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Absolutely Helen, we only eat out apart from breakfast, when on the Northern Broads if I cant get moored near a pub, my go to is Ranworth, mud weight or island and row to across to The Malsters Madness, a yard as big as Richardson not having some dinghys for customers!

Sorry for the delay, but as requested a quick summary of our week in north Devon We got back from the Broads lunchtime on the Saturday, as I had previously said due to the very hot weather forecast, we had decided that the load lugger Volvo Estate would be parked up and we would take Mandy’s car a Golf convertible. Both cars are diesel automatics with all the gadgets to make driving easier, however the Golf doesn’t have built in Sat Nav so we would have to rely on google maps on the iPhone or go back to how we used to navigate, with a map! Surprisingly, all the stuff we wanted to take fitted into the small boot on the Golf, Mandy did manage to pack light, Susie was going back to work so only two of us and Lottie We had six nights booked just outside Lynmouth and one night in Salisbury to break up the journey back I like to travel early when driving long distance, so whilst not being over happy with leaving at 6.30am on a Sunday morning, Mandy did accept the reasons 220 miles Maidstone to Lynmouth, the plan was to stop at our usual place, Cartgate Picnic Area on the A303 near Yeovil, as planned we left at 6.30, roof up on Mandy’s insistence, but to be fair I didn’t suggest we should have the top down at that time It’s lovely picnic area, plenty of space to give Lottie a run, and a café in the middle and good toilet facilities, just one problem, the café was closed so we used the toilets let Lottie have a walk and moved on to an American style diner on the A303 a bit further down, this was now about 9.30 and the weather was now getting quite warm, so we decided to sit outside (not sure if they were dog friendly inside but doubt it) Having had a light breakfast and a drink we continued our journey, this time roof down. Next stop was the beach for Lottie and a pub for me lunch for Mandy, we were heading for Porlock Weir, which has all we need (photos below) The journey through Taunton was a bit slower but we weren’t in a great rush and arrived at about midday, there is a pay and display car park near the beach and pub so we parked up and went for a little wander a paddle for Lottie and just soaked up the sunshine and sea air Thirsty work all this sunshine so we sat outside the Ship Inn had a drink and looked at the menu, although many were enjoying the Sunday lunch offerings fortunately there was a lighter menu, so we settled on a sandwich. I couldn’t eat a roast in that heat! Mandy is not a drinker, a glass of wine or a Pimms is enough for her, but I make up for that and enjoyed a few beers in the sunshine, time to leave (and change drivers) it was now about 2.30, so we decided to have a look round Porlock Village at the top of the hill, and of course in that heat we had another drink in another pub also called the Ship Inn! I found out later that the two pubs are owned by the same people and are often referred to as the Upper and Lower Ship It was only 10 miles to Countisbury where we were staying at The Blue Ball Inn, but you do have to go up Porlock Hill, anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure, I can tell you it’s steep, I remember towing a caravan up there about 20 years ago, that was fun! The Blue Ball Inn is on the main road into Lynmouth, the car park is the other side of the road, the garden is on the side, there isn’t much of a rear as the landscape doesn’t allow it, the road isn’t that busy, so the car park being opposite isn’t a problem (we have stayed there before about 8 years ago) The beer is good, we had a couple of evening meals at the pub, and they were very good, we chose to eat at other places during the week. The rooms were very comfortable, very dog friendly, staff and owners were great, we thoroughly enjoyed our 6-night stay It cost us £100 a night plus a fiver for the dog but included full breakfast. One nice touch, they will cook a sausage for your dog with a voluntary contribution of a £1, this pound goes to the local Dogs Trust, the landlady was telling me that the previous month they had sent £364 to the charity, that a lot of sausages! I used to walk Lottie past the church then up to the coastal path every morning, the views of Lynmouth Bay are beautiful (Photos below and the pub) The next day we spent our day in Lynmouth / Lynton, the beach was a bit rocky, but we had a lovely walk up the river Lyn, where Lottie enjoyed a few paddles amongst the rocks, (photos below) we had a