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kpnut
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Posts posted by kpnut
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1 hour ago, YnysMon said:
Graham noticed that the cap for the waste tank and Boulter’s key for it were on the boat just in front of the windscreen.
That happened to me once. I left Boulters and moored up at st Benedict’s church to let the dog off. Found the connection still in the hole in the boat. I rang and said I’d walk back down with it, so Finlay had a bonus walk and I realised his nice a mooring that one is.
Really enjoying your read Helen. And thanks for the springers retreat photos. I didn’t know you’d taken them.
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I’m going to ask the pilot sometime when the season starts. About mooring on the front, after hours and winter time, not down the side. I expect the answer is ‘not allowed’.
I saw that little houseboat, funny looking little thing. I presumed it was a narrowboat of some sort. I thought it was something to do with the hotel wroxham, like an outdoor coffee stall or something. -
53 minutes ago, YnysMon said:
Don't fancy trying to get into Boulter's in winds of 40mph+.
Definitely to be avoided! I hate getting in there at the best of times, although the staff are ultra helpful.
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2 hours ago, YnysMon said:
Pozzick fell in whilst getting off the boat. Whoops! He needs to learn to get off the back not the side when we are stern moored.
Easily done.
I was moored once at st Benets and while sorting out my friend’s dog late at night in the dark, I opened the bow door to let Finlay out. I suppose I was blocking the way landward so the next thing I knew he’d dived in, thankfully he just swam round the front to the quay heading and I pulled him out.
He won’t go into the front well of the boat at all now, not even if I put his food bowl out there.
Now, when he goes out the stern door he always stops on the step and looks both ways before deciding which way he needs to go. Like crossing the road! It helps that while training him, I could fasten the river side of the canopy down to block him.
Not the best of weather for your trip Helen, but good that you’re getting out and about on land as well as water.
Which is the staithe mooring in Wroxham, where boats pick up the pilot? I don’t actually know the rule for mooring there when the pilot’s not working ie after hours in the summer and anytime in the winter. Can anyone enlighten me please? I have a feeling you weren’t being naughty at all.
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2 hours ago, YnysMon said:
We spotted Springer's Retreat
At least I must have moored her up securely then, if she’s still there!
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Some sunshine and breezy to dry the wet dog towels -heaven.
Did it stay sunny? It was brilliant sun as I came down the Ant to drop the boat off at LBBY but the drive home back to Yorkshire was rainy. -
1 hour ago, YnysMon said:
Just over 6'4', so no chance!
Thanks. I didn’t expect you to be able to go through as it’s low at the best of times.
But I’m trying to learn how to read the weather in relation to bridge clearance etc. so all info appreciated.Carry on enjoying your holiday.
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3 hours ago, YnysMon said:
AG Meale & Sons Farm Shop and Vera's Coffee Shop
You recommended it to me a while ago Jean and I still haven’t been in. When in the car I’m always either on my way to or from the boat. So Helen’s idea of mooring at Wayford Bridge would make a trip of it.
What was the bridge height board saying Helen?-
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Friday 6th January
Another sunny start. All that was needed today was a short amble back to my home mooring at Stalham. Managed in a timely fashion with no issues other than feeling sad that another fantastic trip was coming to an end. When I hired boats, I absolutely hated that last morning up the Ant, knowing I should enjoy the last moments but well aware that it was the ‘final’. Now I just love noticing the seasons changing etc.
A perfect stern-mooring with no-one to see!!! Typical. My best yet, thanks to very little wind.
One job of the day was to go to Rackheath to pick up a basin unit I’d ordered before Christmas. Noticing the very long queue of traffic from Norwich waiting to go through the temporary 3way lights at Roy’s garage roundabout on the far side of Wroxham, I came back via Salhouse and didn’t queue at the lights at all. Maybe they’re not set quite right, as the queue out of Wroxham was much shorter than the one heading into Wroxham.
All that was left was to join the quiz in the evening. I’d been absent a while, being away and busy in the weeks running up to Christmas, so it was good to get involved again. Not that I knew much!!
A side note - if SteveO is reading-I managed to sort out the boat by tightening the far side sternrope so the boat couldn’t reach across. Good thing I checked the mudweight rope, it wasn’t attached to the cleat!
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I’ve laughed, but I don’t think that’s true!
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8 minutes ago, LizG said:
is confusing but that is Hoveton Upper Street not Horning Upper Street
Thanks for the clear-up LizG. As you say, confusing.
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10 minutes ago, LizG said:
That wasn't Upper Street but simply Neatishead Road
To be fair to Helen, the OS map does say Upper Street where BiWilderwood is.
I know Upper Street as the bit of road where the houses are near where Church Road /School Road come out onto the main A1062. The map confusingly also marks that as Upper Street.
