marshman

Without even thinking too hard, Vaughan, I can think of at least triple that!! Any one who uses the rivers will know of them. Having said that i guess many holidaymakers seem to prefer the more formal moorings these days. Which is good as the privateers can then grab the "wild ones"!!!

Pike have been overfished on the Broads for about the last 10/15 years - whilst they are still about I guess they don't exactly jump on your bait. Years ago nobody even fished for pike until October ( yes I know its nearly that !) and on average in the river at Horning you might see one or two people fishing for pike over the winter period - now I have seen 20/25 people fishing for pike over about 1/ 1 1/2 miles. Not only that almost everyone fishing of a hire boat, seems to have at least one pike rod out all the time, irrespective of whether they are watching tv or not! Add to that the mishandling debate such as just dragging them out of the river onto a boat, and its not really a surprise!! As for perch, perhaps you should try using them red wiggly things which abound in my muck heap, but thats probably the old fashioned way! Equally I doubt How Hill is the best spot on the Broads - its certainly one of the busiest......!!

Griff - keep at it! You are doing a great job - wish I was fit enough these days to do such things! I think you have better things to do than answer the questions of idiots like me - keep digging!!!

Griff - I am no statistician and perhaps someone will come back and question the figure just out of interest! Incidentally did you use the RPI or the CPI?

Think Mouldy is right - that went with the changes a few years ago at Whitlingham. You can get a few hundred yards further upstream to Trowse Eye where the Wensum and Yare join, just by Carrow Yacht Club - plenty of room to turn there as that is where the bigger coasters used to turn.

Riverman -actually there is plenty to do in Wroxham ,and with respect, you can have little imagination! There is a train station you can use to get into Norwich, one of Englands nicest cities,or go the other way and you can get to Cromer or Sheringham the latter which is especially attractive. Wroxham is also the terminus of the Bure Valley railway - get on that and you can get to Aylsham, another attractive little town. There is also a bike facility hire you can use to explore many quiet lanes and some stunning scenery - aha you will say but I expect this all to be free if I have hired a boat. Only in your dreams! You could also get up of your boat and go into one of the largest model railway exhibitions in Europe - but then you would have to pay for it and whilst you seem to want people to invest and not get any return, is that realistic Did you you into the Information Centre and ask what you could see? Walk up to Wroxham Barns, a craft centre not too far away? You could also take the opportunity to sail a Victorian pleasure wherry. It seems that you want people to invest yet your expectation seems to be for free entertainment handed to you on a plate . I am afraid life isn't like that.

Can I double like that last but one post?? One of the worst things about being old, is having to listen to other old people moaning about prices, cyclists on pavements, other peoples driving, and worst of all, their pensions. Regretfully the average person no longer contributing to a pension, has absolutely no idea what they cost to fund - I read somewhere the other day you would need a cash fund of over £360k to fund the equivalent of our current state pension if you were to retire today. I wonder how many people discussing their "entitlement" have made contributions of anywhere near that amount? The other favourite moan is of course migration - but thats too political for this site today!!!! On TV's I remember my first colour tv - you could not even buy it, you had to go on a waiting list just to rent one!!!!! You are right we do have a lot to be thankful for, but you would not think so earwigging in any half decent garden centre restaurant at lunchtimes!!!!!!

MM - The mudweighting charge at Salhouse was always a scam - it has always been free and if you paid up, you were diddled!!! At various stages in the past people have been approached, but it was usually enterprising lads, or perhaps old lads, from the village! Don't forget too, there has always been a charge for mooring on the Island at Ranworth - if he bothered to row over and collect it!

Well that shows how people people can make the apparent situation worse - as you say I too cannot speak for pubs but lots of those places have always charged. Even the pubs I have some sympathy for - people forget that moorings still have to be maintained, and thats not cheap by any means these days! And why do people have to moored up at night,i.e. tied up? What's happened to mudweighting? There always used to be boats mudweighting on places like S Walsham, but whilst you see a few occasionally, they are becoming rarer - thats free, or always was!

Vaughan - the Broads still look the same to me and I can remember them as long as you. Of course there are fewer hire boats and now more private boats, but NYA will tell you, and there is plenty of evidence to support this, that quality secondhand Broads boat still sell well! Now if you don't believe it thats up to you, and at the same time, I do not see masses of boats moving to other waterways, nor evidence the BA intend to shut down the rivers! Of course there have been changes over nearly 75 years, or would you rather the Broads are taken back to the 50's? That would attract less people I promise you!!

