DAVIDH

These are anagrams of well known places on the Broads. How many can you get? The clues sometimes refer to entities located within the well known place. Best not to print your answers here, just your score so it does not spoil it for others trying to solve the clues. When someone reports getting all 10 I will print the answers. 1. Hart Warn. Clue: Northern Broads 2. Ax Who Mr. Clue: Split personality 3. Metaphor Eight. Clue: Discount warehouse 4. Nodular Boot. Clue: Has north and south in the south. 5. Lashing Rum. Clue: River crossing 6. Mouthwash Las. Clue: Modern windmills 7. Save Slot. Clue: Reputedly the oldest inn on the Broads 8. Remotest Snow. Clue: The lion sleeps tonight 9. Death Anise. Clue: On the radar 10. Bad Wordy Grief. Clue: No celebrity chef now! Regards David

According to Hoseasons, the Spring Bank week from the Saturday is nearly sold out already. Just 18 cruisers remaining for hire and still 3 weeks to to so yes it will be busy. Could be as busy as in August when typically all boats are out. Clearly with terrorism in Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and associated events in southern Greece, which have resulted in higher pricing in the rest of the Med, this really is going to be the year of the stay-cation for many. Regards David

The "Live Music & Other Events page has just been updated for the months of May and June. You can find it here: https://www.norfolkbroadsboathire.biz/Norfolk_Broads_live_music_guide.asp As the season progresses more establishments are adding events. The month of May has seen some additions and June includes such delights as the Queen's Birthday Street Party at the Surlingham Ferry and a Treasure Hunt - in the style of the once channel 4 television programme - to be held at the Lion Inn in Thurne. As always, if I can add any event, please pm me. No charges - it's just for information. Regards David

Hi Alan, Cannot agree with you regarding Hoseasons promotion of the Broads (and other waterways). It's true that the half page adverts in newspapers have gone but there are now more "advertorials" such as the one in the link below which are sponsored by Hoseasons. You can bet your bottom dollar that the Daily Mirror chap did not pay for the boat hire. Most likely it was a shared cost between Hoseasons and Faircraft (I think Faircraft would have been referred to as Norfolk Broads Direct if they had sponsored the trip on their own). http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/british-breaks/norfolk-broads-boating-holiday-review-3269596 These "advertorials" especially the one above, are perhaps even more influential than newspaper adverts in my opinion. Regards David

Hi Alan, Hoseasons do still advertise but it's all "new media" these days. If you search for Norfolk Broads boat hire they are currently the top bidders for Adwords. (see attached image) That top place will cost upwards of £1 every time someone clicks on it. That's a fair point you make regarding paying by credit card, though it would not have got the German chap his holiday back unless he was prepared to pay for it again then claim it back. Regards David

Just been reading on the NBF about a chap from Germany who booked a holiday on Mustang from Alphacraft for 11 nights commencing 3rd May through Hoseasons. Due to Alphacraft's decline, the booking is no more and he has been "re-located" to a Lullaby class boat from Barnes Brinkcraft. The chap did not lose any money on the booking and seems well satisfied with his intended new holiday home. It strikes me that much as some people like to denigrate Hoseasons on here, urging people to book their holidays direct, in this chap's case it is fortunate that he did not as he stood to lose a substantial sum as a creditor to the company. I would guess Hoseasons operate some sort of insurance bond payable by the yards which covers such eventualities. Regards David

Just noticed a new feature on the Barnes camera (unless it was there all along and i missed it!) You can in effect scroll the camera back to an earlier point in time then set it going again. The image below shows how I repositioned the scroll bar back by 1hr 23mins and 17 seconds as an example. This way you can look at more interesting content than that which might be being shown currently. Regards David

Just a quick note to say that I have updated the "Live Music and other Events" page to include what's on for the months of April and for May. https://www.norfolkbroadsboathire.biz/Norfolk_Broads_live_music_guide.asp Not everyone wants to go out for a quiet drink so if you want to know where to find live music, quizzes, karaoke and even bingo take a look at the page which will be updated monthly. If anyone wants an event added- bars, vocalists, duos, bands etc just message me and I will include it. There is no charge. Regards David

Just watched the Broads Tours passenger boat reverse into the dyke. Respect! Regards David

