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Wonderwall
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Posts posted by Wonderwall
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Pictures will follow once I work out how to transfer from phone/ ipad to here!!,
I encountered another " character" up at Stalham. We were moored at the top near the musuem. I just about had a enough room to spin around and leave when small cruiser parked behind me just as I was untying , making life very tricky for me. The gentleman??? Appeared out of his boat with long grey beard with the last 4 months of dinner entangled in his whiskers. I'm sure some folk on here will have encountered him at some point. His boat was let's say " steptoe on water!"
He then watched intently as I tried to manoeuvre my boat in the direction of the Ant. As he passed a comment which I couldn't understand I remarked he hadn't helped matters by jamming me in, his retort was " I can handle my boat can you handle yours?" I had to laugh at his cheek really and replied it was a pity he couldn't wash the thing!, I somehow got turned without hitting his boat ( I feared a bump might have been the end for his flea ridden craft!)
I gave him an exaggerated wave as I set off and the old devil gave a cheeky grin. I'm sure I encountered a famous broad personality here? And he makes me smile everytime I think of it!
I then chugged along to Neatishead in the glorious sun , had a bit fishing , my daughter lay in the dinghy reading then me and the lad went for a game of darts and I had my best pint ( something summer !?) of the holiday. Got chatting to a couple who moved a bit to allow us to play without spearing them , and yet another Anglo friendship was made, even if very brief.
My lad won at darts. We then cruised down to ranworth to watch andy Murray lose his semi final and we had our only poor eating experience in the pub.
Let's not dwell on negatives and put it down to just a bad day for the pub, but when my wife enquired if a certain dish had mushrooms in it and the reply came back that the chef didn't know, we really should have settled for beans on toast afloat!!!
Walked to the tower the following day but no access and it was surrounded with scaffold, got some duck eggs from a small honesty stall on the way. Very tasty!
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The second Saturday we spent around wroxham horning area.
Well, it was an eye opener!! The sun was out and so was every day boat in the UK, full of lads and lassies shouting screaming and hollering. How some of the carry outs didn't sink the boats I have no idea. Although most sailors appeared to spend more time in the river!, the river appeared more like the Dover crossing, I honestly didn't realise their were so many day boats available for hire.
Admittedly some were over excited , the language was at times colourful and it is very non broads behaviour and needs to be watched. But by and large it was very good humoured and at least the good people appeared happy and joyful. Unlike some of the privateers I encountered over my holiday who seemed somewhat stressed out that holidaymakers dared to come within 10 boat lengths to them.
I emphasise some, as some were of course very pleasant , chatty and helpful.
On that point may I add that as always the welcome from the good people of Norfolk was as bright as ever. They genuinely seemed pleased to see you. From publicans, shopkeepers , taxi drivers throughout the holiday it was very uplifting.
Take a bow.
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Well, let's start with our wee trip up to geldeston and the two pubs up that way.
Let's just say there are a few characters up that way!!
Moored at the little footbridge and there was a "shapely lady" sunbathing half way up the steps!! Very bizarre, my lad didn't know where to look!, she then stirred after about an hour and swam up and down past our boat, I didn't know where to look!!!
Then cruised on to next pub where we were greeted with a non anorexic with very brief " rainbow" briefs working on his boat, two halve moons in view. Nobody knew where to look!!
All very harmless, but out there so to speak!!
Had already spent a morning at beccles lido in the sun, acquainting myself with a springboard for the first time in a long time. A stroll around Beccles with a pint and couple of games of pool. What an idyllic town it really is.
But let's not tell everyone if you know what I mean.
( apologies if anyone feels mentioned in this post!!!, life's all about different folks!!)
Much more to come if anyone interested.!!!!
Neil
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Had my 10 ten days afloat -+ 2 extra purchased from the ever efficient herbert woods. The depression of it all being over is beginning to fade and I'm now brave enough to post my holiday experiences without feeling suicidal!!,
I had a (we all had) a great time. I even got under the gap at PH. I have many tales to tell , but will start with the great storm on the 3 rd of July while we were wild mooring between beccles and burgh castle.
