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Mouldy
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Posts posted by Mouldy
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Wednesday 19th April
We woke to another bright, sunny but very chilly morning. Just my luck that I sleep on the open side of the double bed in the aft cabin, as I was sent to the heating controls in the saloon to turn it on!
The morning followed the usual pattern - Deb walked the dog and I took a few photos. We had our breakfast and set off for Potter. By now, cloud cover had moved across and the breeze was increasing in strength. We got lucky and snagged the last space on the BA moorings - any prior thoughts I might have had about sneaking in to Woods yard to moor and get water were dashed by virtue of the fact that it was rammed with their own craft.
Deb had a shower before heading to The Temple of Tat for a few bits for us. While she was out, I showered and when she returned, I went for some cleaning materials and a new frying pan for Moonlight Shadow. The good news (if you think of it as such) is that the hole in the bridge has been filled, with a bit left over for good measure. The bad news (for us) was that Nippy Chippy was closed for ‘technical reasons.’ No chips for lunch, then!
Back on board, we cast off, heading for Womack Dyke. It was still breezy, but the cloud had cleared and the sun was shining again. It was very chilly in the breeze, but quite warm, where sheltered from it. There were only about four boats moored along the dyke, so I turned into the wind and moored. With the strong breeze, it was a bit awkward, but we managed.
We had a relatively light, early lunch, as we’d booked a table at The Kings Arms for dinner - Wednesday night is carvery night. We’re big fans of their carvery! After lunch, I walked into the village to get meat and veg for Thursday evening. I was back on cookhouse fatigues for our last night on board. Due to Harley’s arthritis, one walk into the village would be enough for her, so Deb stayed on board with her.
There were a few boats moored at the Staithe, but it wasn’t full, but I did see Fair Regal 2 moored next to her sister craft there. I carried on round to the butchers and then to Throwers (as was) for necessary supplies, before walking back to the boat.
I spent some time writing my blog of the previous day and Deb did some knitting. Her nephew and his wife are expecting their second child, so she’s knitting them a jumper for the baby.
We set off for the pub just before 18:00, to give the dog time to make the walk and arrived just in time for our booking at the pub. Deb had a wine and I opted for my usual tipple (when the establishment has it) of Ghost Ship. I asked for two carveries and was pleasantly surprised when the bill came to exactly £30. Apparently, currently on a Wednesday, they have a ‘winter special’ of two carveries for £20! Happy days!
As usual, it was very good and exceptional value. The rib of beef was so tender it really didn’t need chewing. No wonder it’s so popular. We had a slow walk back to the boat and watched the glorious sunset before watching TV for a while. By 21:00, I was feeling quite tired, so went to bed, leaving Deb watching a Star Trek film on Prime.
It didn’t take long for me to doze off and I didn’t stir (so I’m told) when she came to bed sometime later.
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7 minutes ago, Chelsea14Ian said:
Great Yarmouth has a number of banks.I think thankfully five or six.I do most of payments on line,but I do go to the bank a few times a month. The whole assumption that we have access to tech is Wrong.I think it will be at least 20 to 30 years, until everyone has access to tech.So people and many businesses need access to banks for some time.
Try telling them that, though. All they’re interested in is profit and lots of it. If the bank branch isn’t frequented by sufficient numbers of customers to make it viable, they will close it.
Obviously, some banking transactions can be completed at a post office, but even proper post offices offering all of the available services are few and far between now.
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Our paths will probably cross somewhere on the A11 or A14 on Saturday. We have to go to Milton Keynes to collect some jewellery from repair in CMK and visit family. Have a good time and be sure to try the beer in The Lion called ‘Somebody Call Chris.’
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2 hours ago, grendel said:
true, but when you can get a non smart phone for £25 and pay £10 to top it up every 3 or 4 months thats a considerable saving over a smart phone and contract payments, I just dont use a phone enough to justify spending even £100 on one, I have a spare non smart phone (bought when I drowned the current phone and had to put it in a bucket of rice for a few months to recover / dry out, that wasnt expensive either.
for me its the expectation from all of the various bodies from the doctor to the government that everyone has to have a smart phone and can use their apps, that is most disturbing.
the figures say that on average 88% of the population own smart phones - that drops to 78% when you consider over 55 year olds, this leaves over 8 million people who dont have a smart phone, worryingly its the teen and middle aged people who have a 99% smart phone usage - these are the age group that are starting to make the decisions and are assuming that everyone has a smartphone- because they themselves do.