nice lunch in the garden of the Village Inn and used the water powered cliff railway to go up to Lynton but decided to walk down, that certainly stretched the calf muscles We toured around North Devon / North Somerset, a few comments below: Combe Martin -the main beach is not dog friendly, but just around the bay is Newberry beach which is, there is a pub nearby called Pack O Cards, which has a nice garden beer and food. Legend has it that a guy called George Ley built it 300 years ago after a big win on the cards, and to try and carry on this luck! it has 13 floors and fireplaces, 52 stairs and windows on four floors. Apparently built on 52 sq ft plus 1 extra foot for the joker. It does have the look of a house of cards Downside was the parking ticket we received in the car park near the beach, we only bought an hour as we really only wanted to use it for the beach, however with 5 mins left on our time, Mandy wanted to find a shop to get a couple of things, so I took Lottie back to the car, strapped her in and lowered the roof, I had told Mandy if I saw a warden come round I’d leave and pick her up on the road, no one came round, Mandy returned to the car and we left 7 mins after we should. I was therefore surprised and annoyed to get a parking ticket through the post with pictures of us entering and leaving the car park, wow, number plate readers and cameras on a car park which probably holds 30 cars Clovelly – We’ve been here quite a few times it really is quaint and beautiful, however you do have pay and enter through the visitor centre, however it does pay for it’s upkeep, half way back up the hill we popped into the New Inn for a quick drink and got talking to a couple of local residence and left 3 hours later, it was great to hear about the village from two guys that between them had lived in the village for 97 years! (Photos below) Blue Anchor Beach near Watchet – Apparently a dog friendly beach according to tourist information, what they didn’t say was when the tide is out, parts of the beach are like quick sand, we parked towards the end of the beach and as we went down to the sea it became clear we were having trouble, Lottie was happily chasing her ball, when she suddenly sunk to her tummy as I went to get her I sank a good foot into the sand, it took a while but we eventually managed to get back to the harder sand, but it was a bit scary for a while, we left the balls she was chasing as it was just too dangerous to get them. We walked along the path to the toilets about a half a mile from where we joined the beach there was a sign saying beware soft sand, but there were no signs where we went down on proper handrailed steps to get to the sands. That just seems wrong in today's health & safety world We went for a drink at the Smugglers Inn, the landlord told me they have had to rescue people by helicopter on a number of occasions and that there aren’t enough warning signs up, oh well we wont be going back there again Watchet – Nice little fishing village and harbour Tarr Steps Dulverton – lovely walk from the car park down to Tar Steps and back, there is a pub close by to help quench your thirst after the walk, Dulverton Village is a beautiful village which we enjoyed after a walk round Hele Beach – situated between Combe Martin and Ilfracombe, this is a lovely safe dog friendly beach, which is easily missed, we went there a few times, it has the benefit of a nice locals type of pub at the top, nice beer and food and a garden with great views (photos below) Woolacombe – we have some friends that moved down to Devon a couple of years ago, so whilst we were down that way we arranged to meet up, their choice was Woolacombe, which is not really mine and Mandy’s type of place. It’s a bit commercialised for my liking and too modern, We prefer quiet quaint places, but it’s got a big sandy beach for the dogs (they’ve got two) to run and play, we had lunch in a local bar and a good chat it was good to catch up but parking was a tenner no matter low long you were there Broadlands Beach – a beautiful little beach again between Combe Martin and Ilfracombe, we had some lunch at the Sawmills and with their permission left the car there and walked to this beach, it’s about a ¾ mile walk but the last bit has 200 steps to get down, but it was worth it (photos below) So, all in all we had a great time with some great weather, the roof on Mandy’s car was only closed when we parked, the weather was glorious and wasn’t that busy. Sat Nav was a bit of an issue at times as we had to rely on the internet, which in North Devon is not always very good but we managed, plus did have a map, if necessary, it’s just Mandy is rubbish at reading it, her words!

