LizG

Although the trees don't look right I would say Oulton because several keel boats have W on their sail. The start line is too wide for a river start? Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

yes it did!

Plenty of hullabaloos tonight on the river. Buy the dvd of Swallows and Amazon's for ever which was the BBC series for the two books. Horning heavily featured! My experience of the Shannon was on a trip in 1965. There were rocks to avoid which was scary! Just take care, read up on places to visit etc. and enjoy this amazing landscape. August just watch for regattas when mad people sail up and down the river just like in the Coot Club (I'm one of them and my other boat had a 2 second cameo in the TV series) Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

I'll keep an eye out for it moored up in Ware. Doubt they would come up that far but there were two ex Broads cruisers around at the New Year moored up between Ware and Stanstead Abbotts

The photos being posted (plus on FB) are fantastic - I took the camera and wide angled lens with the intention of taking lots of photos. That failed after a few minutes of the first boats passing. This is a bit of an essay but at least its keeping me awake! For the last few years, Water Rail has been one of two guard ships at Thurne. We note times of all boats going to Acle, either from Horning or from Hickling and then any boats returning via Acle to Horning. It sounds a bit complicated and confusing, which it is and generally means competitors call their numbers out twice but it does work!! We got to Thurne and were moored up just before the start sequence began at 11 so quickly checked with radio control that they could hear us. Luckily they could - this wasn't the case with all guard ships this year. You only need a church tower in the way somewhere and the problems start. So we waited, and then as per Q, we heard about the postponement. My eldest daughter is watching all the activity on the webcams where she lives in Wales and is texting me with updates and off course we could hear radio control giving out instructions. The night before in the pub, everyone was saying they were going to Hickling first, so we thought we really do have the short straw this year as this means we have to wait for all the slow boats to get back from Acle before going home! Well so we thought, all the early starts went up to Hickling bar just a few boats, so it was really quite quiet. Then suddenly we are looking at one of the competitors and we realise they are tacking to come down the Bure, then another, and another.............and so it went. Most were on the far bank, most were going very fast and there was a lot of noise from the rigging and sails, not only from the competitors but also overtaking motor cruisers. It was at some moments, as much as we could do to just note the sail number as we couldn't hear all the race numbers...........when I radioed in the times, I had a backlog of about 30 boats. I should say we use binoculars and know what boats are approaching but it's still difficult when they start coming past and when darkness comes they are of no use! It really was quite an experience - this was my 10th time as guard ship and I had never had an afternoon like this. Because next we started to get the boats coming back and in return those now going to Acle from Hickling and the occasional straggler. We had three punts apparently tossing a coin to see which way they should go and for several seconds it seemed milling around in circles not able to make their minds up! Then the wind started to drop, the tide turned and as Q said nearly all the boats now down in the Acle sector stopped moving, a fair number opting on retirement. I did wonder if the Stokesby Ferry ran out of beer but most opted to come home. However, once they turned round, they could sail and now it was dark and we are watching the river for navigation lights, trying to work out which boats were going where and in the midst of them boats that had retired some were still sailing. At this point it is also getting chilly at Thurne; it's dark, tiredness creeps in and it's time for one of us to try and get some sleep during the quiet of the night!!!! What quiet (as posted on FB!) we had up to 3 bitterns booming, 1 cuckoo cuckooing, one Tawny Owl terwittawoing, various warblers tweeting, muntjac barking, a disco at the hotel near Fishley, topped with fireworks in the Yarmouth direction as well as a silent Barn Owl fly over the marsh earlier. Also forgot oyster catchers and lapwing and geese - it was such a peaceful night!!!! What sleep? At the most 2 hours but with many disturbances. As dawn dawns I fall out of the bunk and make a coffee and wait for more boats. During the night we could see the silhouettes of boats going through Thurne from Hickling to Horning along the bank in the distance but the best we could do was say it was a cruiser or say a keel boat! This was the job of the other guard ship! Then as Q says we have those boats that want to finish but realistically, simply can't in the 24 hours. They can race for 24 hours but after that point, they can still complete the course but the guard ships stand down. We were stood down and returned home to Horning, picking up one of the Dory's assigned to another guard ship. All the equipment has to counted, checked and packed away for another year. A quick catch up with the race control team at the club house and back to the house to empty the boat, and try not to fall asleep which is seriously difficult. Another daughter flew back last night from Washington DC with a similar lack of sleep. I just have to stay awake, like she is having to do after an international flight to avoid jet lag - or in my case the 3RRS equivalent!!! Liz and Water Rail (sorry no photos)

Getting ready!!! 1st picture is yesterday's Swallowtail Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

Just for info Water Rail and me will be positioned at Thurne Mouth on guard ship duties. Much as I would love to chat to people it might be a tad difficult if a lot of boats decide to go past at the same time.

