catcouk

Large water barrels and lots of additional crew members is my understanding...

We started crossing during fog but following the ranger (they had literally just reopened so I assumed they were expecting it to be clearer). It wasn't too thick as you could see the next post (and sometimes the one after it). Although we were following the ranger, I kept a compass bearing and put my brightest torch on the back. About a third of the way across, the ranger had to leave us as another hire boat had found itself up the mud bank (and they were just thinking about getting off!). We continued as instructed but it did real rather spooky. Happily, there was no wind so it was an easy crossing and the fog didn't get any thicker. Quite the experience so I am fascinated by some of the even more reduced visibility stories above!

My phone stopped being a pest so here is the rest (including what I thought was a cool zoom shot down the New Cut). And I just rediscovered how to put pictures in line with the text. Sorry everyone - I could have done that with tonight's post...

Flooding at Cantley, Reedham Ferry, Reedham Quay, and the bridge height gauge for Reedham Swing Bridge.

Got this snap of Melody II using the zoom lens from Beccles Old Road bridge. Looks quite straight from here (how the camera has lied!).

We were away from Norwich Yacht Station by 7.30 this morning - I was surprised to see we weren't the first to leave. We turned using the inlet at Pull's Ferry (mainly to enjoy the view) and then we set off down the Wensum. A bit more space under Trowse this morning (just over 9ft) and our odyssey down the Yare commenced. Whilst the morning was overcast, it was warm enough and even the wind wasn't that bad (we wouldn't be thinking that for too long). Several rowers and some canoeists were out on the river above Postwick Viaduct and it was all just lovely. There was a women's 8 team out training and I have to admit being impressed with that sight. Seeing 8 people working in such a coordinated fashion was very impressive and I'm sure it has taken a lot of hard work. It's about here that I must admit to a most shameful crime. I have been diligently keeping a box of recycling from our waste in the hopes of finding a recycling bin (seriously, why aren't there any). I had left the box on the aft deck last night to leave us space inside and completely forgotten. Somewhere around Thorpe, a gust of wind took the box and scattered the contents across the river. I am so sorry. My attempt to do my bit for the planet has seen a load of cardboard and a few aluminium cans sent to the briny deep. I am really gutted. (As the wife had gone back to bed, I had no chance of carrying out a man overboard procedure, not to mention the wind. Growl.) My annoyance to one side, the transit to Brundall was lovely but uneventful. As we're intending to travel everywhere, our return journey down the Yare necessitated a few detours. The first was a lovely jaunt through Bargate Broad. Knowing my Dad, we must have travelled through here when I was younger but I have no memory of it. I was surprised to find the Broad totally open and not in channels. A pleasant alternative to Brundall's marinas. The second detour came after the arrival of a delicious bacon butty (and some reheated chips that we really shouldn't have had). We used 'The Fleet' to take us onto Rockland Broad. Mrs Catcouk was diligently watching out in the hopes of seeing an elusive kingfisher - she didn't find one. I was once again surprised - this time to find the speed limit increase over Rockland Broad to 5mph (it makes total sense, I just expected the 3mph limit to remain like Bargate). I did remember this Broad from the channel markers (but, again, that was a childhood memory). We went all the way down the dyke to the staithe. Both the wife and I agree this must make a great place to stay so we've put it on our to do list. No time to stop today though - we're on a mission to make Beccles. The wind was really making itself known by the time we passed Beachamp Arms. As we travelled along the straight section from Langley Dyke to Cantley, the wind was firmly behind us giving us a push but I was intrigued by the sight of the 'bathtub' coming towards us. Firstly, I always find the sight of bathtubs on the Southern Rivers odd - I can't imagine travelling all the way from Acle to Reedham (and beyond) and being below the height of the reeds (absolutely no judgement on anyone that does)! On this occasion though, it was more the wave action on her hull that took my interest - she had spray coming over the height of the cabin on some waves thanks to the wind. It looked very dramatic - almost as though the bathtub was pretending to be a cross-Channel ferry! It was about this time that the boy took the helm. He's been getting pretty good so I have been sitting on the bench opposite just giving instruction. But, as we passed Hardley Mill (also added to the to do list), an enormous gust took us of course. I leapt across the boat to get us back but it was a bit all over the place. Moonlight Shadow was moored up there (I'm sure they're represented here) and I apologise for the ridiculous display of boat handling! I was aware that the Yare had been designated a 'red' flood risk area and so it came as little surprise to find a few moorings flooded/submerged. Cantley was particularly bad and I felt for the private owners who have their boats there. I'm sure all that time having the hull hit the quayside can't be good! On the other hand, the moorings at Hardley Cross were well above the waterline (I'm guessing a more recent renovation with this outcome in mind?). We'd planned on having a lunch break at Reedham. Passing the pretty flooded Reedham Ferry moorings (and the closed ferry) was a bit of a warning. We made preparations to moor but I made the call quite early on to abandon the plan. My binoculars