grendel

well despite the weather (its mostly just been wind here) I managed to get out on the bike- rather late by the time I left yesterday, so encountered a bit of a scene in the middle of the road on my diversion round the closed section of the cycle route via the high street, a couple of lads who were obviously worse for wear were having a bit of a barney, ignoring cars and cycles trying to get past them. so it was out to Chartham and back with lights as it was starting to get dark. this morning I woke at 4.30, so it was hop on the bike and out to blean forest for a cycle along the wider paths. total mileage is now 528.8miles since i got the bike, and I am feeling better for the exercise. my 8.7 mile route is no effort at all any more, and I am starting to explore some of the wider side trails in the Blean. (most just loop back to the main trail after a mile or so.)

I went on a team building event in london a few weeks back- virtual formula one racing, I knew there was going to be issues when i saw the signs saying scan the QR code to order food and drinks, so I asked at the door if the lack of a smart phone would be an issue to be told no. when we got to the games, we found we had to scan in using a QR code to register to play the game, well not having a smart phone made this difficult, so one of the others had to use their phone- the issue, because they had already registered this meant they couldnt, until someone used a second browser on the phone- I got registered with about 1 second to spare in the allocated time. Why does everywhere nowadays make the assumption that everyone wants / can afford a smart phone- without one (and a lot are expensive and complicated phones) you are made to feel a very much second or third class citizen and excluded from many activities.

Well it had better improve by Thursday, As I too am headed Norfolk bound for a long weekend next weekend, as I have a solar panel to fit.

I had to run my ex MIL into town the other week as the local ATM was out of order, we went to morrisons and they had changed their machines which now wouldnt read her card (she said it asked for the card to be put in sideways?) eventually we went to sainsburys where she was successful in obtaining cash. Also my parents wouldnt know what to do without a branch, my 90 year old mother doesnt hold any ID and all the bills are in my fathers name, my father at 89 has a computer- but not internet, and neither could work a smart phone. in a way I would call it age discrimination, you would not be allowed to get away with it in the workplace, and somebody should pull these banks up on it.

anyone notice how through all this they still havent proided the real reason for the lack of signal, they went from its a seagull to whoops we didnt mean it was a seagull, yet managed to slide past what it actually was. very clever PR.

they paid us quite quickly once they got to the jokes thread.

or just plain inadequate passwords, apparently 1234567 is still one of the most common passwords used

because - Mother Nature, thats why.

I believe the signage at salhouse specifically forbids disposable barbecues.

you have just reminded me of the fun i had with kents highways reporting over a road closure that affected a national cycleway, and the lack of suitable diversion route- report a highway obstruction- loops round and back on itself because if a highway is obstructed its an emergency and cant be reported online, but there is no other option for a road closed for 12 months due to construction (the traffic diversion- the only posted diversion, would take cyclists onto a busy major road, that narrows to barely 2 car widths at one point, it wasnt sign posted in the other direction, and to boot cyclists were required to do a right turn, just as the road widened after the narrow bit- right where the traffic tries to overtake the cyclist, how do I know, because thats exactly what happened to me when i tried to pull over to turn right, luckily the pickup with trailer aborted his overtake when he saw my signal.

the more I hear, the more prone I am to dropping a mudweight off each end of the boat, a foot off the bank, then I am anchored, not moored.

for a spot of... move along there, you cant moor there mate.

I dont think the problem is limited to the broads, there are several national cycle ways near me that are suffering a similar issue, where a 6 foot wide tarmac or gravel path has been reduced to barely one cycle width by the encroaching vegetation, the paths are clearly showing neglect. local authorities may well cite no mow may, but we are in July now, with no sign of action.

I would say there must be such a thing as the marina has them dotted about, is it worth your while talking to the marina owners to see if one of the existing ones can be relocated to line of sight? failing that one of my huawei wifi modules has the ability to have antennae plugged in with quite a long length of cable, that works well at some of the moorings that had trickier signals at low tide.

I knew about the headlights, just pull 2 retaining pins and they are out, havent had a need to remove bumpers yet.

well that was fortunate, went out for my short flat run again (8.7 mile) this means I have clocked over 400 miles since I got this bike, last week I fitted the handlebar riser, this gives me an extra 3" handlebar height, and stops me having to lean my weight on my wrists, but back to the fortunate, as I neared home it started spitting, I was no more than slightly damp when I got indoors, now its raining quite persistently. good job I didnt pick a longer route.

Of course there is Arthur Ransome books:- coot club and the big six, (and maybe parts of coots in the north (unfinished book))

Ah, the totem pole wild mooring just upstream of the waveney river centre, lovely spot, both for the humans and canines on board.

for me, its wherever I am moored up at the time, though I will confess that I love above Potter heigham Bridge (dont always appreciate the swarms of insects though)

for me it was a trip, organised by the wife (now ex wife) aboard Pearl Horizon in 2010, we had our trial run, set off and moored up at South Walsham, when we woke in the morning I got out of bed and stepped onto we carpet, a call to the boatyard and we headed back to the yard, where it became apparent the connection had come off the water tank which had filled the bilges, two men came aboard, one to fix the leak, the other took all the carpets and wet vacced them off, then hung them to dry behind the boat, meanwhile the other man set to and repalaced the water pump and fixed the leak, then proceeded to refill the water tank. at the end of our week aboard, it turned out I loved it and she hated it. I had always been interested in the broads after reading Arthur Ransome, so a couple of years later when I was invited for a trip aboard Broad Ambition, I leapt at the chance. later i took to hiring a boat from Marthams, culminating in taking the new Janet 2 to the wooden boat show. It was after this that I was offered a share in Water Rail, which I gladly took up, and despite all of the adventure she has presented, love that boat- by this time the wife had become the ex wife, and I was free to take my holidays wherever wished, so far they have all been on the broads, and I havent ever grown tired of that.

I have edited the title in line with Meantimes suggestion

I cant find planning applications for any other discovery hubs though.

looks like this, with info boards and bench seats, just across the basin from the harbour masters office.

could it be this one - https://planning.broads-authority.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=RKAKJ7TBJEQ00 which calls for a pergola and information boards, referred to as a discovery hub (I suppose a bit like the telephone box at thurne

surely that should be in the planning section of the Broads Authority remit, i wonder if they have applied for any permissions - or will it turn out to be a gazebo or other temporary structure.