Thanks for your tale Jean, I’m just beginning to catch up on here after a hectic few weeks Sorry to hear of your stearing issue but I suppose these things can happen with anything mechanical, seems Ferry did the decent thing!

Thanks for the kind words Devon was fantastic as was the weather, bit strange driving a ‘hairdresser’s car’ with hair like mine! 😉 Will write a few words Monday with a couple of pics!

Saturday 9th July Always the worst moment of the holiday, having to hand the boat back, but fortunately our holiday wasn’t over just yet as we were off to North Devon on Sunday. The forecast was to be getting hotter and sunnier, so we had made the decision to leave the load lugger Volvo on the drive and take Mandy’s car which was a Golf convertible, she just had to learn to pack light! Anyway, back to the tale, I was planning on leaving Reedham at 8am, for the short cruise back down The Chet, the boat needed to be back about 9am. So, I got up about 7am make a cuppa and took Lottie for a short walk I didn’t fancy any breakfast, I had eaten enough this week, plus we were in for a week’s B&B in a Devon pub, so I’m sure I will not go hungry that week. Mandy had packed most of our stuff the previous day, so as I cruised slowly down The Chet, the girls had a good clean up! We normally do our two-week UK holiday the other way round, B&B in a country pub first then a week on the Broads, so normally when I’m on my last cruise that’s it, holiday done, but this time my mind was starting to think about Devon and not about going back to work! Soon we were back to the boat yard, I held station while we moved the dinghy, then reversed back, Richard took the dinghy from Mandy Fiona met us with her usual infectious enthusiasm, our car was waiting on the grass by the quay, it took us about 20mins to load up the car, we always take too much stuff Our diesel deposit was £95, we had managed to go over it by £35, which to be honest I thought might have been more considering the price of fuel compared with when we booked, pus we had covered a fair few miles during the week! This was the second time we had hired Star, she is a lovely boat, obviously she’s getting on a bit, but she’s well cared for very comfortable, plenty of space, is easily maneuvered with help of the bow thruster and isn’t as expensive as similar boats with other companies I know I had a problem starting her once, but that could’ve been me, in 7 or 8 hires with Pacific we have never had to call them out, we once went back to the yard because we had a problem with a winched canopy on Dawn, when you read some of the stories on here about yards having to be called out, Pacific’s record is very good No doubt we will be back next year Thanks for bearing with me, sorry it’s taken so long, what with the passing of our dear queen, my holiday in September and other stuff it’s been a bit of an epic! I’ll try and do better next year!

Sorry I spelt his name wrong but that was because I was too lazy to look back! 😉 glad he’s settling in, you’re doing a good thing!

It’s good used it for a couple of years, it will give you the gradient of the walk as well as distance which for Cornwall and Devon is good as Mandy has a knee issue and isn’t good with hills! Not a problem on the broads though! 😉

Thanks Helen, she is lovely but being a rescue she does have a few issues with strangers, but she’s getting better. You're probably finding difficulties with Possick, worth the effort though!

Hopefully this has worked for a non techie like me!

