16E

I've not posted on here for a long time but do check the site out from time to time. We were on the Broads from 1999 to 2016 firstly at Hoveton and then at Stalham. we also had our flat in Stalham from 2009 to 2016. We started as 'intrepid' all weather/all year boaters, but having a boat in a cosy shed and a nice boat turned into day-boaters (John Williams told us this would happen). As you can gather from the dates Norfolk lost its magic in 2016. The trip from South Yorkshire became a drag, the flat and boat became a worry, is the roof OK, has she sunk etc so we sold up and left. We miss very little, we can still visit if we want, but will choose when the north-wind is not blowing. It is amazing how far in England you can drive in 3 or 4 hours so we now explore Northumberland, Cumbria, Portsmouth and Somerset. You can buy lots of hotel accomodation with the tolls, mooring fees, maintenance rates, ground rent, electricity etc. with the money you no longer fork out. I wish you all enjoyment at your own level.

By coincidence we've just got back from a week in Portmouth. Down ther they've got HSL 102 a 64ft RAF high speed launch of 1936 vintage. In her RAF colours, we saw her tootling about the harbour a couple of times. 3 napier Sealion engines - 500 miles range at 35 knots. That will give you back-ache!

You've done it now Tim. All I can think about is the smell of 'poultry mash' being boiled up by my dad when we were self-sufficient in the 1950s.

Hi Martin, it's good to hear from you again - I was only thinking of you at breakfast time on Thursday! Our news back to you is that we sold Grebe last summer and no longer have a boating interest on the broads. However, we still keep an eye on things. Mal

We were driving down to Stalham yesterday and heard a warning about an abnormal leaving N Walsham at 1100hrs and a list of road numbers involved. I said that's us, we'll have to be careful to avoid being stuck. ( I wasn't a principle technical officer - heavy haulage for nothing you know). We then followed the road chaos on the radio , load stuck between Stalham and Sutton at that time, and figured we were in the firing line soon. Decision time - get off the A149 at Potter, over the old bridge and then up the 'old road' from Potter to Catfield, got the the Catfield/Sutton crossroads and the jam was south of there with the queue back across the junction, so rejoined the north bound A149 and got to Stalham undelayed and on time near enough. In the Bride inn later we learned that they had to stop and cut trees near the pub before geting to the A47.

Evacuate - Ventilate -Investigate -Isolate Unit life / battery is certainly a consideration. Other things such as chimney sweeping and door seals come in to play. My father-in-law had a detector that recorded the levels and did a staged alarm depending on the parts per million figure (ppm) detected and stored a history. I found this one on-line Recording CO alarm

Yes Tim. Big and heavy. In the early 2000's we went on supporters' trip from Wroxham Bridge to Ludham. Being me I have to get hands-on.First job was to step the mast - hard work even with the windlass. When we got to Ranworth Dyke I was delegated to handle the gaff pole (or whatever the purists all it) while the sail was lowered - a really heavy job. However I had been allowed to sail her below Horning and steered most of the motor work from Ant Mouth to Ludham.. then the rig had to come down to get her in the wetshed..

Hi Tim, According to Fred Schofield, in his book, Comrade had an engine fitted before WWII. I think it was an Ogle. In WWII she was re-engined with a 21 HP Lister and re-engined again in 1953 with a 31HP Lister.

That lookslike Comrade which is a Keel. Square rigged used for inland work on the Yorkshire Waterways. Sloops are fore and aft rigged for estuariland coastal work. They worked much better into the wind than keels. Sloops may have one or even two foresails. Either could be operated by 'man and lad', Uncle Albert was Fred's lad. Wherries have similar but not the same roots as keels but the loose-footed rig and stepped forwards mast are big differences.

As Griff said the problem is you cannot drive through the ice. The only effective method of icebreking is to have stem-post shape that allows bows to ride-up onto the ice. The weight of the vessel can them smash the ice downwards. The design principle of icebreakers has not really changed since the 19th century.

We moored in Daisy Broad, across from Royalls from 1999 to 2008. The care and work they put into the turnarounds had to seen to be believed. Nigel had the workshop for slipping boatsacross the dyke, next to Tim Collins wood-shed. The yard had a boat lift on the main quayheading. As outsiders/newcomers we wer honoured to be on talking terms with Alan Royall. Solace used to over-winter in a wetshed behind Alan's house down river. Nigel used to bering her up to the yard in the spring to get her ready. He used to moor her at the end of our quayheading. I remeber he took her to Oulton Broad to do the hogging keel replacement. He used their day boat as a pusher tug.

