Brian J.

We were on Silver Mirage. Although very expensive John, the Ghost Ship was superb.

I have just got home from a good long weekend on the southern Broads. It was a bit of a pub crawl really. Started off from Silverline at Brundall and went to Rockland Staithe to see what the new owners had done to the pub. Quite a nice spruce up with new paint, floor and revamped tables. There was the usual Wherry and a superb Ghost ship from Adnams, but at £3.80 a pint I felt that was a bit steep. Saturday lunchtime saw us at the Reedham Ferry Inn, for some Humpty Dumpty Swallowtail and Ferryman ales, very palatable, then with the tide, down to the Berney Inn. The Swallowtail left us thinking that it could have been better kept but the Wherry was very good. Couldn't fault the food or the prices but the menu was a bit limited. Next stop the following lunchtime saw us in the Beauchamp Arms. Beers on offer there were Wherry at £2.90 a pint and Doom Bar. The final evening we tried The Waters Edge at Woods End, Bramerton. Adnams Explorer and the ubiquitous Wherry were the beers on offer along with an IPA - can't remember who the brewer was though. A lot more upmarket establishment this, with very good food, even if a tad more expensive than the other pubs. Apart from some miserable weather on Sunday afternoon, a very pleasant weekend.

I got a very good deal, through Hoseasons, for a Silverline boat. About a third off for a long weekend. Booked three weeks before date of departure. :Stinky

I've read all of them!!! And more than once, even as an adult. Great reading and certainly portray the essence of the Broads from a childs perspective in a bygone era. : : :

Hi everyone, I will be on board Silver Mirage over the weekend of Fri 13th to Sun 15th September out of Brundall. Give a wave or hoot if you see me.

Sorry, forgot to turn it the right way up.

Thought you may like this one. Rockland .

Thought you may like this one. Rockland .

Had the same thing on my patio a couple of years ago. Sparrow hawk and pigeon.

It certainly looks good. Might take me a while to find my way around though. :clap :clap :clap

Possibly a William from a well known American car and bike racing circuit.

Merry Christmas and a good boating new year from down here in Surrey.

Someone once said that the world was made up of protons and neurons. They forgot morons.

I have just reappraised my photographic requirements and part exchanged a fair amount of gear at London Camera Exchange ( Branches not only in London). I used to have a Sony A 350 which was getting a bit long in the tooth with a variety of lenses - wide angle 10 - 20mm, Macro 105mm prime, 70 - 300, and 50 - 500mm. I now have a new Sony A 65 with so many functions that I still haven't found all of them yet combined with a 18 - 250mm lens which covers most of the bases that I now need. I always carry a small Olympus camera in the car for those moments when you need a camera and don't have the SLR with you. So far, I love the new camera with its continuous focussing and bright viewfinder.

Quick question for all you ornithologists on the forum. My wife would like to know why do we never see baby herons? We have never seen a family group or even a pair of herons, just the solitary bird fishing in the shallows.

The Wherry Hotel was much as you would expect from a carvery, like the proverbial parsons egg, good in parts. My wife and her brother in law went for the carvery and found the vegetables plenty and good, the pork was good but the beef was very tough. I looked for a beer that I liked, but found none until I passed through the other bar and found Wherry and Lifeboatman on pumps in there. The place was clean and friendly, and of course had the view over the Broad.

