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Mouldy
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Posts posted by Mouldy
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My dad also loved The Broads. Since 2010, he’d become virtually wheelchair bound, he’d developed dementia and his sight was becoming worse due to cataracts, which the NHS wouldn’t treat. It was evident that he was becoming weaker as his conditions worsened.
I’’d read that NBD had an adapted dayboat, however when I first enquired, it wasn’t available due to failure of the wheelchair lift. As soon as it became available, I booked it for a day in July 2016. Although I didn’t tell mum and dad where we were taking them, we had arranged with our son to meet us with his wife and our grandson, at mum and dad’s house in Milton Keynes early on the day and we’d all go to Wroxham for a day out.
Dad sat in the front passenger seat of my car. He was deaf and had hearing aids, but didn’t get on with them, so he didn’t hear or say much, but enjoyed the journey. It took a while getting them out of the car and onboard the boat, but after a while we were all aboard and we set off for Coltishall.
It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. We arrived at the pub and I managed to stern moor right outside The Rising Sun, so we could operate the lift to get dad (and mum) ashore. It was lunchtime, so we got some menus, made our choices and ordered food.
After we’d finished eating, we stayed for a while before heading back to Wroxham to hand the boat back. As with the journey there, dad didn’t say much, but was taking in as much of what was going on around him as he could Mum told us that they’d both enjoyed the day and although dad hadn’t said a great deal, he was glad to have been back to The Broads.
As it turned out, aside from collecting my parents from Milton Keynes for Christmas Day that year and taking them back home Christmas evening, that was the last day out we had with mum and dad together. He was admitted to hospital on New Years Eve and passed away on 13 February 2017.
I didn’t know it at the time, but these were the last two photos I have of mum and dad together. I am so grateful that we took the time to take them out for a few hours, however difficult it was to get them in and out of the car and on and off the boat and to give my dad a day to look back on, as well as he could with the conditions he was suffering from.
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I can’t find a photo of the instrument panel on NL, but when we wanted to refit the wiper on the centre windscreen, which was missing with the holes filled with plugs when we bought it, we needed to create another switch position on the already full switch panel. Paul (Swancraft), moved the horn button, which was originally operated by a sprung switch, to a button on the instrument panel, near the engine stop.
We should be on the boat next weekend, so if I can’t find an existing photo, I’ll take one to show you.
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7 hours ago, Broads01 said:
Er, can someone explain the phrase "go under Potter"? Surely not cruisers fitting under Potter Heigham Bridge in 2024?
Here’s a video guide to the process:
https://youtu.be/Q2colAI8BIE?si=pJskkVZZ2JgE1w1l
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3 hours ago, Hylander said:
Spells of rain, some heavy, will push east across most areas through Saturday and Sunday. Some disruption is likely. - Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely - Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer - Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer - Some interruption to power supplies.
We are not alone with this persistent precipitation - it appears that large chunks of the UK are suffering with endless flood warnings:
Oddly enough, the north-west seems to be missing out, which is a bit strange, ‘cos every time I’ve been to Manchester it’s been hammering down. Perhaps they don’t need warnings - they’re used to it! 😉
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5 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:
I suspect Ferry and Richardsons have put a limit on Stokesby. Not seen another hire craft since we've been down here. Very quiet and peaceful
Anyone know what the loud bangs are over the marshes at Reedham?
Bird scarers perhaps?
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Bit late to the party with our congratulations - been on kitchen fatigues! Really pleased to hear that you’ve sold Luna and acquired your new boat. Hoping to meet up again when we get up to the northern rivers over the summer!
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13 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:
Ferry accessible by foot - only just! The lane has numerous deep puddles but can be skirted with care. New Inn not kicked us out - yet....
Also using sparklers, baffled, had to ask for a top up, unheard of in Norfolk
That bit of road in Horning seems to have been under water for weeks. I’ve been to Horning Pleasurecraft three or four times this year, so far and it’s been flooded like that (or worse) every time.
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1 hour ago, kpnut said:
Now tell me why when I bought curtain fabric the other day, the width was quoted and measured in imperial (54”) but I had to tell the lady how much of that I wanted in metric, 3.2m.
I initially mistook the 54” as 154cm, knowing I needed a width of 140cm, thinking that’s great, there’ll be loads of spare width for a nice wide hem.
I got there in the end!Precisely my point. Isn’t it about time we standardised measurements? We buy carpet now in metric widths, timber in metric lengths, fuel by metric volume and even bottled beer in 500ml bottles. Some milk is sold in two litre bottles and other in four pint bottles.
Yesterday I quoted the fuel consumption of my car in miles per gallon. I haven’t bought a gallon of petrol or diesel for years, so if we continue to use miles as a measure of distance, surely it makes sense to use miles per litre as a standard?
I wonder how many of the younger generations know how many inches are in a foot, feet in a yard, yards in a chain, chains in a furlong or furlongs in a mile.
It really is farcical.
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15 minutes ago, YnysMon said:
. . . . . . . . . The hilarious bit was the mangling of Welsh places names. . . . . . . . . .
