kpnut

No laughing matter, nearly happened to me once!

Will try to attend TH. I’m up in Scotland visiting Richard but he’s out tomorrow night at some gig or other in Carlisle.

I was in Leeds city centre this afternoon. At 1.30pm it was bearable walking to my appointment, but when I came out at 3pm, it was stifling, really uncomfortable to breathe. The car thermometer said 42°C on the way out of Leeds towards York. I then had to go the allotment as, having only just returned from Norfolk yesterday, I now have to go to Scotland tomorrow, so the poor plants needed some TLC. 3 hours of carrying watering cans and harvesting stuff that should have been picked a week ago, I've just arrived home and it's a mere 28°C in the hall. Just hope the weather doesn't break in too dramatic a fashion as we have exterior house painting to do up in Scotland.

Oh Lulu, I want to put up a like type icon, but there isn’t one for ‘not sure whether that’s good or bad’!!!!! Definitely good in this sort of heat I must say. I was doing the hoovering/cleaning this morning before leaving. It was stifling. The lads on the boat next door we’re doing a full rewire of the boat, don’t know how they could stand it. I only undid s few screws to take the curtain poles down (to bring the brackets home to modify them) and that was enough for me.

Thanks Helen. You’re right that there’s something for everyone here. I’m often surprised when people on Facebook ask about Great Yarmouth or biWilderwood or where the nearest place to hire bikes is, or whatever. You think that what you do is what everyone else does. I must admit I’ve missed my walks this week, felt a bit caged up some of the time, but we had fun and I’ve done some things I wouldn’t normally think of doing. I could do with staying on a few days though and just finding a nice quiet wild mooring somewhere. Not to be as I must be home tomorrow, for an appointment in Leeds, so it’s back to real life of watering the allotment and trying to find time to prep all the harvest for use or freezer.

Last day for mum and sis and I needed to be back at Stalham for a pumpout before 2.30 or so. Decided on a leisurely breakfast after I’d taken the dog for a good old training session on the park area at How Hill. After a few weeks lately of not having much input, his hearing is becoming decidedly selective. So a bit of back to basics recall and heel work is called for, me thinks. The Ant was quiet, a few dayboats and others coming downstream but I think we were alone going upstream mid morning. We moored at the end stern-on at Gayes Staithe, sometime after 10.30 and the man next door told us we’d just missed a family of otters in the area where Gayes Staithe and Lime Kiln Dyke diverge. I thought a shady walk along the lane past the fudge lady to Neatishead moorings would show my guests another picturesque spot on the Broads and the moorings didn’t disappoint, with just one boat in plus a few canoeists preparing to start a journey, it was lovely sitting on the bench at the end. The swans were a bit nonplussed by Finlay, grumbled at him in no uncertain terms but then beetled off somewhere else. They do get themselves in a tizzy do swans, can’t say I’m particularly enamoured by them. With our fudge purchases safely stashed away back on board we had an early lunch and were just having a few minutes relaxation when Norfolk Lady came along. Not recognising my boat at first, I think they were about to leave but I caught their eye and realisation dawned. They moored up alongside for a few minutes’ chat before taking our space as we left. Nice to meet you at last Malcolm and Deb. As we were about to come out into Barton Broad proper, we saw the otter family near the bank. A nice end to the holiday. Also plenty of sailing boats out to keep my sister happy. She’s a good sailor, having had jobs in the past delivering yachts from the US to the Caribbean. Her husband got back to the UK yesterday morning from a sailing trip from Harwich across to Dunkirk and up the Belgian coast to Flushing I think she said. Back at Richardsons and said pumpout, we got moored up and car packed for guests to return home. I can’t decide whether I’m pleased not to be going home today or envious of them on a slightly cooler journey than tomorrow. But it’s lovely here now, with a cooling breeze and the sun shining. Housework can wait till tomorrow morning, then that’s it till next month. Fuel worked out at 2.3 miles per litre. Wintertime it seems to be nearer 1.8 so that tells me the economy or otherwise of the diesel heater. I can live with that to keep warm and use the boat all year round I think.

