socrates

I know how much the owners of those boats who already involved have enjoyed their trips with Circus Head. It is easy to underestimate the amount of pleasure and fun these trips have been. Thanks, Charlie.

Members might be interested in a relatively new much Broads based charity which is currently being launched. Circus Head is a not for profit charity providing much needed mental health support for frontline ambulance staff. A large part of this is giving ambulance staff an opportunity to experience the benefits of being on a boat on the Broads. Last year several boat owners have taken part in trial cruises with members of East of England Ambulance Service, this has proved popular with both boat owners and Ambulance staff. Several members of this forum have been involved, and met Circus Head staff at Beccles, and on the river. Whilst the directors of Circus Head are current or previous paramedics, my wife is also a director and provides qualified counselling support/advice if needed. I head up what we call the Ithaka Project, this is a more in-depth aspect of Circus Head which involves slightly longer and as such more a immersive Broads boating experience. Those of you of a more literary bent will know the significance of C.P. Cavafy's poem "Ithaka" and how it might resonate with anyone who has suffered from PTSD etc. At the moment Broadland Grebe is used for this aspect of Circus Head, and we will not ask other boat owners to be involved in providing specialist support when it is needed. No two Circus Head cruises are the same. However, it usually involves a boat owner taking a small group (2-4) Ambulance staff on a short cruise on the Broads to simply experience the beauty and relaxing atmosphere which we all enjoy. Cruises can last a few hours or a whole day, it is up to the owner to decide what they can offer. Each cruise also incudes a member of Circus Head staff who will provide any necessary support to those frontline Ambulance staff on your boat. During the next few months all Circus Head Staff will have appropriate RYA training and qualification provided by a well-known Broads training provided, whose support we are very grateful for. Several Broads businesses are now involved in the project and it is gathering momentum, which is why the NBN management team were approached about the project. Each year there are unfortunate incidents on the Broads which require the attendance of East of England Ambulance service, I am sure some of you reading this may have required their services, or know someone who has. This is an opportunity for us all to give something back to these staff. As the project progresses, our Circus Head team of qualified and experienced paramedics will be able to provide boaters with nationally certified First Aid training. If you feel you can help Circus Head, or require any further information visit the website where you can contact us. In the meantime, I will answer any questions if I can. Likewise, if any forum members who have been involved in the project want to add anything about their experience please comment. https://circushead.co.uk/

Looks like a nice wooden boat moored up there.

Like others, I am sad to see the demise of Silverline. Before we bought our own boat we hired from Silverline many times, and found them to be of an exceptional standard. I echo what Scrumpy Cheddar says about Silver Mystique, a fantastic boat for two on which we had several memorable holidays. The most memorable was when we visited what was then the Beccles Vintage Wooden Boat Show and met two people who are members of this forum (you know who you are). Departing Beccles, we had made new friends and also decided to purchase a boat which was for sale at the show. The rest is history. Therefore, Silverline will always have a place in our boating story.

According to a local source, a well-known local businessman who has a property nearby.

Sorry, but I am not sure what you are asking.

I agree, the identity of the boat has been in the public domain since shortly after the incident. I can't see the point in this (arguably) overzealous moderation as it serves no purpose. The point of moderation is to protect individuals involved and avoid "naming and shaming" etc. As long as something is in the public domain and no one is being named or shamed, then there is no point in removing or doctoring a post. Yes, those who moderate are always saying they have difficult job - to some extent I agree. However, this is another case of the moderators making a rod for their own back. As the moderation team in a group where I am a moderator say, "Moderators should not become the story".

I am in contact with one of the local councillors who is very concerned about the ongoing issues in Loddon, and is working hard to resolve them. There are plans to make further improvements to the shower/toilets and to make some changes to the Staithe in order to improve security. She is also liaising with the police to put measures in place to combat anti-social behaviour. It seems that many locals have also raised this issue which has got worse over the last few weeks. The root of the problem seems to be with the dealing and consumption of illicit substances. It would be helpful if people can report any incidents to the police, and issues to Loddon Parish Council.

