Tempest

I agree and concur as they would say in my old job..

It's as broad as it is long and isn't an issue unless you sail off without it! Doh! Ohh yes I forgot to mention when we refueled the pump attendant said the last owner dropped the fuel cap key in the drink last time out and it sunk to the bottom! One float obviously wasn't enough So the owner had to run to Wards to buy s new one My brother though had a magnet and duly recovered the key so we now have 2 onboard 👍

Would have been nice for whoever moved MS in the first place to let the syndicate owners know or at the very least the Chair so he can inform the rest of us But no harm done and we soon worked it out

When we arrived at Commissioners Cut it was a very hot day and our dogs were really struggling to find somewhere cool to rest, so it was my suggestion to make the short walk into Thorpe and to the Rushcutters as it had been many years since I had visited to the venue and my idea was to find a table outside near to the river with a large umbrella and give them somewhere they could lie down and relax for a while in a nice shady spot. This didnt really go to plan........ As we walked to the Rushcutter, there was no signage of the pending events and we made our way to one of the empty tables with a brolley, when we were approached by one of the waiters who told us we had to go in via the front of the pub and check in. I said if it was OK I would stay with the dogs and the other 3 members of the party would go and check in and then once they got back to the table I would go and check in also The waiter said yes this was fine so I took my rucksack off my back which contained a large bottle of water and dog bowl and proceeded to give the dogs a drink whilst Julie, Paul and Lorraine made their way to the front of the pub They returned a short time later with glum faces saying that the manager has told them that they are accepting no walk-ins as all tables where booked The place was empty Apart from a few people on the odd table Julie told me a party of 8 were just behind her and they were told the same and the landlord was very dismissive and aggressive when he told her I said dont worry about it and continued to give Roxy and Yogi a drink of water before embarking on the journey back to the boat As I watered the dogs the manager came out and just stood staring at us from a distance which I just found amusing as I would have loved him to come over and say something to me, but I think as a stared back at him, he thought better of it. At this time my dogs where the priority not a man with little manners or care for customers both 2 or 4 legged When we did get back we tried to cool the dogs down and we set up a barbecue and started to prepare some food whilst having a couple of drinks Commissioners Cut is a very popular place as it is used by walkers, joggers and those just wanting to do the loop around a nature trail which can take around 20 minutes to complete so we had many people to chat to and 2 lovely lads came walking by and stopped for a chat and started to tell us about the village and whats available and that included the various pubs, although they did say, we dont recommend the Rushcutter as the manager is a very aggressive person who even the locals arent keen on, instead they suggested the Oaklands Hotel which is on the opposite side of the road to the rushcutter closer to the moorings and up a driveway, which they said has outdoor seating allows dogs and is really friendly We just found it interesting that we had such a poor experience at the place and now we were being advised not to go there but try a different place instead But nonetheless we had a lovely barbecue and evening on the moorings, the dogs cooled down and we chatted to many locals, whilst watching the rowers go up and down the yare and the abundance of wildlife in the area Next morning we set off to Whitlingham Country Park BA moorings which have electric points and there is a lovely cafe with clean toilets within which we went for breakfast. Its a little bit pricey, but it is a country park cafe and the prices where no more than expected The Country Park is great for walking dogs, but be mindful that there is a lot of ducks, geese, swans etc which the park attendees obviously feed so dogs do need to be kept under control. Our dogs are fine around wildlife and livestock as they are used to the farms where we live, but I still always keep them on a tight lead when near them I do recommend this stop, but just across from the moorings is a railway line which was quite busy and I suggest could be noisy and did break up the tranquillity of the location every 15 minutes or so.. We stayed there until around 2pm and then started the journey at a crawling 3mph to the Ferry House, Surlingham where we had booked a mooring This stretch of river is just stunning and the weather was glorious, the water still as a millpond and for a period I just sat on the bow watching the world go by as my brother took the helm and Moonlight Shadow on the journey to Surlingham We had booked a meal that night and decided we would have the full breakfast in the morning and none disappointed, although I will never have the large breakfast again as I felt like a beached whale for most of the day afterwards as it was huge with ample toast, juice and teas or coffee This is Paul and Lorraine getting in the mood on the Thursday evening at Surlingham We also saw a stunning car in the car park which I had to take a picture or 2 The evening was glorious After breakfast we "bimbled" back to Brundall filled up with fuel, water and had a pump out before taking her back to the moorings and commenced the obligatory clean to get her back into sparkling condition for the next owner to use her the following day We had a quiet day and evening, with a meal at the Yare to finish off the trip, before a good nights sleep and the long journey home We absolutely loved this trip and my brother and sister in law will definitely be visiting the southern broads again as they also really enjoyed it and commented how beautiful it was and how nice all the locations were We now cant wait for our return in August when we will be joined by our son Michael, and his girlfriend April