confirmed the water was overtopping the quay in places and I have no desire to see my own hull bashing against the concrete. Not to mention that Mrs Catcouk has no keenness to get wet feet when she goes ashore! Passing under Reedham bridge (only about 9ft clearance showing), we continued on course for Beccles and headed down the Haddiscoe cut. I really wasn't looking forward to this as I knew the 40mph winds were going to be hitting us side on and I also know how narrow the cut can be. Maybe taking the two hour detour via Berney Arms would have been advisable but I really didn't fancy that. As we entered the channel, I was relieved to see we had it to ourselves. It felt almost as if we had to travel sideways down the channel to keep our position. Of course it felt way more than it really was but, even pointing into wind, I still found us occasionally on the wrong side. About a third of the way along, I thought I noticed a change under the flyover and, again, binoculars confirmed another cruiser. Then another. And two more. It felt tight but, even with all of us sliding diagonally along, it was okay. I am going to mention my grumpiness with one of the cruisers. A sizeable private cruiser actually overtook a hirer and continued down the middle of the channel at great speed leaving a huge wash. I imagine it was already difficult for the hirer with this crosswind but that couldn't have helped much and felt really unnecessary. Actually, I know they were finding it hard going as I saw them outside the markers several times before we passed. Hopefully they are through without issue - the Ant saw enough drama for the Broads today (a capsized yacht if you haven't read it elsewhere - my thoughts with the crew and hope all are well). I wanted a break and, having passed Reedham, chose to moor at Somerleyton to see the bridge height. The guage at the moorings read just 7ft which meant we wouldn't pass. I read up on the procedures for opening the bridge only to look up and see it had opened up since we had moored. I don't recall ever needing to pass an open bridge so I was unsure what would happen. Anyways, we decided to have a little stroll to see what was nearby. Not a lot was the answer. I'm not sure what it says about us as parents, but our son requested that we 'go to the pub'. We duly did and found the Dukes Head to be lovely. We stayed for a drink (as I needed to recover and recharge after the long walk up the lane - I didn't use my mobility scooter this time) and really enjoyed the surroundings. Having checked the train times for Haddiscoe, I reasoned the bridge would need to close around 1.30 so we set off again around 1.20. I was a bit excited to pass through the open bridge but a bit disappointed we didn't get a chance to request it opened just for us (maybe I'd let the power goto my head though). We had a drizzly and very windy trip up the Waveney. I looked on sadly at the Waveney River Centre - I will miss their showers! Despite the constant strong headwind and crosswind, we made good time arriving around 3.30 (the GPS speedo very much used to ensure no speed limits broken - I don't want to do any more damage to the Broads today). The stern mooring was stressful as, again, the very strong cross wind was not helping. I did manage to avoid bumping into the next boat but I was nowhere near where I had planned for. The wind just pushed us down too quick. Furthermore, no amount of helm control would bring the bow back round so, like everyone else, we've ended up at about a 10 to 20 degree angle. I knew the key was getting the windward stern line on first but I don't think I aimed for the right one or for it to be tight enough. I was very pleased of the assistance from our neighbours who had moored minutes before us and had experienced the same. Embarrassingly, I was recognised from one of my YouTube videos again. Seriously, I have done a wide range of things on YouTube for years (purely for my own and friends' amusement) and I have never been 'recognised' - now twice in one week!?!? Anyways, our neighbours from Solihull were very friendly and helpful having ended up here themselves unexpectedly as they had been turned away from Breydon (during the closure due to wind earlier today). My intention was to have a quick explore of the high street and head to the nearby BA moorings for free within the 2 hours limit. We found a delightful and very colourful ice cream and cake shop. The boy had a custom made ice cream to his exact specification whilst the wife had something a bit simpler and I had an awesome banana milkshake. One of the ladies that served us went to the college right next door to our house back in Sussex - small world! We bought cakes to have with dinner later (a delicious 'Hoisin shredded pork wraps' recipe from our Hello Fresh box & the best so far ths week). At the time of writing, all of us have cake left to eat tomorrow (as the portions were HUGE). After a brief play in the awesome play park here, our two hours free mooring were nearly up. Just as we were about to head around to the BA moorings (we had literally one line left to take of) something happened. I won't say what for fear of getting anyone in trouble or setting a precedent but all that matters is that there is a really friendly guy at the yacht station who really believes in what he does and the ethos of the Broads. As I write this, we remain at the yacht station bumping around in the wind - quite pleasantly really. I can't make the stern lines any tighter or the mud weight any heavier. Also, after quite the ordeal stern mooring here (effectively twice with the ropes) my Long Covid has struck. I'm having to type this up tonight whilst lying in bed. I've definitely overdone it today and I'm hoping it doesn't spoil our time in Great Yarmouth tomorrow! I might post a few individual pictures but the rest will have to wait for the morning!