It’s a 6 minute walk to the market square according to Google and to be fair, even with an ‘elder’ with us, didn’t take too much longer than that. We came back on the return trip the one after the next train back if you see what I mean and that gave us plenty of time for a mooch, a look in the church and a cream tea. If a market day, you might want longer still. We had great fun the other day, bumbling along in our private carriage. Plenty of windows to open. First time I went was about 25 years ago, there was a Thomas the tank engine day I think and my son was 4. I thought we also visited a big model railway set up in the shed, it doesn’t seem to be there now. There is a little model train on the platform, you press the button and off it goes round and round. I’ve also gone one way and walked back to Wroxham, 5 years ago. Lovely walk, but quite long and not much shade so better not gone at this time of year. And just for info, the interim stops at Coltishall and elsewhere aren’t operational at the moment. They didn’t open when the train started again after various lockdowns.

Doing the dinghying if that’s a word and now paddleboarding, it must be like having the boys around as youngsters, how lovely. It’s beautiful down at Gelderston isn’t it? I went last September. The breeze seems to have got up a bit this afternoon at Stalham, so with both front and back doors open there’s a good flow of air. But heaven knows how much dust will be coming in. No cleaning until the morning I think, we’ll that’s my excuse. I too haven’t found it too hot at night. Beccles area is just lovely Helen, enjoy every moment.

The electric eel boat trip into how hill nature reserve is very informative and very tranquil. There is a walk to the birdhouse overlooking Reedham Water too. The trip iis highly recommended if you are introducing people to the real beauty of the broads. £7 or £8 for about an hour, depending on age and max 4 people at the moment due to grounding issues with the low water level. Normally 6 people. Got back at 4.30 to a dilemma. Do we stay put for the night, knowing mum can get off for a walk later or in the morning, or move on hoping for a wild mooring with a magical last night but no chance of her getting off? We’ve stayed put and are just enjoying the boats passing. Too hot to take the dog out at the moment.

I didn’t spot you at all Neil. I did spot a boat mudweighting more or less opposite me with a large garden chair on the ‘deck’ at the front, above the bedroom (that bit of a boat must have a name but I don’t know it). I was hoping the owner would come and dog out for fishing as I wasn’t sure if it just looked very comfy or precarious! I did have a look at the end nearest Horning. The two mooring spots there plus the mud weighting possibility tucked up in the corner/ entrance to a small dyke looked rather inviting. I must admit I prefer rather quieter places so probably won’t return for the remainder of the holiday season.

I love those views. Many thanks. Keep posting! We may pass tomorrow if you are at Irstead. I’ll keep an eye out. I’m at How Hill heading for Stalham tomorrow.

Southern comfort takes you by surprise as it turns up in the most unlikely places. Last nights music started about 9pm and probably finished after midnight. Hope you’re having fun Helen. Our morning comprised a date at Boulters for fuel, £1.80/L. I was expecting to need more fuel so will be happy when I do my sums later. A leisurely pootle has brought us to How Hill which is busy ish. Waved to Ruby on the way up. Such a lovely boat Graham and good to see you. Wevenooked the Electic Eel boat trip into the dykes for later and mum and Sheila have gone to view the interior of Hathor wherry and i’m hoping they are bringing ice cream back for lunch!

I have a better taste in music Neil! Were you there? I didn’t spot you if you were. In fact, it looked like I was the only non hire boat there. I think it was coming from somewhere on land. It was loud but the bass booming away sent me to sleep ok. I was more perturbed by the gulls squeaking at 3.35 this morning, think they were having a squabble on my roof!

Well done for being able to sort Seren out. Hope she enjoyed the journey. Have a wonderful time.

Our scene at Salhouse this teatime. I thought we were meant to be in for a heatwave-it’s decidedly chilly here! All relative I suppose. My tomatoes are still loving this weather, looking forward to a good crop in the next couple of months.

