YnysMon

Probably because there's a collective memory among Welsh speakers that they weren't allowed to use Welsh for any official business until the 70s, so there's still a bit of a grudge against 'the English' collectively but mostly its not personal. I can remember by Gran ('Nain' - who incidentally married an Englishman) telling me that she was punished for speaking Welsh when she started school even though she spoke no English. My Mum only spoke Welsh until she started school too and it was drummed into her in that she should speak English. Not excusing bad manners, just trying to cast some light on why people would behave like that. By the way, about the only time my Mum and I spoke Welsh when I was younger was when we were 'abroad' (and that includes England), not that we were doing it because we were criticising anyone, it was just instinctive. Helen

Oooh lovely...especially the first one with a gleam of sunshine breaking through the clouds

Thanks for posting the tale of the rest of your day. Glad to hear you spotted Bob48. I know it's not that long since I was last on the Broads but I have withdrawal symptoms and your tales are keeping me going! Have a good time tomorrow. Hope the weather improves!

Well they obviously hadn't taken into account that it's the weekend of the forum meet!

What a shame...never let not knowing Welsh put you off living in Wales! I don't know why I get so frustrated trying to speak Welsh, trying to remember my Welsh vocabulary...if you go down somewhere like Bangor High Street and pass some so called Welsh speakers every other word is English...seems to defeat the point to me, but then I guess that's a bit of a cheek on my part to think so having moved to Eng-er-land.

Thanks for sharing...it's a good reminder that any one of us can end up in the water following a moment's inattention resulting from concentrating on something else, no matter how experienced. Glad that you're okay. Helen

Once you know the Welsh alphabet spelling and pronouncing words isn't too much of an issue as the spelling is pretty much phonetic. The letters don't necessarily sound the same as the English versions though and there are some 'letters' that consist of two letters such 'll', 'dd' and the notorious 'ch'. Having started off in a Welsh primary school I had trouble with English spelling for ages (still do occasionally). Unfortunately we mostly spoke English at home, so putting me in a Welsh class wasn't the best idea. Theoretically being bilingual is supposed to be good for kids, but I'm not sure that was the case for me. My Mum meant well...she thought it would improve my Welsh. I think it just messed me up, though I'm glad that I can understand Welsh, even though I struggle nowadays to speak it (my vocabulary deserts me). There are some really beautiful Welsh poems and songs that I'm glad I can appreciate. Helen

I'm looking forward to your including some of the history of the Broads, as you mentioned in an earlier post. I must say the way you are planning and setting up sounds very professional! Helen

As you might guess from my forum name, we're originally from Anglesey. God idea to travel down the day before and stay over in Norwich! Where in North Wales are you based? Helen

A belated welcome. I had a bit of a nosy around Golden Emblem when we hired Royale Emblem a few weeks back...looked like you are in for a treat! Helen

She looks a beauty...congrats!

Perhaps I should add that there have been mitigating circumstances today which have been more than a bit distracting. Our Social Worker phoned late yesterday afternoon to tell us that the respite care home that we'd booked Mum into for our July trip on a Hunter's yard boat couldn't do the same dates now Mum needs nursing care. So...We check what dates are available for respite care, check with my boss what other dates I can take, check with Hunter's yard on boat availability and send my son into work on his day off to talk to his manager. I'm relieved to say that we've got it all sorted and are now booked on Wood Violet for 26th June to 3rd July...though of course it all depends on how my Mum gets on in the meantime. She's very frail and not eating much.

Oh no...ignore my last post. The last thing I want to do is to start a 'politics' thread!

I don't suppose anyone on the forum will believe that I'm normally okay with data...just left my brain out of gear today! I don't think Trump getting in was due to miscounting but that wierd electoral college system they've got over there. Didn't Hillary win the 'popular' vote? Helen

Thanks very much Alan. I wouldn't want to give people the wrong impression about some of our favourite pubs! Helen

I know...I should have provided a key or something. Back to the drawing board. Can it be edited in retrospect? The main point is that it was a strong field!

