued that this is a loophole but the Authority presented it to Parliament and it passed through both Houses. Surely, at the end of the day the Authority is duty-bound to apply the Act fairly and without favours. It was the Authority that offered this dispensation. To my mind it is a pity that it was offered without the BA waiting to see what support the government would offer to both industry and the Authority itself. Effectively I don't see the Authority losing vast sums of money but they might have to wait a bit longer than usual to be paid. The Adjacent Water clause in the Act has been a running sore in the minds of many Broads boaters ever since it was enacted. A reaction is surely to be expected!

This has been posted elsewhere. As I read it a private boat moored in a marina is eligible for a toll exemption provided that the boat is stored and NOT being used. Effectively if you pay a mooring fee you are moored on a business owned water. A well worded and logical assessment, in my opinion. Having reviewed the Broads Acts, I think that this falls under the adjacent waters provisions of the Broads Authority Act 2009. This is, by the way, a spectacularly poorly worded and difficult to navigate (!) piece of legislation, reflecting its controversial and much revised passage through Parliament. Prior to this Act, tolls were only required for boats which actually used the navigation. The 2009 Act extended this to include boats moored on adjacent waters - with certain exemptions. Section 16 (6) states: “Nothing contained in or in force or done under the specified provisions shall apply to any vessel which— (a) is not for the time being in use for the purposes of navigation, or for residential or commercial purposes; (b) is moored on waters occupied or customarily used by a person carrying on a business; and (c) is so moored for the purposes of being serviced, repaired or stored by that person or of being sold or offered or exposed for sale by that person (whether acting as principal or agent).” “Specified provisions” includes the vessel registration byelaws described in section 11, which includes the provision for charging tolls (section 11 para 2). In plain English, what this means (in relation to the current debate) is that any boat which is in business-owned adjacent waters AND not in use AND being stored does not need to pay a toll. I'm pretty sure that this is the provision which the BA is referring to when stating that “hire boats that are not being used and are effectively in storage in their own yards, do not incur a toll.” I hope this is helpful.

For the 'lock down' to work I'm afraid that we might need to set up passport control!

Vaughan, I do agree with your sentiments but whilst our holiday areas are still remarkably and thankfully clear of this virus, it wouldn't take much to swing it the other way, I'm afraid the door has to remain closed.. Rest assured that the demand to stay away is not just limited to Broadland. At Southwold, for example, road signs have been set up clearly telling visitors and holiday home owners to sod off! Devon tourism has also been pretty outspoken. Wales has been less fortunate but lessons have been learned. Our MP's sod off comments are unwelcome and uncharacteristic of the Broads but regretfully they are necessary.

It is still the theme and understandably so, not just here in Norfolk either, it would also appear to apply to Scotland. Having reread the EDP report it does appear that there is a realisation that the 2020 holiday season might not even take place.

You could also use your boat as a means of going shopping, Tesco at Stalham or Lidl at Beccles perhaps!

https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/mps-in-norfolk-urge-chancellor-to-come-to-aid-of-tourism-industry-hit-by-coronavirus-1-6594691?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=DM24101

Surely not! A library of Broads books, Black sailed Trader in particular, deserves better than the attic!

I thought it was a bird with short hair!!

My daffs are out as usual and looking as good as ever