I assume they would need to equip the cruiser with navigation lights for that? Also, crossing Breydon in the dark must be one heck of an experience on a river cruiser!

I absolutely respect them closing Breydon. We were held at Berney Arms once due to fog and I wouldn't have chosen to cross even if it was open! My wife raised a good point though. Anyone know what a boatyard would do if you couldn't get back on time due to a closure? I assume they would send someone from the yard to pilot the boat.

When we moored up at Beccles, our neighbours told us they'd been sent back from Breydon. Apparently it was closed due to safety and windspeed concerns. My weather reports are giving me the same wind speeds as when we crossed two days ago. Did we get lucky or did something happen? Also, where is the best place to check for closure announcements? I've just been checking the Broads Authority's page on Facebook.

When I saw this boat coming up the river earlier (in the rain), I was convinced one unlucky crew member had been sent out to be the windscreen wiper. Turns out, he had just chosen that moment to go out and clean the windows!

Crikey! A colleague (and fellow teacher) is out with his youth group this week on their annual sail. I hope it wasn't them!

The ones I saw did. Unfortunately, my photo is somewhat silhouetted.

Looks like we'll be sailing through red flood country in the morning then! Do you think we'll need Reedham Swing Bridge to open...? Ha ha.

Just some 'beauty' shots of the city and near the yacht station. Goodnight.