Thanks so much for the lovely feedback - much appreciated. Perhaps I should have said that the 1= highest rated and 7 =lowest. Actually I Barbara was a bit lukewarm with her reviews, as she only score one establishment high (1 - The White Horse) and one low (7). Everything else rated the same, so I was in a bit of a quandary how to score them. I ended up giving them all a 6. Personally I love The White Horse, and maybe I'd 'talked it up' a bit too much to my companions. We had pretty good food all week, so the standard was pretty high. I think the interesting thing about reviews is how many aspects can influence the scoring, and what suits one person might be absolutely hated by someone else. It may be that a particular dish didn't quite meet expectations, or that the service was considered great/ok/iffy. Most reviews are individual opinions after all, so I thought it would be good to show how our collective opinions varied. Good thing there's plenty of variety out there! Helen

Oh well...my scores table went a bit wonky in the last post.

Café/Pub Ranking for the week (from our combined scores) I thought you might like to see how we ranked the places we ate at this week. I've also shown our individual scores, as it's clear that our opinion of each place varied quite a lot, depending on how we each liked what we chose off the menu, the service and ambience. Helen wishes the post to be edited to say that the highest score is 1 and 7 is the lowest. The Swan The White Horse, Neatished The Ferry Inn, Stokesby The Staithe and Willow, Horning (for breakfast) The Rushcutter’s Arms, Thorpe Green Wroxham Hotel The Dog, Ludham Helen Graham Sandra Chris Barbara Score Wroxham Hotel, Hoveton 5 6 7 6 6 30 Rushcutter’s Arms, Thorpe Green 3 5 4 6 7 25 The Swan, Loddon 1 1 1 1 6 10 The Ferry Inn, Stokesby 7 2 2 3 6 20 The White Horse, Neatished 2 4 5 2 1 14 The Dog Inn, Ludham Bridge 6 7 6 6 6 31 The Staithe and Willow, Horning 3 3 3 6 6 21

Royale Emblem Boat Review Royale Emblem is a centre-cockpit style boat accommodating up to seven people in three cabins, all with en-suite. We chose the boat as it had three en suites and a large lounge area, so more suitable for a party of adults than some other boats. We were also looking for a boat that had a decent sized fridge. The forward cabin is fairly spacious with a double bed and a single bed. Its en-suite has a good sized basin (quite old style being blue colour), pump-out loo and a small bath with moulded seat and shower over, which was great - much better than the wet room type of en-suite as the floor doesn't get wet. Just behind this cabin are the steps up to the helm. There is a very good visability from the helm for reversing and viewing the surrounding countryside. One thing about the helm is that the position of the throttle lever (or whatever-you-call-it) means that it would be difficult to go much over the 6mph speed limit due to the position of the lever. Guess that’s a good thing. We periodically checked our speed with GPS and found that the rev guide for mph was definitely on the safe side, even going with the tide and a following wind. There is a padded seat accommodating up to three people in the cockpit area. The middle cabin can be made up either as two singles or a double and has a small wet-room type en suite. It has restricted height over the bed, as the cockpit moulding overhangs it, and the only window in the room overlooks the cockpit. The rear cabin has another double bed and has a small ensuite. The kitchen area is along the starboard side of the boat, well equipped with a full-sized under-counter fridge, gas cooker with four hobs, grill and oven and with plenty of pots, pans, crockery and utensils. There is plenty of kitchen cupboard space and additional tall cupboard opposite the kitchen area in between the doors to the mid and rear cabins. The boat has a very generously-sized lounge area at the rear with seating on both sides. We kept the main table in place the whole week, though it can be put away. It has two cylindrical legs which fix into depressions in the floor and we found it quite sturdy. It was plenty big enough for five of us to sit around it. There is also a second smaller round table that can be fixed in place near the other sofa which we didn’t use as our dog’s crate took up the space on that side of the lounge. Access to the boat is through the rear door. There is a small outside seating area at the rear of the boat and a hatch to the space where gas cylinders are stored. The boat has a nanni engine which is located under the bed of the rear cabin. It also has bow-thrusters. The engine sounded fairly quiet from the helm, noisier in the lounge but not unbearably so. The water pump is also located behind the wall of the rear cabin, and it was very noisy in the cabin when water was used. The boat comes with a shore power connection and has a couple of solar panels. Although we had bought cards for the electric posts we didn’t use any of them as each time we used shore power (at Norwich and Loddon) there was credit left on the post. We seemed to use very little of the credit off the posts, despite using the heating, TV and other sockets for charging. Other evenings when not on shore power we found that we were able to use the heating in the evening without having to run the engine. We mostly tried to charge phones/cameras etc. whilst travelling and didn’t have the TV on very much, apart from the morning. We did use the TV with DVD player a couple of evenings whilst also using the heating, again without any issues. The boat being quite long (just over 42’) we found stern mooring in windy conditions or across the tide tricky, tough our inexperience in stern-mooring didn't help. The air-draft is marked as being 6’10” with the canopy down. We’re not sure what the air-draft is with the canopy up, but we were able to get through all the Norwich and Great Yarmouth bridges at low’ish water with the canopy up. We were also able to get under Wroxham Bridge with the canopy down. Overall we thought the boat was very comfortable, the only minus points being the restricted height in the middle cabin and not being able to see outside the boat from that cabin's window, also the noise of the water pump in the rear cabin. All the staff at Ferry Marina are very friendly and helpful. The handover was good on the whole, with all the essential points being covered, but the youngish lad doing the handover was obviously much less experienced than the chap that did our handover last year, but he might have been fairly new to the job so that’s to be expected There were a few features of the boat that we queried that he seemed unsure about and had to go and ask about.