And that was when the pilot had deserted me to go to the public wc’s! Thanks for the compliment, felt very much the newbie. All this not doing much but relax is making me very tired. We’ve been for a wander round Hoveton Great Broad nature trail this morning, moored up at Salhouse, followed by a delicious lunch at the Fur and Feather. We were going to take mum out canoeing but felt too lazy, so have just enjoyed the not so peace and quiet on the boat. Not so quiet due to the honking of the geese, but they are lovely to watch. I saw an amusing sight this morning -a flock of cormorants swimming along and diving for fish. It was like a synchronised swimming team, all facing the same way and doing things in turn. I also took this photo of the blue-green algae down Fleet Dyke this morning. It’s getting quite bad down there. You can see the trails left by the ducks. Does it affect wildfowl? I presume not. I’ve noticed it the past couple of years too. I know it’s already been reported so won’t do so. But it stopped me from letting Finlay go in once we were moored at Salhouse, as it’s difficult to spot in lower concentrations but is probably there too by this time of year to an extent. I’m sorry this week seems rather mundane compared with my walking exploits, but it has been nice to have family on board and just potter around. I doubt mum will be able to come again as she has found getting on and off difficult, even with two of us to help, but more so she’s found the paths a real challenge. I promise I haven’t taken her on big treks, but just walking from moorings to tarmac has found her stumble a couple of times. Maybe she needs a visit to spec savers!!!!!

I’m so sorry Ray, I didn’t know they had names! But it was fun and I did think yesterday how nice it would be to go the other way round and spend a day by the river if you were on holiday in north Norfolk. I’d encourage you to have a trip to Aylsham Jean, would be a nice jolly out. Ok, firstly I got my days muddled up and called yesterday Tuesday when in fact it was of course Wednesday! It’s the boat that does that to you. As long as I get it right on Monday when I need to get mum back to the train. As Helen pointed out, lovely and shady in Fairhaven gardens. A bit fraught having to look out for tree roots waiting to trip mum up, and we didn’t try the cakes seeing as we’d had quite a large lunch before going there, but an enjoyable afternoon out none the less. The morning had begun with a food shop in Roy’s. Decidedly more aware of buying less to save having to use the cool box. The electric had done the trick and batteries are now well topped up and fridge very happy. It was good having a glass of chilled wine this evening instead of tepid from the bottle being stuck in a bucket of river water! We are moored at Fleet Dyke, I’d say 3/4 full all the way along from the Broad end to the Bure junction. One wild mooring available. Rather disappointed that one of my favourite footpaths, round the marsh, is still extremely overgrown. It hasn’t been like this in previous years by this time of year, so not sure why this year is different. The main highlight of the day was the passage back through Wroxham bridge. The pilot talked me through very comprehensively, a thoroughly nice chap. And once through, promptly told me to do an about turn and go back and do another return journey and he’d stay onboard with me. As a freebie he said and it was certainly above the call of duty. He did desert me on the other side mind you, I’d like to think he felt I was competent enough! Anyway, pleased to say I feel I could do it again now and I’m pleased he advised going through a second time. I hadn’t realised you could fill with water and get a pump out at Bridge Broad boatyard. Such an easy stop off point. £1 for 6 minutes water, which we made use of, and a pump out is £15, times and days posted on the notice board. I didn’t use this service.

Thanks. And presumably it doesn’t do any harm to the unit to run the fan like that?

Funny how different the kids can be. My daughter, 35 used to hire with me and now her husband and she really enjoy taking the boat out themselves. I’m sure if/when they have children, they’ll make a lot of lovely memories on the Broads. But my son, 29, who loves outdoor activities and the environment in general, fellwalking, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking etc etc and even getting into gardening with some help from me, just hasn’t found a love for the boat. He came with me once on a hire boat, didn’t even want to take the helm although he loves driving, spent a lot of his time drawing and painting, but not the scenes he was passing and doesn’t feel the need to repeat the experience, even when a freebie is involved. Can’t win them all!

The libation probably helps the lateral thinking process required to connect one thing with the other.

Genuine question - I too heard a diesel heater exhaust on Sunday evening and Monday morning when moored on the riverside at wroxham broad. I thought it a bit odd. But it made me wonder - my eberspacher diesel heater has a ‘ cold’ mode. I’ve just turned it on to investigate and sure enough, from outside the boat you can hear the heater exhaust blowing out of the exhaust outlet. I wonder if that’s what we were hearing MM. Does this system work as a cold fan unit? And if so, how much 12v does it take out of the batteries and does it use diesel to do so? If it doesn’t take any battery power, it will be a useful asset in weeks like the current one.

Ooh, that meat looks tasty! What a treat.

