YnysMon

Yes, but sometimes needs must.

Sorry, didn’t notice. We are now regular visitors at Holyhead Travelodge as staying in my father in law’s house has become impossible. It’s so helpful that they accept dogs.

Saturday 11th After a very peaceful night we woke up this morning shortly after dawn. Graham took the dogs out, first Pozzick, then Seren. Seren needed to be carried again to a dry spot before she would relieve herself. The sun started to come out fitfully, which helped warming the boat up. We had a porridge breakfast and lazed around until mid-morning before we set off. Cockshoot Dyke - awash. St Benedict's Church staithe - still just about awash. On our way... We had a very leisurely cruise down river as far as Stokesby, passing Kate on Springer’s Retreat just upstream from Upton Dyke. There were masses of swans near Upton Dyke. Unfortunately, there was a boat already moored on the BA moorings at Stokesby and the space left on the moorings wasn’t quite enough for us, so we chugged back upriver to Acle. Once moored up I made us a brunch: sausage and bacon (vegan versions for Graham) mushrooms, tomato, rosti potato and fried egg. After that we took the dogs for a walk along the river bank, heading upriver. This went really well until they startled a deer and both ran off in pursuit of it. Pozzie gave up quite quickly, but Seren chased the poor creature around a field and then onto the next field. Luckily, she did eventually respond to Graham’s whistle and returned to us. After that we took them back to the boat. Graham stayed on board, did the washing up and looked after the dogs whilst I walked to Acle and back. The main object was to go to Co-op to pick up a few extra things that we hadn’t bought in our Roy’s shop the previous day. On a syndicate boat there are usually some staples on board, such as brown sauce, hand soap, washing up liquid. We were running low on some things, and there were a few items we’d forgotten to buy yesterday, hence the walk to Acle. There are more shops and facilities in Acle than I’d realised. A butcher, hardware shop, and hairdressers, post office, pharmacy, Chinese and Indian takeaways, a couple of cafes, as well as a decent sized Co-op. The pub in the centre of the village (The Kings Head) seems to have reinvented itself as a steak house ‘Acle Steak’. This evening we just had an early evening sandwich. Now that I’ve retired, we’ve decided to revert to the pattern of meals that our grandparents had – a midday dinner and a lighter supper meal in the evening. Having a heavy meal in the evening doesn’t work for us nowadays, it’s too difficult to digest, especially for Graham with his hiatus hernia.

Trip 16 November 2023 Friday 10th November We left home fairly early, well, we would have done if Graham hadn’t mislaid his house keys. Got on our way just after 9.30 and had a untroubled journey to Norfolk, stopping off at our usual La Hogue Farm Shop Café for a late breakfast. I had been in touch with the marina the previous day to check whether the floods had subsided. They had not. Fortunately, HPC have an area at the rear of their sheds, where we were able to park. Isn't it lucky we had brought our wellies! I also knew that they had already done the usual turnaround check, so we didn’t have to wait for the usual 5pm takeover time. Just as well. As mentioned in my live blog, we picked up the boat, took her to Boulter’s for a refuel and pump out, given the previous owners had to contend with the full floods and hadn’t managed that. Boulter's. After we'd finished in Boulter's Graham waved me off - doing my first ever solo cruise, then he walked back to our car and drove to Ranworth as that was where we were planning to load up the boat with all our stuff. Ranworth worked out fine. We were able to manoeuvre the trailer through the posts that surround the car park and take it to the stern of the boat, so that was a lot easier than transferring lots of separate items from the car to the boat by foot from the car park at the rear of HPC. Once we’d loaded the boat I still had enough daylight to do the return cruise to HPC. I arrived before Graham, but it wasn’t a problem to moor up by myself. Some pics from the return journey. We decided to prioritise doing out food shop next, choosing to do that at Roy’s rather than do the extra journey to the Thorpe Lidl and Sainsbury’s. After that, getting the dogs onto the boat wasn’t that easy either. Pozzick didn’t want to wade through the water, but had to. Seren got carried. Dinner this evening was vegetarian cottage pie – leftovers from a meal earlier in the week that I’d frozen. I must do this more often – bring a meal from home so that I don’t have to cook the first evening. We dug the radiator that’s stored under the sofa out to warm up the saloon. We have brought a second one with us for our cabin, plus under-blankets, so we’ll we toasty as long as we manage to hook up to electric. There was very little wind this evening, so the marina was very quiet. Such a peaceful night.

