Tempest

I am sure you have made the right decision and if you need any support / advice by all means get in touch with me (I am treasurer of the Moonlight Shadow Syndicate) , @Mouldy (Chair of the syndicate) and @YnysMon (Helen who is the secretary) We are more than happy to share ideas and even look to bring the syndicate boats together as a co-operative group of self run syndicates where we share best practice and support for each other (This may help with such things as insurance, mooring costs, access to the bridge pilot, upgrades, breakdown cover, and more). Just an idea but it may be an option in the future. All the best

Thanks for the heads up with this as I wasn't aware Our supplier is a local farm who supplies wholesale and retail They are a 5 minute drive from our house https://www.petaroni.com/ But they supply raw foods in rolls which are quite large and we struggle to get many in the freezer compartment, so when away we tend to get the Pets at Home ones which come in blocks as you can fit more of these in the freezer If coming for a fortnight we also bring a mobile freezer box which keeps them chilled until we need them They have only one block shared (half each) with a dry biscuit mix (Roxy one cup, Yogi 2 cups) and they share a can of pilchards which are mixed in with the raw food and biscuits because the fish oil is good for their coats So we tend to come away with 7 blocks, 7 tins of pilchards and a bag of dry food which lasts us the week For breakfast Roxy just has half a cup of dry food and Yogi has a full cup Roxy has less because she is an older dog and we are trying to keep her weight under control She got up to 76Kg and currently she is 70Kg which is around 11 stone! What a beautiful morning This is our current view

Yes, it's even more fun when we are naked! 😂🤣😂🤣🤣

Friday 9th June We started the day with another terrific breakfast at Bumble Barn, before packing, saying our goodbyes and heading off for some much needed provisions. We first went to Pets at home for some raw food for Roxy and Yogi and then made our way to Tesco for some groceries and other provisions. What a faff at Tesco! There were roadworks which were being managed by a guy with a stop / go sign! Letting 100 vehicle into the car park and only 20 out at a time didn't appear to work!!!! The car park was gridlocked and took us 30 minutes to get off! Julie was rather.....perturbed, but I couldn't care less! We refueled and then headed for Ranworth as we didn't think Moonlight Shadow would be ready yet and it was only around 12 midday I wasn't surprised to see there was around 8 to 10 spaces available which was not the case last June! But no doubt Mr Packman will wait until it's full to take a picture to prove his strategy is working! I just hope the businesses are able to survive in this period of uncertainty. We had a coffee in the Granary and a slice of Carrot cake before making the journey to Horning Pleasurecraft arriving around 2pm What a glorious day! The sun is out, the skies clear and that annoying wind was getting lighter We packed the boat and headed off with our destination Fleet Dyke We "bimbled" down the river bure and arrived at Fleet Dyke around 3pm This is our final destination today as it's perfect for the dogs, the roof is down and the wine bottle is open We are now chilling for the evening in a beautiful location Roxy and Yogi are both shattered so are now spread out in the saloon and galley respectively So it's Newfie Twister for us tonight as we negotiate the dogs to get to the fridge!! 😂🤣

We are going to head to the Norwich one Pets at Home, 4, Sprowston retail park, Salhouse Rd, Norwich NR7 9AZ