It remains to be seen if closure of the path will have an adverse impact on local pubs and shops because it makes the walk to Loddon slightly longer. Given the continued issues with antisocial behaviour at Loddon staithe, it is in the best interests of all concerned that the matter is resolved as soon as possible. The local council need to get a handle on both situations in order to ensure visitors continue to come to Loddon. Although it is the fag end of the boating season, there is still a need for visitors on boats to have a safe access to the village. I have certainly noticed a reduction in visitors lately, and can only speculate that this is having a negative impact on business in the area. Loddon is a beautiful place with a lot to offer visitors, it would be a shame to see it ruined by these and other issues.

Had this conversation with BroadAmbition a few months back. Personally, I would rather have a bend to prevent draughts and catch small objects such as the stone from my wife's engagement ring. However, our new shower room basin doesn't have a bend - thanks to the person who recently tiled the bathroom and changed the position of the basin. When it is finished, the new shower room will look good.

Welcome to the world of wooden boat custodianship, the joys, perils, and pitfalls await you in equal measure. There are a good few wooden boat custodians around, the previous owners of Nipper (pre-2021) have a wealth of knowledge, hope you make contact with them and enjoy the boat as much as they did. Look forward to seeing you on the rivers.

A worthy comment. However, it does not negate the stress and anger felt at the disregard for us from other people. The sympathy was with the hirer and the hope that their holiday was not ruined. What about us? There are at least two sides to every story. Thankfully, some people were absolutely wonderful, others fell considerably short. Perhaps some people will be delighted that we have now been forced to reconsider our boating future?

I wish I had your confidence that the hire yard will make good any damage. It would have been good if all you witnesses had come forward and given us details at the time. A degree of support for us (as well as the hirer in question) would not have gone a miss either.

It has been alleged that the boat in question was attempting a crossing of Breydon Water at around 22.00, a similar vessel was photographed passing through Great Yarmouth without any lights. Photographs have appeared on other social media platforms.

Welcome to the up and down world of wooden boat custodianship. Any photos?

Yes it is a Ripplecraft and we are the custodians. I think I know the person who is restoring the one you looked at. They are certainly not everyone's cup of tea when it comes to boats, a lot of people really don't like them. You are more than welcome to come and have a look onboard if you see us.

We are down from Thursday. Not sure about 'Quiet', I notice that Madam Reverend has already packed several bottles of gin in her baggage.

I seem to recall 'Wafoo's rules', 'suck backs', 'blow backs', 'eight piece mixiblobs', and Ludo playing 'bar stewards'. Hardly a game to introduce to families. The Bootnecks had the rules written on the base of the board, they would refer to these rules when they were being beaten. I could make a board from some of that plywood at the back of BG,

Lists of items tend to grow. Don't we know it too, a tiling job turned in to a a major bathroom rebuild due to rot and years of bodging by previous owner. We still have go get to the" wood butcher of Lowestoft" in June for this year's planned planking work. Just hope we can get the boat Loddon for Madam Reverend starting her job there. Whose bright idea was it to get a wooden boat?

Someone who worked at HW told me that the drawings for the Golden Light boats were chucked in a skip. Sadly, it seems a lot of the old drawings met a similar fate. I think I know where the drawings for the Ripplecrafts are, just a case of finding the time to sort through the piles of stuff to find them.

Richardson's was still £1.20 a litre last Thursday.

£10.61 Via PayPal. Broadland Grebe

Broadland Grebe, me plus 2 or 3.

Robin is a total genius, the dashboard he created for us is a thing of beauty.

Only saying similar things today. The cost of everything has risen, I was looking for some crew figures for the model MTB I am building and what was £16 a few months back is now over £30, plus postage and (because we are no longer in the EU) tax. BTW Even the cost of dying went up from January 1st.