2 hours ago, YnysMon said:led over a field to a lane. I turned left
I often go over that field but have only ever turned right. So thanks for that Helen, I’ll be trying that out.
If you had turned right instead of left, you’d have come across Burnt Fen alpacas at the little crossroads. They do wierd things like ‘have a cream tea with the alpacas’, but also a rather interesting looking weaving day, in a yurt I think, using their wool.-
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Have fun, the two of you. And Bramble.
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Sam, it’s because they’re built differently. Desmond is the equivalent of Usain Bolt and Finlay is Haile Gebrselassie the marathon runner.
In biological terms, Desmond will have more of the right muscle fibres to give a quick burst of energy, but they tire more quickly. Finlay has the right muscle fibres for endurance. He can run all day long when working and doesn’t realise he’s tired until he stops.
Thats why different breeds of dog have evolved/been bred selectively for different jobs.
If we had them both off lead, there’s no way Finlay, although fast for a spaniel, would keep up with Desmond. Horses for courses.
And I very much envy you the ‘wipe-clean’ version!!!!-
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How lovely is that Vaughan. Many thanks for posting it.
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My afternoon walk to Alderfen Broad and Neatishead was nice and varied.
Firstly along the lane from the staithe. That one’s called Shoals Rd and always seems muddy, I think because it’s so tree lined and the fallen leaves squish into mud in the autumn. Then a left turn down Irstead Street. Continuing along there round some bends eventually took me to a little bridge on a sharp left hand bend and a footpath sign. This makes its way along one side of Alderfen Broad and is the only path that dogs are allowed. Wow, it was muddy! A bog rather than a marsh I’d say. Glad I had my wellies and waterproof leggings on, even though I had started to regret being so togged up as the drizzle had gone and it was rather warm.
The path eventually sorted itself out somewhat and was delightful, walking along next to a dyke.
Reaching the end of that there’s a path to the right that leads to a very bouncy boardwalk and a viewing platform.
Dog on lead at this point but even so, as I approached the screen of the viewing platform with him pulling, I made too much noise and as I stood up on the log kindly supplied to see over the top, the ducks took flight, leaving me with just two swans to look at in the distance. Oh well!!
Back along the boardwalk to the junction, there’s a signboard and a carpark. I wouldn’t suggest taking a car along the track to it though, as it’s full of mud and potholes. Even with a 4x4 it’d churn it up unnecessarily in my opinion. Halfway along this track there’s a footpath to the right which leads round to the lane to Workhouse Common. Two beautiful retrievers and a spaniel came to loudly say hello at their gate and I had to throw their ball back under the gate for them. Their owner came out to see what all the noise was about and with that, one Goldie decided the hedge made a good gate hole and joined me on the road. Finlay was still pretty unaware of what was going on, just calmly said hello and carried in rummaging on the verge! The dog was rescued and as I was showing the owner the hole the dog had come through, it repeated the exercise. This convinced the owner that he had a bit of fencing work to do!
Carrying on from there, past the houses and at a sign saying ‘no turning’ heading up the unsurfaced lane leads to a footpath across the field which comes out just before the ‘Fudge Lady’ bend in the road between Neatishead and Gays Staithe. I continued along past the Neatishead moorings, taking Finlay for a swim to clean him up before the pub, we landed up in the pub where I thought I’d have a sandwich. By the time I’d looked at the whole menu and convinced myself I’d have fish and chips instead, I realised it was gone 3.15pm and if I enjoyed a relaxing meal, it’d be dark for the return walk. So I just enjoyed my cider instead and before setting off, bought a chocolate bar from the community shop instead.
I walked back along the lane, turning onto the footpath by the fudge lady again (and even in deepest winter, her stall is still stocked and I came away £2 worse off but with two bags of coffee fudge, my favourite). Halfway along the path it branches off at a right angle across the sugarbeet and on crossing the lane at the end, another path cuts off the corner of the lane junctions. A left turn on reaching the lane took me all the way back to Irstead, passing two turns to Irstead Street, so obviously that lane I’d taken earlier does a big loop.
The church lights were on as I passed and it looked very homely and inviting. All it needed was snow on the ground to be a Christmas card scene!
Having set off at 12.30, I arrived back at 4.15 and could still see enough to know the dog needed yet another clean-up! The whole walk was about 5 miles, my step counter app said 6.7, but that included the morning walk down the Bure.
For info, the walk back from the White Horse to Irstead mooring took 40 minutes, 2 miles there or thereabouts.-
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Thursday 5th Jan
What a beautiful start to the day. Calm and quiet were bonuses!
Before breakfast, I took a walk along Fleet Dyke and then the riverbank to the pumping station with the two dead trees, getting quite enthusiastic about continuing a circular walk down the farm track and into South Walsham and back round by the boatyard, but one look at the state of the track persuaded me to turn round and walk back along the riverbank. Even so, Finlay needed a little swim before being allowed on the boat!