Aw, c’mon Helen, most English people would struggle with Welsh place names, especially without expectorating at anyone standing in the firing line. How do the Welsh expect us to pronounce names like Dduallt, Machynlleth or Abergwygregyn?
I rest my case.
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24 minutes ago, floydraser said:
So if a company who specialise in land and property development are walking away from it then it appears someone may be putting a spanner in the works to prevent the development of housing there. Does anyone know if development plans were ever submitted?
This was one application, not for housing but for reconfiguration of the site:
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13 minutes ago, Smoggy said:
We still use inches at work as it's all yank stuff, oil is measured in US quarts, fuel flow is US pints/hour, all our micrometers are inch and all tools.
Yep, so a US gallon is different to a UK gallon. Fairly sure a litre is the same around the world.
My lad is a fabricator/welder and has never worked in imperial measurements from when he started his apprenticeship.
Crazy.
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14 minutes ago, Vaughan said:
That sounds a bit like a debate going on in the National Trust and several other charities at the moment, about the freedom to roam our "whites only" countryside!
I suppose I just lament that skills that we learned at school just don't seem to be taught any more, because the kids can just download something instead. There is great pleasure in being able to read the detail of a map, almost like being able to read a book.
When I was truck driving it was long before GPS and I drove all over France relying solely on Michelin maps, in two different scales. They even tell a truck driver the height under road bridges.
I will always choose a good map and have never had a GPS in a car. But then I am an old git nowadays . . .
Don’t get me wrong, I can read a map. I passed my HGV in 1978 when I was twenty one and there were no sat-nav’s to help then. Reading a map was an essential skill, multi dropping in towns and cities required planning and the ability to balance your A to Z on the steering wheel, whilst negotiating traffic.
I mourn some things from the old days, but maybe children of today are taught things that are relevant to our current and future lifestyle. Computing was in it’s infancy back in the sixties and early seventies when I was at school.
Where I do feel sorry for youngsters of today is our inability to embrace change. We still refer to miles per gallon, but buy our fuel in litres? How many schools now teach imperial measurements. We all buy pre packed commodities in metric quantities. Isn’t it about time we ditched feet, inches, pints, gallons etc and adopted the system that is taught in schools for the benefit of the next generations? My son is 35 and even he wasn’t taught imperial measurements.
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I’m not sure why there is so much ‘knocking’ of the Aweigh app. For anyone who is new, or relatively new to Broads boating, it offers a great deal of information. Not only maps, tides and speeds, but moorings, electric posts and a great deal more for free.
Despite being a long time visitor, I still use the speedo and although the tide times may not be entirely accurate, they do give a guide as to high and low water at a given point and the potential tide direction.
As for mobile data use, it’s negligible in real terms. When my last contract with EE expired, I managed to secure a SIM only deal with unlimited data, minutes and texts for £13 per month on a two year contract, which I’m very happy with. It gives plenty of scope to ‘hotspot’ for streaming music and TV, when I’m on the boat without worrying about exceeding my monthly allowances.
We also have the Project Troll app for ‘live’ bridge heights, which could be developed into a really useful resource with some funding, although progress seems to have stalled at the moment, with heights for just five bridges available.
It’s easy to forget that we are not all born and raised in the area, with a wealth of local knowledge to fall back on. We all use technology everyday in our lives, in some form or other, whether it’s the tablet or PC we view the Forum on, the sat-nav we have in our cars, the mobile phone we have in our pockets or even the chip and pin we use daily without a thought to the tech behind it. What is the big deal with using an app?
Aren’t we lucky that we have the freedom in this country to make the choice between using it and not?
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2 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:
It’s a shame someone such as Fairline can’t be persuaded to buy it , much more sensible than their Oundle base which means boats have to be transported by road
Still likely to have to be delivered by road, which could be awkward given the road access to Broom’s yard.
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30 minutes ago, Turnoar said:
Of course not, they’ll be driving around in our old ICE ones the next time a “scrappage” scheme happens and our perfectly useable trade ins are exported. Cynical perhaps but I do wonder if cars were scrapped whole and unbroken, with the keys in the ignition...
You may already know that a great number of our old HGV’S are sold and exported to Africa.
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17 minutes ago, kpnut said:
You’re right about unknown fuel costs in the future though.
I’ve seen recently that some manufacturers are devoting more effort into hydrogen fuel cell development rather that EV’s. There are definitely other options available, including so called E-Fuels.
What I can’t understand is why our politicians think that we are solely responsible for global warming and throwing everyone under the bus in their quest for carbon neutrality. The impact of the ULEZ scheme in London is a prime example of a knee jerk reaction to a situation that has adversely impacted so many people. In real terms, our emissions are negligible as a country in the big scheme of things . The biggest polluters are China, USA, Russia, India and Japan. I wonder how much effort is being made in those countries to achieve the same targets.
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12 hours ago, kpnut said:
And if so, what to change it to - SWB van, another BMax about 2017 with its fold flat floors, easy side access, low tax and low mileage, or a less workhorse type car?
One day it’s sell, the next it’s keep - it’s been going round and round in my head for months!!!
