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kpnut
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Posts posted by kpnut
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My Potter Heigham walk started by walking over the bridge, with its big pothole near the top. The road is closed to traffic but the traffic lights haven’t been told, they’re still working.
I took the track on the right after Lathams, kept Finlay on the lead till we’d crossed the main road to continue along the track. It was much less muddy than anticipated.
A left turn halfway along
ends up near a house, with a decision to make - to go down the lane towards the church or follow the footpath round the edge of the marsh. I chose the path, which is actually a good track to start with, only muddy in the gateholes but unsurprisingly getting muddier the nearer to Hickling Broad you get. There were beautiful White Park cattle in one field, accompanied by a pretty shorthorn too.
A walk through a lovely oak and beech wood took me to a junction with a signboard and map of Hickling Broad. This is where the route via the church rejoins the path.
I turned right to follow the path through the wood and up onto the raised path. I still couldn’t see the Broad though as the reeds are far too high. A little staithe which I expect is used by NWT work staff gave me a glimpse of Heigham Sound and I recalled the most magical night I’ve had since getting the boat, last March when I was moored up at Deep Dyke listening to the Bitterns booming.
The path was surprisingly busy with walkers and a couple of joggers. It eventually brought me out onto Candle Dyke and what is really my very, very, very favourite part of the Broads. (Well, of all the bits I know!)
By walking the route this way round, it has the advantage of the water being towards the end for dog cleaning, but maybe the better views are behind you. So a stop to breathe in the fresh air, listen to the birdsong which is louder here than anywhere else I know on the Broads and a 360 turn to take in the views is a good idea.
All that remained was the walk back opposite Martham Boatyard, then the chalets, stopping to dunk Finlay in the water at the slip near the new bridge to clean him off. He needed it!
Then a cup of tea at Bridgestone. I was hoping that the Nippy Chippy would be open as I’ve heard it’s very good, but it re-opens tomorrow after the Christmas break.
This evening a couple of boats have been past, I think only one had navigation lights but it also had two very bright white spotlights at the front, so I doubt the coloured lights on the side would be noticed anyway.
The walk was wonderful in the sunshine, the first longer walk I’ve done in a couple of months. 5 miles, 2hrs 20.
It can easily be added to by continuing along past Herbert Woods and the chalets and coming back through a wood and path to follow the dyke that runs at the back of Herbert Woods.-
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Back on New Year’s Day, and an earlier arrival than anticipated.
I suppose I was keyed up for coming to the boat so of course didn’t sleep properly. I set off just before 7am and the roads had absolutely no traffic. I don’t think I saw another car on my side of the road from the Humber Bridge to the Lincoln bypass. Even the ‘pain in the butt’ A47 after Kings Lynn was ok. So I arrived to a sunny morning at 10.30, got myself moving more quickly than usual so I could meet up with Lulu and Graham on Luna Aurora, who were moored up at Neatishead. I duly arrived, made a bit of a hash of reversing down the dyke between two boats (of course because of people watching, including numerous fisherman, one of whom distracted me as I spotted a large pike in his net, first time I’ve ever seen one!!) Well, I didn’t hit anything but did have to shunt two and fro a few times.
A most sociable afternoon followed, including some very nice wine and a good dog walk with Finlay and Desmond. They got on well.
Was it the previous bad night’s sleep, the early start and long drive, or the wine? (I suspect the latter) but I spent most of the evening dozing, before eventually doing the sensible thing and tucking myself up in bed.
A wonderful night’s sleep found me getting up late, and finding Sam and Graham already gone. I certainly hadn’t heard them.
The sun was already shining and I took Finlay out, and I got going after a very healthy breakfast of yoghurt, cucumber, sultanas and nuts. I really have got to start eating more sensibly after more than two months grazing while being far too busy with mum’s stuff. I feel very stodgy and Christmas food doesn’t help!Cruising down a glistening river Ant
and pondering that I must start earlier in the day in the winter if I want to get moored up somewhere and a good dog walk, I spotted Ynys Mon helming Moonlight Shadow as Graham and son sorted the lines as they set off from How Hill. We called over to each other, and I hope we’ll meet up later in the week.
Potter Heigham or Acle? I don’t like Potter in the wind and want to go for walks at both, so with it being forecast to be windy tomorrow night, I opted for Potter today.
Three boats including me, and when I got back from my walk, just two. The other one is Thunder. I hope I didn’t get onto Russell’s video, he was talking to his webcam as I walked past.
For info for anyone needing it - Ludham bridge was 7’9” midway through the tide, and Potter Heigham was showing about 5’7” near low tide. As usual, the water is high on the Potter Heigham moorings, or is it just that the quay heading is low here?
