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Mouldy
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Posts posted by Mouldy
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3 hours ago, oldgregg said:
Ironically, Three and Vodafone have today announced plans to merge
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
That'll be an interesting one as Vodafone and O2 have been sharing a lot of network infrastructure in the past few years in order to save costs.
Should be easy merging their customer services. Having dealt with both in the past, there was little to choose between them, they were both pretty dire. That was a few years ago, mind and they might have improved.
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1 hour ago, hazelgirl said:
So jealous, I've always wanted to go to Cornwall, living in Manchester it's a bit of a hike. Beautiful pictures and going to make sure we visit in the next year or two.
It’s a lovely area, especially around here and well worth the effort to visit. We tend to keep away from the tourist ‘hotspots’ like Newquay and Padstow. Nothing wrong with them , but they do tend to pull people in through reputation. It’s very unspoilt around here, no bingo, amusement arcades and funfairs, just how we like it!
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Following a fairly lengthy journey on Monday, the plan for Tuesday was to do a bit of food shopping and relax. After a fairly leisurely start to the day, we drove into Helston for Lidl’s and I was despatched to get necessary groceries, complete with a comprehensive list as supplied by the wife - dinners x 3, puddings x 3, crisps and biscuits!
She sat in the car with the dog, whilst I went in. Fortunately, it seems most Lidl stores are laid out similarly inside, so I had a clue where to look. Feeling slightly smug, having bought everything on the list and without spending a fortune, I returned to the car. ‘Did you remember the water?’ said Deb. ‘Was it on the list?’ I replied. I didn’t go back on for it, as we don’t really need it, to be fair.
We bought a couple of pasties for lunch, on our way back to the accommodation and ate them on the decking, looking out over the sea, in glorious sunshine.
A bit later, we drove the short distance to Poldhu Cove, somewhere I have many happy childhood memories of, having been for several family holidays in the area so many years ago. It remains totally unspoilt, with just a cafe on the beach and toilets nearby. This year, the usual dog ban on several beaches has been modified, so dogs can go on the beach all year, with a ban in force only between 10:00 and 18:00 during July and August. Most civilised.
With the car parked (free after 16:00, how refreshing), we wandered over to the beach and Harley enjoyed herself, splashing around in the sea. When she’d had enough, we drove back to the holiday park, parked the car, I put a chicken in the oven to cook for dinner and we went to the terrace for a refreshing, cooling beverage.
We had the chicken with salad and some Jersey Royals for dinner, before retiring quite early.
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40 minutes ago, grendel said:
not a great cycle ride today, 5 miles out then I picked up a drawing pin through the tyre, 5 miles pushing 70lb of bike home even though it was mostly downhill and that was way more exercise than i needed. add to that it would only roll a few hundred yards then needed the tyre pumping so it would roll again for the next few hundred yards, luckily I had a pump with me, unluckily I didnt have a spare tube or puncture repair kit.
Obviously never a Boy Scout then, Peter - be prepared😉.
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26 minutes ago, SwanR said:
Still never been to Cornwall. 🤭 Have a lovely holiday. ☀️😎☀️
You need to make the effort, Jean. Down here, near The Lizard, is really beautiful!
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Strange the Vodafone’s signal in Brundall is so patchy. I was told a few years ago that the mast opposite Brian Wards is for Vodafone. I wouldn’t like to guarantee that is fact, but the info was passed to me by someone who should know.
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Once again, we’ve been drawn back to Cornwall. Aside from Norfolk, it was the only other county in which I would have been happy to spend my retirement, but the distance from family in Milton Keynes and Northampton, together with Norfolk Lady on The Broads, made the decision easier to make.
We've returned to holiday park we’ve visited in the past, just a few minutes stroll down a steep hill from Kennack Sands. I hadn’t realised, but since our move to Norfolk, it’s actually further to get here, than if we followed the Google recommended route from our bungalow, to Edinburgh.
We left home at midnight Sunday night (into Monday), arriving at Looe around 06:40 yesterday morning, after a couple of stops on the way. It had been an easy journey, with light traffic and no hold ups. We had a walk to Looe seafront, then found so where to get a light breakfast before setting off again for our chosen holiday destination, arriving here at around 12:15. The total journey was a shade over 400 miles.
When we arrived, it was warm, but cloudy, but it didn’t take long for the sun to break through and we had lunch (a pasty, what else when in Cornwall?) sitting on the decking, in front of our accommodation.
After a lengthy car journey, I needed a nap (it’s my age), before wandering down to the beach, before returning to the site bar for a cheeky pint, sitting on the terrace in the sun!
Neither of us felt much like cooking, so we went back to the bar for our evening meal. Needless to say, I wasn’t late retiring last night. It had been a very long day, but I was glad to be here!
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5 minutes ago, SwanR said:
Don’t forget yesterday was a working day for many people. And the weather here has been like November until the last couple of days. Plus Friday is either a changeover day or people position themselves for a Saturday return. Given so many of the boats out now seem to be Richardson’s or Herbie Woods’ then Ranworth isn’t ideal for that.
