SteveO

We had a brace of free-range hens this year, but the principle is the same: Pick all remaining meat off it for curry or pie and boil the bones for stock. stock from bones makes a base for the best veg soup ever. Steve

Walking to school with our sledges over 10 ft snowdrifts in the winter of '63. After the first week, we were allowed to wear long trousers! Painful rash on the back of your calves caused by cold welly boots slapping on bear legs. Happy days! Steve

Still going on here. Christmas day was quiet with just one daughter home, a light lunch and a long walk in the sunshine on Hythe seafront. Boxing day was busier with both daughters, partners and children home. Lots to eat and drink, games and telly. Likely to continue for the next 3-4 days, then hopefully peace will reign once more. Daughter 2 has brought the chest bug from Reading, so no doubt we will be treated to that pleasure soon. Steve

Telly! Luxury! T'nearest we got to moving pictures when we wus kids was when your dad whacked you round t'head wi't Daily Mirror. If ye were sharp yer could see one o't' front page photos flying towards yer head before yer saw stars. You've got to laff. Steve

Busses! we didn't have bloody busses! we had to run to school behind t' bus to save a penny ha'pennny for us dinner. Steve.

Why, are the pages specially soft and absorbent? Steve

The first couple of months of the year will be occupied by helping our two daughters, one in Faversham and the other near Reading, to move house. Come March, we expect to be boating again. We have some internal work to do over the next few months, to improve the layout of our main cabin. On the leisure side, we want to spend more time out and about on the river next year. Places on the "must visit" list include Sutton Staithe, Stalham, Womack Water and Upton, as well as the usual suspects of Ranworth, Salhouse, Fleet Dyke and the rest. Roll on Spring! I can't wait!!!!!! Steve

I remember the outside khazi. You didn't linger there - if the cold didn't get you the spiders would. Steve

I've not visited for a couple of years. Definitely on the "must do" list for 2015. Always remember the Fish n Chip Fridays, back in the days of Winkle's tenure. fantastic! Steve

Great blog - loved it. Might have been easier and slightly safer to get a hot dog from the stall in the car park outside Lathams fishing tackle store. Steve

I started growing facial hair at about the age of 15, mainly cos it helped me get served under-age in pubs. It started with extravagant sideburns, then a moustache and finally a beard, which I nurtured in various styles up until the age of 58, when I concluded that the beard looked older than the rest of me did. I have kept my 'tache and maintain the view that the best things to keep in a beard are edible ones. Beer froth and dried egg are favoured. Steve

To say nothing of Victor Silvester. Steve

As a currently ex beardie, I don't think I would want to "vagazzle" my facial hair. I am with JM on this one, in that the best adornments for a beard are, or once were, edible ones. Steve

Thanks to Mike (Chameleon)'s generosity, we have a set of LED lights that can be displayed inside or outside the boat, with extremely festive results. They plug into the boat's 12 volt supply and can be controlled remotely. Will take some photos next time we use them. Steve

I have just read Murky Waters and IMHO it is Mr Crowther's best yet. In his previous books, the locations have always been rather vague, presumably to protect the innocent, but in this one, he names names and is pretty geographically accurate. For me, this enhances the reading experience, as I know the areas covered by the book very well and can close my eyes and visualise exactly what he is describing. Once you get past the initial scene setting at the beginning of the book, the plot moves along nicely and there are twists and turns, that I won't give away, which make the book difficult to put down. I hope he keeps them coming! Steve

It certainly is! Steve

I used to live in Iain's part of the world and remember an evening in the Stair Inn (my local) where a guy, who had been drinking pints of "heavy" and whisky chasers all evening, collapsed in a heap at around 8.30pm. The obliging staff carried him out to his car, sat him behind the wheel and even started the engine for him, before he went on his hesitant way, presumably home. How times have changed since 1975! Steve

Or the County Members at Lympne, or even the Walnut Tree at Aldington! Steve

Happy Christmas to all from me and Mrs O. Steve

Well you all know the answer: Release the hounds! Scrooge

I would be happy to read about small practical DIY projects, local news and views, boatyard and moorings reviews, reviews of (affordable) new and used boats, history features, pub/restaurant reviews, information on local attractions, exploration of lesser-known waterways, local "characters" historic craft, restoration projects. For me, the focus does not necessarily be the Broads, nor limited to fresh water. There should be a good balance of articles about power and sailing. I am not interested in trade association dinners, business awards, who won the recent "frostbite" regatta at xxx or reverential articles about the so-called "great and the good". Steve

We paid around £1.33 with the old Dart Tag. Now with Dart Charge, we will be paying £1.67, so I don't see how this equates to "paying less than previously". I ventured onto the biggest car park in Southeast England yesterday and the radio traffic reports were still giving long delays for north-bound traffic going through the tunnel, so I guess nothing changes except the price. Sounds from what Grendel is saying that things are better for folks travelling from North to South. Steve

We too managed to make the switch fairly easily, although I had to complete the last bit by phone, as the Dart charge site fell over when I tried to give it my credit card details. We came through North to South on Saturday evening, to find that the charge was suspended, which pleased my Yorkshire heart! I suppose that will do something to offset the extra 50p per journey that we will be paying in future. Whether it will make a blind bit of difference to the levels of congestion we see around the crossing remains to be seen. Steve

It is time that someone applied a bit of leadership here. Surely the local councils must realise that the stance they are taking is detrimental to their own interests in the long-term. BA, in their role as promoters of tourism, and the "national park" agenda must realise that having litter dumped under hedgerows and floating down rivers undermines their no doubt expensively contrived marketing strategy and the hire yards must likewise realise that their customers will find it off putting if there is nowhere safe and hygienic to dispose of their waste. These three groups need to get together and sort a proper solution out before the 2015 boating season. Grrrrrrrrrr. Steve

We hired Wicked Lady III, a Hampton Safari, from Somerleyton (Crown Cruisers I seem to remember). We set of into the lashing rain at 4pm on a Saturday evening, spent the first night at Reedham triple-moored (not advisable) and did the whole system in a week (also not advisable). It was the end of September and it rained a lot. We loved it so much we have been back every year since and now own our own boat, on which we spend about 60 days a year. Steve