Now you've set me off. Channel marking, lateral marks, are the responsibility of the local harbour/navigation authority. In the case of the Broads that is The Broads Authority, who choose to use red (port) and green (starboard) markers, usually poles. other authorities such as ABP for the Humber plus some of the Ouse and tTent have their own methods of channel marking, such as the little 'ships' on the Humber. it all depends on the bylaws for that authority. Trinity House arre responsible for English sea marks. The Broads scheme matches the colours used at sea in most of the world. The system is known as IALA A. When entering a harbour or river from the sea the system uses red for port-hand and green for starboard-hand, which BA also replicates. The agreed international system also allocates shapes to lateral markers, however most lateral markers on the Broads are coloured poles, BA's choice. The red or green floating marks used by BA are the same shape as IALA marks. I did once go up the Beaulieu River to Buckler's Hard and the lateral markers were big twigs called 'withies'. I've never been on a French River, but the navigation authority can set their own rules, as described earlier. When you get to the Americas, Japan Phillipines it gets it gets more fun as they use the IALA B system which has green port-hand and red starboard-hand lateral markers. Red Right Returning. It took me years to convince an American of the difference.

Presumably the missing signature is G Reaper... Keep smiling Tim

Back in 1984 I was driving coaches for National Travel (the Old Sheffield United Tours), mainly on express work. However one day i got an excursion job to Milton Keynes. When i rolled up it was to the Milton Keynes Bowl for the Quo farewell tour! How many of those did they have. Not my favourite band but I got in to see them for free along with Gary Glitter as support.

We've been on PlusNet standard 'copper' broadband for almost 10 years now. Recently our sevice has been slower but I suspect the ancient router was as much to blame. We were about as far from our exchange as possible in the village. This week we switched to PlusNet fibre and are amazed at the speed. Speed checker last evening said it was 31mega..whatevers. The copper was 2 or 3 on a good day. Sheffield based call centre with knowledgeable people.

There is also another investigation underway following an incident in Cardiff earlier in November. The point about the 'rescuers' being affected should be a lesson to us all to take care and not put more lives at risk through good intentions. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-fatality-cardiff

A similar thing happened on a game/quiz show earlier this year and a formal complaint submitted to the broadcaster. The reply from them stated that following the court case when two Norfolk residents challenged the use of National Park, the judgement was that the title National Park could be used. Therefore the programme makers and broadcaster were correct in terms of the question and answer.

I'm not familiar with buses around Somerleyton, but the following train/bus/bus would work. 1158 Train from Somerleyton to Norwich arr 1233 First Bus service 25 (university) from Railway Station car park to Castle Meadow (frequent service). 1321 Sanders X11 bus from Castle Meadow (stand CF) to Wayford Bridge arr 1353 I've done the one way route to comply with your enquiry. Remember that North of Hoveton you are in the land of Cinderella and have to be home early - there are very few buses in the afternoons. Service X11 buses run directly between Norwich-Hoveton-Wayford Bridge and Stalham. Service 11 buses run directly between Norwich and Hoveton but serve Horning-Ludham-Sutton and Catfield en route to Stalham.

Be careful with the electrical side and make sure the wires are sealed properly. If you let the magic smoke out then the pump will not work!

We had the great pleasure of inspecting 'slanty' when she was brand new. She looked great from each side. However, in the whole she was asymetric so the name Slantendicular was deemed appropriate. Better than broadland generic name for most boats -'Olympic Flame' (never goes out).

Having a cute red narrowboat on the broads makes us stand out. It also means we would be picked out in an identity parade! There are certainly lots of females on passing boats who would take Grebe home and cuddle her like a toy dog. Over the years we have become philosophical about passers by. Like Griff if we are happy to be chatted to wemoor in the higher profile areas if we want a quieter time we stay on remote moorings. We sometimes adopt the listen from a distance method. The script on Grebe's side panels 'Waterways of the Humber' that get them thinking and chatting. But the best was probably overheard at Horning. We were in the Staithe & Willow, at a bay window table so we could keep an eye while eating a meal (side swipe paradise those moorings) and two ladies were standing on the quay discussing Grebe. The verdict ' She must be fire boat, she's red and they must have something to deal with fires...' chuckle chuckle. We've lost count of... did you come by sea? do you live on her? are the broads connected to the canals? and are you from 'ull? (any mention of the Humber must mean Hull because they own the Humber)

We must just have missed seeing you on Wednesday. We took Grebe down to Boulters on Wednesday morning. First proper run of the year and diesel needed. We spotted Brilliant looking good on her big cover and commented about not seeing you. Then you turn up after we had passed on our way back to Stalham.

We went there last year and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Nicely informal. Better than the Deep in Hull we thought.

We did National Trust and RNLI life membership years ago when we could afford it. All other charities get very little now apart from Weston Park Cancer Charity. However the scouts/guides/brownies/youth football/ youth theatre packers at the supermarket always get tipped for 'helping' with the shopping.

Try this one on your computer. Eye halve a spelling chequer; It came with my pea sea. It plainly marks four my review Miss steaks eye kin knot sea. Eye strike a key and type a word And weight four it two say Weather eye am wrong oar write. It shows me strait a weigh. As soon as a mist ache is maid, It nose bee fore two long. And eye can put the error rite Its rare lea ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it. I am shore your pleased two no, It’s letter perfect awl the weigh; My checker tolled me sew.