I know its late and I do apologise for that, but as soon as I got home I ended up to my eyeballs in work, travelling to London and back to Bolton, with meetings galore etc!!! But less of that, what about our latest trip on Moonlight Shadow? Well we arrived at Broom Boats where she is moored just after midday on Saturday 29th May and after chatting with the boatyard found that she was ready to board and all the pre-checks had been completed On this trip we had our Newfies Roxy and Yogi and my brother Paul and Sister in Law Lorraine (who had both never been on the southern broads before) Moonlight Shadow was in her new mooring having been moved from the main river berth to a side berth and we actually felt it was a better location as she was better protected but we didnt realise that the electric hook up needed the 32amp to 16am converter as previously this was left on the boat for use, but now it was actually at use also at her home base.............. So guess what..........we didnt take it with us and when we came to use it, it was not in the cupboard! Doh! The first day we loaded the boat and then headed for Reedham and moored up on the grass area just downstream from the Reedham Ferry Inn as we had booked a meal that evening One note of caution! When the tide is low we found that you are actually sitting on the bottom of the river along this bank as when we tried to move off in the morning nothing happened until we gave her a bit of throttle and mud was thrown up Personally I would think twice about mooring here again or leaving at low water We walked along the river edge into Reedham village and had a drink at the Lord Nelson whilst we noticed that the Ship was closed and I dont know when its due to open again, but I hope it does soon as we like this place very much and then we made our way back with the dogs to the Reedham Ferry area in order to ready ourselves for evening meal The meal that evening was excellent and I can highly recommend the Ferry Inn at Reedham In the morning we made our way to Reedham by boat for a "nature break" and then commenced our journey towards Beccles which would be our final destination. We had a lovely break at the Waveney River Centre For lunch and even had a drink at the Waveney Inn It was very hot that day and the back of my neck was burning, hence the baseball cap on back to front, I can assure you I am no cool dude!!! We then made our way on a lovely day to Beccles and as a village/Town we just love it as it has character, charm and everything you could need (Large Tesco!!) We had a great evening in Beccles and then made our way slowly to Oulton Broad which would be our stop on the Bank Holiday Monday We love Oulton Broad and have been many, many times...................but we had never visited the Commodore pub, until this occasion What a fantastic pub Well organised, great service and great views We will definitely be visiting again and cant believe after so many years we had never been here before Next we headed to Loddon for what is always one of my favourite trips down the Chet as I love to just saunter down as slow as possible and enjoy the tranquillity of the location and watch the world go by We had booked a meal at the White Horse at Chedgrave (over the bridge to the right of the public staithe) and it didnt disappoint with really good food and excellent service as we found a table outside and had a lovely meal The next day we made our way to the Commissioners Cut (which we loved) but we made our way to the Rushcutter Pub and probably had the worst experience we have ever had in over 30 years of visiting the broads........... But I will leave that to my next post

The weather always brightens up when the Barlows enter Norfolk!!

Looks like somewhere like the Fishermans.................. Defo somewhere with a big rise and fall of the tide! Enjoy! Be good to have a catch up, but if not have a wonderful time

Thanks Helen

I have booked a mooring at Beccles Quay for Sunday so those Freeman's best not take our slot or I will set my dogs on them!!😎🤪🤣😂

Up at 5am tomorrow, setting off at 6am for the long, but worthwhile journey to Brundall across the M62 down the A1, onto the A47 and next stop Broom Boats and Moonlight Shadow............... Really cant wait!!! We will have my brother and sister in law with us who are regular boaters, but have never visited the southern broads before and hopefully this will wet their appetite for future visits Give us a wave or come and say hello to us and our dogs (Roxy and Yogi) if you are around as we plan to take in Beccles, Oulton Broad, Loddon, Reedham and a few other locations

Another terrific write-up Helen Love the pictures, love the stories and gives an insight into some of the locations we have not visited before which is really helpful For example we have never moored at Whitlingham before and definitely would like to give it a try as I am sure our Newfies will love the park I know it wasnt in this blog, but we have actually never moored at Commissioner's Cut before either and plan to try this location in the future It tended to look a bit unwelcoming previously, but I believe it may be a little better now Anyway, thanks again and take care

Love reading your blog and great pictures also Feels like things are slowly returning to some semblance of normality Looking forward to the rest of your tale, including a tip on leaving the mooring...