I’ve been thinking about changing my car too. Mine is now approaching eight years old and now has 98k miles in the clock. Despite having been used as a van since we moved, moving all sorts of stuff from the bungalow to the tip since we moved, it’s still in good shape.
I’ve recently had to spend the best part of a thousand pounds on it, for new front fog lamps (the old ones had filled with water after driving through a flood), a new headlamp washer pump (which is required for the MoT as it’s fitted with HID headlamps) and a service. I did find out that VW/Audi have extended the change interval for the timing belt, so I don’t have to worry about that for a while.
On positive note, I still enjoy driving the car - it’s quite lively and I can have a bit of fun in it, it has an enormous boot and is very economical on diesel, still averaging around fifty to the gallon despite being driven enthusiastically.
Until the wife retires, I still want to keep a second car, so my current thinking is that it will cost far more to replace with anything similarly versatile, so I’ll hang on to it a while longer yet.
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16 hours ago, ZimbiIV said:
BOAT/CHEAP?
Does not compute.
paul
It’s a relatively small hole in the water, so not so much money required to fill it!
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2 minutes ago, Wussername said:
For a "pump out" ?
Normally go to a chandlers to get my wallet cleaned out!
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1 hour ago, DAVIDH said:
Although it has to be said, overseas bookings are still above the previous year.
Most of the overseas package holiday operators that are advertising on TV currently are offering various incentives, including discounts, lounge access and free child places. If the possibility of some warm sunshine wasn’t enough to spend your holiday cash abroad, all of these ‘little’ extras will probably help.
I’m getting frequent emails with special offers from Dolphin Holidays and Parkdean for breaks in the UK. Clearly, Hoseasons aren’t alone in their attempts to encourage you to book with them.
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I think that a lot of banks etc. offer packages including breakdown cover. Until recently, we were paying over £200 per year for an enhanced account with NatWest which included travel insurance (with exclusions), basic mobile phone insurance and basic car breakdown cover with Green Flag.
We've recently bought new phones and found they were cheaper to buy direct from Apple, with AppleCare and get separate SIM deals from EE, rather than buying the phones with an airtime deal from the same provider. We had very comprehensive RAC cover anyway, including personal membership, in or on any vehicle (including my motorcycle) and onward travel, so have reverted to a standard bank account.
I’ve been with the RAC for many years, over 30 now and until my last experience, had always found them to be excellent. However, I had an issue during the pandemic to which they were very slow to respond. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but if their service is lacking, should I need to call them out again, I will move to another provider.
I’ve read good things about a company called GEM, so they’re in line to be tried should the need arise.
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6 minutes ago, rightsaidfred said:
There is a world of difference between a private individual who is prepared to make a mooring available and is responsible for the upkeep etc making a charge which is their only benefit and the BA who receive the benefit of tolls income.
We should be thankful someone is prepared to make the effort to provide a pleasant mooring available not criticise them for making a reasonable charge.
Fred
I’m not criticising the landowner. As long as the moorings are well maintained, I’m more than likely going to use them. What will annoy me is broken mooring posts and quay heading that could damage my gel coat.
My point is that due to the BA’s unwillingness to talk objectively to the landowner with a view to achieving a mutually acceptable settlement, we have lost moorings that were paid for from our tolls and which we will now have to pay additional money to use. I still believe that the BA will be watching this with interest, as well as other landowners who may feel that this scenario will be more beneficial to them too, when current leases expire.
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I’m fairly certain that the BA’s lease on the moorings at Horning Staithe is ending soon and I seem to recall that the Parish Council was trying to pursue a means to get more visitors to the Staithe during the day to increase the footfall and potential business for the local traders.
You don’t need a crystal ball to work out what’s likely to happen there, do you? Stern on daytime moorings for dayboats with a solar powered ticket machine, similar to what we have in car parks, maybe and another mooring lost for the toll paying Broads boating community? That’ll fulfil the requirement for more visitors and greater footfall.
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I haven’t made a comment about the cost, other than to suggest that the BA may try to use it as an indicator for attempting to introduce charges at other sites, based on occupancy at Langley. It’s no secret that our Blessed Authority are pleading poverty and wanted a toll increase of circa 2% more than has been agreed and are applying to the Government for extra funding, allegedly to support navigation.
My understanding is that they’re still trying to introduce charges at Reedham, too.
Having a mooring on the southern rivers, I could well be interested in using the moorings and trust that they will be policed to ensure that, having paid for a space, I can moor, that the moorings will be maintained and the grass trimmed to a reasonable height and not become substantially overgrown.
I’ve moored at Hardley Mill and paying £10 to moor at Langley is really no different, other than there being no electric available.
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Is This My Boat ? I'm A Frayed Knot !
in Restoration Projects
Posted
If you went option 2, that would be similar to ours on NL. We have a button for the horn between the ignition switch and warning lights. It’s not labelled, but it’s there and to be fair is about as effective as an ashtray on a motorbike. The horn is louder inside the boat than out. We have three further gauges mounted in the raised area towards the screens, for fuel level, black water tank and another volt meter for the domestic batteries.
I’ve searched my photos and found these:
Plenty of room there for a couple of instruments and a USB charger port.