Often whilst out and about, whether at home or abroad, I see something in the landscape which makes me think 'old railway' and sure enough get home, check the OS map or other map and there would have been something there. As we get older these clues are slowly disappearing............ even when in India in November, being driven I suddenly saw the remains of an obvious old railway bridge - the track bed long gone and now just a track for pedestrians and cycles and the odd cart

The problem with Catfield Dyke is that there is a clay bar at the entrance (unless it has been dredged as I reported it to the BA). My brother for many years kept his sailing boat there during the winter and every spring we would bring her back to Horning. It very often in recent years coincided with quite low tides. The last time we came round we were well and truly stuck! Took a lot of pushing to get out of the dyke. This also applies at the Waxham Cut if anyone dares venture up there plus the special Horsey weed

Have a great weekend everyone despite looking at Seagypsy's finger above on my screen (ouch!) If you pass through Horning which I suspect most of you will ........... WR is moored on the river side between the New Inn and the Swan. Currently looking pretty smart thanks to winter work. All donations gratefully received :( Liz

I may have posted these before but my brother took these one holiday shortly before closure at Beccles. For years I used to think I dreamt seeing this train until he sent me the scans. Liz

What would I like to do? Take WR across Great Hoveton Broad - unfortunately that is not achievable! Otherwise I would like to canoe down from Aylsham to Coltishall and Bungay to Geldeston or even the little bit of the Yare up to Trowse - those are all achievable but I would prefer to be a bit younger

https://awards.classicboat.co.uk/classic-boat-awards-2019-winners/ Scroll down and you will see that Countess of Light's restoration won last night! Personally thrilled as she is the big sister of WR. Well done Paul and Heidi! Liz

It was noticed back in November when we downloaded the waypoints from our recent holiday in India - suddenly all the dates had reverted to 1999!

I mentioned this topic to my husband this afternoon. He now knows why the date on our GPS keeps reverting to 1999 - a few months back he spent a long time wondering why!!!!

I haven't got the time to answer this is detail until next week. As some will know WR was hired out through Little Ships for several years. They moved to France last August and gave me about 6 weeks notice - since then a lot of hard thinking and different options and counting up the bills, etc, and the answer is now NO and not skippered day trips either, that was even more expensive in some respects! Have no idea how I am going to continue paying the bills but...........there are a few possibilities.

Are you sometimes moored on the Lea near Ware? Saw two ex Broads boats on a walk at the beginning of the year both with old reg numbers visible. Was one you? Liz

It's been discussed on FB but Roland who many will know from Horning village marina and Southgates lost his fight against cancer last night. Those who live in Horning will miss seeing him on the river. A sad day for Horning Liz

The EE/orange reception at Horning has improved to the extent I could make a phone call indoors occasionally last year!!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/3337559/Plan-to-allow-sea-to-flood-Norfolk-villages.html This might be several years old but never the less its still on the cards!

Trust they are slimming world friendly. Oops think not but oh yum

And the village hall carpark?

That's an insult to Barton Broad!!! Many moons ago in a different life, I worked on the Walk dead opposite the Market. It was great fun watching the hustle and bustle of all the different stalls. We would have Mr Smelly's name emblazoned on all the bin lorries in Norwich and they would be there picking up the rubbish. I remember it being rebuilt in the 1970s and it was strange seeing an empty space as well as a few rats as they demolished the stalls! The building I worked is as you can guess is now a coffee shop, but I went in there once and the loos, were still in the same place on the second floor almost unchanged!

I commeserate (not 100% I've spelt correctly). May find out on Monday this year's 'damage' - not funny. Happy X to you all and Boris and Monty

I think Jayfire has said all that can be said - my thoughts will be there tomorrow