Friday 8th July I must admit to not sleeping well during the night, my mind kept churning over the starting problem at Sutton, not starting wouldn’t normally have bothered me but this was the last day of the trip and we needed to get down to the south. Low water at Breydon was at 11am, so I decided that I would leave early for two reasons, firstly should I have a problem there’d be time to get assistance and still make the crossing, secondly going through at low water would mean we’d get to Burgh Castle early enough to be able to go for a walk with Lottie before going to The Fishermans for lunch! That’s what was going through my mind as I lay in bed at 6.30am, so I decided to get up, make some tea take Lottie for a short walk along the bank and be prepared to start the engine and leave about 7.30am The moment of truth arrived, time to start and leave! What a load of fuss and stress for nothing, key turned engine started within a second or two, ropes released and off I went, alone as the girls were still in bed. The weather was glorious, I had lowered the screens before I left, just to be safe under Ludham Bridge, the sun was beating down but was low which was an issue at certain parts of the journey, but with baseball cap and sunglasses I managed, just about I was also quite surprised how quiet the moorings were, plenty of room at Acle and the Bridge Inn, room at Stokesby and plenty of space at Stracey where we planned to have breakfast! Turning round into the tide, we moored up just down from the shop, fortunately during the cruise down from Ludham Bridge I was joined by both the ladies, so help was on hand to moor up! It was about 9.15am, Susie wanted to get a few things from the shop, I took Lottie for a walk along the bank, she was a bit nervous with the goats and Shetland ponies, so we didn’t go far, just enough for her to do what dogs must do. Mandy started breakfast, again just a sandwich for us all. I wanted to cross Breydon at low water, I knew this would mean having to punch the tide after turning at the yellow post, but I wasn’t concerned, if I had to pay for a bit more fuel then sobeit We wanted to get to Burgh Castle for about 12.30pm, so only stayed for 30 mins before continuing our journey to the south, again engine started without a problem, we were now getting quite a push with the tide, we were easily doing 6mph without many revs, I thought to myself I’m going to pay for this on Breydon! By the time we reached Yarmouth, the weather had clouded over a bit but it was still quite warm, once round the yellow post I noticed quite a change in the speed, from barely more that tick over I was up to 2000 revs doing about 6mph, once under Breydon Bridge, I eased it back to about 1600 revs, we had made such good time there was no point in doing that speed, and even at 1600 rev we were going fast enough, Mandy and Susie took turns at the helm, while I had a shower and a little rest, Mandy is very competent at the helm (not always that way) but she doesn’t like to do it for long periods, Susie is learning but getting better, Breydon was a good place to have a go! I took over the helm again as we approached the split in the river right to go down Yare, left for the Waveney, which was the way we went, I discussed with Mandy where we should moor, outside the pub or the new BA moorings, we decided not to decide and just go on instinct when close, as we approached the Fishermans moorings there was a lot of space so in we went! The moorings outside the Fishermans look very harsh and unforgiving, I think if I was overnighting, I would use the BA moorings, we were only going to be there for a couple of hours so wasn’t too concerned We’ve only stopped there once before, again that was lunchtime but have never gone for a walk to the Castle, so I pulled up a suitable walk on my footpath app (photo below) only a short walk but really nice, we all enjoyed it Lunch was then taken at The Fishermans Arms, they seemed to have done a lot of work on the pub and gardens since we last visited in 2019, the only downside was that you couldn’t walk directly to the gardens from their moorings, you had to go into the pub and then through the back to the gardens We all had a sandwich and a few drinks and enjoyed the superb weather, which now was glorious, whilst having lunch Mandy noticed she had missed a call from Annie, landlady at The Lord Nelson where we had a mooring and dinner booked for the evening, unfortunately the chef had tested positive for Covid, therefore the kitchen would be closed. However, she said she would still reserve the mooring for us, and they would still be open for drinks, Mandy rang to thank her for letting her know and I rang The Ship and booked a table for dinner that evening, so fortunately we were sorted Whilst we were in the pub, I spotted a Woodie coming up from Breydon with two sailing dinghies attached to either site, don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before Once back at the boat we decided to have a little cruise down The Waveney, with the mooring at Reedham booked, we weren’t in any hurry. So, a cruise down to St Olaves, under the bridge and past the Bell, we were tempted to stop for a drink, but last September it was chaos in there as everything had to be ordered through an app or wait for someone to come and take your order, so we decided to push on to Reedham. It had got very hot by now not a cloud in the sky, Lottie was beginning to feel the heat, so we got a towel that we had brought with us and wet it, wringing it out it was paced over Lottie, this made her more comfortable We got to Reedham shortly after 4pm, as we passed the Lord Nelson, Annie was true to her word our reserved board was on the quay, so I turned round and came in slowly against the tide, the ranger was waiting for us as I got close, ‘this mooring is reserved’ he said, ‘yes, for us’ I replied. ‘Oh, sorry I didn’t notice the name of your boat’ We got moored up, the ranger then told us the kitchen was closed due to Covid, so I told him that we had been informed and that we were still ok to moor there, he seemed happy and wandered off. It seemed only fair to have a couple of drinks at the pub as they had let us moor there. After a couple of drinks, the girls went back to the boat I took Lottie for a walk before returning to the boat to get changed to go out for dinner I cheated with the last photo, that was taken last September The food at The Ship was excellent as was the beer, we eat there last September it was very good then as well. We have also eaten at The Lord Nelson a few times which has always been good also, so the only place in Reedham I may avoid next year is The Chain Ferry Back at the boat for about 9pm, Mandy had already started to pack for handing back the boat the next day, there was still some wine left in the box, so I thought I’d try and help by finishing it, well one thing less to pack!