It leaves the elderly and the poor vulnerable to pressure to purchase a phone they may not be able to afford- or even afford to keep in credit
Whether we like it or not, more and more services are going on line. Our last remaining bank (Barclays) in our closest town, Watton, closes next month, meaning that should we need to visit a branch, it involves travelling to either Swaffham or Dereham. As the majority of folk who don’t own a smartphone appears to be the elderly, this is either a car or bus journey to go to the bank, both of which involves a cost, either in time or money, so it’s that age bracket that are hit hardest again.
There have been several reports on the BBC recently about bank branch closures across the region and even reasonably large towns are either now, or will be shortly, without a single bank in the area.
Sadly, it is the way of the world, where big businesses control how we live. It’s all about money and profit, not about looking after people and their needs.
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On 17/04/2023 at 09:12, BroadAmbition said:
Seeing as I’m here all week I thought I’d try Richo’s cafe for breakfast this morning. Chuffin Eck, £9:30 for a sausage muffin and a coffee (Microwave) - Wow. Declined a receipt in case that cost another quid. Stalham high Street tomorrow
On the upside the decor is pleasant it’s card only, no cash payments
Griff
That looks positively unappetising and a double sausage and egg McMuffin at the Golden Arches, complete with a coffee and hash brown, look like an absolute bargain.
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1 minute ago, MauriceMynah said:
Yes, I certainly was. I can recommend the plum rum, best of the lot. The others were white rums and rather too sweet.
I seem to be suffering from some sort of amnesia regarding anything after 18:00 maybe I suffered a blow to the wallet.
We came in around 18:45, so I’m guessing you were suffering from over imbibing of copious libations by then! I’ll bear the plum rum in mind for my next visit, whenever that may be!
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On 16/04/2023 at 20:53, Ray said:
Not at all, it's something that creeps up on us all. Just a few weeks ago I read something about this by the NHS with some exercises and having nothing better to do tried them and I was genuinely shocked at how bad I was at them now as I always thought I had a good sense of balance!
Don’t want to lose your balance, Ray, especially when transferring beer from the bar to your seat! 😉
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52 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:
Hmmm. When you were in the Lion, did you see an idiot getting as tight as a tic on rum?
I didn’t notice anyone staggering uncontrollably. Were you there then, MM?
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Tuesday 18th April
We had a really peaceful night and woke to a lovely, sunny morning, but it had been chilly again, so the heating went on whilst I enjoyed a few extra minutes in bed. When the boat had warmed up a little, we both got up and got ready. Deb took Harley for a walk, while I took a few photos and flew a drone.
There was a bank of clouds on the horizon. Sure enough and before too long, it had clouded over. After our breakfast, we set off. I headed down the dyke and onto South Walsham Broad. The plan for the day didn’t include a great deal of cruising, so I continued onto the inner Broad, where I cruised around in an anti-clockwise loop, before returning to the outer Broad. Spring hasn’t quite fully sprung yet, so the true nature of the area has yet to emerge, but it is a lovely part of the northern rivers.
We chugged back up to the junction with The Bure and turned right. We needed water and Acle seemed as good a place as any. By now, a fairly stiff breeze had developed and I was a little concerned about getting onto Bridgecraft’s moorings if the hoses at the old Horizoncraft basin hadn’t been put out, but fortunately there are two there. I moored close by one and after showering, we topped up with water and set off again, destination Upton Dyke.
We wanted to have dinner at The White Horse, so we went down the dyke, hopeful that there’d be room to turn and moor. Most of EW’s fleet appeared to be in, but there was space in the dyke itself to turn and with use of the bow thruster I managed to reverse the last fifty yards or so to the moorings. We tied up and had some lunch.
Not long after we’d moored, the cloud cleared and the sun reappeared. It was a lovely afternoon, but there was an edge in the breeze, making it feel quite chilly. I’m not sure why, but it occurred to me that maybe I ought to phone and book a table. Just as well that I did as it was their quiz night and they were fully booked!
Slightly miffed and with nothing on board for dinner, there was only one option! The Lion! We hastily cast off and set off back up The Bure. There was plenty of space down Thurne Dyke, so with the breeze blowing quite briskly, I elected to reverse into the dyke and moor on the mill side. With the boat tied up securely, I took a few photos before wandering down to the pub to pay the mooring fee and book a table.
Deb was busy knitting and I relaxed with my book (on Kindle), until it was time for dinner. A few more boats had arrived, but there was still loads of space. It really seems very quiet on the rivers this week indeed. We shared a baked Camembert as a starter, followed by chicken supreme for Deb and chicken, ham and leek pie for me. Deb had wine and I had a beer called ‘Somebody Call Chris.’ Improbable name for beer, but very palatable nonetheless. It was all very good and the pub seemed quite busy, which was good to see.