Good point, but there have been photos of Ranworth all week on FB showing available spaces into the evening. Also, just two dayboats? I can’t help thinking that this is BA cultivated propaganda, to substantiate their actions and possibly encourage them to do the same elsewhere. How much income could they generate at How Hill, for example?
Let’s also remember that over April and May, there have been several Bank Holidays, including school holidays, when there should have been more holidaymakers to potentially increase their averages.
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15 minutes ago, SwanR said:
Interesting article. And if it’s stopping people overstaying thereby giving more people a chance to use the moorings and access the facilities then that’s a good thing.
It looks more like it’s stopped a lot of people from visiting at all. There are pictures on FB taken yesterday afternoon. Only two dayboats arriving between 12:00 and 15:00 and only two people sitting at the pub. That’s more like November than a sunny, warm June afternoon.
I fear that the BA might be interpreting figures to justify their actions and possibly to introduce mooring fees elsewhere.
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52 minutes ago, Broads01 said:
Mr Dixon had better stop crossing the road.
Exactly! Am I right in thinking that the last (regrettable) deaths on The Broads were in the post pandemic and slightly mad period following the first lockdown. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable but people die on holiday every year, whether it’s by drowning at seaside, having gone astray on an inflatable, surfing, boating or any other form of accident. Only a couple of days ago there was a problem in France with some stabbings.
We all take chances every day of our lives, crossing the road, driving a car, walking along the pavement, it’s a fact of life and we can’t mitigate against every eventuality. The sooner some folk realise that, get on with living and stop worrying about spoiling things for everyone else, the better. We’re only here for a short time - just enjoy it!
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54 minutes ago, Meantime said:
No what it will mean is an excuse to put the tolls up next year to pay for new replacement moorings, you've been warned!!!!
Wrong! To pay for them to look for new replacement moorings, that will all turn out to be too expensive to lease and won’t happen!
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11 minutes ago, grendel said:
. . . . . the end point is they didnt come to an agreement in the time available.
We almost lost the moorings at St Benets as negotiations overran. The BA need to get a wriggle on and source additional moorings on the southern rivers, where there are all too few already. Cantley floods regularly, as do the ones at Reedham.
Given the interest in electric boats and the BA’s apparent desire to promote the use of electric, losing moorings like Langley Dyke, where running cabling to should surely be relatively easy, it does seem strange that more effort wasn’t put into effecting a compromise with the land owner. Much easier to provide electric posts there than some more remote locations, like Hardley Cross.
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38 minutes ago, BroadsAuthority said:
Hi both,
The 24hr moorings at Gay Staithe (which I believe is now the accurate spelling!) is operated under an agreement between the Parish Council and Great Yarmouth Port & Haven Commissioners, dating from from the GYPHC days. We have been maintaining the mooring there during this time. The aforementioned agreement remains in place until 2028.
Sorry for the delay, I've been on training the last few days and now on annual leave until next week.
Best
Tom
Thanks Tom! My spelling is from Google Maps - must be an American/English thing. 😁
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10 minutes ago, YnysMon said:
Is there any news about Gaye’s Staithe?
Tom hasn’t responded, so no news sadly. I wonder if his hands are being tied by the powers that be? I do fear the worst though.
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Tom, many thanks for the update on Langley Dyke, however the question regarding the possible loss of moorings at Gayes Staithe remains unanswered. Are you able to comment on this, please?
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1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:
With all this speculation etc on here concerning free 24hr BA moorings , I wonder if Tom @BroadsAuthority would be able to let us know how many there are now compared to 5 years ago ?
I have a feeling that the number of moorings may be skewed by the BA to look better than they actually are, even if they have the decency to respond. Use Reedham as an example, where double mooring is permitted, would the numbers they provide include double mooring places where allowed?
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20 minutes ago, RealWindmill said:
Perhaps not. Here is a lift from the pages of Encylopedia Brittannica webpage.
National Park. An area set aside by a government for the preservation of the natural environment or because of its historical or scientific interest. The national parks of various countries differ greatly in their effectiveness in protecting their resources. Some provide park systems with large enough budgets to make possible strict enforcement of regulations, others do not.
Most parks have a built in paradox : although they often depend on tourism , the preservation of their wildlife depends on it not being molested. This paradox is usually resolved by allowing visitors to travel only within limited areas. This allows them to see the park whilst minimising their contact.
So, thank goodness for Sandford . We still need to remain vigilant that JP and the RSPB do not erode that principle.
Perhaps losing boat mooring availability from the system is a back door way of achieving that ?
Agreed, but National Parks are a magnet for tourism by virtue of the fact that they are areas of natural beauty, that in our quest to concrete over the countryside to provide housing, warehouse space and to shave 10 minutes off the time it takes to travel from London to Birmingham by train, are places for us to enjoy the tranquility they afford.