An early start this morning for us down at Loddon Staithe. When we first did this, I actually cast off from here on my own leaving everyone else to have a lie in. Sadly, times have changed and I can no longer lift the mud weight. At 0700, poor beleaguered Mrs Catcouk had to stumble around on the foredeck in her pyjamas before attempting to go back to sleep… A sleepy chug down the peaceful Chet was marginally ruined by our windscreen – I could not get the darn thing clear. No matter what we wiped it with, it remained either wet or greasy (and no, I wasn’t using a greasy cloth!). Last time we did this, I had a flying bridge which is absolutely my recommendation for this stretch of river at this time of day. Mrs Catcouk decided to stay up for this section as we passed Hardley Flood and nature reserve (in the vain hopes of seeing a kingfisher) and she also wanted to tackle the narrow hairpin bends at the end of the Chet (which was a seamless affair). We also saw our mystery bird of prey friend from yesterday (which I now believe to be a marsh harrier – many thanks for all the suggestions). Chugging up the Yare was almost unremarkable. We had one boat follow us as far as Brundell Church Fen (Sherz and Linz – if anyone has seen their videos on YouTube) but we couldn’t have passed more than ten boats coming the other way the whole morning. Whilst I’m sure this early Easter and the quiet rivers are no good for business, they have been great for me (I can’t say ‘us’ as the wife decided to go back to bed until the Postwick viaduct after we joined the Yare…). I was somewhat fascinated by the activity around the Cantley works. Having only past by once as an adult (and many times as a child), my memories are of an almost abandoned industrial facility. Not today though – loads of people, lorries, a forklift, and flashing lights. I know many (if not most) come to the Broads for the amazing wildlife but I admit to enjoying the contrasts on offer just as much too. The Cantley works seem so out of place in their surroundings! This morning, I saw a ‘flock’ of (what I can now identify as) marsh harriers – well, three felt like a flock. Other than that, the predominant birds were cormorants (aside from the usual mallards, swans, and geese). This made me think through the various birds we’d seen so far: (ignoring the yawns of mallard, swan, goose, pigeon, and seagull) coot (no moorhens yet though), Egyptian goose, oyster catcher, curlew, grebe, cormorant, pheasant, marsh harrier, magpie, and Canada goose (or, as I call them, Goose GTI – I think they look like a sportier model of a regular goose). After the boy helmed us past Rockland St Mary, and we passed Brundell and Brammerton, our plans changed. As had been reported, Whitlingham Country Park was removed from our itinerary as the moorings are no longer available (not to mention rather unloved). In my defence, it was still listed with an electric mooring on my 2022 map book (printed after the moorings closed) and still appears on several websites. It is a shame that the park itself can’t keep the moorings open if the BA don’t fancy it. I can’t really understand them wanting to raise the price – surely the moorings would only bring more passing trade and free maintenance from the BA? I don’t want to start a BA argument here (as so often happens on our forum) but I think the thought process of the Whitlingham volunteers should be examined here. Maybe there’s a good reason for them not to want the moorings? Trowse railway bridge was lower than I remembered in as much as I actually had to check the gauge. We need 7’08 and was relieved to see 8’06 showing (but that still seems low for an ‘unremarkable’ bridge). I actually think Trowse should be in the same league as Ludham but I guess it sees a lot less traffic and is made a bit easier without the blind bend (and I think they get a 2 foot tidal range here – this was high tide). I have already jokingly sent a photo of what we saw cruising up the Wensum but, again, I love the sudden and complete difference of the experience. It might not be the natural haven of so many other stretches but it has always felt somehow special cruising in such a busy place with so many spectators. Our arrival at Norwich Yacht Station was much earlier than anticipated at around 1115. On the bright side, this meant we could have a ‘fancy’ restaurant lunch. Well, a Pizza Hut buffet is pretty fancy with a 6-year-old (he had his first ever ice cream factory). Chatting with the yacht station guy (is he a ‘station master’, ‘harbour master’, ‘quayside administrator’?) was interesting. This time of year (the Easter holidays) usually sees 15 to 20 overnight boats each night. Tonight, we are one of only 6 (well, 7, if you include the private boat that reversed in just after 8 and I imagine will be out before 0800 to avoid paying the mooring fee). Having said that, the ‘mooring attendant’ (?) wasn’t that worried – he reckons it is only a bad year for tourism if July and August are quiet. An interesting point of view? As for the rest of the day, we ambled around the beautiful old streets of Norwich. Two things I hadn’t appreciated until today about the city: there are many old and interesting buildings to look at jammed in amongst much newer ones; isn’t it difficult to find a decent view if the castle? We got to see a Ranger boat up close at the Yacht Station so the boy and I went to ogle at the beauty – how do they keep them so pristine? We also met up with some family who were literally just spending one night here by coincidence and played crazy golf at an Asian inspired crazy golf and bar called ‘Putt Putt Golf’. It was great fun. Incidentally, they paid £250 for one night at a Travelodge/Premier Inn. The £600ish we paid for a week on Melody looked very appetizing. So much so that they are considering making up a flotilla with us next year! I have now sat here writing this up whilst looking out the massive rear patio doors/ windows overlooking the Wensum under the road bridge. It really isn’t a bad view to be writing a blog post to. It also had the added benefit of watching a 38ft private boat reverse down here from the turning point by Lady Julian’s Bridge. I admit to being quite impressed with that – especially when I saw the young fella at the helm. You might be dodging the mooring fee (they might not) but either way I enjoyed watching the boat handling (they ended up moored directly in front of us). Many photos were already posted above but a few extra ones are to follow.

To answer the bird of prey question (and I appreciate my photo wasn't great), having looked at some pictures, I believe it was a Marsh Harrier. Saw an actual flock of three of them over the Yare this morning. Buzzard and Red Kite were good guesses from my photo but from the extra bits I can remember, Marsh Harrier was the best fit.

Only really the Trowse swing bridge to worry about. This year, we have 7'08" and had 8'5" indicated. It certainly must a be squeeze with anything with a fly bridge! Having said that, I think they have a 2ft tidal range even up here.

We arrived at Norwich well ahead of time (as we were denied mooring at Whitlingham - seems a real shame) so I thought I'd post my pictures whilst enjoying a Pizza Hut buffet. Turns out that using the zoom lens and helming is quite tricky so apologies for the blur. Also, is there a more majestic sight than that vista seen by mariners on the approach to the centre of Norwich... Ha ha.

All very reasonable points but still a shame to be so expensive. I hope they recover costs quickly and can reduce the fee. Equally, sad that the honesty box wasn't used.