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Having just re-read some posts, I have a bit of catching up to do.
Unplanned by me, I inadvertently introduced Tony to proper cold winter boat life in December. I just resigned myself to using loads of diesel and electric, anything to keep him warm and happy as he was here for 4 days getting as many jobs find as I could find for him. He did mention ‘when I come next ……..’ so I don’t think I put him off too much. The one thing we couldn’t do was take the boat out, frozen water, icy surfaces and the canopy zips frozen up! New door handles, map on wall, various other drilling jobs, some lagging on the heater pipes, tube heater permanently installed in engine compartment among other jobs ticked off. There are plenty more on the list of course.
I would have liked to have stayed longer, even with the cold weather, as I enjoy being on my home mooring nearly as much as being off down the river. There are so many places to explore off the Broads too.
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5 hours ago, YnysMon said:
Just as we were leaving How Hill Kate (kpnut) passed us, ironically on her way from Neatishead to Acle (if I heard correctly). Hope we get to meet up up properly Kate
I chose Potter Heigham Helen. And yep, hope we have a meet-up in the next few days for humans and dogs!
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Get well soon both of you. Xx
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Helen, both dogs have a concerned look on their faces. Seren more sad than concerned maybe. Bless them.
I think the sound of running water when you don’t know where it’s coming from is the worst thing. My mums house had all sorts of wierd water sounds and I’ve been known to get up two or three times in the night just to go and work out where the noise was coming from. Usually just the water softener filling up, but once a split pipe in the airing cupboard. So my nocturnal wanderings were justified.
Some days you just need to do what you need to do, go to bed and leave the muddle till the next day.
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I hadn’t realised you have two weeks. Wonderful. Hopefully we’ll see each other somewhere, sometime.
Fingers crossed for Pozzick, although I’m sure he’ll be cool about it like everything else put in front of him if seems.
Enjoy the journey, hopefully quiet and with some ability to see out of the windows!-
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1 hour ago, addicted said:
beef casserole braised in red wine accompanied by more veg than you can shake a stick at to be followed by plum crumble or trifle with sufficient alcohol in it to satisfy even Gracie plus a cheeseboard
Sounds very much like our lunch today. The trifle has the last of Catherine’s wedding cake as the base, I froze all the ‘trimmings’ when I was levelling it back in April. And so much veg to make sure my son goes back home tomorrow with plenty of vitamins and minerals inside him!!! There’s also plum pie and blackberry (gin) and apple crumble to use up.
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Me too, but not until 1st. Go for it Lulu!
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And my turkey was a gift from my old boss, he gives us one every year, always far bigger than necessary but much appreciated. 6kg this year for 5 of us. Plenty of cold turkey, baked beans and chips on offer, yum. Then onto a turkey, ham and leek pie with s creamy white sauce filling to finish it off.
It’s been an odd few days. After having Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve afternoon due to the covid arrivals (daughter and son in law, not that they knew at the time) on Friday, so son in law could at least have a dinner, and daughter eating on her own in the living room, then them leaving us to it early on Christmas Day, we had the aforementioned cold turkey yesterday after a walk with no other souls around (presumably all indoors feasting on their Christmas dinners), and that left our Christmas Eve buffet type thing for lunch today after another dog walk in the sunshine. I must say, eating it all this way round has left me feeling far less stuffed full. I might do it again next year! But minus the covid!
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2 hours ago, Salmar said:
got frozen in!
Not often you can say that Sally!
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Enjoy yourselves Ian. The meal hopefully up to your standard but if not, it’s been made with love by someone who has been willing to work Christmas Day and neither of you have to wash up!
Happy family get togethers or whatever else people are doing today, and here’s wishing it finds everyone dear to us all in good spirits and looking forward to a calmer year ahead. Xx
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Have you been out a while as I saw you weren’t at home base a week or so back.
Wonderful poem. Xx -
As Bikertov reported, now’s the time to go shopping if you can withstand the potential stress of being without. I’d have a plan b and not be fussed to be honest. I hate waste. But even the food banks doing soup etc will now have their ingredients in. Hopefully enough freezer space to make soup and freeze it.
I’m so pleased Lulu’s mum’s oven failings were sorted. Well done Graham. We’d been talking to each other earlier about our respective christmases and when we last spoke, things were all on track at her end.
Not so at my end -daughter and son in law turned up last night from Manchester airport having been touring Europe for two weeks, using trains and buses. Catherine is having a very nauseous pregnancy and is gradually getting better.
I was looking forward to a fairly quiet day, just getting the veg from the allotment, prepping it and the turkey and chatting about their trip. Not to be, Catherine tested positive for Covid this morning!With my son Richard arriving from Scotland for a few days off from various gigs and playing engagements as a freelance musician, he can’t afford to get Covid.
