Vaughan

I find that dogs always love boats. It will take him a little while to find all the special corners where he prefers to lie or sit. After that it will be his boat, not yours!

Wow! Motorboater did share a PM with me before he made his post and I can just assure you that what you read on the hongkongescape website, is true! The webmaster, Richard Hide, is the son of Petty Officer "Buddy" Hide, who was my father's chief engineer on MTB 07 from before the War right through the actions that are described. He also stayed at his post in the engine room when all around him were killed. Have a read of the website, especially today, on the anniversary of VJ Day. It's quite a story and it is a true story. If any members have any questions later, I hope I can fill in on some detail!

Especially if you had paid a deposit before the birth of the litter . . . .

Here are a couple of very tatty Japanese officers' swords. You may think I should have taken better care of them but this was the condition they were in when they were surrendered to my father in 1945, about 2 months after VJ Day. Rusty they may be but they are still extremely sharp! Father lived in Hong Kong before the War and by 1939 he was already a Lt. RNVR, and skipper of an MTB. He was one of only 57 Forces personnel who escaped the fall of Hong Kong, in what was left of his MTB flotilla and they later also escaped the fall of Rangoon, having trekked for 2000 miles across China in the space of 2 months. Much later in 1945 he played a major part in the re-taking of Rangoon from the Japanese, as senior officer, coastal forces on the Arakan Coast of Burma. He told me later that "VJ Day" to them, was like any other day, as he was still up the Irrawaddy River with a flotilla of ML's of the Royal Indian Navy, rooting out any Japanese forces who had not heard of the surrender and were still fighting. This was part of a huge area known as "Chuangs" which were mangrove swamps, notorious for being shown on Army maps as water; but on naval charts as land. As the flotilla came round a bend in the river, a large Japanese force suddenly appeared out of the mangroves and formed up on the beach beside the river. The gunners on the MLs immediately trained their Oerlikon and Bofors guns on them but father sensed something was wrong and radioed the boats to hold fire. It became obvious that the Japs had had enough. Father went ashore in a dinghy and was met by the colonels of two regiments, who surrendered their swords to him on the beach. He later told me that one is an infantry sword and the other is artillery but I wouldn't know about that! The Japanese were starving, emaciated, mostly un-armed, only partially clothed and totally beaten. Perhaps by the swamps, as much as by General Slim's 14th Army. My father then had the problem of getting several hundred starving prisoners, for many miles down river until they could be handled properly. Today we remember all those who served in what became known as the "forgotten army" as well as all who lost their lives, either in action, or as prisoners of the Japanese.

John is a good friend of mine, from when he was the chief engineer at Crown Cruisers. I would recommend him without hesitation.

Not if you were flying the NBN pennant and introduced yourself as Trambo! You would be welcome alongside us for an evening of shared reminiscence of the old days of Hearts Cruisers, and the Broads of the 60s. All that would be missing is Timbo, to record it for posterity!

At least it wasn't a Norwegian Blue. Remember Monty Python?

And make sure it has flame failure devices on each burner, to pass the BSS.

We're very well, thanks Tim. We live in rural south west France where there is no virus (yet) but I think France's figures have gone up because they all set off from Paris to the Mediterranean beaches, like lemmings, at this time of year and I think they are carting the virus around with them! I don't suppose we shall see any improvement until they all go back to what they call work. We are resigned to staying away from England for as long as it takes - maybe next spring - as it is just not worth the hassle of trying to travel. Meantime my daughter and family are enjoying our boat at weekends!

Any one want to buy a couple of tickets for this afternoon? I'll start the bidding at €1000 each. Still cheaper than British Airways today, so I hear! I am sorry but I can't help but laugh about this. Surely anyone with any foresight could have seen this French quarantine coming about 2 weeks ago.

I would also mention that inverters and battery chargers must be installed with good ventilation, to get rid of the heat that they give off. This also helps to avoid condensation.