Saturday 6th May We had planned to leave Womack Water around 7am to allow sufficient time to get back to Horning. Seren had woken shortly after 6. I got up at 6.30 and started packing. Once we were clear of the mooring Graham took the helm, taking it very gently until we were past all the moorings and out on the Thurne. In the meantime the rest of us got a light breakfast ready and packed all our stuff so that when we got to Ferry Marina just after 8.30 we were ready to disembark. Once we’d put everything in our cars we went into Horning to have breakfast at the Staithe and Willow. Even Seren had breakfast as the lady waiting on us brought her a cut-up sausage as a special treat (that’s service!). The waitress was very attentive, offering top-ups to those having coffee and more hot water for those of us having tea. I always enjoy the full-breakfast at the Staithe and Willow, perfectly cooked eggs, really meaty sausages and lovely tasting bacon. The three meat-eaters in our party all had the cooked breakfast whilst Barbara had a toasted teacake with coffee and Chris had toast and coffee. After breakfast we travelled the first leg of the journey home, stopping off at Wymondham, just off the A11, so that Chris could go on the Mid Norfolk Railway to Dereham and back. Whilst he was doing that the rest of us walked up the lane to Wymondham Abbey to have a look around the church and the craft fair that was being held in the church and the churchyard. We were pleasantly surprised that they allowed us to take Seren into the Abbey, provided she was on a lead. She was very well behaved. The Abbey was well worth visiting with a coffee shop attached and some interesting books on the history of Norfolk in its shop. Afterward we walked along Market Street and stopped off for tea/coffee and cake before meeting Chris back at the Wymondham Abbey Station to continue our journey back to MK. Even with a stop-off at Waitrose to pick up something for the evening meal we managed to get back in time to visit my Mum in hospital for 5pm. Chris and Barbara were intending to visit with Sandra and I but just as we were setting off from our house something went BANG under Chris’ car. He and Barbara stayed back to try to get hold of the RAC whilst Sandra and I went to the hospital. My Mum was so glad to see us. Next day Chris, Barbara and Sandra were picked up with the car by a RAC pick-up truck to take them back to North Wales. What an end to a lovely week!

