Tempest

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!! 🍺🍺🍺😂🤣

What a lovely evening last night, so quiet and peaceful. We exchanged waves with Chameleon as she left South Walsham this morning We chatted with the skipper of a Barnes Brinkcraft boat and we walked the dogs, whilst pondering what to do today as we quite fancy a pub meal this evening. We were initially thinking White Horse, Upton, Acle Bridge Inn or Ferry Inn, Stokesby, but the weather didn't look too great with rain forecast from 9am and it getting heavier around 3pm with strengthening moderate winds on both BBC and Willy Weather.. So we decided to head back to the Ant with the Dog Inn, Ludham Bridge, White Horse Neatishead, Cross Keys, Dilham or Sutton Staithe Hotel as options. But...the sun came out, the rain didn't materialise (not yet) and the winds aren't bad at all. You now go on those apps and they both say it should remain dry with only a slight chance of showers. Wouldn't it be great for youngsters doing exams if they could keep changing the answer until they got it right! We spotted Cerise Lady again as she headed past Ludham Bridge onwards up the Ant The sun is actually shinning brightly now and the clouds are broken so we are going to walk the dogs and stay here for a while watching the world go by and see why "new name same me" picks this spot so often! I best go for now as the Kettle is on and the toast is smelling good!!

We left Thurne Dyke around 1pm and set off to South Walsham and we are so glad we did. The new quay heading on the free moorings in the dyke are excellent and the footpaths really clean and great for walking with your 4 legged friends. I also spotted a barn owl following the river hovering over the reeds as he was hunting, dropping down into the reeds, before lifting off and onwards covering a large hunting area. As you can see they are just finishing off the footpaths but they are now open ready for the 2023 season We walked the Dogs before heading back to MS for some wildlife spotting and that's when we saw the Barn Owl, although I was too slow to get the camera out! This is a great spot, made even better due to the improvements Just preparing our evening meal which we are cooking on board, as I am making a Spaghetti Bolognese. I also spent time yesterday measuring up the kitchen and I certainly vote for a complete overhaul because I hate the current configuration which has no space and no space!!

Well this Monday morning we were awake at 5.40am....not because we wanted to, but 2 small dogs were yapping away and making a right racket near to the stern of MS whilst you could hear the inconsiderate owner walking along the stones at Womack Staithe. Later as I took out dogs out for a walk, I saw a fresh small doggy mess on the grass behind where we were moored, so not only inconsiderate with noise, but cleaning up after themselves. One thing I have noticed is that ramblers and members of the public out and about between October and April obviously don't need the toilets in Norfolk... Womack Staithe toilets...shut! Potter Heigham toilets...shut! Thurne Dyke toilets...shut! This morning it was pretty poor weather as it was particularly persistent and is still drizzling now as I type this blog. We left Womack around 9am and made our way up the Thurne to Potter Heigham. I do admit I was a bit cheeky and went into Herbert Woods Marina only to be told, in a very friendly manner and I fully understood, that they had no space as they are readying their fleet for the season. I was only going to top up with water and nip to Latham's Instead I then left Herbert Woods and moored at the Phoenix boats water point, topped up with water and then moved down the moorings, before securing the boat whilst we made our way to Latham's. We didn't want to walk the dogs here because it was extremely muddy with lots of puddles As we crossed THAT bridge on foot, I saw that the sink hole was still present and nothing appears to have changed. I was tempted to dig it a bit deeper...😉😂 We bought a few bits and pieces, before returning to MS and we made our way to Thurne Dyke to give the dogs a good walk as this was wet but at least not as muddy We had a spot of lunch and another clean, whilst deciding where to go to next. It is looking brighter and the rain does appear to be stopping, so South Walsham is looking favourite

Thank you The skies were stunning last night as the sun went down

We talked very fondly of Sean Carr former lead singer of Death Valley Screamers who made Ludham his home and was a well known local who had strong links with Ukraine. He certainly was a character

Well we made our way up to the Kings Arms around 2.15 as we knew our son had booked a table for 2.30 and we were not disappointed. Julie had the carvery and I went for the Southern fried chicken and chips, although if I am honest I was a little disappointed with my meal as the fried chicken wasn't crispy but the batter was quite soft and stodgy. But this may have been a one off and it still tasted fantastic. Julie loved her meal, and our son had also provided a bottle of Pinot Grigio for us which was a nice touch. We finished off our meal with a gin and tonic sat outside chatting to a local, who was an absolute joy, though sadly his house and workshop had burnt down. We wish him and his family well with the rebuild. We then made our way back to the staithe, but when I switched the heating on.....nothing! Panic.....annoyance...... frustration..... Then WhatsApp to @Mouldy and @YnysMon and we figure out it's a pipe which has come away from the housing which provides the heat to the saloon. Floor boards lifted, huff and puff...done! The pipe is now reconnected. switch the heating on...fingers crossed...yes!!!! We have heat! Open another bottle of wine...look out the windows...and chill...... You can't beat the Norfolk Broads

This Mothers Day, Sunday morning we were awoken by Roxy nudging us to say she needs to go out!!! So the boat heater was put on, we got dressed, popped the kettle on and took both dogs for their first leg stretch of the day. Then back to MS for our first brew of the day. We later took the dogs on the circular walk, up to the church and back via the lower road. It was a lovely morning for a stroll, although there was more of a chill in the air than yesterday, but at least it was dry. Yogi does like to pose for a picture, whilst Roxy prefers the nose to the ground look! We gave MS a morning clean, inside and out, before a light breakfast of toast with jam. MS is looking good and the new engine, gearbox, toilet seals and upgraded upholstery have all added to making her a nice boat on the water, but also nice boat to use. I brought my firestick with me as we are F1 fans (attended both Zandvoort and Silverstone last year) so it was good to see the new TV and firestick using my phone as a hotspot, worked a treat for qualifying last night. Hoping for the same this evening for the race! As we readied for the off from Ranworth, Yogi decided to take the helm. I made a few more advice videos for the syndicate to help new members understand certain elements and later we will be taking lots of measurements in the galley as we plan to do a complete refit in the future. We left Ranworth around 10am with our destination Womack Water, and stupidly I decided not to top up with water as I thought I would do it at Womack only to later find the hose has been removed!! DOH! There was plenty room as we left and we again "bimbled" down the Bure, past St Benet's Up the Thurne and onto Womack Dyke, where we passed Norfolk Time We are now moored for our evening stopover as today our son has booked us a table at the Kings Arms, Ludham at 2.30pm as a Mother's Day treat for Julie. So it will be food and drinks at the Kings Arms, then back to the boat for F1

We did go for Ali Spice from Coltishall and although delivery was £6.50, it was worth it I had chicken madras and Julie went for chicken Bhuna, both with pilau rice. A garlic naan and poppadoms finished it off! It was delicious 😋 Topped off with a glass of Merlot.... We called in the Malsters for 2 drinks each before eating and thoroughly enjoyed it, as the staff were so welcoming Must say though....the Granary is looking good tonight Seems busy too with lots of visitors

Are you setting off really early in the morning? 😏🤣😂