kpnut

That’s how I feel on the Konectbus 5B between Stalham and Ludham Bridge, hurtling along the road between Catfield and Ludham. Or at least it feels like we’re hurtling along, probably not. I never dare sit upstairs at the front like I used to as a child.

Carole, your tale has made me feel quite sick. The thought of using one of those passing places - ugh

I know roads in the alps like you describe Chris. Being the driver ‘on the wrong side’ is ok as you can see the drop next to you. For the passenger it’s a bit more scary! We went up a hairpinny road between Bergen and Voss in Norway in a Montego estate so loaded up with camping gear that I thought the front wheels were going to lift off the ground. The steering was certainly extremely light. Made worse by all the lorries coming the other way without a care in the world!

Can’t believe I’m posting on a car thread! I had a mini in the late 70s, the one with the wooden bits in the frame that was a bit like an ‘estate’ version with double doors at the back. Was it called a ‘traveller’? Anyway, it only had second and fourth gear plus reverse until I went to the scrapyard to get a replacement gear selector. One evening, I was very loaded up with caving gear for 12 people-lights, helmets, carbide etc plus my own stuff and a passenger with her stuff. I was trying to get up a steep hill in the Mendips and got down to the bottom of second gear, nothing to change down to, so had to reverse back down the hill, turn round and reverse up. On a main road, I’m not sure I’d do it nowadays!

Although I don’t think the leaves look quite right for that. As you say, more plantain-like. The bog arums don’t grow big like skunk cabbage.

My daughter who is a freshwater ecologist says it looks like calla palustris, bog arum.

I have one Helen. I got it last year when I was expecting quite a few different sets of friends on board over the main season. So it was well worth it, certainly saved well over the £10 it cost. The card has no expiry date so it’s just a one off payment. I even use it on my half pint of cider when on my own in the middle of winter.

Springer’s Retreat will give it a go.

It looks like an arum lily of some sort to me. Probably a bog version.

I’ll bring some cakes and other eats.

Is my head playing tricks? No alcohol involved, I promise.

We seem to have two spring meet threads going at the same time. Can they be merged?

We seem to have two spring meet threads going at the same time. Can they be merged?

I operate my windscreen wiper by hand. The lever is above the window so I have to sit up straight and stretch out to use it. Good exercise but seeing as the wiper doesn’t even touch the window, I don’t bother. I prefer the squeegee method of standing by the open front door, one hand on the wheel and stretching over the windscreen with the squeegee. Works better, but I get wet!!! One day I’ll upgrade! I wondered whether it was going to be a quiet week as there seemed a lot of boats still in at Richardsons on Monday evening and I saw very little on Tuesday pm either as I delivered the boat back to LBBY. Thanks for your write up and wonderful photos.

You didn’t miss that much Malcolm, it is very muddy there at the moment. Leave it to dry out a bit before visiting.

And me. Kate, Helen and Graham (Kpnut and Ynys Mon) Springer’s Retreat. Saturday night.

It’s this blessed wind, must be coming straight off the North Sea. My allotment in East Yorks was cold enough for three layers and hat yesterday. Bit better today. But maybe we’re just comparing with the last few years. We used to get regular snow in April when I was young, just as the lambing season started!

My little flip phone used to get topped up with £10 every 6 months. I once topped it up by credit card for £15 and it generated a fraud alert with my credit card who said it was ‘unusual activity on my card’! The same day I had already bought some plane tickets for a few hundred pounds!!! I unfortunately agree Mouldy. Very sad that we live in a society where ‘I’m all right Jack’ pervades, rather than a sense of community and care for others.

They are very expensive to buy in the first place.

😁an apt description, but so many and all in one place??? Maybe it was a group of like-minded boaters all setting off together😂

Has someone taken them for firewood? They can’t all just disappear like that can they?

I suppose that because that bank of the river isn’t run by the BA it wouldn’t really be taken into consideration when they plan their work. On the shops side, some of the space is taken up by the Nancy Oldfield Trust who have two boats worth of mooring reserved for them by the landowner. Your pictures show a real dearth of posts. I haven’t walked along there for quite a while and didn’t realise it had got quite so gappy.

Hm, no easy answer then. I can understand why bark wouldn’t really work so well with a wheelchair, but not sure loose grit would either. The way Finlay scuffed it up, it certainly isn’t ‘whacker plated’ down firm.

From Gayes staithe, that is a diversion to the fudge lady!!

Yep, the sun came out at some point on my journey along the Bure and then up the Ant. All very quiet on the river, but St Benets and Ludham Bridge moorings were fairly full. I’m not a great lover of an overnight stop at Gayes staithe, but like it during the day if it’s really sunny. Seeing as I had a couple of hours to kill before going back to my home mooring at Stalham, I thought I’d go there and just sit and enjoy the sunshine. As I approached along from the main Broad, the passing ranger called across to me that Neatishead moorings had just reopened after their refurb, so, being a nosey soul, that’s where I went instead. Two other cruisers plus two smaller motor yachts had beaten me to it. Word must get round quickly. Time came to move on back to Stalham. I’d missed Mouldy at Gayes staithe, I hadn’t spotted him when I went past up Lime Kiln Dyke. I waved on the return but no sign of life on board! Lulu mentioned the dredger moored on the big bend before the turn to Stalham. It has now moved downstream a bit, and was moored in the thinnest section. I had to wait while another boat passed it coming towards me. I presume it just stays where it’s working till it’s done that bit and then creeps along a bit further. Cleaning jobs took precedence once safely moored up, ready for a visitor in the morning. Finlay snoozed in the car, and then we had a quick wander round the yard, saying hi to Neil again on my journey round. Springer’s Retreat will be returning to LBBY on Tuesday for her last bits and bobs to be finished off. Then I’m looking forward to the main boating season with plenty of ‘dry dog towel’ days!