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Malcolm Withell
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Posts posted by Malcolm Withell
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Hoseasons contacted us only when they wanted money. They ignored all messages and were uncontactable by phone. I wasn't best pleased at getting only the second message from them (the first was an autoresponse when we booked), saying they wanted the balance of the money by the end of the week, and would cancel the booking and keep the deposit if we hadn't paid by then. Nice way of putting it, and predictably I had no reply to my message about it. They won't be getting my business again.
The houseboat is a rotting hulk that lists alarmingly. The swans come and peck at the rotting wood. We had to go and buy wedges to hold the interior doors open so that they didn't slam shut and rattle (because the floor slopes). Let's hope we get out before it goes to the bottom of the river...
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I've now had quite a few rudd by fishing well off the bottom, and perch on the bottom with worms. I'm still hoping for a pike but tomorrow is our last day, so...
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Quite possible. It's around three feet deep where I am. I got a few perch on worms yesterday but not much sign of other fish. I've seen quite a few anglers catching fish in various other places we've visited (Horning, Potter Heigham, Ludham, etc)
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For the first couple of days there were plenty of fish around but I've blanked since! Any idea why? Would all the fish of various species moved, or what? I'm fishing only from the houseboat so haven't tried anywhere else.
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On 07/10/2020 at 14:11, vanessan said:
Do they have wi-fi in the WB Inn? I’m sure there’s a reasonable signal in there too so maybe a good excuse to pop in for a few jars?
Yes. We went in for breakfast (never again!) and got the WiFi code, so right now we're lurking in the car park!
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4 hours ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:
Grey Mullet perhaps?
I've given up and gone for cod and chips 😂
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I arrived on Monday. No mobile signal and no WiFi so although it's a bit of a nuisance it also means we're not being disturbed! Lots of small rudd and perch, plus roach and possibly hybrids (not sure about that). Let's hope something bigger turns up sometime while I'm here.
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On 02/10/2020 at 14:00, vanessan said:
This is something we’ve been hearing more and more of over the last 6 months. I think a lot of people will be steering clear of booking through Hoseasons in future. It is so unfair on folk.
I can understand their having problems with customer service at the beginning of lockdown, but surely most companies can get that sorted to a reasonably satisfactory degree in six months.
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With all this rain I suppose it's likely the rivers will be in flood next week when we arrive for a holiday! The Broads rivers aren't very long - do they take long to go down to normal levels or is it a question of surrounding land draining out?
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Is Angling Times still going? That's the one I usually got as a kid.
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On 01/10/2020 at 12:57, marshman said:
If they persist, then others booking direct through WRC or intending to do so, should take note - or at least thats my view!!!!
The downside we've just found, booking with Hoseasons, is that they are uncontactable by phone and don't reply to any messages. The only messages we've had from them are auto-generated ones when they wanted payment - on time, or they'd cancel the holiday and keep our deposit - and when they sent details of the accommodation with a form we should post to the owner.
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We've been waiting with dread for a further announcement about lockdowns, as we too are due to start our holiday on Monday. So far things seem OK for us, but we really feel for people who have planned a holiday which they really need and then not only have to forgo it but also have the stress of getting their money back.
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Why do you think we're hiring a houseboat? 🤣
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I'm not as thunk as drinkle peep I am.
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5 hours ago, Gracie said:
Hey Malcolm
Have a lovely time, I hope the weather is good for you too
I've caught some nice Perch on the grassy bank opposite the houseboats, using worm and feeding with maggot (yuk)
Eight inches is a bit of an exaggeration
And if you haven't worked it out by now I'll let you in on a secret, our Jenny Morgan is actually a man, he's good ship is called the Jenny Morgan. I made the same mistake when I joined. A nice guy too unless you mention National Parks Oh and don't forget the lovely Wayford Bridge Inn, good food and a great pub x
Thanks for the advice, Gracie, and I see you're also someone who is coy about gender! I'll look out for the stiletto marks on the grass bank. Eight inches too much? Well, mine's twelve inches, but I don't use it as a rule.
We're intending to patronise the local inn, as we intend having a totally lazy holiday. It will be a compromise of fishing time and her time, but then the best time for fishing is probably early and late, and I can always park the rod on the rail in the evening and loop the line round my toe while we sit inside.
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This time next week we'll be on our way to Wayford Bridge. As it's well upstream I assume the flooding/high tide combination won't affect us much. As we're going to be on a houseboat I sincerely hope we won't have to worry about bridge clearance. For me the main consideration is the fishing, so I'm hoping for the whole eight inches.
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The wiggle of the maggot depends on whether your flatfish is dextral or sinistral.
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Now two weeks away! Let's hope there won't be a sudden lockdown to stop us. Looking forward to a nice relaxing time with fishing, touring the local area, going out in the dinghy, and just generally being lazy.
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Hardley Cross? You sound Hopping Mad
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So long as they keep still.
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A very interesting account, and you evidently enjoyed your trip. We were thinking of getting a boat next month but decided we wanted to be totally lazy, so we're booked into a houseboat at Wayford Bridge for a fortnight. Hopefully the rowing boat supplied will be usable, although my wife would like a motor! A boat with an outboard would be great but I don't suppose you can hire one. We don't want a dayboat.
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Trouble over bridged waters, I think.
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I'm intrigued, Ian. Do you keep your eyes shut while you're driving? I keep mine shut while my wife is driving but...
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1972. That was the last time I came to the Broads! I don't suppose I'm anything to do with it, though...
Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app
And if you haven't worked it out by now I'll let you in on a secret, our Jenny Morgan is actually a man, he's good ship is called the Jenny Morgan. I made the same mistake when I joined. A nice guy too unless you mention National Parks
Trip Cancelled Due To Local Lockdown
in Broads Chat
Posted
Well, it stayed afloat! We had a dayboat out last Thursday and cruised past the houseboats. It looks as though most of them have some sort of tilt! My wife would be glad to come back here - she thinks she prefers the quiet setting (bigger boats can't get under Wayford Bridge) and a mediocre houseboat to a busy setting and a better houseboat. I mentioned to the owner when we checked out that a couple of times we'd been kept awake at night by the mooring chains groaning and scraping. It felt as though one at least was grinding on the hull. He said he'd check it out. He did at least get the wooden path to the houseboats pressure washed while we were there. It had been lethal as there was a lot of rain.
So....
Good points: clean; well-equipped; lots of power sockets; comfortable bed; nice setting; warm; can fish from balcony; rowing dinghy provided
Bad points: tilts alarmingly, so you're constantly off balance; weaves noisily on its moorings; settee should have been replaced several decades ago; shower drain hole is at the top of the slope (!); cupboard doors loose on hinges; balcony rails not safe to lean on; water heater overheated and steam poured out of hot tap; doors need to be wedged open to stop them banging and rattling (as they close downhill); towels not provided (although bed linen, shower mat and tea towel were); wooden pathway from car park uneven, worn and sunken; overhanging trees overgrown, limiting view; no wifi or mobile signal; window frames and other woodwork rotting to bits. I could probably think of others...