kpnut

Beautiful herd of British White cattle in the field at the top of Salhouse Broad.

Just got back from a walk at the ‘discovery hub’ at Salhouse Broad, put up early 2023, ready for the season. This little item was on it. Acle and Stalham both ‘coming soon’. I am generally in favour of an improvement on the area down at Acle Bridge. I find it most bleak. So look forward to something smarter to enhance the obvious natural beauty surrounding it. People are only going to continue to be attracted to this area of the country if it smartens itself up a bit. I don’t mean the wildness of the wetland itself, but the environs. At the moment it does feel to me like it’s a bit lost in the past, which of course is part of its charm. Charming, but run down, Victorian/Edwardian seaside resorts fall into the same category, and look how some of them struggle; economically, educationally and socially -some of the most deprived areas of the UK, for all their charm. The 21stC has to come eventually. And as has been said, putting aside the politics of it all, I would think that Richardsons of all companies would have a good clue of what they’re doing. They’ve done OK business-wise through some earlier tough times on the Broads (I expect some would say ‘on the back of smaller companies’ but that’s business. And they have enough history among the family to have a care for the place, surely. Not sure that digging up peat to make more mooring basins at both sites will go down well in some quarters though.

Yes, I’m sure it won’t be there much longer.

I would agree. Is there still a mill as shown in the background? There is one shown on the map.

Will do Simon, although I’m hoping not to go back up till early next week. Helen on Moonlight Shadow might have a look if I don’t. It was over 7ft when I went down on Sunday lunchtime, about a couple of hours before high tide. The cills were showing nicely if that helps. And then we’ve had rain since of course, a lot last night and today. Hope we might ‘meet’. Water at Gays staithe is on by the way. I’m not sure when Richos water is back on, (expect it will be by the weekend mind you). It wasn’t on Sunday and I could see no evidence of a water hose outside reception, or a suitable gap even if there had been one. My neighbours at Salhouse don’t seem to be concerned by the horrid weather.

For info, as I haven’t seen it mentioned on a BA notice or anywhere else. There is a tree down and lying about 1/3 across the river Bure on your starboard side if travelling upstream, shortly after Salhouse. It is marked with yellow posts and a light on the outermost post. Photo was taken on the way back downstream.

Just noticed my OS map (OL40 The Broads) shows the Norwich ‘Ring Road (for want of calling it by its proper names) as a dotted line, opening early 2018. I’ll have to see if there’s a more updated map now.

Ah right Liz. The parish boundary does veer off the main river onto the Hundred Dyke at that inlet.

What a fascinating map. A few things don’t seem to be in quite the right places, like Thurne above Ludham. A most interesting feature is the river coming off the Bure and going up towards Rollesby. I suppose it’s what is known as Muck Fleet nowadays but looks like it was a lot bigger once upon a time. The current OS Map puts the Hundred Dyke as starting by the ‘inlet’ by the bridge gauge, but that doesn’t mean the Ant went off there, as the bit between the Ludham Bridge big bend and that inlet (ie the straight bit with all the moorings) could well be part of the dug channel when the river was rerouted.

Poor Ian to have to suffer all this as well. As Mark has said so wonderfully, all our thoughts are with you and family. Xx

Monday 1st January 2024 What a start to the new year. We couldn’t resist a walk up to Ludham Bridge and back round to St Benet’s via Hall Road and the concrete track. As I was walking along the raised causeway that runs parallel to the river to Ant mouth from St Benet’s, I realised that before the river Ant was diverted to flow out into the Bure, the monks would have been able to walk all the way from the abbey to Horning and beyond. I then decided to try to work out where the Ant went after Ludham Bridge. I know it went along the Hundred Dyke across the marsh to near Coldharbour Farm to flow out into the Thurne, but I wondered where it started that journey. Does anyone know for definite? Is it from that inlet south of the straight bit of the bridge moorings? (where the bridge height gauge is) or perhaps more likely, off the big corner behind the boatyard? There is a fairly wide dyke behind that corner which is a suitable suspect. The river from Ludham Bridge looked sparkling and it’s nice to see the water level has dropped at the boatyard. This is the course of the Ant across the marsh, along the Hundred Dyke. It does seem to come from the direction of the bend south of the boatyard. I imagine that the line of bushes on the left side of the photo was the southern bank of the river. This one looks towards the Thurne. Coming back to the boat, I passed numerous birdwatchers, this time all looking towards Ant mouth. The last few times, including yesterday, they were looking towards Coldharbour. One of them told me the other week he was hoping to spot short-eared owls but I don’t know what they were after yesterday or today, and I certainly didn’t spot anything at all in the air, apart from a couple of pheasants that Finlay stumbled across on the verge. And then a wonderfully sunny journey up the Bure. Ferry Inn, after two episodes of having to close due to the flooding and lack of access, is open again and had a fair number of cars in the car park. Very muddy though. Although not one of my ‘go-to’ pubs, if I wasn’t avoiding too much contact with others due to my recent bout of that bug, I would have spent a bit of money there to support them.