Several websites (even some reputable ones) still list it as a valid mooring but, crucially, neither the BA or the park itself mention it. There is a post on the BA Facebook page from 2021 stating a closure so it seems our detour is cancelled. Seems a real shame. Boo...

Firstly - shhhhh. The wife and I are both teachers. The Easter break is the only time we can afford to come and the quiet levels are great. The tourists should stick to the nice weather in the very expensive summer holidays... Secondly - you are absolutely right. Salhouse Broad offers you free water and, for £2.50, somewhere lovely to chill out for an hour. Also, Ludham Bridge will be the first refill point fur so many hirers - it sets a bad impression really.

The crossing was disappointingly smooth - I guess that was the effect on wind WITH tide. It was just a so and so to steer through!

And also... The wife and I were very amused by the very modern 'top-up' poster in the window of Ludham Bridge Stores - love it! Has anyone ever noticed just how much Oby Drainage Mill looks just like a giant Dalek? Good night all.

Photos... If anyone can identify the bird of prey, do please let us know. We couldn't believe how close to us it was. Beautiful!

The morning after the night before… It was a loud and bumpy night aboard Melody II. Try as I might, I could not persuade a key fender to stay below the quay head so, every time another gust hit us, the rubbing strips creaked painfully along the mooring’s woodwork. For hours. And hours. Yawn… Thanks to the Long Covid, I tend to only get a few hours of sleep at a time anyway so I know we had a quiet spell about 2. (Before anyone suggests lowering the fender, tell me how you did trying to unsplice (desplice?) a rope in the dark first… ha ha.) The noisiest night’s sleep I’ve ever had on a boat aside, the morning we found ourselves in was positively glorious! Ignoring the wind (at your peril as I found later), we had bright sunshine, miles of blue sky, and it was even warm enough to only need a jumper outside. Lovely. Our second day started properly with a traditional saunter around the cute little Ludham Bridge Stores. We got the essential duck food and, much to my disappointment, our son got a new toy. A very noisy toy. And weird too – why does a toy train need to play some sort of regal fanfare after making the terrible chuffing and choo choo sounds? The absolute highlight though was finding Dollies Bakery still going strong after their move here from Wroxham last year. £14 saw us walk out with a variety of delicious baked goods: a cookie, a pain au chocolate, two ENORMOUS sausage rolls, and something called a bacon and cheese bostok. All of it absolutely stunning (albeit at a premium price). Having ignored the wind to enjoy the beauty, it was time to cast off. And for those that spotted my foreshadowing, yes, I cocked it up wonderfully. It took FOUR attempts for us to get off the mooring against the wind. I had chosen (correctly, I believe, but put myself here to be judged) to maintain the bow line and use the engine to put the aft into the river. The truth is, I either hadn’t accepted just how strong the wind was or, as in our final effort, needed to be braver about how far to stick out into the river. 45 degrees wasn’t enough but nearly 90 was a success. My boat handling self esteem was renewed after passing through Ludham Bridge without a single bump (not an easy task when you have considerable crosswinds on the approach, a completely dead spot as you pass through, and then a sudden gust as you exit). Although it was less than a minute after our woeful cast off, I had taken time to line up the boat and consider the angle of approach with relation to the wind. I was also ready to steer into the wind – it wasn’t catching me out again! I assume I did well as the boat that came through after us seemed to be playing bumper boats through there and the wife even reported they were looking stuck as we went round the corner out of view. They must have made it out though as they caught up to us. Aside from a bit of traffic along the Bure between the mouths of the Ant and Thurne, and a few boats around Acle, it honestly felt like we had the river to ourselves this morning. Amazing. The wind was making itself very much known (as would become a theme today) – coming around a corner onto a headwind could drop our speed by over 1mph. After Acle though, and the wind (and tide) were definitely behind us. We arrived at Stracey Arms in good time. We could have even stopped at Stokesby (which has never had a space when we’ve passed) but the boy decided on a pyjama day and the play park was not on his to do list. We love having a stroll around Stracey Arms to look at the animals and only last year found the café (which feels hidden past the shop). The wife and I had some very sizeable milkshakes and our son has the biggest portion of chips you could ever see. I chatted with the lady owner about their plans (mainly so I could answer a forum post from a few weeks back). With the wind helping us this time, casting off was a doddle and we headed for Great Yarmoth. I’d been keeping an eye on the yacht station’s notifications on Facebook as I was half