As we cruised along past St Benet’s (no boats) and up the river Ant (still no boats) I was able to see a lot more than in the summer, with the reeds having died down. The excavation works at the Ant mouth have opened up the view across towards Horning and I was able to see all the ponds etc on the opposite bank as I approached How Hill.Ludham Bridge board said 7’4” as I went through half an hour before high tide. And I moored up at Irstead for the first time ever. It’s normally either occupied with boats or fishermen, or at a time I don’t want to stop. An otter was playing about in the water as I came to, but after I’d sorted the boat out, it had gone.
By this time, the beautiful start to the day had degenerated into fine drizzle. I bided my time a while, got togged up for a wet afternoon and set off for Alderfen Broad.
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7 hours ago, YnysMon said:
Best screen, in my opinion is Barton Turf
That’s the one Helen. Now on my list. I haven’t been in Upton church either so that’s an easy one to go to sometime. And now you’ve given me a couple for when I get bored of diy when moored ‘at home’.
Have you ever been in that church with the imposing round tower on the road between Stalham and Wroxham?20 minutes ago, Vaughan said:It is indeed a lovely view
I’m looking forward to going back there on my next trip and investigating. The view across from the field I walked along between the church and Oby was super so a higher up one will be brilliant.
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I’m thinking I need to start a notebook of things I need to re-visit and/or check out.
There’s the peephole, the view Wussername has just mentioned, Fishley church as I still haven’t been able to go in (it’s only open on Fridays), the church Helen said about with the best screen (I’ll have to look back through posts to find that one), the grave of Sir Peter Scott at Irstead, Berney Arms railway station, among numerous other things of interest.
Always good to have something to look forwards to. Thanks.
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That’s very interesting Vaughan. Thanks. I will definitely visit again.
Is it my eyesight or has the cross at St Benet’s been straightened up a bit? It was decidedly leaning backwards in the summer.
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I did a double take when I read where you were going! And pondered where on earth was somewhere I’d missed on the Broads. Then I clicked.
Good choice.
For anyones info-no water there this winter. Don’t know if that’s always the case.
After a sunny start, the weathers taken a turn for the worse. A soggy doggy day!
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oh no I didn’t Helen. Next time!!!!
why have I turned into italics?
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What a noisy night! The racket of the water on the hull lulled me to sleep, but I woke up quite early and it stopped me dropping off again, so the earplugs were found and used. My goodness, instant peace. I hadn’t realised how my brain had had such a hammering with the noise. So a good couple of hours extra sleep and I awoke when it was light and the men drilling a piling near the Dunes Cafe had started work.
I headed for Boundary Farm moorings, somewhere I’ve been wanting to try for ages. The morning was beautiful but still very windy. Once I arrived, the sunshine got the better of me and I got the mop and sponge out and shampooed the boat. I’m pleased the slightly green look is now history (for a while at least).
Once finished, it was still only 12.30 so the plan was a walk to Thurne for a bowl of soup in the Lion. I was going to follow the riverbank up and down the marina banks then along to Thurne Dyke, but at the top of the marina moorings, I found a permissive path to Thurne along a very nice and clean grass track.
It came out on the lane and I turned left along to the pub. It had only taken 25 mins from the boat, 1 mile, so I decided that rather than stop in the pub I’d go exploring a bit further. So I carried on down the lane past the pub and onto a footpath across the fields, eventually coming out next to the church.
I can 100% confirm that the Thurne giant, that people often comment about in the view of the church from the river, is an ivy covered telegraph pole. I wonder if it grows naturally like that or if someone is having a laugh with a hedge trimmer.
After a little look in the church, which has what seems a
very long nave and a thatched roof
I carried on across the fields, none of which were muddy, and ended up walking down South Oby dyke back to the river
and along the river back to Boundary Farm mooring.
In total, 3 miles, 1hour 20. I would have had time after all for that soup! Next time I’ll walk the other way round and end up at the pub!
With the sun still shining brightly, I decided to finish the job I’d started this morning, so got out the polish and Springer’s Retreat is now ready for the season.
Still only 3pm, so I set off for three quarters of an hour to Fleet Dyke. It really was beautiful on the way with the low sun gleaming through the golden reeds.
A thoroughly productive day!-
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Voted for the first date only because of Catherine’s imminent baby arrival. I doubt either date will make any difference to me, I’ll come if I can!
Many thanks for organising it.
Nbn Spring Meet Saturday 20th May 2023
in Events & What's On
Posted
Friday 19th, Saturday 20th
kpnut
Springer’s Retreat
even though it’s the due date of my first grandchild!!!!🤞