Not at all Helen, I’m sure it’s me, your description made total sense, doing it for a non tech more people person might be more tricky I will give a go when I’m feeling brave! 😀

Wow, thanks for that Helen, whilst it hasn’t gone over my head, it’s probably about neck high at the moment Maybe too soon to finish my tale, but I will give a go sometime soon Prepare people for a strange (more than usual) posting from me. 🤣

Thank you Gracie, good to see you posting on here again BTW, I’m still waiting for the invite to get down to Sussex with your mates so we can discuss shoes! 🤣

Quite right Helen, try doing it with a dinghy! 🤣

I just need to learn how to insert them in the text! 😉 Mind you the fact I managed to get them off my phone and on here is an achievement for me! 🤣 Baby steps! 🤭

Thursday 7th July As was now becoming the routine, I awoke about 7am and put the kettle on, after the excitement of the previous night with the floating bank, I had a look round to see if I could see where it had gone, it wasn’t at the boatyard, so I assume it was either in the private moorings or had floated back down the river when the tide turned The weather was good, dappled sunshine and warm I had thought I’d heard a boat go past in the early hours, and over by the boatyard was the rescue boat and Meander (the boat that I’d seen the previous day) I couldn’t remember seeing it there the night before, and I did spend a bit of time moving that floating island So, whether she had suffered a breakdown and had to be rescued or arrived early I don’t know, Meander did leave after about an hour so hopefully if I was a breakdown it was fixed, we exchanged another wave as she went past I’d taken Lottie for a walk along the moorings, played ball with her on the green for a bit, then made another cuppa, Mandy was up, we discussed breakfast options, none of us wanted anything heavy, we were now at the stage where we seemed to be eating just because we could! The plan today was to go further up The Ant toward to Wayford Bridge, maybe going through depending on height under the bridge, back down the Ant to Neatishead for lunch, back over Barton Broad, mooring at Ludham Bridge, a walk up through the fields to Ludham to the Kings Arms for dinner Well, that was the plan but plans this week haven’t always gone well, so about 9am we were ready to leave, the problem was she wouldn’t start! I tried several times to get the engine to fire, let the glow plugs warm up, although it shouldn’t be necessary, but nothing Mandy kept telling me to ring Richard (owner), but I really didn’t want to so unless I had to, my knowledge of mechanical stuff is basic, my knowledge of diesel engines less so! I remembered when I worked on my cars years ago that you could ‘flood’ them, I wasn’t sure if that could be the case with a diesel, but thought I’d give it a try, so I left it alone for 10mins, then disengaged the gearbox, pushed the throttle forward a bit then had another go, it turned over for about 10 secs it fired, spluttered for bit, then kicked in, I left it running at about 1500 revs for a minute then reduced it to tick over, it was now running sweetly! I have no idea what was wrong, I did discuss it with Richard when back at the boatyard, the response was ‘you should have told her Richard’s on his way, that would have done it’ I’ll try and remember that technical tip for next time! Anyway, off we went over Sutton Broad and towards the main river, I decided to take the little cut that connects the river to Sutton and the river to Stalham, the trouble was despite it only being a couple of minutes, I’d forgotten I’d done it and instead of heading to Wayford, I ended up at Richardsons, what a plonker! So, I turned round and headed in the correct direction! As we approached Hunsett Mill, I saw signs warning of dredging works and long delays of (I believe) 45 mins to an hour, so shortly after the mill I bottled out, turned around and headed back down the Ant. As I’d never been there before, I turned right before Barton Broad