Finished and with the bill paid, we wandered back to the boat and watched Hammond’s Workshop on TV, before retiring to bed.
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8 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:
The moorings on the downstream side approaching Ludham Bridge (where the mooring posts are missing) - forgive me if I am incorrect - but I don't think these are Broads Authority leased/maintained as I don't remember there being a 'Broads Authority Sign' on this bank. Therefore, if I am correct, this is up to the land owner (perhaps the Environment Agency/Shop?) to replace the mooring posts and maintain the moorings.
Could well be, however with the future of the shop and surrounding buildings down for redevelopment, I wonder who will invest in the upkeep of the moorings. I thought that planning permission had already been granted for the redevelopment to take place.
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Monday 17th April
Once again, it had been a chilly night. I snuck out of bed to turn the heating on and had another half an hour under the duvet, eventually getting up around 07:00. It wasn’t a bad morning, no fog or mist as the previous day, but some cloud. As usual, Deb went for a shortish walk with the dog and we had breakfast when she returned.
I’d been sitting on the helm seat, camera in hand, hopeful of seeing the otters that I’ve been told are frequently seen there, or snatch a glimpse of a kingfisher, but there was an almost total absence of visible wildlife - just a heron returning to fish where he (or she’d) been fishing on Sunday afternoon.
Two of the hire boats moored there overnight, both Richardson’s, had left at about 08:00, but I think it was about 9(ish) when we set off, more to get hot water for showering than that because we were in a hurry. We’d only gone a couple of hundred yards when we passed Simon on Pipedreams and exchanged cheerful waves as we passed. I guessed he’d be bagging the mooring that we’d just vacated.
We crossed an almost deserted Barton Broad and were soon heading slowly down The Ant and through Irstead. Both moorings were full, as was Johnny Crowes Staithe, scuppering any chance of mooring at either, so we carried on to How Hill, where there was plenty of space. I moored at my favoured spot, opposite Turf Fen Mill, where the river is a little wider and with less chance of being hit by passing craft.
The clouds had cleared, leaving a clear blue sky, but by the time we’d showered, there were clouds coming in from the east, visible on the horizon. We set off again, heading for Ludham Bridge, where we planned to moor and get rid of our rubbish. There were only a few craft there, so I stopped on the shop side. With so many mooring posts missing, it wasn’t easy securing the boat, but we managed.
Deb fancied an ice cream, so after depositing the bags of rubbish in the bins, we wandered round to the shop. I went in and bought a couple of lollies and as I came out, I noticed someone walk by with a familiar looking dog. It didn’t dawn on me until later that it was fellow forumite garryn.
Back at the boat and with ice creams consumed, we cast off and set off for our overnight mooring. We turned left onto The Bure and then right onto Fleet Dyke and found a suitable spot at the broad end of the recently refurbished moorings on the bends. The clouds had rolled in by now and it had turned chilly in the breeze.
We had lunch and settled down for a quiet afternoon. Deb did some knitting and sewing and I downloaded a new book onto my Kindle and read. A few boats passed, but it was generally very quiet. We had dinner of chicken in a kind of barbecue sauce, with potatoes and sweetcorn, all washed down with a glass (or two) of wine.
There was nothing much on the TV, so I set up our Firestick and we started to watch old episodes of Shetland, before heading to bed as usual around 22:00.
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Wonder if will work as well as their Track and Trace initiated during the pandemic?
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32 minutes ago, garryn said:
I just realised that you got my boat moored in the background.
I was just coming out of the shop when you walked past with your dog, but the penny didn’t drop immediately! My wife was there with our Staffie, Harley, who couldn’t be bothered to get up and investigate. It was only when I thought about it that I remembered being introduced last year at Womack Dyke when you were there talking to Lulu (Sam) and Graham. Please don’t be offended when I say that it was your hound and not you that I recognised!
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3 hours ago, Meantime said:
Speaking of which I was surprised at just how many mooring posts were missing all over the moorings.
We moored at the bridge earlier today, on our way back down The Ant to get rid of some rubbish. I too was disappointed to see that the spaces on the shop side, that will have to serve the shops and pub during the works on the opposite bank, were missing several posts. I can well imagine the chaos that will inevitably occur as novice crews heading downriver, unfamiliar with rhond anchors and their use, try to moor with nothing to tie to.
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Sunday 16th April
I was up early. I know there isn’t much tidal rise and fall on the upper Ant, but I wanted to get under before high water, so we were both ready to go just after 07:00.
