Vaughan

There is a perfect boat - The Albert (of Blofield). Brooms built a sister, but I forget the name. Well you did say that money was no object!

A long time ago, I think. The church spire is there and so are the Narrows, so pre 1953, but I think more like about 1920. If Wards yard is there it is hidden by the trees, and I can't see Jenners sheds, although there seems to be a yard there. The rectory beside the church is not there and nor is Guild house. The original rectory is down near Thunder Lane, now a hotel. Not much building up South Avenue and Dale's Loke is open fields.

Hmm. Poignant memories, Wussername.

Carol Gingell sent me up in the loft the other day to find an article about Jenners, and I also found this. It is actually rather a sad story, as this was by no means the only occasion. The Thorpe mental hospital was still running in those days and some of the patients would take a walk in the afternoon, onto the green, and to visit the shops. Sometimes, one of them would feel that it was no longer worth going on, and jump in the river. I am glad to say that, in all those years that I remember, we never lost one. There always somehow seemed to be someone, usually from Hearts, who saw it happen, and got there in time. In this case the lady jumped in on a low tide, and broke both her ankles. This sent her unconscious, and she would have drowned. I didn't have time to think about the tide, and almost hit the bottom when I dived off the gunboat! This is perhaps why I was concerned to hear about someone in trouble the other day. The dinghy, by the way, is the same one that they nailed to the bank when I was in the Buck that night! When I read nowadays of policemen who won't go into a 1ft deep paddling pool to rescue a child in trouble...................

Oh dear, I think I am going to bed now. With wistful memories of twin underslung Merlins, with big spinner caps..........

I remember when the tassles span, they were "handed" like the props on a twin engined cruiser. One went one way and one the other. Brought to mind Roll Royce Merlins. I like the way she would put her clothes back on and come round to the bar for a drink afterwards, saying "'allo moi darlin, are y'all right then?"

The hair is still there, but it went south!

This should be set to fast music, but what the heck..... There's a burlesque theatre where the gang used to go, to see Queenie the beauty of the burlesque show, and the thrill of the evening was when up Queenie trips and the band plays the polka while she strips. "Take it off, take it off!" cries a voice from the rear - "Take it off, take it off!" soon it's all you can hear, But she's always a lady even in pantomime and she stops - and always just in time. She's as fresh and as wholesome as the flowers in May and she hopes to retire to the farm some day, but you can't buy a farm until you're up in the chips, so the band plays the polka while she strips. "Take it off, take it off!" all the customers shout, "Take it off, take it off!" while the band beats it out, But she's always a lady even in pantomime, and she stops - and always just in time. Queenie, queen of them all, some day, some day you'll fall - some day, church bells will chime, In strip polka time!

Wussername! This is the sign of a mis-spent youth!

Now there's a different story entirely. "Tropical Linda!" You could do another thread on her. Except she didn't wear any threads - not by the end of her act!

Simon Whitmore sounding his positron?? That wasn't my starboard finger this time. The spell-checker on this forum has a mind of it's own! By, the way, Wilfred Hurrell had the Green Man at Rackheath.

Very happy memories of Ranworth Country Club. And Frank Potter, who had it before them. I remember Tom Percival's stag party, in there!

Why was the gunboat called Morning Flight? My father lived in China and Hong Kong before the war, and often spent weekends duck shooting in the marshes of the New Territories, on the mainland of Kowloon. They had a houseboat called Morning Flight, that they towed up into the marsh with an old steam tug and spent the weekend on board. In the picture of the boat, the man leaning out from the rail with his hat in the air is my father. He swore then, that if he ever had another boat, he would call it Morning Flight. I should explain that duck, in their natural element, are nocturnal. They fly at dusk to a pond where they feed at night - known as a flight pond - and at dawn they fly back to a marsh or meadow where they rest in the daytime. So the best time to shoot them is during a "morning flight" or an "evening flight" When he bought the gunboat and moved her to Thorpe after the war, he called her Morning Flight. In 1960 he bought the River Cruiser "Amanda" which he re-named Evening Flight. The photo below shows the two together. He also had a yellow Labrador gundog called Flight.

Here he is! Simon Whitmore, sounding his positron as his customers depart.

My two trick questions - Jack Sursham - The Norwich Amateur Rowing Club at Whitlingham. A great place for discos in the "swinging sixties". Right out in the country and a long way from the local police. It got burned down twice! Sadly not there any more. John Hart (of J. Hart and son, later Hearts Cruisers) was landlord of Thorpe Gardens for about 10 years. In his day it was called the Three Tuns. Notice I refer to Thorpe Gardens - I don't regard the Rushcutters as a pub! Now, how about Wilfred Hurrell, whose son Paul had the pub after him? Not a riverside pub, but very well known in the Broads area.

Of course. Our memory is blurred by a lifetime of the finest of Norfolk Ales, in so many great locations!

Right. Here is the Anchor at Coltishall (remember it?) Sitting at the table from left to right are Jim Campbell, my father, Jamie Campbell, Vickie Campbell and me. But who was the publican, standing behind us? I remember him well, but not his name.

I think it is time I "owned up". Wolff and Andrée had the Beauchamp Arms at Buckenham Ferry. My parents called in often, usually to stay the night on a boat and he had a small herd of Jersey cows, which he milked in the sheds behind the pub. As a boy, I would get up early and help him get the cows in. Long before pasteurisation, of course, and the taste of that fresh Jersey cream on your cornflakes is something I shall never forget. Followed by fried mushrooms, picked on the marshes. That part of the Broads was a fabulous place, and luckily it still is. The land around was farmed by Gilbert Wright, whose son Paul is the founder of the Buckenham Sailing Club, and renowned builder of racing dinghies. Dick Chance had the Bramerton Woods End. Tony Loweth had the Thorpe Gardens, from the war up till the early sixties. One of the busiest riverside pubs, in those days. George Millbank owned the Town House, and David and Geoffrey (of Jenners) were his sons. Yes it was a hotel, not a pub, but it had a club bar where all the boatyard people, from as far away as Wroxham or St Olaves, would gather for a good session on a Saturday evening, once the boats were all out on hire. So what about Jack Sursham, and John Hart?

Well done Springing. Now how about Wolff and Andrée Chater?

Excuse my starboard typing finger - I mean't the name of the pub in his day.

I admit these two are trick questions - Jack Sursham. He had the licence for a club rather than a pub but it was a big pavilion with a large bar and dance hall. Great for Saturday nights after the Norwich pubs had closed. John Hart. Give tham of the pub in his day.

How about Basil Hitchen? Now there was a famous man in the 50's!

Springsong and Labrador you are both right on my list (so far). Ted and Daphne went on to have the Coach and Horses on Rosary Corner and Jack sadly died rather early in life, but Connie kept the pub on her own for several years after. I don't think the pub will ever see another Patsy, though!

What about Wolff and Andrée Chater? (that'll get you), or Dick Chance? Tony Loweth. Simon Whitmore (of course). George Millbank. Wally Moore, Ted and Daphne Rutter, Jack and Connie, and Patsy Dashwood. Harry Last.

What an excellent quiz. Well done Labrador! Geoff Pleasants had the Maltsters at Ranworth for many years and later went into semi retirement as a relief man for various pubs, including Ranworth Country Club. He was indeed, a true gentleman and a great friend of my parents.