It was a topper. I was woken at 3 am with what sounded like bombers attacking my boat. The sky was lighting up with lumens unrecordable. It was truly both amazing and nervy. I just checked the teenage kids were ok with it all and I realised we were facing a different way than when I retired. Not good!!! It turns out it was only my line on mud weight which had worked free but I had to watch the storm pass over towards norwich then I went out and made secure.
It was a fantastic and scary night .
I love the broads I will add to this thread whenever I am pining!!
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There is huge difference between a crew running aground or damaging a boat through drunken negligence, and a small mistake or brief lack of concentration which both can have big consequences
" come to the broads but make a mistake and it could cost you thousands" is not a slogan high on the list of any operators.
As usual, the actions of a few effect so many others. But mistakes do happen in all walks of life and have to be accepted as a part it.
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Poor alphacraft just not getting the run of the tide these days!!
What a waste of a day on the broads to be stranded there. All it takes is a lack of concentration, or most probably in this case to many units being consumed in a short time.
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Nearly time for me to jump aboard for my 10 days of heaven!!
I noticed that beccles has a bit of a bash on the 4/5th July and I was wondering if any of you kind folks could inform me how busy it is expected to be. Would I struggle for a mooring ,and also I am better just giving it a wide berth , or is it a spectacle not to be missed.
Thanks in advance.
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One of the most soul destroying pastimes is having to phone BT, which is bizarre really!!!!
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What have you heard?Dont put your wets away just yet
3 different websites predicting warm and mainly dry 1st 12 days in July .
The weatherman is never wrong ;-)
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Looks like the big guy has taken on my request for tip top weather early July .
For once I'm believing the predicted weather !
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Joking aside, what`s the fishing like on the broads in general?. The reason i ask is that we keep reading about Primeneseum parva (or whatever it`s called), also otters becoming ever more abundant, and in recent years, Seals moving further upriver (we actually saw one 3 years ago as far up as the Beauchamp arms). I`ve also read in Anglers mail a couple of years back that catfish are growing in numbers, so with all this negativity around, what`s happening to all the fish, has it declined, if so, by how much?.
I ain't no scientist , but I think that nature is well established, and designed to cope with the problems with these small events in species which have been on the go for many many many millions of years.
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There are a number of swimming pools in Norfolk that few people know about - did you know for example there is one in Neatishead?
Funnily enough found it on web last night. Is that the barn one? I assumed it was for villagers only, I.e. A local allowed other locals to use it.
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nowhere near stalham but if you get over beccles way theyhave an open air lido ...http://homepages.phonecoop.coop/norgate/Beccles%20Lido/
That is on the must do list this year. Last year in beccles was the only cold day of our hols so played snooker instead!!
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Relax folks. I'm on the water from the 1st of July and I have had the weather sorted with the big man for 8 months now. I got my order in early.
Dosent rain in the pub however should the worst happen!!!! But I'm bringing my factor 60' specially created for the Scots!!
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It's usually the straithe I moor. Nice hotel with good food beers darts,and pool and just a small cruise to many a tranquil quiet mooring for the last few hours of the day spent fishing.Well, pootle up to Sutton Staithe, if boatyards are not for you. To be fair to Richos, their yard is very trim and well kept. I use to manage to moor up at the old Staithe next to Mooncraft yard, every time we came down to go to the old Tuesday Market. Looks like you have just been unlucky up there.
Iain.As I'm sure you can tell, I'm getting in the mood!!!
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Am I missing a mooring?Oh you are missing out on an excellent Indian Restaurant (Oasis2) and The Swan Inn does first class food also IMHO.
Iain.There's a couple which are never vacant near the musuem, and boatyards tend to be not the bonniest places to be. Can never find a mooring I'm happy to stay at for long. Go on , let me into a secret!!!!