When I worked on the gas rigs off Humberside, British Airways Helicopters had a brand new Westland 30 , the first in its fleet. The registration was GO-GAS

I have been having a think about my earlier post and there is another big factor here : All those 3000 hire boats in the 60s came from well over 100 boatyards, all of whom were providing free moorings to their own (and other) agencies boats and all of whom would not turn away a private boat either. No wonder there was no problem mooring in Wroxham in those days, although the public staithe is only about 40 yards long. So if you wanted to stop in Horning for the night to visit the pubs and found the staithe full, you could find a free welcome on the front at Percivals, Banhams or Southgates (Lower St), or stop a bit further down at Turners or the lovely secluded basin in Chumley and Hawkes and walk up to the Petersfield Country Club - which also had its own customers' moorings. Or you could take the other option and moor free on the grass bank on the other side, which extended from Southgates (at the New Inn) to about 300 yards upstream of the Swan corner and come across in your dinghy. Nowadays, on what little is left of those moorings, you pay getting on for ten quid to stop for an hour's picnic lunch! Horning used to be proud to call itself the second most important holiday centre on the northern Broads. It certainly can't now and maybe this is why not! In those days at least a third (maybe half) of those who hired a cruiser also hired a dinghy - rowing or sailing. Another reason not to try to moor stern on! I also think it's fair to say that the classic Broads cruisers of pre and post War were not designed with access to the accommodation from the aft deck, apart from maybe a sliding hatch over a gangway ladder. There is no doubt that times have changed and today's users of the Broads - private and hire - are having to get used to living with those changes, especially on what few public moorings are now available, to replace what the boatyards used to accommodate. What's more, just for once, we can't blame this trend on the virus!

I have only just caught up on this thread, since Tuesday and I hesitate to "dabble my toe" in this particular water! It is true though, that "back in my day" and right into the seventies, double mooring was the thing to do. Stern on mooring was quite rare in the old days and so Horning Staithe and Ranworth were rafted up moorings. To say nothing of GYYS! I notice also that while there were 3000 hire boats in those days, there were very few private boats that regularly cruised the north rivers. They mainly stayed on private moorings in such places as Wroxham Broad. Nowadays it is reversed, and there are now 3000 private boats on the Broads, compared to (around) 700 hire boats. The private boats themselves cruise more regularly and so are more often to be found on BA moorings. So have attitudes changed? Does today's private owner expect more privacy and were the hirers of the 60s and 70s more gregarious in their approach to a boating holiday? Personally, I have always found that the main question to be answered when double mooring is "what time to you intend to leave in the morning?" Very often, you end up meeting some great people, and have a good night together in the pub as a result!

No problem here!

I love it! Oh, the joys of classic boats!

Not that anyone said at the time. Still, now that the Haven Bridge has broken down for an indefinite period, I imagine that the BA must have found themselves stuck with it.

Only serves to make one wonder what the big rush was, to get it out of Norwich?

I have just been trying to "thank" Maurice Mynah for a post he made which I though most appropriate, but it has since disappeared. No doubt we will be allowed to know why, in due course, since the thrust of his post was moderation, in itself!

So how about the Bure upstream of Coltishall lock? Beautiful clear water, no motorised river traffic and easy road access from the Norwich Rd. Or the Waveney, upstream of Geldeston, all the way to Bungay? Or the Wensum upstream of New Mills in Norwich, right through to Taverham and Weston Longville? Is there anything that says you can't paddle board in these places, where it would be a lovely experience? Does it have to be in Horning or Wroxham?

The short dyke at Rockland is a good thought.

Not sure which thread to say this on, but I wanted to congratulate Dave and all concerned in making the Beccles Show happen this year, against all the odds. You have had the courage and positivity to see it through, when almost all other annual events on the Broads and elsewhere have simply been written off months ago. This is the sort of "Dunkirk Spirit" which will see us through this virus and back to normal life again - one of these days! My heartiest congratulations to all, have a great weekend and I wish I could be there!

Hypothetical may be, but I wonder if they would allow paddle boarding on the Grand Canal in Venice. I rather think not! They don't even allow hire cruisers up there. And I suppose this is my point. The river between Horning and Wroxham is a similar crowded waterway where this sort of activity is not suitable. Why wait for regulation, or a fatal accident, when the problem is staring us in the face. There are plenty of other places for safe paddling. How about the Trinity Broads, or Fritton Lake? Why does it have to be Wroxham bridge?

I appreciate that principle, which includes water skiers, whose sport is recognised and protected on the Broads. But its potential danger and disturbance to others means that it is restricted to certain recognised waters. And those waters do not include the approaches to the bridge, in the centre of Wroxham, in August! This is surely just asking for trouble?

And they are now being hired for the day by boatyards. As advertised in the EDP and on local TV in the last couple of days.