Have a wonderful time

We moored in that location previously for a short stop off (after asking those already there if it was OK) No real issue to me either way if its used by the ferry as a loading and landing point Ours was a rather large ferry that week as we met some friends at the Malsters

We have been visitors to the Broads since I was a nipper with my parents and generally we would hire from Ernest Collins or Jack Powles boatyards in Wroxham and we spent many days looking through the maps to plan our journey which invariably meant heading south and I recall mooring stern on at Waveney River Centre, on the main river where they now moor their day boats and getting caught up on the quay heading and having to give her a bit of a bounce and a shove to get her free! I was only about 12 year old at the time and my dad was giving the instructions! I recall nights in Norwich, trips to Oulton Broads and Beccles and one of my parents favourite stops, being the moorings at the Bell Inn at St Olaves! I have a sister and a brother and my sister has never visited the broads since we have "grown up" but my brother is a regular visitor I still travel north and south often and I thoroughly enjoy the experience, I love the north and I love the south. They are different, but both have their appeal to me, but there is a difference between brothers My brother has never visited the south as an adult and has always stayed "up norf" Why? I dont even think he knows, but he always wants to maximise his visit and will try to get round many places as he can, doesnt really care for Great Yarmouth (as we have Blackpool up north!) and just loves short journeys from one place to another, doesnt really spend a lot of time boating, as the majority of the time he is mudweighting or moored up either taking in the surroundings or going for walks, visiting the local area or the pubs and restaurants. In truth I dont think he feels the time taken to travel between Stokesby and Reedham or St Olaves is worth it for him and his family as he sees this as "dead ground" and wasted time. So Breydon isnt always the issue though As a positive though my brother and sister in law are accompanying us week commencing 29th May on Moonlight Shadow and we are fixing up an itinerary of southern venues to visit where hopefully he will see the error in his ways and maybe the "dead ground" may come alive for him and give him the incentive to make the journey in future

I am sure she will be up and ready nice and early Enjoy your break Hopefully MS will be looking good after the winter maintenance

Cant wait to get back to MS this Saturday for another wonderful week on the broads..................... Ohh wait!! Never mind it will soon be May......................................

I also feel it's inevitable that some form of vaccine passport will be required It may be just for travel abroad initially (like the yellow fever card) but it will creep into certain forms of employment criteria, then certain industries and before you know it, I do believe (even though human rights activists will kick and scream) that it may become part of everyday life requirements for purchasing event tickets etc

We love both those venues, but we have also had good times at the Lion at Thurne, White Horse at Neastished, Sutton Staithe, Recruiting Sergeant at Coltishall, Rising Sun at Coltishall, Swan Inn at Horning, Kings Arms at Ludham, Fur and Feather's, White Horse at Chedgrave, Kings Head at Loddon and Yare at Brundall. They are all very different, some quirky, some rustic, some lacking in many areas, but mainly we go for dog and people friendly establishments where you can chat with staff and customers go alone or in a group and we have found these to be welcoming to 2 and 4 legged friends alike 🍺🍺😂👍🥃🍷

We will be making plans for our week on Moonlight Shadow... If it is cancelled again, so be it But we will definitely be making plans, as for us it's part of the fun, getting ready for another trip Lifejackets - check Dog food - check Alcohol - check 😉🍻

We are due on MS 13th March for a week........................I am not banking on it though! Seems so long ago since we were last out on her Hopefully though after the winter maintenance this year she will be looking good when we eventually get down

Fair Senator She appears to be listed for sale at the NYA

Enjoy as much time as possible and I know you will just go with the flow The press conference has been put back to 5pm, so hopefully you will be able to get a few more days in yet Looks like our 21st Nov trip is looking more remote now though and to be frank, I cant see a lockdown of 3 or 4 weeks making much difference as I fear we will be in and out of lockdowns until the weather improves in March 21 and then it will all start again around October next year when the cold weather starts to bite again My son recently said his days felt like "Eat", "Drink", COVID", "Repeat" and we all laughed.............but it is sadly very true and may be for some considerable time

We are due on Moonlight Shadow from 21st November, but today our region (Greater Manchester) went into Tier 3, so we have already informed BCBM that if we are still in tier 3 then we will not be travelling and we are happy for them to contact the other syndicate members to see if someone else may be able to use the week at short notice, as sadly things can change very quickly when it comes to lockdowns I feel it woudnt be right for us to travel whilst in Tier 3 and have decided to follow the government advice in not doing so.

The dog walks are the biggest draw for us, as we tend to look for places which we can go and stroll with our boy and girl which isnt too tasking, but can get them some good exercise. Also thanks for the information on the Indian also as we do like a curry every now and then. My next google search will be the Merchants of Spice!!