As for Sanford, if the principle is adopted, it will spell the end of navigation on The Broads. Is this what we really want?
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11 minutes ago, rightsaidfred said:
Or my idea of a sensible approach, keep things at an affordable level for the majority of people, provide more and better facilities especially moorings to encourage those that are here to stay and to attract the additional new people needed to sustain the future, this in itself should provide more income meaning any increase should only be needed to keep pace with required spending.
Only last week, the ‘good Doctor’ appeared on TV, extolling the virtues of The Broads, but warning us to think about the environmental impact of how we visit, warning of excessive car journeys.
I’m trying to work out how you promote a National Park, or even a Notional Park and travel to one, without encouraging people to travel by car. Surely, that’s a contradiction? Does he think we can all afford to travel by train, that’s if they’re running, or live close enough to walk or cycle?
Is a National Park not a tourist destination by definition? I, for one, am not sure what his aim is for The Broads, but discouraging tourism must be damaging for the economy of an area, that is dependent on it for the survival of many of its businesses.
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10 hours ago, DAVIDH said:
Of course, the prices were hiked between 2020 and 2022 so still leeway to come down. I don't think it's the prices so much as the Broads holiday afloat being seen as a second holiday. Many are 3 and 4 night breaks now, so not a "main" holiday. The overseas travel industry is still reporting buoyant sales, which is a surprise with things as they are. Perhaps people are foregoing their second holidays and that's why sales are down, and boats are still tied up.
Is there now leeway for a reduction in prices, given the enormous rise in energy prices and other associated costs over the past twelve months? Remember also that the cost of parts required for build or maintenance will also have increased, for all the same reasons, fuel, wages, transport, raw materials etc..
I think that another factor may be the sharp increase in diesel prices last year, which must have impacted the yard’s operating ‘all inclusive’ deals massively. If the cost of diesel for an average holiday had been factored in at say £1 per litre and it had actually cost £1.75 per litre, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that some losses must have been incurred on those craft, especially if the hirers weren’t careful with throttle usage and covered much of the network. ‘All inclusive’ pricing for this year will surely have been calculated using fuel prices, which were at their peak last year, when in fact fuel costs have dropped dramatically over the past few weeks, making those prices artificially high for this year.
Maybe we’ve forgotten The Broads pre-pandemic and can now only remember the artificially increased numbers caused by imposed post pandemic foreign travel restrictions. To be fair, who can blame someone taking a cruise around the Norwegian Fjords, for example, when the cost for two is less than hiring a boat on The Broads.
I don’t ever recall a Broads boating holiday ever being cheap and with deals available on jet away holidays in the sun being offered for less than the cost of hiring a boat, is it any wonder that folk are returning to fighting over a sun bed, supping cheap booze around a sun kissed swimming pool?
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7 hours ago, Broads01 said:
A further point about Langley - unlike the North Broads the South has very few wild moorings and those that do exist no doubt could present depth issues on a low tide. The BA, therefore, has a responsibility to maintain and improve the availability of public moorings on the South just as much as it does in the north. If it's taking over Hardley Mill that's a positive step. Are pontoon moorings cheaper to install and maintain than piling?
If they do take over Hardley Mill moorings, expect a rise in the mooring charges that already exist. As things stand, it’s £10 overnight, but if you become a Friend of Hardley Mill for £10 per year, the overnight charge reduces to £5. Clearly, for us based ‘down south,’ becoming a Friend soon pays for itself. If the BA take over, mooring fees will surely need to provide some funding for the mill, as well as to the coffers of the BA and to fund the collection of the fees. Will this be a £15 per night mooring soon?
For the BA, it’s ideal. Pontoon moorings require little maintenance compared to places with piling and timber quay heading and electric is already there, provided by two posts. Are their plans to ban diesel powered cruisers from overnight mooring, given there’s only space for four craft and use them solely for electric or hybrid craft? I cannot help thinking that should the BA take over Hardley Mill moorings, the reason will be in favour of the BA’s Notional Park status and not navigation in general.
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We use these with ordinary curtain hooks. Cheap, but good quality:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353481402688?var=622757091911
The curtain track used in most boats is called Silent Gliss. If you need specific hooks, look for the suppliers of the track. We bought some from Amazon when we first bought Norfolk Lady.
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Just been reading on a couple of FB Broads groups that two BA moorings will soon be lost, at Langley Dyke and Gayes Staithe. These may be idle rumours, but a respected member on here has actually posted some details, so there may be some truth in it.
Perhaps Tom @BroadsAuthority would like to comment and either confirm or deny the rumours.
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52 minutes ago, Lulu said:
Desmond’s favourite 🤢
Nooooooooooooooooo! Please, no! 🤢
Cornwall 2023
in The Broadscot Lounge
Posted
To be honest, the wife couldn’t care less where it comes from - she likes it and after 42 years of marriage, I know when to keep it shut! At least it’s not Fosters!
Okay Gracie, no beer pictures tonight!
Couldn’t resist. Sorry! 😉😁