We have just got back from our week on Silver Mystique out of Brundall. Our previous luck with the weather held good and we had a rain free week. Following reccommendations from this forum, we didn't go very far for our 1st night - Rockland Staithe. We were he only boat there so was lovely and quiet. The pub was also ideal for me, about 50 meters. We travelled for 3 hours on Sunday to moor at Loddon. Quite crowded by the time evening had arrived, and the walk to the pub was at my limit - knees and back complaining quite loudly. Monday we went to Oulton Broad and moored at the yacht station as we had arranged for sister in law and her husband to meet us for lunch the following day. We took them out for an hours cruise on Tuesday and then lunch at the Wherry Hotel. Tried The Lady of the Lake the previous evening, the beer (Wherry) was very acceptable but the pub itself left a lot to be desired - dim and dingey. After Tuesdays lunch we motored down to Beccles for the night, very crowded. The idea was to go to Geldeston on the Wednesday but we decided that as I couldn't walk very far, it would be a waste of a day, so left on Wednesday morning and cruised up to Somerleyton where we stopped off for a pint at he Dukes Head? At the limit of my walking distance and served a questionable pint of Wherry - cloudy. This may have caused my dicky stomach the following day. Wednesday night was spent at the Ferry Inn at Reedham . For the first time we caught a favourable tide and went back to Rockland for Thursday night, with another meal in the pub. Unlike the last time we were there, the staithe became full up quite early. On Friday morning we waited for the tide and cruised sedately up to Whittingham. We found this stretch of the Yare to be most like what we had been used to on the Thames with more wildlife than anywhere else we had been. Even saw 2 kingfishers and a brown owl just sitting on the bank by the waters edge. We turned round and butted the tide back to Coldham Hall where we had lunch and I had the last of the Little Sharpie. What can I say? We had the best meal of the week and the best beer. I can now see why you all have your get togethers there. As Silverline wanted the boat back by 0830 on Saturday, and with the forecast for rain, we decided to get the boat back at 1630 and head off for home. All in all a very pleasant week, even if we did get the wrong week as far as tides went.

Hi Joe, We will keep a lookout for you next week as we are on Silver Mystique out of Brundall for the same week as you. Thanks to all the other replies as the info will be useful to us too. Not sure yet if we will try to get north. Brian J.

Can anyone tell me what the moorings are like at Geldeston@ Looking on Google earth, it seems as if it could be quite tricky navigating up to either The Wherry or to the Locks Inn. The Locks inn also seems to have very odd opening times. I have ( with your help ) worked out a rough itinery for our weeks holiday -: Saturday, not far, just to Rockland Staithe. Leave Rockland at about 1330 to catch the tide to - Loddon on Sunday. Leave Loddon on Monday at 1330 catching the ebb down to The Fisherman, Burg Castle. Tuesday leave at 0900 with the tide down to Beccles and meet up with wifes sister for the afternoon. Wednesday low water is at 0940, get under Beccles old bridge and hopefully find somewhere to moor at Geldeston for the night, returning through Beccles at low water and then unfortunatelu punch the tide to Oulton Broad for Thursday afternoon and watch the racing -if there is any. On Friday, leave Oulton at 0900 for Rockland again, should have tide with us for most of the way. This is not a hard and fast timetable, but should be the basis for a relaxing week on the water.

Many thanks for your inputs. You have all confirmed my initial thinking, that it is probably wiser to stick south. Now all I need to do is to see if I can catch the tide right to get under Beccles bridge and to get up to Geldeston. Rockland Staithe looks a favourite for either the first night, or the last. Hope to see some of you out and about while we are in your neck of the woods.

As per the title, we will be hiring Silver Mystique from Silverline Boats of Brundall on Saturday 15th September. This is where we need some advice! Assuming that we can pick up the boat at 1500hrs, as stated in their info pack, would it be possible to transit Gt. Yarmouth and get far enough up the up the Bure to find a mooring before sunset? By my reckoning, we would be about 1 3/4 hours late getting through G.Y. as transit time for the 15th is 1720hrs. Is it worth punching the tide for that amount of time to be able to get to the northern broads. It would have to be on the Saturday realistically, as the tides get progressively worse as the week goes on. Or, should we just stick to the southern broads for the week? Is there enough to do for someone who is not able to walk more than about 100 yards? All help, comments and advice gratefully received.

Thanks for all the effort of typing all this, wonderful. Brought back a few memories of Gib, was there in 1960 and 61. I know, I know, I'm extremely long in the tooth!!!

Thanks all for your input. A very difficult subject with no obvious definitive answer. Hopefully I will be OK with Silverline as someone on the forum has said that they are a good yard to be with.

Clive, I agree. But the question remains, how does a first time hirer find out whether he is hiring from a good, well known yard, or from a rubbish one?

As I said, how can I tell whether a yard as a bad record? There is no system whereby a yard can be checked for efficiency, friendliness and good standards before I make a booking. Admittedly, there are reports of good yards, ie. Richardsons and a few others, but for a first time hirer, how do you tell? I have booked with Silverline solely on reading reports from other forum members. I have no other knowledge or experience to go on. Suffice it to say, I am looking forward to my week on the Broads on the 15th September.