I have a page on my website featuring what music or other events are taking place on the Norfolk Broads over Easter and April if anyone is interested. The link is: https://www.norfolkbroadsboathire.biz/Norfolk_Broads_live_music_guide.asp I contact the bar owners one per month to ascertain a list of "gigs" so it will be updated at the start of each month and should always show what is on for the following two months. It also details weekly events such as quizzes, bingo, karaoke etc. I will message again each month when the page has been updated. If any bar owner or entertainer/band etc wants to be listed please just P.M. me. Its all free. Regards David

They definitely have stopped hiring the weekender boats - I called for clarification and was advised to call Richardsons though they may have thought I wanted a 3 night break. Their other website address was www.dayboathire.co.uk - not .com. The former is still alive but looks untouched for a while. I did think of Freedom, though at £300 plus for one night it looks impractical to me. In the past I have noticed Herbert Woods boats go out and then return the next day when moored opposite on the riverbank, probably at last minute but may be worth a try. Regards David

George Smiths in Wroxham hire out a Bounty 28 cruiser for upwards of one night. Here is their link: http://www.georgesmithboathire.co.uk/short-break-holidays Regards David

The low deposit for Hoseasons is still on but is now set at £60 per boat per week. They did this last year so as to distinguish between offers - the earlier you book the lower the deposit - and usually it remains at £60 until the end of February. Any extension after that depends on their level of bookings I guess. Regards David

Just received the new Hoseasons 2016 brochure through the post after ordering on-line a few days ago. No surprises - all the boatyards are listed including Alpha though not Swancraft of course. Each boat listing is quite small however so I need a magnifying glass to see the detail. Richardsons/New Horizon still only showing a small selection of their boats with the invitation to go on-line to see the full range. Also, each boat only shows a summary of pricing again with the invitation to go online to get actual costs. Faircraft really pushing the boat out (sorry) with their Starboard collection. Many added from last year. So far the only boats I can find as new for 2016 are Fair Commissioner and a Broom Captain, which is surprising as last season was better than average what with the overall fleet size reducing, overseas pricing, airport security delays and in resort terrorism fears. Regards David

Must have been very dis-orientating waking to find you are two miles from your mooring point. The current runs very fast at St. Olaves so not suprising they drifted so far. I like the public moorings as you feel you are on the edge of the wilderness but would always take great care there as I can remember a time when a yacht double moored against us and at around 3am I awoke to find the tide was forcing the yacht against us and we were "hooked" on the quayside at an unpleasant angle. It took some shifting to get the rubbing strake unhooked. We bounced down in the water closely followed by the yacht, though the motion did not wake anyone on the yacht. Another time involved a fatality from a private "gin palace" (not derogitory - just used to describe the type of boat). I believe one of the two occupants fell overboard with no life jacket and was swept away on the current. The other occupant dived in to save his wife but could not swim. We spoke to the hire boat captain who rescued that person but I believe it was too late to rescue the other. Not a place to take chances! Regards David

Just came across a host of webcams on a site called Skyline Webcams from all over the world. What makes them stand out is that they are streaming live - not every few seconds. Take a look at Venice below but also look at Portofino, Milan Cathedral, Rome - Piazza Navona and the Market Square in Brugge (amongst others). https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/rialto-canal-grande.html (Rialto Bridge) https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/canal-grande.html (Grand Canal) Regards David

The start days vary from yard to yard and from boat to boat within the yard. Generally you can find a boat to start on a Friday/Saturday/Monday/Tuesday for 7 nights and the short breaks are usually Monday/Friday Tuesday/Saturday for midweek breaks which dovetail with the weekend breaks on Friday/Monday or Saturday/Tuesday. Bridgecraft are one boatyard that operate most (if not all - have not checked) on a Saturday/Tuesday turnaround. I think Tuesday starts are preferred by the boatyards because the corresponding weekend will start on the Saturday and finish on the Tuesday which is attractive to holidaymakers especially at public holiday times. Regards David

Interesting this! I have enlarged the image and I would say the sign on the top of the bus says "London and Midlands - take a look at the image see if you agree. Also, I have attached an enlargement of the "Eastern" ???? lettering at the rear of the bus. I think I can see an "s" a "c" and a "t". What we need now is someone good at anagrams! Regards David

