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See You There On Saturday?

JennyMorgan

By JennyMorgan
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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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8 hours ago, Bobdog said:

No, went last year.  This year I'll be on Hickling, sailing, enjoying the joys of being in the 'Broads National Park'. :hardhat:

Hard to sail on a non existent waterway! Anyway, enjoy, don't run aground. I haven't been for several years. 

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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My daughter & I arrived at about half past ten to be met by an effusive John Packman & Cally Smith, both of which, despite our differences I'm always pleased to meet. Cally & her husband are keen sailors so our conversation was clearly biased in that direction. In J.P's case the discussion was more concerned with the supply of electricity & the cost of cards, exhaust pollution and residential boaters and did I want a coffee?

Not the clamouring crowds of years gone by, the strategic timing of the meeting when people would either be working on their boats or actually out boating does seem to work most effectively. I don't know if any other stakeholders were there but clearly there were a few boaters there, but only a few. Forty or fifty people possibly, with about twenty of us attending JP's question and answer session. Of that twenty, including ourselves, my daughter & I counted only ten people in the audience who were not actually employed by or directly connected with the Authority.

When it actually came to questions only two were forthcoming. One from me, JP's face said it all, he was probably expecting a political tirade regarding the truth of the NP issue, but no, it was about residential boating and I received a reasonable response with which there was no argument. The only other question concerned the tolls, both question & answer being somewhat predictable. 

My daughter & I enjoyed our visit, both of us being really surprised at how few people had turned up, even more surprised at how few of the few actually sat down to listen to Dr Packman. We had good chats with various staff & rangers, heard some interesting facts and honest opinions. Interesting chat about the use of electric outboards and the need to reduce engine vibration for operators. 

The Broads National Park message was predictably loud and clear but with so few people there it would have been both pointless and discourteous to have argued the issue. Dr Packman clearly believes his own propaganda and there are issues that I will be taking up with him in regard to his stated justification for using the title. For one thing the history of NP's in England according to Dr P is not entirely in line with my understanding of it, & I have documentation in that regard since my father was involved in the original consultation regarding the setup of the Broads Authority..

It's a nice spot to hold such a meeting, despite the car-parking charge. Plenty of large portions of delicious cakes for the gluttons amongst us. Dr Packman & I remain on courteous talking terms. I'm glad that I went. 

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