We arrived in Norfolk from our home in Bolton, Lancashire around 2pm on Wednesday 7th June as we did our usual M61 towards Manchester, M62 over the Pennines , A1 down to Newark and across the A17 and A47 to our destination which was Bumble Barn, Anchor St, Tunstead NR12 8HR which would be our home for 2 nights before we board Moonlight Shadow in Horning on Friday 9th June. We just love Bumble Barn, its great for the dogs and a really wonderful place to stay close to the places we wont be able to get to on MS this week, so we can instead use this as a base as we go by car The owners of Bumble Barn are also the Landlord of the Cross Keys at Dilham and we made our way there the first evening and I had Bangers and Mash followed by Apple Pie with a lovely serving of vanilla ice cream. Julie went for Lasagne followed by the cheesecake. All was delicious! We had an early night on the Wednesday as the travelling had caught up with us, but we firstly had a mighty breakfast served in our room at Bumble Barn before heading off out with the first stop of the day being Oulton Broad to give the Newfies a swim. The Yacht Station only had 2 hire boats and it appeared very quiet Roxy and Yogi entered via the slipway and went for a swim on what was a rather chilly breezy day, but we were able to sit on a bench afterwards as they dried off on the grass, watching the world go by @YnysMon had previously mentioned that she went to Caister on Sea with her dogs so we thought we would call and have a look on the way back, giving our Newfies the opportunity to have a walk on the soft sandy beach with strict instructions to stay out of the water as we didnt want to dry them again!! They did just that and loved the feeling of the sand between their toes! We only stayed at Caister for half an hour before we were off again as Julie wanted to have a look around Wroxham Barns and I sat on a bench near to the Norfolk Cider Shop (with free samples!!) with Roxy and Yogi. I didnt go for a sample as cider really isnt my favourite tipple and I dont really drink it, unless its flavoured with fruit or something to hide that awful taste!! (in my opinion!) This probably stems from my childhood as my parents used to go out every Friday and Saturday night and they would pick up some films from the local video shop, family size snacks and a bottle of strongbow or woodpecker cider and say watch your films have a drink, eat some snacks and we will see you later! I was about 10 or 11 at the time and my brother was younger It didnt do us any harm but no doubt social services would come knocking if it happened now! After we left Wroxham Barns, we headed back to Bumble Barn to get ready for an evening out at the Ferry House, Surlingham as we had planned to meet Fred and Lisa who are our friends who reside in Little Plumstead just outside Salhouse and we normally have a meal out with them when down. Since Moonlight Shadow had been moved to Horning we hadnt got to the Ferry House as often as we would have liked as its one of our favourites , so we decided to drive across and it certainly didnt disappoint with Julie going for the Chicken Curry, Fred the Ribeye Steak, Lisa the baguette with chips and I went for the Steak and Ale in a giant Yorkshire pudding with chips and mushy peas We got back to Bumble Barn around 10pm and settled down for the night Its now Friday morning and we are getting things ready to go across to Horning, but first the Bumble Barn breakfast, walk the dogs, nip to the supermarket for provisions and Pets at Home for some food for the dogs. We are back in August and have already booked Bumble Barn for 2 nights at the end of our week, as we just love this place and it is sooooooooo relaxing!!!

I came out of that group as I became tired of all the moaning and complaining without actually constructing a viable argument and options to improve matters. In my opinion it became very much like many other Facebook groups which tend to be taken over by trash talkers and the articulate argument gets lost. I have read the post and now feel, they have a great opportunity to move forward positively and professionally as long as they moderate it correctly.

We will be watching it at home on the TV and then over to the F1 to hopefully see Max spitting his dummy out, again, because someone dared overtake him!

You obviously have never owned a Newfoundland....🤣😂🤣😂

Roxy on Moonlight Shadow awaiting the speedboat racing..... My sons dog Bleu when he came to visit us Finally our other dog Yogi guarding the stern!!

Mine (Sony Xperia) and Julie's (Samsung) both received the alert with no issues 👍

You are absolutely spot on, but so is Robin @LondonRascal Just as Betamax and V2000 was beaten by VHS, but that was later replaced by DVDs, then that by Blu-ray, then digital streaming, cash is going, whether we like it or not.... (I know loads who still bleat on that Betamax was better than VHS! 😂) More and more venues will stop accepting cash, something which the younger generation have already accepted. It's only a matter of time, but I do feel we will all eventually have to get on the bus and enjoy the ride.....or not! 5G network is the next step in that drive!

I personally believe it's great to see a live test on a national alert system instead of waiting for a real event to see if it works..... Many will not realise but there is an emergency services communication system which allows 999 responders to still communicate on their mobile devices when the network is overloaded due to an emergency. This system failed in Manchester when the Arena attack occured, because it had never been stress tested, for an incident when thousands of people in one area where trying to phone loved ones, whilst million's were on social media or real media sites trying to get updates. So for one alert, which will be over in seconds, I actually think it's a small inconvenience to actually see if the system functions as designed

Excellent Blog @Mouldy Glad you and Debs are enjoying your time on MS I fancy a run up to Dilham on MS as its something we havent done for years when we were hiring Great pictures too Enjoy!!

If the police do actually put time and resources into putting stickers on a sign, then I suggest Norfolk Constabulary hasn't enough work to do or have far too many staff for their current workload because no other police force, I know would even entertain such a report. My guess is it's just more scaremongering

@troggy Everything you are doing is perfectly acceptable and spot on, including the planning you are doing So yes you are able to pick up guests on route as long as they accounted for on the hire agreement, you have enough life jackets and if staying with you the bedding is pre-arranged The pick up location mainly depends on the mode of travel for your guests, are they arriving by public transport, coach or their own car and their mobility taking into account the amount of luggage they will have with them. As others have stated, picking up at Stalham is easiest if they have a vehicle because they can leave a 2nd car at Richardsons and if you are together for the rest of your trip it is easy to conclude without a 2nd diversion. If they are arriving by train, the free moorings above Wroxham Bridge and close to the Kings Head are best as it's a short walk from the station. If they are coming by vehicle I would probably suggest Horning as they could street park quite easily and there is a car park near the village hall. You could then either moor at the free moorings (although these are like rocking horse poo 💩!), Moor at Ferry Marina, or book a mooring at the New Inn or attend the Ferry Inn and meet for food and a drink whilst getting your guests on board. Other than those if you are still determined to meet at Wroxham south of the bridge, as others have suggested, try Barnes Brinkcraft, Norfolk Broads Direct (which are both free to hire craft) or outside Wroxham Hotel for a fee Finally, whatever you decide, hope you and your party have a wonderful time

Will you still require to pay a mooring fee if the only reason you are landing is to top up with water?