They can never be too long. I had a giggle at SR doesn’t want to go home. Never a truer word. Hope Tony’s hand gets better soon. I don’t know about you, but there’s a bit of nagging going on in my household on the lines of looking after oneself.

We decided to load up the car at Ranworth. The water level at HPC hasn't gone down much and high tide isn't until the afternoon.

Latham's car park at the back of the store is still awash.

We didn't stay overnight in Ranworth but returned to HPC shortly after sunset. The sunset on the way was lovely. We had been planning to go out today to Holt, but we feel like being lazy instead and probably won't manage much more than a trip to Latham's and a dog walk.

Oops, I've not been keeping up. Yesterday we thought we'd have another try at getting in at Stokesby. It was a glorious morning, but the wind was certainly stronger than the 'moderate breeze' that the BBC weather app was forecasting. Just after passing Acle dyke we decided that Stokesby would probably be fairly choppy, with lots of bow slap, so we turned around and headed back to Ranworth. There wasn't a lot of space in Ranworth as three boats were all moored side on. We moored on the shorter section beyond the dinghy dyke. After a while the boat moored on the side section turned on their ropes to moor against the taxi rank, which was good as three other boats turned up in the afternoon.

That sounded like quite the walk Kate!

When I was studying Middle English (the bit between 1066 and Shakespeare) our tutor gave us a map of the UK with all the variants of the spellings for church/Kirk. There were a lot more than you'd imagine! The point being that there wasn't any accepted spelling at that time, everything was spelled phonetically. Also the literature of the time maps a gradual shift between what had been Old English i.e. Anglo Saxon to the beginnings of modern English in the Tudor period. I found it fascinating.

Just kidding. Wouldn't want it any other way. Graham and I were earlier saying how chilled out we are.

This is convivial! Everyone dozing!

I only had rice left! I didn’t include in the photo the little bowl of Miso soup that you get with it either. The meal cost me £20, but that was including as bottle of Asahi beer. I think it’s good value.

The Bento Box was pretty good too.

We left Ranworth just after dawn and went back to our home mooring. I'm now in Norwich having caught a mid morning train from Hoveton. Treating myself to lunch in Shiki Japanese restaurant. I've ordered the Bento meal that comes with a mystery starter. This time it was a small piece of braised chicken with braised vegetables. Very tasty.

Yes, they were having a good nosy. We l kept them on their leads the further end of the track where the fences are more flimsy. I could tell Pozzick could smell interesting scents and was wanting to go and explore. We saw a deer cross the lane this morning when we took the dogs out. Given the strength of the gusts I don't think we are being naughty staying at Ranworth a second night... particularly as it's just us here again. It's not like we are depriving anyone. A couple of boats turned up lunchtime but they only stayed an hour or two. Before the light fell it looked like the wind was whipping up the odd wave and pushing them across the broad.

It's turned into a beautiful day, though still gusty. We had a lovely walk along the lave that runs at the back of the Granary stores, almost as far as the road to South Walsham. It was more of a wade than a walk in places.

Managed to take the dogs out around 7.30 after the earlier rain let up. This is Ranworth Staithe this morning.

As Kate has already reported on her 'Springer's Retreat' thread we met up at the Upton White Horse for lunch, and Kate walked with us as far as Acle afterwards. We are now at Ranworth on the taxi rank, being the only boat here. It was almost dark by the time we got here, but still enough light to moor up by.

Thanks Kate. I really enjoyed our catch up and the walk back to Acle.

River level seems pretty much the same as yesterday.

What a beautiful morning. It was very frosty first thing though.

It's not that modest! They were charging over £7 over an year ago for just a couple of hours in the daytime.

Thanks Neil. I think we'll leave it another few days before trying to get up the Ant. Nice to see you and exchange waves earlier today.