I was just referring to the number of boats out on hire as opposed to this time last year. I have records - simplistic though they are, that show less boats available at one day's notice than last year. Weekend of 1st August had 0 boats for hire compared to 4 last year Weekend of 8th August had 1 boats for hire compared to 19 last year Weekend of 15th August had 2 boats for hire compared to 27 last year Weekend of 22nd August had 5 boats for hire compared to 34 last year Weekend of 29th August had 60 boats for hire. Have no record for last year but was surprised it did not sell better as it included the bank holiday. Regards David

Well, August has been a virtual sell out for the boatyards and the first few weeks of September are looking well booked up also. Hoseasons report 28 boats still left to hire for one week commencing the weekend of the 5th September and just 17 boats available commencing the 12th September. Great to see especially since the kids are back at school and shows the staycation is still alive and well. Regards David

Taken from the Coltishall Parish Council website at http://www.coltishall.org.uk/?page=11031 Makes interesting reading regarding the numbers traversing and the method of charging for passage through the bridge at Wroxham Regards David PS Ray, I too am grateful for the images. I guess many people are eyeing up a stay at one of those apartments looking at your brilliant vantage point. BRIDGE PILOT SERVICES ON THE BROADSHistorically, the only bridge pilot service offered had been that at Potter Heigham Bridge and for many years this was operated by Phoenix Fleet Ltd. for Potter Heigham Pilots Ltd., a company owned by Hoseasons and Blakes. All hire craft of a design able to pass under the bridge at favourable states of the tide were required to use the Pilot Service which was provided free of charge to the hirer, funded on a cost per passage basis by the hire operators and administered by the agencies. Until about ten years ago well over 10,000 passages were made each year, providing satisfactory income to meet the costs of premises, facilities, staff and accounting services.In recent years this situation has changed dramatically. The numbers of hire craft have more than halved; boat designs have changed so that less will pass under the bridge; and water levels have generally been much higher. This has resulted in the number of passages per year being reduced to under 2,000 in the last two seasons. Additionally the agencies are no longer involved in the administration and accounting. But the same facilities and staff have to be provided to continue the service. Therefore it has been necessary for 2009 to increase the cost per passage to £10 with that cost being shared equally by the operator and the hirer. Private boat owners can also take advantage of the service at the same cost - £20 per return trip.These charges are not unreasonable when taking into account the fact that the pilot service has to be provided 7 days a week, carries insurance costs of over £1000 p.a. and is now subject to new corporate Health & Safety regulation. Additional pressures include answering 20 to 30 ‘phone calls each day (asking for advice on the bridge – tidal conditions – the weather forecast – the price of a meal at the fish and chip shop! – etc.). Staff also give advice to visitors in person on the tides, when to go through Gt. Yarmouth, and help out when boats, private or hire, get into difficulties at the bridge.As far as Wroxham Bridge was concerned, there had been much less concern about the ability of hirers to pass under safely until a few years ago when damage to boats increased and a number of operators required their hirers on certain boats to use a Pilot Service provided by arrangement with Wroxham Launch Hire, the cost of which was charged on a per passage basis to the operating yard. Hirers from many yards, however, were, and still are, allowed to take boats through without using a pilot.At Wroxham also the number of passages per season had been reduced for similar reasons to those at Potter and operation of the service at the rates previously charged was not commercially viable. However, Norfolk Broads Direct decided that, as a service to the hire industry, they could operate the pilot service for Wroxham Bridge at a charge of £5 (+VAT) per passage invoiced direct to the appropriate participating hire operator. Of course, their own boats from Faircraft Loynes at Wroxham and Herbert Woods at Potter Heigham are taken through the bridge without any charges being necessary. The service is also free for hirers from many of the other yards in the scheme although it is understood that some do charge the customer on return.Other Wroxham based hire operators pilot their own craft through Wroxham Bridge when considered necessary or on request from their hirers.

And it's not even speedboat racing night! Regards David

Hi Lincan, I use the camera by first logging in then when it is my turn you select a camera position, by clicking the drop down box indicated on the attached image. Hope this helps David P.S. Can someone please explain how to add the image directly into the post please?

Have to say that bow thrusters should be fitted to every hire boat. Yes, experience allows you to use the boat's propulsion very effectively but experience is what those new to hiring (or those just rusty) have not got. It gets them out of awkward situations and I am sure avoids much damage to those they are coming alongside to. They do get overused but overall I think they are a good addition especially in tight marina situations. Regards David

Here's another solution for Potter Heigham Bridge - on it's way yesterday travelling over Wroxham Bridge. Regards David