SwanR

We pay for all our parking by phone. Of course that means having the right apps downloaded and paying a small admin fee but it avoids the need for real money in your pocket! Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

Ah yes, that is where we park. No idea why I thought it was grass!! :)

We use the free car park that is a grassy area before you get to the quay itself. Is that where they mean?

Interesting to read how you are getting on Robin. Reminds me of something that occurred to me some while back. Our main car has lots of these modern safety driving features - as many sensors and cameras as you could want and things that think for themselves. But if that's what you learn to drive in, and pass your test in, but then you get back into a little old car with none of this, are you really qualified to drive it. The car industry has built us a halfway house between manual and automatic but with no in between for driving licences.

Sounds wonderful. We've done a number of places on the Norfolk coast but not yet made it to Winterton. We also saw a seal close to shore at Lowestoft a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you for sharing about these trips. I have looked at narrowboats a number of times on the Hoseasons site but not felt the pull to give it a go.

Good luck Robin! I'm sure the week will fly by. I did an intensive driving course based in Leyton many years ago now. For me it was long enough to learn how to drive but not to be confident on the road - I had very little experience of even being a passenger having grown up using public transport all the time so I didn't have the road sense. It's great to hear that you're already finding this better than how you felt learning around north London. I look forward to hearing how you get on.

By chance we went to RHS Hyde Hall Gardens this morning and found these very large and stunning dahlias in their Global Garden. I think the note said that they came from Brazil and that the bulbs are edible, particularly used in salads.

I agree ... took some photos down there myself last weekend. :)

The use of space with the galley in the front etc. has been the way Ferry Marina have had new builds for some long while. We hired Silver Emblem probably around 2013 and that's the arrangement there as well. However they used to have fake curtains which restricted the view from the inside helm which I did find difficult. It was October but we wrapped up warm and helmed from outside all week. As for privacy, there was a curtain where you might normally expect a bedroom door so that might have afforded some screening from anyone in the saloon area. But it did mean that the aft cabin wasn't quite as warm and cosy as we have had on other boats.

I'm always puzzled that it only ever seems to be Wroxham, Potter Heigham and Beccles Old Bridge that seem to be mentioned as the ones that certain boats definitely won't go under when reading the information on hire boats. What about Wayford Bridge, the bridges at Thorpe and on the way into Norwich?

Sounds like you never stand still Griff! Those weeks afloat are certainly well deserved.

Our grass certainly took a hit during the very long very hot summer weeks this year. Some of it has grown back but some of it still looks completely dead. As for the flowers, we still have quite a lot of colour and quite a few plants still in bloom. It was as if the garden went into hibernation when it was so hot and woke up again once it cooled down a bit. It seems to have been a very good year for some of our roses. But I'm still having to water the garden some evenings, especially the patio pots and hydrangeas. Beautiful dahlia Ian, they are such lovely flowers and amazing colours. And sometimes you get an unexpected surprise when something comes through that you just don't remember putting there.

We saw the marquee as well Ian. And a very artistic looking pile of haystacks! They also had a cannon of some sort which they tested firing while we were walking. I wondered whether it is a licensed wedding venue or maybe they were just going to be having a reception or other celebration there.

That's just not true. It's all about choices.