Tuesday started off beautifully sunny, but thankfully not as hot as recently. A leisurely start with a few housework jobs and then a cruise down to Wroxham. I’m sure the weed has grown in the couple of days we’ve been upstream of the bridge. I had to clear my prop just before reaching the Rising Sun as I noticed I had little acceleration, not that I needed any at that point! I read somewhere that the weed cutter came about a week ago, but I might be wrong. Maybe it needed to cut a bit deeper as it’s more or less at the surface again now in places. On reaching Wroxham, I checked the weed filter but that had very little in, compared with the journey upstream, so maybe the floating stuff from the recent cutting activity has mainly dispersed by now. I moored up at the electric posts in order to give the batteries a good charge after all this gentle pootling about. It’s not among my favourite mooring spots I’m afraid and is surprisingly midgy, but the sunset over towards the boatyard on the Wroxham side was nice. The view of the motor homes parked by the water’s edge opposite the moorings reminded me of France where you often see campervans etc on the pollarded poplar-lined river bank. The only difference being that they often have lovely allocated pitches, demarcated by low hedges which look very tidy. While the battery charger was doing its stuff we decided on an afternoon out on the Bure Valley Railway, up to Aylsham. That was a fun journey and Aylsham seems an interesting town with large church and market place and a couple of nice old streets to explore. There was a noticeable number of independent shops there, pleasing to see. While clearing leaves from the sliding sunroof gutters I heard a ‘hello Kate’ and looked up see Jean (SwanR) who was taking x stroll along the moorings. Lovely to have a chat Jean and good that you saw your favourite boat moored up next to me! The battery charger has done its thing by this morning and I can hear the fridge turning on and off again as it should. I shouldn’t have bought so much food and tried to run the cool box at the same time, just too much for the poor batteries when not going far! Lesson learned!! Plan for today is to renegotiate the bridge and moor up at Fleet Dyke for a walk round Fairhaven Water Garden. Going right along there, missing out on a few other places specifically to give the engine a good run.

Have a super trip, especially good with the whole lot of you!

I left my tale with picking mum up from the train. It was rather surreal walking from the train, down the footpath to the viaduct moorings, straight onto the boat and bingo - right in the midst of a holiday in the space of 5 minutes! After a salad lunch, I was keen to set off upstream. I was hoping for one of the staithes at Belaugh so we could visit the church, and was in luck with both, so chose the BA mooring. On the way we’d seen 3 kingfishers which was lovely for mum. Plenty of comings and going’s on the staithe with a couple having a quiet afternoon (until I came along and got chatting about allotments!), a fisherman and various people turning up to launch canoes. The church didn’t disappoint and had the bonus of being lovely and cool. A warm night and early sunrise saw me deciding to take Finlay for a walk round the lanes early on. I had soon realised yesterday that mum has certainly lost some agility since she came on the boat in July last year. Her walking pace is surprisingly slow, a big difference to last time I saw her as although I tend to walk quite fast, sometimes I used to be unable to keep up with her! So if Finlay is going to get a decent walk, it’s going to have to be bolted on to the day’s activity with mum. We moved off up to Coltishall lock where we were moored on our own for most of the day. There are 2 other boats here now. My, it’s been busy here. Lovely to see the kids out near the mill, enjoying the water. My only hope is that they look out for each other’s safety while they play. On the lock side, a steady stream of paddle boarders and canoeists, one lady swimming, but the highlight of my day was when a gundog training class came to do some water training. 9 Labradors for an hour and a half or so perfecting their retrieve technique in the water and Finlay getting a free lesson in steadiness as he sat and watched with no whining etc for the whole time. He must have been wondering when it was his turn, - that came as soon as the other dogs had left. Lunch at the Recruiting Sergeant, highly recommended, was followed by a walk upstream from the bridge. But it soon got too overgrown with stingers for us with our shorts on, so we doubled back before reaching our destination, which had only been to the little bridge over the side dyke by Hautbois Activity Centre. Sheila and I took ourselves off for a walk with Finlay up the lane to the left of the mill. I’ve detailed that walk back in June, further back in the thread. The farm track was incredibly dusty and it was nice to cool down by walking through the mist of the irrigator on the potato field. Back at the boat, a few more dummy retrieves in the water for Finlay to wash the dust off him, tea and bed, still seemingly as hot as it’s been during the day.