and had a little cruise past Paddy’s Lane and Barton Turf before heading to the ‘land of confusion’ that is Barton Broad! With the help of Aweigh App on map mode, I picked my way through to Limekiln Dyke. We had decided that we’d head for Gaye’s Staithe, rather than Neatishead Staithe I’ve got nothing against Neatishead, I just prefer Gaye’s, I’ve been to Neatishead on a number of occasions, you just have to work so hard to get in there and more often than not the same to get out, Gaye’s suits us as we can take Lottie for a walk then the short stroll to the pub and back! As we turned off the dyke we could see a number of stern on moorings along the side, I could see behind that there was a boat a couple of hundred yards behind us that also appeared to be mooring at Gaye’s, Mandy started to move the dinghy to the bow so we could moor, as she was tying up at the bow the boat behind, a Herbert Woods, past us to moor the same side we were going to do! Mandy was not happy, quite laid back is my wife, but when riled wow! She let them know what she thought, funny thing is, I’m the one that normally overreacts to stuff, but when she does, I normally find it hilarious! Anyway, they called back to say they thought we were mud weighting! Yup, that didn’t help, as she told them that mud weighting there would be stupid No harm done, they moored up, we followed them in, they helped Mandy and Susie with the ropes and apparently apologised for their misunderstanding, I was keeping well away from that confrontation! Using the footpath app, I found a suitable walk, which was about a mile and a half, so off we went with Lottie and ended up at the pub, shocker! None of us fancied food, so we sat in the garden and had a few drinks, I can’t remember there being a garden at the White Horse when we last visited only a small courtyard, is this new? Only problem with the garden was it was a long way from the bar! On leaving the pub, Mandy got a few things from the shop then onto the fudge lady, where Mandy and Susie bought quite a lot of fudge which I paid for, sometimes I think my family see me as a walking wallet! We called into Neatishead Staithe on the way back for little look before returning to the boat filled up with water and left for Ludham Bridge, no problem starting the engine this time A short leisurely cruise down the Ant, saw us arriving at Ludham Bridge before 4pm, shortly after mooring up, I went to help a private boat moor up who was indicating he had a problem with his engine, it turned out he had little power, he did tell me what the problem was, but as I’ve already alluded to today my mechanical knowledge isn’t good. He said he worked for Richardsons and they were sending their breakdown tug to sort him out, it turned up after about 30mins or so, he waved as he left and thanked me for my help, hopefully he got it sorted We then had a wander over to the Dog for a drink, well it would be rude not too! Dinner was booked at The Kings Arms Ludham for 7.30, so it was back to the boat get ready to leave for the walk through the fields and long the footpath to the pub We had a very nice dinner at The Kings Arms, good beer and food and the service was good also, for the first time since we came away, I had a glance at this site, there was a post from Helen asking about the carvery at the Kings Arms and what the vegetarian option were, how bizarre was that? So I was able first hand to find the info and send a picture of their offerings We got back to the boat about 9.30pm, it was still a nice evening, so whilst the girls decided on bed, I enjoyed a couple of glasses of red whilst beginning to fret about the boat starting in the morning, I really wanted to test the engine but that would’ve been so wrong at that time of the evening, so despite my anxiety I resisted We were crossing Breydon in the morning to get back down south, so should have an issue with it starting it could cause a problem, hopefully not! Hopefully I haven't gone too far with the photos, just emptied the phone folder!

