YnysMon

I've been very lazy about posting up about how our Stained Glass classes are going this term. The cross panel that I started off early in the term has taken ages - lots of smallish pieces to first cut, and then the edges needed grinding to make sure each piece fits fairly well, then I had to put copper foil around each piece. I also got distracted by starting to try out a few fused glass pieces. This is how far I've got with the cross: two pics from last Thursday, one with just the copper foil around the pieces and a second showing what it looked like at the end of the session when I'd started to put some solder on it to join the pieces together. Also some pics of a few of my experiments with fusing. I started off trying to make some jewellery. I can buy some silver plate 'bails' to stick on the back of these to run a chain or leather thong through. I've shown a before and after of the first couple of pieces that I did (green and blue), which shows how the full-fuse in the kiln slumps the layers together and rounds off the edges. And also a couple of pieces with clear glass that I layered together with some fine 'confetti' glass between. They look cloudy in the 'before' picture because I stuck them together with PVA glue. It's exciting seeing the pieces that have been in the kiln - you never know how they will turn out. I'm hoping to buy some dichroic glass before next term. It's multicoloured and gives an iridescent effect. Good for making jewellery. Graham made a copper foil butterfly, very similar to the one that I made (but better, as he takes more time and care than I do). He's spent the last couple of weeks meticulously cutting out patterns to make a collie dog picture using fused glass. It looks very ambitious, so I will take some photos if it turns out well. We have both signed up for next terms again. What fun! Helen

Just catching up on your week Jean. Love the photos, it looks idyllic...lovely and quiet! Glad to see that you had some sun and that the rain and wind have keep away. Glad to see also that you managed to moor at Irstead for the first time, that is a lovely mooring. I've been mulling over the possibility of booking a boat the for Easter week. Besides wondering if we can afford it, there are lots of overdue DIY jobs waiting to be done. I can dream though. It'll probably be pretty busy over Easter too. NDB seem to have most of their boats out, Ferry Marina though still seem to have a fair number of boats available. Looking forward to hearing the rest of your reflections on your week. Helen

Ugh! I don’t know who to console, you or the rat! Guess it died a lavish death.

Yep, we got here (Anglesey) eventually. A longer journey than normal, but that’s Friday madness I guess. Will start adding to the Plas Bach thread in the members section soon!

The Wherry in Geldeston is worth a visit though. I expect that would be open being a village pub. Very good it was too the last couple of times we visited, and on the second visit it was clear that they had successfully attracted local custom. In fact the last time we were up that end of the river we had abandoned The Locks in favour of The Wherry (before The Locks management changed hands I should add).

Glad to hear you booked up a woodie again. Enjoy!

Yes Jean, late June/early July is the best, the days are so long. Chris. After Harry came home today (having earlier texted to confirm he had leave booked) we had a bit of a discussion and are now thinking that even if we had enough power to get through Yarmouth that the stronger tides down south are a bit daunting, even though we have generally been very careful about planning our trips down south to take advantage of the tides. Anyway, we would so like to get up to Hickling again (he, he, predictive text tried to change that to ‘Hang Klingon’, thought some other forumites might appreciate that one), Horsey and West Somerton, then there are the upper reaches of The Ant and The Bure which are usually a bit difficult if you are limited to sail/quant power. So although we’ve been to those places under engine power, the prospect of getting there under (assisted) sail is really appealing. Sooo looking forward! p.s. For those members who have read our ‘Week in Anglesey’ thread in the Members Out and About section...we have plans to stay in Plas Bach cottage again in a week’s time. Trouble is, I’ve been stuck at home this week struck down by a very heavy cold (I had a flu jab) so am currently wondering if I can afford to take another week off this month given how behind I am with work. Cross fingers I can catch up enough next week so that we can take our holiday! We have been looking forward to being in Anglesey again.

Any idea how far it would take us? Are they just for short stretches or good for a slightly longer journey (like down to Yarmouth, for instance)?

I must admit that even on our second and third trip on the Broads I didn't take in all the handover information and had to check the Skippers Manual for one or two details. For a newbie there's just too much to take in. I'm sure they glaze over after a while - I did!

Yes! Just booked Hunter's Yard 'Lustre' for a week from 29th June. We really missed having a sailing holiday last year, having sailed the previous few Julys, and even having two holidays on motor cruisers (Fair Regent and Bronze Emblem) during 2018 didn't quite make up for it. My eldest son has been following the Hunter's Yard Facebook page and had noticed that they had announced that two more boats (including Lustre) will be fitted with what they refer to as a Torqeedo 'electric quant' for this season. One of the four berth boats was fitted with one last year, despite there being a few mutterings about it being sacrilegious to fit such a thing to a Hunter's boat. The boat (Lucent) that was fitted with the gadget last year was a relatively recent addition to the fleet though. Despite the doubts, they've obviously had a lot of good feedback. It'll be such a relief to have some power to draw on when the wind fails. It might make getting up to Wroxham and the upper reaches of the Ant feasible. Last time we went up The Ant on a Hunter's boat we got stuck in a tree and had to be towed off.