We checked how much we’d left on the electric post as we disconnected the cable and were surprised to see that our £1 credit had run out, especially as we’d only really had the TV on and been economical with the lighting onboard, which is LED. I guess the posts have been adjusted in line with rising energy costs.
Conscious of the boats moored around us, I didn’t warm the engine up before setting off, but with the engine at little more than tickover along the 3 mph section, we weren’t stressing the engine.
It was quite misty and visibility wasn’t great, but again, at 3mph, it certainly wasn’t an issue. We waited until we were near Wayford bridge before dropping the canopy and screen. There was just a little more clearance than the previous day, perhaps an extra inch, but plenty to get Moonlight Shadow safely through. It was on the chilly side, so screen and canopy were promptly raised as we made our way back towards Barton Broad.
My intended destination was Gayes Staithe, either the side on or the end on moorings ideally. When we arrived, both were occupied, but it was early, so we assumed that there would be some movement before too long and moored next to Silver Cloud.
We had breakfast and I went for my shower - Deb had showered as we’d travelled between Dilham and Gayes. By now, the sun was shining brightly and it had turned into another beautiful day.
After we’d had a coffee, we decided to wander round to the fudge lady, but bumped into the people on board the boat on our favoured stern on end mooring. We stood and chatted to them for a while. I noticed Kate (kpnut) chug up Lime Kiln Dyke and waved, but she obviously didn’t see me.
The boat on the end mooring was going, so we waited to replace them on the mooring before going for our walk. The time was getting on by now. I suggested making a short detour on the way to the fudge lady. The wife agreed, so we were soon sitting in the courtyard at The White Horse, having some lunch and enjoying a beverage. My pint was very enjoyable, but calling a beer ‘A Man Called Chris’ must be questionable.
Lunch finished, we wandered slowly back to the boat, calling at the fudge lady en route. She’s clearly gone very upmarket since last year, with her offerings now displayed in a wooden shed, complete with a card machine as an option for making payment. How 21st century.
Back onboard MS, we settled down, with the saloon roof back, watching the comings and goings at the staithe. Deb was busy with her cross stitch, I flew a drone for a few minutes, read for a while and took a few photos.
Back in the days of hiring, we’d never have dreamt of spending an afternoon like that, preferring to see as much as possible over the course of our holiday, but now the attraction of finding a mooring and sitting quietly doing very little comes far more easily. A combination of age and regular visits through ownership, I guess.
A few more boats arrived later and moored, three private and three hired. I grilled pork loin steaks for dinner, with creamed potatoes and broccoli, enjoyed with a glass or two of wine.
We watched an old episode of Jonathan Creek on TV (it was the best think on offer) before retiring to bed as usual around 22:00. It had been another unexpectedly sunny, relaxing day.
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The rest of the photos from Saturday that I couldn’t add yesterday due to network issues!
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On 15/04/2023 at 11:59, Mouldy said:
Sadly, the actions of the minority, often have consequences for the majority. It’s happened before and will happen again. Selfishness has largely replaced selflessness in our society. Insufficient thought is often given to others and the consequences that may follow.
I posted my thoughts on this thread just a couple of days ago. Over the intervening period two things have come to my attention to prove my point. Stealing the donation box for water at Gayes Staithe is just petty. If enough folk fail to make their online contributions for water, it’s not hard to imagine that the tap will be removed and further impact the boating community.
As for The Secret Gardens at How Hill, what an I say? Vandalism and theft have caused them to be closed.
Obviously, neither of these incidents is directly related to the question of alcohol and it’s consumption on a boat, but more in line with our society and the elements within it, that think that it’s okay to carry out these petty acts that impact so many more of us.
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50 minutes ago, SwanR said:
Saturday was indeed a bonus day of sunshine. Lovely photos as always. I am always put off by getting through Wayford Bridge and haven’t ventured up that stretch of the Ant.
Go for it, Jean. We ventured up there for the first time last year. It’s a lovely stretch of river, really quiet (as you’d expect), with a peaceful mooring and electric posts, too.
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8 hours ago, Broads01 said:
I've not been in the Cross Keys, Malcom. You'd recommend it?
We had a lunch in there last year, which we enjoyed very much. They have a very pleasant garden, if the weather is suitable and most folk you speak to enjoy it too, but we haven’t been there for a meal in the evening.
The Crown at Smallburgh has also been recommended, which is a bit further to walk, but not too far. We haven’t been, but will investigate one day, I hope.
