Bytheriver

Only had a midweek pump out once & that was because we had "new to boating" family on board & suspected they had overdone the hand pump as they did not realise river water was cloudy & had bits in! I always went for the top up when available route then the next day or even two could be missed (I started hiring when there were twice as many hire craft on the river than there are now so taps were at a premium & like now with electric posts there were always those who overstayed by the tap like near the electric point which they then don't use. Though to be fair with a uncontrolled mooring sometimes there is nowhere else. Despite all the pros & cons the use of electricity at moorings is not going to go away so an enhanced investment is needed with more posts and added locations where not too far from an electricity source ASAP just to keep up with the new-builds.

Double mooring not allowed at Reedham this year due to Covid restrictions & has hardly been necessary anyway. Space most afternoons & certainly quieter since Saturday Despite Vagabond mooring there Cantley is another option - The BA 24 hour moorings at Berney Arms are still available

Email to say back open at 15.43

40 Mallard resting on the bridge mooring pontoon opposite the Lord Nelson Reedham this morning with a few gulls. Are there less non- breeding Swans hanging round Wroxham Bridge this year - I wonder if the lack of visitors feeding them in early summer sent them to their "proper" feeding grounds?

If they have any sense they will be hiding from those who shoot them - the season started on 1st Sept Saturday at around dawn seems the most popular time. Incidentally I have noticed that a few late broods were more successful & they are only just starting to moult into adult plumage.. One bird that has diminished on the Broads in the past few years is the cormorant - maybe with improved fish stocks at sea they have returned its usual haunts

Where boat waste facilities are not coping there needs to be some serious thought before next summer into how the overflowing bins (or lack of any proper provision at all at some locations). The strong winds of recent weeks is likely to have caused some pollution - I can imagine bags being blown off the back of boats overnight. Visitors here for the first time must be perplexed by the different methods of disposal between boatyards and various mooring locations as you travel from one council district to the next. As far as the finances are concerned all will be revealed on Thursday afternoon. Lets see if the number looking in can beat the last Members Meeting when there were 24 people logged in at one stage

No doubt this will come out on Thursday at the Navigation Ctte - We can all watch & listen! https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/about-us/committees/navigation-committee/navigation-committee-3-september-2020

There are a whole lot of things the BBC annoy me about as well as bias reporting on the news with opinion added at every other sentence. Why have so much news & discussion on BBC1 & 2 when they have the News & Parliament Channels Why do BBC1 & 2 have to have their programming changed to allow sport when they could have a sport channel on BBC3 Why do so many channels call news programmes a "Show" Show to me means fiction or entertainment? Have the BBC & others not realised that since digital with the exception of one or two areas on relay transmitters (and most people in those choose freesat anyway everyone has access to dozens of channels. Including many from outside the UK where we can choose to get other opinions and views. Finally why do the BBC refuse to even comment on the Stock Exchange (UK & abroad) when it really is the barometer of all things financial (and is available on a US Channel) I.m sure there is someone in the dungeons of Broadcasting House who has been locked away for 60 years still controlling the master switch as to what we can see & hear

I only read this thread this morning this is from Hoseasons . Prices include VAT (where applicable) at the rates applicable at the time of printing and are subject to change if the rates or application of the tax changes. In the event of a change in the rate of VAT during the course of the year, your booking will on behalf of the boat operator or service provider be invoiced at the new amount of VAT unless you have already taken your holiday or paid the balance in full prior to the date of the change. Perfectly clear - Is the reduction not to encourage people to use services rather than provide extra income for businesses like the Stamp Duty reduction to stimulate the market? When VAT started and the VAT inspector was the most feared person in the world businesses, claimed they were glorified tax collectors however I suspect that with modern IT it is not the hassle it was? It took Local Authorities some time to realise they needed VAT separated out and a registration number even for Petty Cash items like a key being cut - you got some funny looks from little local shops.

Its the Broads Local Access Forum next Wednesday at 2pm its held on line with the link added to the agenda on this webpageon Tuesday - Plenty of Angling interest too https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/about-us/committees/local-access-forum/broads-local-access-forum-2-september-2020 With reasonable internet speed its easy to set up & watch & listen with one click!

Be a little cautious unless booked at Reedham Ferry as tends to be full or empty & not advisable to rely on a mooring at Reedham especially after the Quay Ranger has left as it is often full by 5pm & can be tricky getting into gaps if wind and tide are strong. Never heard of anyone having real problems in the New Cut

Postwick is still a Covid Testing Location

Also newspapers all had their own reporters rather than using agencies or simply copying each other or rehashing news off the internet (though they did exchange gossip in the Fleet Street watering holes)

I doubt if the hydraulic version screams like an electric one though?

Clearly some hire craft need a "10 seconds Max" sign near the button as I'v seen several doing full turns without even using the engine to help.

Even with ropes set at the right length its still possible for the edge of some craft to get caught on the quay then slip off as the tide goes down so essential to check how the fenders are set in relation to the quay.

No matter which paper you read the main government theme seems to be "No additional burden" (Quoted from the introduction to a consultation which went live today re the Waste Management Plan for England) When it comes to improving the environment one wonders how this can be achieved with such a statement

Somerleyton Bridge fixed about 3pm Mon. Reedham been open most of day with only an engineering train or two

Since China and the far east have stopped taking contaminated recycling materials the penny has finally dropped that co-mingled collections are of low value The UK paper mills don't want material contaminated with residue from bottles & cans and bits of broken glass the glass makers have to be paid to take glass that has come from mixed collections about the only ones who have less preference is the can re-cycling sector. The Government are concerned but naturally the councils are waiting for government to pay for the required infrastructure including for food waste as there is sometimes a shortage of feed-stock to the bio- digesters but collection is expensive

With funding for support of the tourist industry post Covid19 being channelled via local authorities maybe that budget could be used at least as a temporary measure. I suspect that with little saving to be had from the domestic waste budget & County Councils wanting to be paid for disposal of boat waste from 2014 in some areas it ticked a big box at the time - There is a lot of competition on councils for officers (and councillors) to make savings in their departments.

We can always blame Reedham Bridge being closed all day yesterday - fixed by this morning & now no passenger trains till Mon 24th due to track replacement at Cantley Plenty moored at Reedham yesterday & today more or less one out one in.

The revised schedule for hire craft tolls has been published somewhere & by the next BA Meeting on 25th Sept all will be revealed (& we can all watch & listen on-line)

Loddon Parish Council now maintain the Toilets SNDC empty the Litter Bins daily since the Eurobins were removed mostly due to the excessive misuse by locals. Also Pyes Mill

At last BA Members meeting 24th July they were told that Hire Tolls were coming in to the revised schedule & they would be given an update on 25th Sept (We can all now watch the meeting "live" )

BA will only be paying for their staffed sites Norwich & GY yacht station + Acle Bridge. They are Broadland DC bins at Reedham but not sure who pays.