Yup, agree again with Rockland, the first time I went in there I came out the same way as I went in even though it was longer! Last September I was a brave boy, and went out the other way, I wasn’t totally comfortable though! 😉

Wow Helen, hats off to you, having had big links with the RSPCA, I thought it was only my family that did stuff like that! sounds like Pozzick has fallen firmly on all four feet! Well done to you Graham and your family

You are probably right Helen, not good with birds! 😉 In the 70s early 80s I was quite good with them, but that might be a different type of bird! 🤫 Sorry, the East London in me coming out! 🤣

Wednesday 6th July I apologise for not updating the blog after my break in Seville, I been a bit busy since our return. We did manage 2hrs of kayaking and didn’t fall in the water, so a bonus. I think at Mandy and my age, we need an engine for water activities First time on a mud weight overnight and it was good, I was a little concerned about drifting, I did download the ‘Anchor Alarm’ app, and set it up just in case but we just gently floated without sliding at all Lottie wasn’t bothered when I got up about 7am to make the tea, she seemed happy so no hurry to get somewhere for her, or me having to row to the dinghy dyke to let her do the necessary The weather wasn’t the best of the week, not cold very overcast but dry, so sat on the bow with my tea and just took in the beauty of the place, The plan today was to set off about 8am, hopefully get to Ludham Bridge before Lottie showed any signs of needing a walk, have breakfast at the Wayfarer’s café then up the Ant to Sutton for water. So, with the girls still in bed, I lifted the mud weight and set off to do the short cruise to Ludlam Bridge. Now I’m not good with birds, well not the feathered variety, and to be fair after 37 years of marriage I’m probably no good with the other now, so is that a Kingfisher sitting in the tree? I also saw (probably) a Kingfisher with a fish in its beak, but by the time I got the camera on my phone it disappeared! Down Ranworth Dam turning right at the end I saw what can only be described as ‘getting your ducks in a row’ (photo below) shortly after I passed the lady who owns Meander (Birchwood maybe) we exchanged a nice wave, I’m sorry I either don’t know her name or I’ve forgotten but I believe she is a member on here Just as I turned into The Ant, I was joined by Mandy who put the kettle on for another cuppa, I hadn’t been on the Ant for a couple of years, as we had hired a dual steer, and at 8’6’’ we just couldn’t be certain of the tides so didn’t bother, we arrived at the bridge about 8.45am. I must admit I didn’t expect it to be quite so busy, so had to hold station for 5-10mins, thank you bow thrusters, but got through and moored up on the left! Obviously, with the likelihood of breakfast Susie had joined us, only to be disappointed as the café was closed, when did that happen? I would have thought that a café where there were so many moorings would do well, but clearly not! For the first and only time on our week, I had put a fleece on as it felt a bit chilly (it wasn’t on for long) so a quick trip to the shop for a few bits it was back to the boat for breakfast So, about an hour after mooring up at Ludham Bridge we were ready to leave and continue our journey to Sutton, it was probably a blessing the café not being open, if it had been open, I’d probably have been a pig and had the full jobbie, however back at the boat I settled for a bacon sandwich. We had pre-booked tables for lunch (Swan Stalham) and dinner (Sutton Staithe Hotel) so a cooked breakfast would probably have done me in! It was a lovely cruise up the Ant, there are some beautiful houses that look idyllic, and I won’t begin to speculate how much they would set you back, not sure a lottery win would be enough! Over Barton Broad, now I remember reading a thread on this site when there were a spate of run a grounds on Breydon Water, I think it may have been Jean who said they were more confused with Barton, I totally agree there just seems to be posts everywhere, whereas Breydon is just one channel, and to me simples! Anyway, we got to the staithe at 11.15am, was pleased to see there was plenty of space, we found a nice spot on the green. We had a cuppa, and I threw a few balls for Lottie, she wasn’t having any problems with her leg but I made sure I didn’t over do it! Our table was booked for 1pm at the Swan, I had worked out a route that avoids having to walk up the A149, it’s a fast road with no footpaths so we crossed over the main road and walked up Staithe Rd along Laxfield Rd and down Moor Rd to the main road again, where opposite Moor Road is a footbath which takes you around to Richardsons (see photo below) Unfortunately, the path was a bit overgrown (It needs Kate with her secateurs) however it kept us off the main road and safe which was the main purpose It took us about 45-50mins to reach the Swan, where we enjoyed a sandwich and a few drinks, I like the Swan, food and beer is always good and the service was excellent. We then had a wander around Stalham before retracing our steps back to the boat On our way through Richardsons we noticed Blue Horizon in one of the quays, this was the second boat we hired way back in 2011 or 12, we managed to get through Wroxham Bridge with that, we took a couple of photos and reminisced for a bit! Back at Sutton, we went into the hotel for a couple of drinks then back to the boat where I filled the tank with water The plan now to chill out before dinner at 7pm, I managed to more than chill, laying on the bed I fell asleep and only woke up when Mandy woke me up to get ready for dinner, maybe it was the beer, maybe the exercise or just me feeling my age but I can’t remember doing that before. Another excellent meal at the Sutton Staithe Hotel a few more beers then back to the boat, we were sitting in the lounge when I became aware of a bit of activity outside, wandering out I noticed that a piece of the bank had broken off further upriver and was floating towards the boats moored! Probably nothing unusual about this as you see them all the time, however the size of this one was quite remarkable, you wouldn’t want to meet that coming the other, gradually people guided it passed their boats, but unfortunately it got stuck against my dinghy, I had to pull the dinghy over the island, it was solid. Eventually, it came to a rest by the boatyard and the entrance to the private moorings, I suppose when the tide started going out it returned to wherever it came from, it entertained me and a few other boaters for a while!

I was rather hoping for something less basic but I’ll try! 😀

Absolutely right,and between work and writing this, I’ve probably not read as much as I should but I’ll catch up sometime Enjoy your time on Water Rail, she looks a lovely old boat I like old, probably because I am too! 😉

Yeah, did think of that but didn’t think I’d get away with it, I did ask Nick if ours came with a periscope! 🤣

So you should Helen, I’m only writing it because of you! 😉 No seriously I’ve enjoyed writing another one and reminiscing on good times Just hope I’m not rambling too much But I’m afraid I’m going to have to take another short break, as I’m off to Seville tomorrow for a short break with Mandy Susie Nick and their partners Nick has booked us kayaking any tips for someone who’s never been in one on how not to drown! 🤣

Missed posting the picture of the boats moored by green posts!