Good luck with the interviews and also for your son’s IB (that took a bit of thinking about as I’m still in GCSE mode. Mind you I’m way out of date and still (doh!) tend to think in terms of ‘O’ levels and CSEs. Showing my age!

Well, we wouldn’t dare going under Wroxham Bridge after a lot of rain or even with rain forecast, especially after our Dilham/Wroxham bridge experience last April, when there was a lot of rain overnight and we had engine problems in the morning. We were lucky on that occasion, as it takes some time for the rivers to rise following rain. It was stressful though! However, Coltishall and Dilham are still our go-to places if the bridge clearances look ok and there hasn’t been much recent rain. Even better, on a Hunter’s boat (and a deceasing number of motor boats) is getting through Potter Heigham Bridge. Bliss! The bliss bit being how quiet it is, even in high summer. Worth getting a day boat to explore if your boat can’t make it through. 😀

Seriously though, (me serious?...well, yes I can be now and again). For me the joy of starting off from Wroxham, which we’ve done a couple of times from the NBD/Faircraft Loynes Yard...can never remember what name they go by, is an early start through the bridge and up to Coltishall. Lovely and quiet above the bridge! That would be our ideal start to our holiday. We managed to get up to Coltishall Locks at the start of our March-April 2018 holiday. Not always possible though as it depends how high the river is. Check out our account in the holiday tales section of the forum. We were on Fair Regent, which is what I put in the title of the blog. If the river levels allow, just above the bridge is also a lovely final evening’s mooring.

I think Paul has it...parking. So many councils see it as a cash cow and are squeezing their towns into oblivion.

Love Sherz and Linz. I always look out for their videos too. They are such a lovely couple, very down to earth and I love they adopted a rescue dog. Always find their YouTube videos amusing and well edited. I must admit that Graham and me are a more than a bit anti-smoking though, having lost my Grandfather and Mother-in-law to lung cancer, and also Graham’s Grandad.

Brilliant response Jean, though the Broads01 post did make me giggle. The more I cruise on the Broads, the slower I get, and the more I appreciate the Broads, and the more I prevaricate about mooring!

It’s about 12x22cm.

Gosh, what different perspectives. For what it’s worth I think Norwich Market is re-defining itself. I suspect the old type of mixed ‘sell it cheap’ stalls don’t appeal to enough people nowadays and are losing custom. It’s not the type of market I bother visiting often, though we have one with a good variety of stalls next to our Milton Keynes City Centre Mall. I’m attracted to the Norwich market because it’s offering something different, in food stalls at least.

That’s why I like Ferry Marina’s pricing policy. They look more expensive at first glance, but when you start to compare prices of comparable boats they start to look like a good deal, and the lack of ‘special deals’ means that as a long term customer you don’t feel you are being ‘had’. I’m so fed up with the railways. Yes, you can get cheap tickets, but it’s not really a fair pricing policy for those who can’t plan ahead. On my first summer job (way back in 1978) I worked for the pre-privatised British Railways, well to be accurate, Sealink, which was then the BR owned operator of the Holyhead to Ireland Ferry service. I thought the BR ticketing system then was fairer than the current regime. Singles, day returns, monthly returns or open returns. Apart from that choice, everyone paid the same for the same journey. Nowadays it’s just a lottery, and (in my opinion) completely unfair.

I love Norwich market...always my No.1 place to go when we moor at Norwich. The range of food stalls there is top notch...something for everyone, whatever your food preference, from traditional British fare, pie and peas, vegan or whatever culture’s food you are into, and always a fair price too.

Thanks Polly.

I had decided this evening to make a cross suncatcher for our church. I selected this pattern... However, as I started to cut out the paper pattern I realised it would be almost impossible to cut it out in glass. From the photo above you see that the lines radiating from the upper half cross don’t run from the corners, so you’d be trying to cut a corner out of the glass. That just doesn’t work. So I started again with a different pattern. I also decided not to try to cut out the cross in the new pattern in one piece, though the tutor said it was possible. Spent the rest of the evening deciding what colours to use and started cutting out the cross in black glass. The rest will be in yellows, orange, blue and green, and red around the edges, though I didn’t have any red glass. I have now...we went to the Tempsford Stained Glass store in Bedford this afternoon. Graham is taking far more time and care making his first piece, and consequently making a far better job of it.

Ooh, yeh, definitely blasphemy! On a more serious note, I am guessing that it would get unstuck and need replacing a lot more quickly than teak needs replacing, though I’m sure the teak will need attention too. Wonder what the economics work out as, replacing the sticky stuff often or teak occasionally? If cared for I imagine the teak will last ages.

Wonderful.

Griff, what a blessing to link up with people who knew your family. Thanks for sharing. I loved reading the posts from a few years back when you realised you had this connection with the family. Also appreciate the photos from your childhood. I think (judging from earlier posts on this forum) that we are the same age. There aren’t many photos from my early childhood, so I loved seeing your photos from the 60s. Thanks! Helen