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Thanks. It's not clear if it's open to the public, but stalham has never been a faviroute place of mine for any longer than a brief stop.
Like to keep all options open though, and a wee bit exercise with a proper shower and shave is always welcome!!
Tick tock, in eight days I will be enroute !! Yee haa!!!
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Someone somewhere mentioned a swimming pool in Stalham.
Can anyone shed any light if this the case and if it is public ? It's news to me!
But every days a school day as they say.
Neil
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Fuzz
in Broads Chat
That must rate as one cushy job
I'm very jealous They always so so rushed and stressed out when you pass them
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My guess is one of they drones that folk can buy for a few hundred pounds. They reach some crazy heights, check them out on you tube, it's incredible.
If anything has the intelligence to travel a gizillion miles to reach us , I doubt they will have lights and bells on shouting look at me!!,
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You have all convinced me, it's a must that I go through the wee gap.
So, is it take a run at it, pick the centre and foot ( hand) down ?
See you on the other side folks
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I would not recommend Waxham cut at the moment. I was up there in a kayak recently and it badly needs weedcutting and or dredging. Once you're 'in', if you're in a cruiser, there's no real chance to turn until after the bridge, and there's a good chance of going aground long before that; if the water is low enough to allow you under PH bridge, it is also low enough to 'beach' you in the cut.
Nelson Head at Horsey, and The Pleasureboat at Hickling (amazing range of local ciders is worth a sample or several) at Hickling are indeed both excellent pubs (under the same ownership), but also consider the Greyhound at Hickling (a 10 minute walk into the village). I've never been into the Lion at Somerton. It used to have a reputation as not being up to much, but it has changed hands in the last year or so, and rumour has it that it's improved, but yet to test that out.
Outside the marked channel on Hickling it can be very shallow - don't go there (it's not like Barton where you can safely go outside the channel almost everywhere). Go up to the Pleasureboat, moor up, and pop round to Whispering Reeds and hire a canoe to get out to the edges of the Broad, and discover the world of hidden dykes through the reeds and the wildlife that lives there.
Thanks for the info, I'm very much not into staying by the rules at all times but I wouldn't dream of straying out of channel markers at anytime !
I've always thought they are there for a good reason and I don't fancy the shame of waiting to get pulled out.
Though mistakes and a good malt do happen!
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Can I thank all who have posted here. I am very impressed with the friendliness of this site. It's a pleasant change, not unlike the broads itself in a way!
Oh, and I'm partial to a Stella ,JennyMorgan !!!!!!
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Time spent on the broads goes twice as fast as anywhere else on this planet.
I blame the goverment. It's a time tax. Outrageous and needs stopped
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Been back a week
in Broads Chat
Posted
The fishing was okay. I caught plenty of littleuns and junior Wonderwall caught a big bream about 4 pound at oulton dyke. He also caught more than me over the holiday which cheered him up no end.
I don't know if it was the heat or the recent fish deaths up potter way but I felt there was a lack of action on the fishing in comparisons to previous years or maybe I'm just rubbish and getting found out!!!,
Took the pleasurly cruise up the Chet to loddon where myself and junior played a couple of locals at pool. Scotland 2 England 1 , we returned british champions which was nice.
Then off to reedham for a beer and game of pool, getting chucked about a bit with the river passing through the bridge. Managed to moor up though then headed down just before berney arms and a family game of frisbee in the cow field before they all took my cash at cards as we planned our return in morning over " the waters"
Seen a seal on breydon but truth told it's not a very Bonnie place. It's the one place I like full throttle and get through as quick as possible. Passed through Yarmouth bridge with roof still up and it was a bit tighter than I thought!! Probably had a foot ( nearly!) but for a small second I thought wait a minute!!
Up past yarmouth , moored at stracey , taxi into yarmouth for a day at pleasure beach and dog racing.
Details to follow if you've not all fallen asleep!!!!