We agreed he’d come, say hello and they’d leave but on the phone he was coughing so much catherine thought he was worse off than her, although it’s not Covid (according to the lateral flow results he’s done every day). It’s a cough/cold that was getting better until playing somewhere on Thursday where the smoke machine on stage went a bit berserk! And has now set him off coughing again. Last year in the same venue it set off the fire/smoke alarm and the place was evacuated with the fire brigade in attendance. You’d think they’d learn wouldn’t you?
Bottlm line -Roald battled with a Tesco to go and buy food to take home, I made a pie, a crumble and a trifle for them to take, I packed the men off to firstly the allotment and then to take the dogs out while I set-to with a rushed dinner.
So we’ve had our Christmas dinner a day early, with Catherine in the living room and us in the kitchen, Catherine’s now in bed and they’ll leave in the morning. No presents done as Richard didn’t want to come in the same room as Catherine, so he, Tony and I will do it all over again, with presents tomorrow. Well, without the cooking!Merry Christmas everyone, I don’t often say that AFTER my dinner!
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8 hours ago, YnysMon said:
A cruise in company?
Thank for the offer Helen, but you don’t need me tagging along on your holiday. Hopefully we’ll still meet up when you’re north, even if that’s just on your way down the Bure or up the Bure! I’ll be in touch once I’m onboard.
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I too love Christmas Eve. It has all the potential for the expectation of Christmas wrapped up in it. And for me Christmas starts with the first note of ‘Once in Royal’ at just after 3pm on the radio. I’m not religious, but that used to be my solo in the church choir as a child and I still get goosebumps when I hear a child sing it.
Merry Christmas one and all and roll on another beautiful boating year. If starts on 1st January for me.
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The tank on my boat holds 370L. I measured its volume last week. No wonder if lasts me for a whole week and then some!
Hope to see you at some point Helen as our dates more or less coincide. But if you go south I’ll miss you, as I won’t do it on my own.
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Snunn, I just love your ammonite lamp.
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My day has definitely not gone to plan.
It was to get some more rooms at mums cleaned, visit a friend, pop into estate agent, go back for more cleaning, then to take car for a new tyre at 4pm. I don’t want to be driving back on numerous motorways for 250 miles with a nail in my tyre.
the first two things happened, but then had to go straight to garage, 3 hours ahead of schedule as one look at the tyre convinced me it wouldn’t see the day out without being flat.
So no more cleaning, (as the house will be too dark with all the lamps gone), the estate agent will be shut when I finish, and 3 hours to kill wandering round a fairly small village with the only cafe shutting too early!
In some ways, it’s nice to be forced to have nothing to do! But I wish it’d stop raining!!
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I tried to use Alan May as he came highly recommended but gave up after numerous phone calls over the space of 6 weeks and leaving a message asking him to ring back three times.
Mine has just been passed by Tony Urwin at Banks boats and he was superb. He explained everything that was needed as he went round in case I choose to refurbish anything in the future. He also explained all his various gas pressure readings and spent time and effort to locate the bow thruster battery, which happened to be under floorboards with no access hatch. He said he would do the necessary paperwork and forward to BA and to the marina manager for me. I would use him again with no hesitation.-
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Mine did too. And after we serviced it, with changing the fuel filters, it only needed a bit of coaxing (bleeding) to get going again. I left her with tube heater on thermostat and also a duvet over the top to keep the heat generated from escaping so much.
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Can it be done on a WhatsApp video call? If you make a ‘group’ and someone starts the meeting and then invites the others. Would need you all to share your phone number though with the co-ordinator. A matter of trust I suppose.
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7 hours ago, Lulu said:
Decided it was too unsafe to stay on board with getting the dog on and off.
I know you have to get Desmond off the side Lulu but this is what I did with Charlie, who has to be on the lead as he bogs off otherwise. And he had to be helped up steps ‘cos he’s got a gammy leg.
I half lifted, using his harness and he half jumped, up the aft well onto the quay with me firmly inside the boat. I then looped the lead around the mooring post so I wasn’t holding a pulling dog while I climbed out.
Finlay, on the other hand, just jumps out and stays close if asked. I think he gets a bit fed up waiting for me sometimes!Sorry to hear you had to go home but you achieved your goal of checking the boat over. It does gives you peace of mind.
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I won’t be with you tonight, clearing mums house and working into the evening, but I do like the idea of a zoom quiz over the festive period sometime.
Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers
in Holiday Tales & Blogs
Posted
Ah yes, Andrew. Ranworth with a crosswind is a right pain.