SwanR

Congrats to your daughter Vaughan. Nice to have an affirmation of a job well done and the confidence and trust of others in her ability.

It’s definitely somewhere that I hope to get back to when circumstances permit. :)

Glad to hear you're ok Ian ... which was the reason I "liked" your post, obviously. Hope Marina is ok too. Did she have to stay at home?

Beautiful photos Coolcat. Grendel there must be lots of hiding places in your house for those cats!!

So Part 6 is now available to view. We are coming to the end of my Broads journey, possibly another one, not quite decided yet. And then I might turn my attention to some other compilations of other places. So if you like my videos then please subscribe to my channel. This time it's a look at some of those places that are nature reserves or gardens.

Great idea to go on your virtual holiday and then to give us the boat review. I was interested to read this as it's a style of boat that we haven't hired yet. We have looked at the Broom Captain a number of times but not ended up going for it. I was checking out the photos and I don't think it has the steps at the side that help with getting on and off at side-on moorings. Zircon Emblem has these and I found them very useful, even on the northern rivers. I hadn't thought about stern on moorings being an issue at low water on the southern rivers. We tend to hire in October and March these days so this design looks as if it would be good for colder weather. But the air draft does put me off a bit. We've had flybridge cruisers a couple of times and not been able to get up the Ant because high water levels made Ludham Bridge a little precarious for getting under and being sure of getting back. So I'm not sure whether the air draft on this style of boat would be an issue for the swing bridges at Reedham and Somerleyton, or the bridges going into Norwich. Interested in anyone's thoughts on this.

I wanted to "like" your post because you got your refund, "thank you" for letting people know that but also express my "sadness" that you can't make this trip now given its possible meaning for you and the fact that simply moving it to next year is not an option.

No flags out where I am and no events planned in our local streets as far as I am aware. Like so many others I was thinking about the irony of celebrating our hard won freedom while locked down because of the unseen enemy. So my thoughts turned to where my mum and dad were. Mum would have been 17, living in Highgate and therefore probably out on the streets of London like so many others. But my dad is a different story. He served in 46RM Commando. I've been able to find him on their roll on the Commando Veterans Archive site. The history of the unit places him still in Germany on VE Day. "No. 46 Royal Marine Commando returned to North West Europe in January 1945 seeing action in Belgium, and in assault river crossings during the advance into Germany under the command of Lt. Col. Thomas Malcolm Gray MC At the end of war in Europe in May 1945 they were resting in Neustadt, a small town on Kiel Bay, about 12 miles North of Lubeck. They remained in Germany until 8th June 1945. This period was spent in occupational duties firstly on the Isle of Fehmarn, south east of Kiel, and latterly at Bad Schwarteau on the outskirts of Lubeck."

What a lovely place to walk around. Must be so strange to see the rivers and the moorings with no boats and nothing moving around. A unique time in its way.

Working from home does have its advantages. I am getting up later and enjoying that when I turn the laptop off, that's it, I'm home. It will be interesting to see how anyone envisages getting us all back into our offices. I don't think that's going to happen for a while yet for me. There's no way of being able to socially distance where I work.

Is that a spelling mistake? Should battery's be batteries? I can't help seeing things like that!

Google is my friend ... In the Zoom app, click your profile in the top right corner, and click Settings. On the menu to the left, click Virtual Background. You'll see a few default background options provided by Zoom, including an outer space scene or blades of grass. We're using Teams at work - Zoom is strictly forbidden. Slightly ridiculous given that we were given access to some sessions around mental health and general wellbeing by one of my company's HR partners and, yes, you guessed it, you have to use Zoom to access them!! So I haven't been able to get onto those calls!

I know! My husband remarked on that when he watched it. Amazing.

Here we are then ... A Little Bit Extra - Part 5 Comings and Goings. This time it's a compilation that includes clips I had of boats leaving, passing by or arriving. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. I felt that the first track in particular was quite poignant for the times in which we find ourselves. And a mention for @Chelsea14Ian as this one has my footage of Sweet Kingfisher leaving the yacht station at Oulton Broad.

Welcome along. Hope you enjoy reading and posting on the forums here. :)

It’s interesting because when I talk to folk about our holidays on the Broads so many of them have this image of being moored outside a riverside pub! For us that’s often the last place that we want to be especially for our overnight mooring. Yes a nice meal out perhaps but I enjoy meals on the boat just as much. Total relaxation, peace and quiet, back to basics and appreciating the wonders of nature. No pubs? No problem.

Amazing!

Agreed. It’s been fun to think where we would have been. When we hire from Ferry Marina for a week we often spend the last night on their waterfront moorings. It’s a nice place to be and I like the relaxed start to that final morning where it’s breakfast and then home. So our last day would probably have been a trip up the Ant, perhaps to How Hill, before a final cruise back to the yard. And then it’s home again and those inevitable hours spent perusing the websites to choose the next boat.

Upton Dyke ... that's one I haven't ventured down yet. It was so windy when we were out in March that mooring was a challenge everywhere we went! So ... I was at Ranworth last night and our paths would not have been likely to cross today. I would have gone to Wroxham, I always enjoy the cruise along the Bure past all the interesting riverside properties. And then back through Horning, another lovely stretch of river although I do find the bit between Horning and Salhouse a little nondescript! Perhaps an overnight mooring at Cockshoot Broad. A chance for a walk down the boardwalk to the bird hide. And then a quiet evening on board.

We have managed to moor at Irstead once and the walk to Barton Broad boardwalk was lovely. So I think I was at Womack Dyke last night. Always love the Thurne early morning so today we would have been away by 8am. A cruise down Fleet Dyke to South Walsham Broad and drop the mud weight for coffee. Then on for a cruise to Horning through past Swan Corner. Spin around and back to Ranworth to moor on the Staithe or on the island. Always enjoy watching the comings and goings here.

Any time you want it to I should imagine. What’s your favourite tipple?

I’ve never moored up at Stalham other than returning the boat to Richardson’s on the morning of departure.

I think my day would have been the reverse of yours. Having gone up to the top end of the Ant yesterday we would have cruise back down today. A coffee stop perhaps at Ludham Bridge or St Benet’s and then into Womack Water or perhaps a mooring along the Dyke if the water levels are low enough for me to get off the boat! Lol! Then a walk into Ludham for scampi and chips in the King’s Arms. The rest of the day would be spent on board watching the other boats and the wildlife.

I did vaguely wonder about this myself yesterday. Not sure that I quite have the courage yet. But yours looks really good Helen. 👍

I have been enjoying getting a look at the night skies over the last few days Grendel. I don't think my iPhone picture quite compares to yours!!