I was initially a bit critical too... I assumed the title 'admirals blog' was a bit of an attempt to outdo Robin. However, I've revised that opinion as he seems a generous and genuine guy (Robin's still The Captain though). I've realised how much effort and pre-planning such videos involve. I would have liked to produce some sort of video of our recent holiday but found that I just wasn't focused enough to do so.

Yes, we certainly chilled and enjoyed ourselves. It helps that we all got on very well together.

Friday 5th May Our last day (sob)…where has the week gone? Woke to a clear sky and sunshine this morning. Seren woke around 5.30am – even earlier than normal. Graham got up and took her for a walk through the fields toward Threehammer Common and back along the lanes. A while after Graham returned with the dog I went for a walk by myself to the Barton Broad Boardwalk (where dogs are not allowed). When I got back shortly before 8am a boat next to us was already running its engine (and had been since 7.30am). We decided to go on our way to How Hill starting off around 8.30. Once there we had breakfast. Barbara decided to go back to bed for a nap whilst the rest of us went to the Secret Gardens. It was well worth the walk as I think we caught the gardens at their very best. The colours from the azaleas and rhododendrons in full bloom were wonderful. The walk through the wood down to the gardens was lovely too with masses of bluebells. We then popped into Toad Hole Cottage before continuing down the Ant to pass under Ludham Bridge. Graham suggested that we go to the Dog Inn for lunch, so we moored up at Ludham Bridge. I enjoyed what I had off the specials board (stack of pork medallions and black pudding with apple jus, mash and veg), but on the whole Graham and I thought it wasn’t as good as the meal we had there last year. The menu is a bit more restricted. We also thought the barman had a bit of an attitude, though he did helpfully give Chris and I a taste of the two real ales on offer. He refused Sandra’s old style £5 note, even though today was the final day when it was legal tender. Graham had the fish and chips (yet again), Chris and Barbara shared a cheese and onion panini and side of chips, Sandra had a child’s portion of fish fingers, chips and beans. She had been intending to order the ‘home-made’ crumble for pudding, but was put-off that when we overheard the barman ordering a pack of crumble over the phone from their suppliers, so we left without having pudding. I was too full anyway. After lunch we made our way to Womack Water and managed to get a place on the Staithe. It would mean an early start in the morning to get to Horning, but it’s a pleasant mooring (well we thought so initially) and we were able to top up our water after the showers taken yesterday (we forgot to top up at Gaye’s Staithe this morning). We did consider going to Ranworth, but would probably have ended up on The Island. Last time we moored there we found it covered in masses of goose poo, not good when taking the dog for a walk last thing in the dark. We had a wander up to the village and around the Church and then popped into Alfresco Tearooms for tea and cakes/cream teas (as if we hadn’t had enough lunch). We returned to the Staithe, had a look around the shop, fed the ducks and generally relaxed. Sandra and Graham went off for a row around Womack Water. After they returned a Richardson’s boat crammed in the space on our port side (without an inch to spare) and shortly before dusk another boat with a party of youngish lads holding beer cans (stag party?) arrived to take up the last space further down. About 8.30pm the Barnes Brinkcraft Boat on our starboard started up their engine, but a chap from further down the staithe came to ask them to turn it off. When I thanked him for intervening he mentioned the fatalities at Wroxham Island last year from CO poisoning and his concern about people running their engines at tightly packed staithes. Barbara made supper this evening, using as much of our left-over food as possible. Graham wasn’t very hungry and just had the rest of the camembert and crackers. Chris had an omelette with potatoes and salad. Sandra and I had baked potatoes with cheese and salad and Barbara, having cooked all our suppers ‘to order’ just had bread and jam. Graham turned in shortly after supper and the rest of us just sat with our glasses of wine chatting quietly and recalling the best bits of the week. We were all turning in for the night around 10.30pm when the party from the Richardson’s boat returned and promptly turned on their engine. Given how close they were it was really loud, so I went to knock on their door. As I suspected the chap that answered hadn’t been aware of the ‘not after 8pm’ rule. Perhaps I should have mentioned the CO thing too, but I didn't, being a bit dozy. He said that he’d been told to run the engine when putting the heating on. At least he didn’t argue and went to put his engines off, so that was fine. Just after 11 the stag party rolled back and put their engine on…by that time I was in bed and they were about 5 boats away so I left it for someone else to deal with.