It was touch and go finding somewhere suitable to stop I must say, thank goodness for farm gates! Much, much better now thanks. I did a nice walk along from st Benet’s to Ludham. This morning I had to unjam the weed strainer cap as it had been put on too tight. Hammer and block of wood sorted that. Then I realised the probe for the remote thermostat/plug for the tube heater in the engine bay was tightly wound round the alternator belt wheel. Comes from turning the engine on before I left last time in a hopeless attempt to try to loosen the strainer cap. I’d already set the probe up to come through the hole in the wall into the engine bay. Oops. So I had to loosen off the alternator and sort that out. No harm done, probe still works. But that was two jobs I could have done without when not on top form! As regards how busy or not it is - I was expecting it to be busier. Three boats passed me and no one was in at Womack when I walked down there, other than a ‘long term’ boat. Last New Years Eve I had Womack to myself. Maybe electric moorings are more popular.

Me too Neil. There is laundry/domestic and engineers shop on the master plan, plus extension to main shed.

No Bucket, (and Gracie it seems) you’re welcome to have my share. I’ll look forward to mine in the New Year.

Very pleased I was still in the yard last night, as it blew an absolute hoolie overnight for about 8 hours. Much calmer outside (and in) this morning. Feel much better this morning but i’m not going to chance eating anything for a while. Water, herbal tea and paracetamol will do. Last year over New Year I was out and really didn’t see a soul. But on various ‘group’ pages, it seems more folk are venturing out this year, so might not have all the moorings to myself 😄

Saturday 30th December Back on the rivers for New Year. I aimed to get here on Thursday, but family plans changed somewhat (due to illness in my son in law’s parents’ house over Christmas so a delayed visit to us) so I managed it Saturday. Unfortunately it seems I brought the sickness bug with me so the journey was rather ‘stop start’ with the need to open the car door in a hurry a couple of times from Kings Lynn onwards. Too far to drive home again and I need to see to some jobs on the boat anyway.

Ah, my very selfish wish came true. A shame for the quiz, but happy for me.

Sorry Grendel, I’m not going to be able to make it. Visitors! (selfishly hoping there’s big enough and it’s postponed till next week!)

Thanks for that tip Grendel. I’ve just run out of ginger wine for Tony, so I’ll source that for next year.

Well, it’s behind him now.

Working outside, it’s the windy weather I hate the most. So potentially damaging, and nothing goes right or stays put and it puts me in a very grumpy mood.

Ummm. I think the lead I got from Sporting Saint will be too big for her. It might well be best to give the ‘halti’ or ‘gentle leader’ a try as you can buy them in different sizes. You’d need the small one. Pets at Home sell both. (Other stores too of course). To see if the general concept works, why not take her in there, choose the thinnest diameter sliplead they’ve got and put it on with the twisting motion I showed. But probably the thinnest diameter is still going to be too thick for her little nose so won’t be that comfy. The gentle leader and I think the halti too use a flat nylon type material which will be more suitable. They have infinite adjustable buckles (which is why I find them more of a faff) which might get you a much better fit. You would be more than welcome to have my redundant gentle leader, but it is the medium size rather than small. If you want it, just pm me and we can arrange getting it to you.

Next ‘spanner’ I have, I will be doing things very differently, right from the off. Not sure what yet, but different!

A very common misconception, including my daughter with her nightmare springer. He pulled Tony over and Tony ended up in A and E in the CT scanner checking his head! I walked both springers together the other week all round our local streets with these leads, without one negative incident. And in the woods once Charlie had had enough charging around. Charlie just took to it and trotted along - a total miracle, especially in the wood with all the pheasant scent. I’m really hoping to persuade Catherine that he’ll be much happier with it rather than his harness, it’ll be better for his joints if he’s not pulling and safer for Catherine with baby in tow as well.

I saw the Halti on the pets at home website. It and the ‘gentle leader’ work in a slightly different way to the figure of 8 slip, but the idea’s the same. Pull = tight and pulls the nose round, don’t pull = loose and comfy. I did try a ‘halti’ and a ‘gentle leader’, but Finlay still persisted in walking at the end of the lead and keeping it tight. He does have a very high drive mind you, so I have no doubt a lesser puller would get on OK with them. I found them slightly more fiddly to put in as like a harness or normal collar and lead, there’s a clip to do up, difficult with wet gloves on when out working. If anyone would like my redundant ‘gentle leader’ just shout. I can bring it to the boat after Christmas.