expecting the BA to close Breydon Water to hire craft. But, an hour before low tide, we were able to pass through (following another boat) with ease. Well… passing the yacht station with ease. Now look, I know as much as the next Broads boater that low water slack is the best time for a crossing. As best I can tell, we were only 90 minutes ahead of that and (I thought incorrectly) would be within the last twelfth of the tide (rule of twelfths if you know it). I hadn’t counted on the fact that low tide takes longer to reach points the further upriver to go. With the engine on full, the best we could achieve was 3.4mph (on our GPS speedo - and yes, less than 4mph). To be fair, the phenomenal head wind (with a slight bit of crosswind) was very much hindering our progress too. Despite this, we crossed Breydon in about an hour which I didn’t think was too bad all considered. We saw some great wildlife though. Although I was focussing hard on course made good without the help of a compass (the first time I’ve really had to do that on the Broads), the wife was in her element. Armed with binoculars and my zoom lens camera, she saw all sorts of wading birds. Having said that, I think my photo of an oyster catcher sat on a lateral channel marker on the Bure is better. But not all boats crossing Breydon were having such a lovely time… Two boats behind us was one of Herbert Woods new bathtubs (they do look really smart). On multiple occasions, the wind took them past the green (starboard) channel markers – on one particularly worrying incident, by several boat lengths! I was glad to see them get back into the middle of the channel after that. The same could not be said for a little boat chilling out by the Waveney/Yare junction. Sat high and dry on the mud was this little cruiser well past the red (port) channel markers. Mrs Catcouk did ask if everyone was off – I could only assume all was okay as we had literally just past the big Breydon ranger launch. PROOF READ COPY WITH ADDITIONS (too late to edit, sorry) As we turned up the Yare, I was really hoping for more progress. Alas no. Great Yarmouth to Reedham was practically into the wind the entire time. Passing Reedham at Low Water, I was convinced the wind was causing us more problems that the tide (unless the tide was late today?). We were doing well if 4mph appeared on the Speedo. A few boats crept passed us but only just - I think they were struggling as much as us. We were very excited to pass under the swing bridge at exactly the same time as a train going over – what are the chances? At this point, and long overdue, my son took the helm. I had intended to allow him the helm on Breydon Water but that did not feel sensible today! He did a great job passing the moorings and even steered us past the chain ferry (something I was never allowed to do when I was younger). Of course, I was right by his side the entire time and would have taken over if required. Eventually (and worryingly later than hoped), we entered the ridiculously narrow and windy mouth of the River Chet. Whilst I am always very nervous around these bends, I secretly hope it helps to keep people away from this amazingly beautiful and quiet spot. I think it is quieter than the Bure above Wroxham (at least in my experience). We saw some amazing wildlife again - even an eagle sort of thing (yes, I really need to improve my birds of prey identification skills). I know that moorings on the staithe are limited so an arrival time of 1740 was really not ideal – I had actually consigned myself to a spot of Pyes Mill. But, to our delight, there was loads of room! Half an hour after us, another stern moored alongside and there was a further boat that could have moored up but, oddly, decided just to turn around and go again. I can’t exactly put my finger on why but I absolutely love it here. We popped over to the corner shop for some dessert and an all important key ring for the family key ring collection. After tonight’s delicious (but unpronounceable) noodle dish, the boy and I popped out to take some photos and found a delightful little community space on the Chedgrave side. The sky was once again fantastic – first appearing in the reflection of our neighbour and then I spotted it silhouetting the mill. Just gorgeous. Relieved to have finally found some peace, quiet, and (most importantly) shelter from the wind, we are now settled down for a peaceful night before an early start tomorrow. Despite the worry about crossing Breydon today, we remain on track to achieve our ‘Grand Tour’ and have Norwich (and Whitlingham Country Park) in our sights for tomorrow. Quite by accident, we’re in Norwich on the same day as some family we see all too infrequently, so we’re going to catch up and play some ‘putt putt (crazy) golf’. Less boating tomorrow but I do love the cruise into Norwich as it is so different from anywhere else (yeah, it isn’t nature focused but it is definitely different). Pictures to follow (if I can get our boat’s Wifi to work or find another Richardson’s boat have left theirs on…). Also, posted before re-read as the connection (even on my neighbours 'Platinum' wifi) is pretty dire... [Thanks to L062 for the Wifi... - now reread and updated]