Paul

nail firmly and squarely hit. we waited to see if Hilter really would invade Poland

Careful Siddy, I might have to retaliate with a broadside of ..... I'm walking on sunshine...... oooh ooh.

Perhaps not a particularly good choice of location for a visitor centre then? You can sit in your Viking Long Haul sipping your skinny decaf mochachino and gaze longingly at all those (agreed) not very picturesque sheds. You might even enjoy a walk along the river bank to get a better view of them. Surely this would be better at Whitlingham, oh wait, there is already something along these lines there. Maybe Oulton Broad where there are already lots of other activities to enthrall the visitor, and relieve him of his hard earned dollar. Maybe the green in Horning next to the Swan, lots to interest the paying public in Horning.

There are a number of points you are overlooking Marshy. Firstly the Authority identified the moorings as strategically important to secure Navigation Budget funding to buy and restore it, then turn the area over to a project which, by it's own admission will provide no amenity to the navigation. I know I'm a simple man, I see black and white, not all these shades of grey that everyone gets so excited about, but in my book that stinks. There may or may not be a shortage of moorings at Acle, but there certainly are shortages elsewhere which could have benefited from the money spent on Acle.

I think the verifiable information that this does bring to the public attention is that in May 2017 the Authority identified this site as an "high priority" in it "mooring strategy" and authorised the use of of £180,000 to buy it plus further expenditure to refurbish it. Where did that money come from? My understanding is that acquisition and repair of moorings comes from the Nav Budget. Now suddenly it appears that these moorings are not quite as important now that the BA own them ........ What is clear is that the 2017/18 financial statement says that "The developments at Acle Bridge over the coming years will seek to further our National Park purposes" Now I ask again. Where did that money coming from?

Hopefully, some people might read this latest episode and just, perhaps just, pull their head out of the sand and realise the impact this project has on navigation, both in terms of budget and loss of amenity.

The National Pike is especially cutting in his latest appraisal of the Axle Bridge Deb Acle http://www.broadsnationalpike.com/2018/08/axlebridge-deb-acle-continues.html

I think Jenny M's list is quite accurate, and yes, most are down south as I generally find the pubs on the south side are better. If I were on a boat "pub crawl" (and sadly those days are generally behind us now) then I doubt I would venture anywhere upstream of Acle Bridge. However, I appreciate there are some people who are surgically attached to the New Inn, Stokesby Ferry, even the Maltsters so the fact that they are not on my list obviously doesn't make them "bad", just not to my taste.

The Recruiting Sergeant has long been my favourite eatery accessible from the water, albeit a bit of a walk. If we are not on the river then Stoke Mill just off the Ipswich Road is excellent.

Quite a trek from the river though ........... I think I could just about make the Gunton Arms from Dilham in under three hours .....

Sadly not, am I selling myself short?

Anyone who would like to sample life in one of the riverside bungalows may do so as a number are available for holiday rental via Riverside Holidays. They are especially "atmospheric" in late autumn or early spring. https://www.riverside-holidays.co.uk/

personally I think I'll stick to my fishnets .......

So like yeah bud, what really gets' me goin is "my bad ..... Do you mean "my mistake", "my fault", "my error" even.

no, a loss of moorings makes them "normals" from the images that were posted elsewhere it would not appear that there will be moorings between it and the river, it looks to sit right on the river edge. Time will tell i suppose. They're waiting for Mr Waller's tolls .......

If you are referring to my comment Meg, I assure you my tongue was firmly in my cheek Tongue in cheek or not it is extremely insulting to the many hire boaters who enjoy the broads at a leisurely pace

In a moment of uncharacteristic weakness I promised the lady wife a bit of a trim. She has reminded me of that little fact so the time has come to deliver on my promise. Can anyone suggest a hairdresser in or around Lowestoft / Oulton / Beccles / Loddon etc where I might be able to get a bit lopped from her flowing locks? Preferably something that will not cause me to sell a vital body organ.

Beautiful afternoon in Oulton Broad. Perfect day to be in the park

https://nancyblackett.org/2018/07/13/in-photos-nancy-blackett-sailing-on-breydon-water-and-at-reedham/

Lovely photos, thank you Cal. How long did the passage from Hull to Lowestoft take?

It's just a thought but if you google you can get all sorts of support cushions designed for car seats, they may be more effective than a standard cushion. I do know where you are coming from though, there is nothing as bad as an uncomfortable helm seat.

whats uncomfortable about them,could they be "modified". Failing that what about a seat pad?

I've always held this view. Back in the 70's we fed bread to ducks like nobodies business. We used to go to Jones' and buy up the stale loaves for five pence and it all went to the ducks. If it were as harmful as some "experts" have been trying to make us believe then Nic Park in Oulton would have looked like the anatine equivalent of the somme. I know something for certain, there were a lot more coots and mallards in those days than there are today.

Are the rights to Hamilton's still owned by a certain Loddonite?

This is one of my main bugbears, especially on the Northern Rivers (running engines on moorings being the other). Once upon a time you moored next to the boat next to you (if that doesn't sound like double dutch). The next boat in did the same to you, usually using the same post you were moored to. Enough space to allow the boats to move and not touch. That way, if one of the boats alongside you moved you didn't have to keep moving backwards and forwards, you were still next to the boat the other side and the boat that had moved on left a gap of whatever size for someone else to moor into. Occasionally we would look and think that as other boats had moved and perhaps different sized ones had come in then moving up a bit may free up a space for someone, so we did. It takes two minutes and doesn't need doing very often. It is not the drama some people seem to think it might be. Would I move a boat back then? Not normally, it was rarely necessary as people moored with greater consideration so there was not the need. Occasionally we might ask someone on board if they minded moving up a post or two to make a gap. Such is not limited to last minute hullabaloos either. I think that's just a convenient excuse. You could quite easily arrive at a popular mooring at any time and find a gap not quite big enough. When asked, almost without exception people were happy to "budge up a bit". They would help by taking you ropes and hold on to them until your crew were ashore. You'd have a chat. On many occasions such led to sharing a tinnie or two or a bottle of wine Nowadays? Sadly the consideration for others is sadly lacking. It effects the Broads as it does all other walks of life. It is more common now to see a boat moor in the middle of any available space than close to another boat, boating is not social as it once was. So one boat moors in the middle of a big gap thinking "I'm not doing any harm". The next one does the same and so on and so on until you end up with a mooring "full" of boats with fifteen foot gaps between them. The attitude is not unique to the broads, it is indicative of society as a whole. Would I move a boat now? Absolutely not, I would think twice about asking one to move up a bit either. Sadly you cannot always rely on a polite response. As for the OP, Last Post? We love them too. Would always be my first choice on any mooring.