You do tend to find the younger generation go for the more modern contrasting colours... 😉

You know how much I love all the blue....😏

Gutted..... As we are now home...😭 But...we are already planning our next trip in June and as this time, we have booked Bumble Barn for the evening before due to the fantastic hospitality by the owners Paul and Karen, who can't do enough for you. We spent this morning ensuring MS was in top condition for the next owners, we had booked a refuel and pump out at 11am at Boulter's and although the sun came out the winds did get a little gusty!!! 🌬️ So I expected a challenge going round to Boulter's and back, but to be fair MS handles really well and it was fine Back to our mooring, remove the throws we put down to protect the carpets and upholstery from the dogs as they were now sat patiently waiting in the back of the car. MS looks great at the moment and king may it continue. I especially like the contrasting grey cushions in the saloon which @Mouldy chose! I didn't realise you were such a style guru.... 🤣😂 We then drive round to the New Inn and had a light lunch before setting off on the long journey home. Whilst in the New Inn we got speaking to Sean behind the bar and he outlined a new website for the area which starts off with boat sales, but said it would later cover hiring, local businesses and guidance and support for holidaymakers and boater's I add the link here as it may be of interest to some members https://norfolk-broads-boats.co.uk We left Norfolk around 2pm and walked through our front door at 7pm which wasn't a bad run with one stop. Looking forward to our next visit

What a wonderful day The wind was quite strong last night, but the wine I consumed seemed to null the noise!!! This morning it was windy , overcast and drizzle so we weren't expecting much from the day, although how wrong we were, as the clouds parted, the sun came out, the weather improves and thunder turned up!!!! We made our way to Ranworth and as can be seen by the photo, the weather was brilliant for this time of year But what made our day was the arrival of Russell and Susan on Thunder who we had seen many times on YouTube, had conversed via social media, but never met in person. They are 2 lovely,warm and welcoming people and I suggest if you ever see them around, you give them a wave or better still, do as we did and go over and have a good chat! We can't wait to catch up with them again in June We left Ranworth around 1pm.....as the Malsters is currently closed Monday till Thursday! The weather stayed fine as we headed back to our home mooring at Horning Pleasurecraft and started to clean her up ready for the next owner. We then went for a walk through the village, up a pathway which takes you to the park and then back down Mill Loke to the Swan Inn where we had a drink We later moved onto the New Inn and it was great to see the love given to our dogs, Roxy and Yogi The New Inn is a far better pub now than it was previously, in my opinion, when dogs weren't allowed and it's focus was on adults, rather than families. It's such a welcming venue now and we certainly highly recommend it. A brilliant day....

Worth a try....😂🤣😂

Love your dedication to this ❤️

Well....we stayed at Ludham Bridge chilling all day The walk along the riverbank towards How Hill was abandoned as very muddy, but the dogs still got a good walk. Most of the day was spent reading, watching (boats..) and cleaning as we had a very relaxing day. At 3pm we walked to the Dog Pub for some food with Julie going for lamb chops and I went for the fish and chips. The fish was huge! Julie enjoyed her meal, but prefers her mash to be a little creamier Roxy and Yogi were well behaved in the pub considering they were slightly confused as they normally eat before us!! Once eaten we went outside for another drink in the really nice covered seating area with dog blankets and a dog water butt, before heading back to Moonlight Shadow around 5pm I recall moaning about how slap on this forum and someone (sorry, I forgot who!!) advised to lower your mudweight as it disturbs the water flow and reduces the strength of the bow slap. Well that's what we did and I must say, it is still there but at least 50% less than previous which is a great little tip. The sun is starting to go down and the skies look stunning At its peak 8 boats were moored at Ludham Bridge today, and currently there are 5 (including MS) so you get the feeling the season is coming alive with more visitors. Interestingly we only used shore power once (when moored at Ranworth on Saturday) and the Moonlight Shadow Syndicate will be pleased to hear the batteries have performed perfectly which is the first time I have ever heard any member say that! Lots of things seem to have improved since we moved to Horning Pleasurecraft who have been first class with everything they have done for us from the mooring, winter maintenance, emergency repairs and planned upgrades Huge thanks to Clive, George, Victoria and the team.

Hope you didn't have too much of that Whisky Cask Cider!! 🍺🍺🍺😂🤣