The broads hire industry has always been cyclical - and things are no different now. Perhaps its nothing to do with the weather but more to do with foreign holidays seemingly buoyant and I expect fewer people are taking short breaks, in addition to their main holiday. I expect it will survive very much as previously - are tolls on the Broads higher than elsewhere? I doubt it! Yards have always sold off boats at the end of the season, but don't expect bargains - that never happens and come the spring they will be back out again. There is still a reasonable secondhand market for quality Broads boats and this is kept alive by the continuing lack of new boats being built. Few yards, or indeed firms have the skills and ability to do that.

The greatest danger, to any other river user, including a paddleboarder, "... is the helm of a boat that isn't keeping a good lookout."

Vaughan - there is no comparison with water skiing and you know it - in any case that was allowed under the auspices of your favourite management group (GYPHC) - and whilst paddle boarding creates some issues, by and large I agree with Paul. The Broads are generally about peace and enjoyment and they do little to alter the first part and certainly add to the enjoyment of a large number of people who would not otherwise be afloat. I have to say that if I were 25 years younger (or so) I would be sorely tempted myself especially as the opportunity to spot wildlife will be greatly enhanced. Neither do I see huge 'elf and Safety issues - of course there are some, in particular very congested areas, but in my experience they are not seen too often outside the Hotel Wroxham! I would prefer to see them all on proper paddle boards rather than blow up ones, just as the Coastguards would I suspect, but as the experience on a blow up one is probably rubbish in comparison, my guess is they will soon transfer to a more sensible one, or just not bother! I actually think its a great opportunity to actually welcome people to the Broads who might never be able to enjoy this special area - I think there is in fact plenty of evidence to suggest there is room for all!!! I suspect day boat operators would prefer people spend money on the facilities they provide - hardly an unbiased view! Clearly there is the question of education, but the RNLI would say the same of rubber boats and blow up rings at the beach - there is always a risk in whatever you do, but given a modicum of common sense, which I agree can be lacking, good luck to them. Unlike my colleague, I do not see the real danger which he clearly sees. Always room for two views, or more, on a Forum they tell me!

Actually, that is one of his best IMHO!!

Probably enjoy this then as its topical!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njK4FkfiP4o

Those AF35's are one of the nicest boats afloat - at least in my view!!

Fortunately we have high pressure overhead and the wind forecasts are not too bad- going NE for tomorrow but SE for Sunday and decreasing. Could be a lot worse I guess!

Its not the breeding thats the problem - its the divorce rate!!!! Such action requires two houses rather than one

I don't think it will make much difference - as discussed in another post the BA actually has a smallish executive area and I doubt it has hardly any areas where large scale building could take place, so its impact on BA thinking will be minimal - or that would be my guess! In any case you can only sell houses to people who want to buy them, and my guess would be that the new build market is pretty sluggish at the moment!!!!!

They do make a decent noise!! Look smart but it will be lacquered I guess so don't polish the lacquer off!!!

Chance here to add some class - plenty of choice these days on the Net to buy a lovely brass one which of course, you have to blow into. Bit like having brass clocks and barometers - shows a bit of pride in having one!

I have used them, but it's siting is not really suitable for a commercial operation for 12 hours a day. Perhaps before anyone else comments, they should take time and read the link to the reasons for refusal - hardly surprising that its been refused. What started, I guess as a bit of a hobby thing , now wants to turn itself into a commercial enterprise - not quite the same thing and it is quite interesting to read the comments in particular, from the Highway Authority.

Andrew - most of Ludham is outside the BA's area - it only extends up Horsefen Road to the main road junction - indeed it ceases just before you get to the triangle at the end of the road. And as far as the NW&D Canal is concerned, yes it is privately owned and indeed my OS map shows the limit of navigation to be at the corner where you branch off towards Dilham - and that is my understanding of the situation as well. Just because a waterway or Broad is within the Executive Boundary, does not mean it has navigable rights - Hoveton Great Broad and all that area a classic example!!!

Fred - I wonder whose side you are on in respect of the pub that was demolished? Sadly there is no point in having rules, whether you agree with them or not, that can be ignored just because you disagree with them, or it doesn't suit you. As Griff has said, use the other stores in the village - after all I expect they pay business rates. Help them out and everyone will be a bit happier I guess - if as a result you make less profit, at least you are helping someone else and who knows you may sell more of your products!!

As always we may not know the full story. It is after all the job of the BA as planning authority to deal with planning breaches. It won't be the first time planning authorities have closed down a small business as it breaches planning controls - where do you draw the line? Perhaps someone has complained and they then have little choice but to act? Its perhaps the regulation that is wrong, not the BA necessarily.