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47 minutes ago, kpnut said:
Time came to move on back to Stalham. I’d missed Mouldy at Gayes staithe, I hadn’t spotted him when I went past up Lime Kiln Dyke. I waved on the return but no sign of life on board!
Might have been on our way to The Fudge Lady, via The White Horse!
Sorry to have missed you though! Good luck with the rest of the work at LBBY.
Were hoping to be back in the northern rivers on Norfolk Lady in July, before the start of school holidays and ensuing mayhem!
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I’ll have to post the rest of the photos when I have a better signal. It appears that Gayes Staithe is a bit of a dead spot on EE!🤦♂️
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Saturday 15th April (Continued)
Needless to say, Tesco was busy. I’m not a fan of shopping at the best of times, but a busy Saturday in an unfamiliar store isn’t my idea of fun! Purchases made, Deb (who’d been waiting outside with the dog) took the bags whilst I went to get some fish and chips for lunch.
I rushed back to the boat, so the food was still hot and we enjoyed our lunch. I’ve not used the chippy in Stalham before, but it’s now firmly on my list of approved chip shops. With the washing up done, we moved across to Simpsons for water before setting off for our intended overnight stop. We turned right at the end of the Stalham/ Sutton branch of The Ant and passed Hunsett Mill. The sun was glorious and very welcome. With the saloon canopy and windscreen lowered, we safely negotiated Wayford Bridge which was showing just a smidge over 7ft on the gauge. Unlike Ludham, that does seem very accurate!
There was one boat moored at Dilham when we arrived. I turned and moored behind it - we were on the bend, so had to compromise a little but it was good enough and the dog managed to get on and off quite easily. We chatted to the couple on the other boat - another private craft and while we were talking, two Hampton Safaris turned up and managed to squeeze in behind us.
The sun was still shining, so we thought a libation might be in order. We wandered down to the Cross Keys for a drink, which did go down very well. They were just lighting their pizza oven and temptation to stay for dinner was hard to resist, but we managed!
By the time we got back to the boat, the temperature was dropping and some cloud cover was moving in, but no matter.
We had dinner, albeit later than usual and a quiet evening, retiring to bed around 22:00, after a grand day. The sunshine had been an unexpected bonus that we’d thoroughly enjoyed.
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37 minutes ago, YnysMon said:
Don’t we all! I’ve gone under Watford (rather than Weyford) bridge before now.
Not to mention London - Damn spellcheck.
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Saturday 15th April
I’d been awake a couple of times during the night. The last time I remembered checking my watch was about 03:00 and rain was still pattering on the roof. I think it was about 06:00 when I came to again and wasn’t expecting a wonderful morning, due to the overnight rain, but much to my surprise, the rain had stopped. I wandered through to the saloon and flicked the heating on and there was even a hint of sunshine breaking through the clouds. I wasn’t quite ready to get up, so returned to bed for half an hour or so to allow the heating to take effect.
There were definitely some breaks in the cloud when I dragged myself out of the comfort of the bed. Deb was up too and she took Harley for her early morning walk. When they arrived back, we had some toast and marmalade for breakfast whilst watching a flotilla of Richardson’s boats obviously heading back to Stalham at the end of their holiday. It’s fair to say that not all of them were heeding the speed limit though.
It had been my intention to be at Womack Dyke on Sunday evening for a carvery at the Kings Arms, however we needed some supplies, so the carvery will have to wait until Wednesday. Stalham was the initial destination, so we set off and turned up The Ant. Just as I was turning right at the junction, I spotted an otter swim into the river and dive in front of MS.
I arrived at the bridge just in time to encounter two craft heading in the opposite direction, so held station whilst they passed through. The moorings that are to be closed shortly for works were packed, with hardly any spaces available. Their imminent closure will cause a lot of issues during the course of the works, for sure.
We passed Simon (Cambridge Cabby) somewhere near Griff’s Corner on our way up river . There were a few craft moored at How Hill and two at Irstead, one on the parish Staithe and the other on the BA mooring. We were soon across Barton and continuing towards Stalham.
By now, the sky was clearing and the sun was peeking through. Arriving at Stalham, we noted that there was space at the public mooring at the entrance to Richardson’s yard, but we carried on, hopeful that there’d be space at the Staithe, which there was. I turned MS carefully round and reversed into the space, leaving room for another boat to moor in front.
I had a shower before we wandered over to Tesco. More to follow.
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Sorry to have missed you though! Good luck with the rest of the work at LBBY.
Closure Of Horning Marshes Moorings
in Broads Authority Notices
Posted
Job on!