Thursday 4th May Graham took Seren for her constitutional this morning, taking her as far as Fairhaven Gardens near the village, going past the pir-ate gorilla on the way. We got away from our mooring just before 9am this morning. Despite a gleam of early sun it had clouded over again and was still fairly chilly, with a stiff breeze, though not as cold as earlier in the week. We had thought to visit Ranworth, and when we got as far as Malthouse Broad found that there were two or three moorings available, one on the extreme right side facing on to the Staithe, and some more room at the side. The side ones were past quite a long cruiser and it didn’t look like there was much manoeuvring space. I attempted the mooring at the front, but the strong cross wind made things too difficult and I abandoned the attempt. We carried on up the Bure, making for Wroxham, where we moored just before the bridge and called the pilot. Our first time through Wroxham Bridge! The pilot dropped us off beside the Le Boat boatyard and we filled with water there, since the water point was handy. Barbara took the helm for the first time on the first stretch as far as Belaugh, then I took the helm as far as Coltishall Lock where we used our rond anchors (another first). Unfortunately The Recruiting Sergeant pub had stopped serving food at 2pm and we didn’t get there until 10 past. Instead we bought a large sourdough loaf and some more cheese in the ‘Farm to Fork & Fish’ farm shop opposite and went back to the boat for a lunch of cheese, bread and chutney, and some wine...but not too much given we had to get back down river again. It was about time that we ate Graham’s Camembert, as you could smell it every time the fridge was opened! We then pootled back down the Bure, picking up the pilot near Le Boat again. Once through the bridge he hopped off onto a day-boat moored outside Wherryman's advising us to pull off gently forward, so no delay in mooring up etc. Once past Horning we checked the time and thought it feasible to get as far as Barton Broad, so we phoned ahead and booked a table at The White Horse for 7.30pm. Once we got beyond Horning it was very quiet on the river, even quieter on the Ant. It was still pretty windy though, and Graham had a slight argument with Ludham Bridge as we went through – a couple of nudges either side. Graham was keeping an eye out for the tree that we got stuck in when we were on a Hunter’s Yard boat last year, just north of How Hill, and was pleased to see that it had been cut back severely (serve it right). We tried going down Lymekiln Dyke, but Neatished Staithe was full apart from a stern-on mooring right at the far end. I didn’t fancy trying to reverse all the way down there, so we went to Gay’s Staithe where there was space for 2-3 boats stern-on in the corner of the staithe. My second stern-on mooring (not counting the aborted one at Ranworth). On the way to the pub we bought some fudge from the stall outside one of the houses on the way. We had a lovely meal at The White Horse. I had a scallop starter, which was absolutely divine, Chris had grilled halloumi, asparagus, local pickled beetroot and parmesan shavings with salad leaves, then we both had risotto, which Chris enjoyed but I didn’t so much, finding it a bit oily. Graham had fish and chips again. Barbara had The White Horse Veggie burger (a large mushroom, halloumi, spinach and red pepper) and chips, Sandra had sausage and mash with parsnips. For pudding I had passion fruit parfait, Sandra had brownie and ice cream. Graham and Barbara had Blueberry and Almond Eton mess, which Barbara wasn’t very keen on but Graham loved. My parfait tasted wonderful, but it was served with honeycomb crunch which I felt overpowered the delicate flavour of the parfait (I’m being very picky here). We asked how the renovation of The Lion at Thurne was going…seems it’s a lot of work! Once back at the boat we were all too tired to think of playing any games or watching any DVDs, so we all turned in for the night. Here's a video of our Wroxham Bridge passage... Norfolk-Broads-6-156.MP4