Broads01 Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 There are a couple of lovely looking Bradbeers brochures on eBay at the moment, dating from 1967 and 1968. They look to have a fair bit of colour content and are quite rare I think, I guess they'll probably sell for £30 or £40 each. Am I right in thinking Bradbeers weren't around that long and these brochures may be amongst the last they produced? http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRADBEER-NORFOLK-BROADS-HOLIDAYS-BROCHURE-CATALOGUE-LIKE-BLAKES-1967-YACHTS-/152640336307?hash=item238a12b1b3%3Ag%3A9FwAAOSw711Zej11&_trkparms=pageci%3A6dc0fd53-737d-11e7-88dd-74dbd1805a0d%7Cparentrq%3A88affadb15d0ab6b44876273fffa4657%7Ciid%3A1 http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRADBEER-NORFOLK-BROADS-HOLIDAYS-BROCHURE-CATALOGUE-LIKE-BLAKES-1967-YACHTS-/152640354216?hash=item238a12f7a8%3Ag%3AEQAAAOSwvVBZej-k&_trkparms=pageci%3A6dc0fd53-737d-11e7-88dd-74dbd1805a0d%7Cparentrq%3A88affadb15d0ab6b44876273fffa4657%7Ciid%3A2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trambo Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Simon, Bradbeers were established in 1948 and I think the last season was 1970 or 1971. Fred 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Their boats had red whale logos on their bows. The yards were often ones that neither Blakes nor Hoseasons would except, such as yards that didn't actually have a premises on the Broads proper. For example some folk hired their boats from Oulton Broad Yacht Station whilst their yards were on the seaward side of the 'lock' meaning that holiday boats couldn't moor there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 OK so they were around for over 20 years then, longer than I thought. It's hard to imagine a time when there so many boatyards that Hoseasons and Blakes could be choosy. I'll watch these listings with interest and I might be tempted to bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Simon, back then all the yards on the Broads had a reciprocal mooring agreement, e.g. the clients of one yard could more at any other yard. Obviously if a yard had mooring that were unavailable to other boats from other yards then they would be outside that agreement. History has it that Fowlers, with which I was involved, had 18 boats for hire yet we had space for 60 moorings after we bought what is now the Waveney River Centre. We agreed that we should maintain 18 free moorings but would charge for the other 42. Neither Blakes nor Hoseasons would accept that so we moved the boats to Ripplecraft at Somerleyton and charged for all 60 moorings at Burgh St Peters. We were soon to realize that we could make more and easier money by not having the hire fleet so we eventually sold them all to Ripplecraft. We were one of the first to abandon Oulton Broad, we were one of eighteen hire yards there in the 60's. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 Thanks Peter. I'm always interested to read about history before my time visiting the Broads. I knew there used to be many yards at Oulton Broad but I didn't know there were as many as 18 . It's a wonder there was space to fit them all in. I also didn't know there was a boatyard at Burgh St Peter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Yards at Oulton Broad during the 1960's Fowlers, Little Ships, Newsons, Austin's, O'Heft, Broadsway, Darby's, Orient Cruisers, Fletchers, Robinsons, Collins, Sunway, Hoseasons, Trumans, Knight's Creek, Clevelands, Hampton/Safari & Bradbeers. Pretty certain that's right, might have missed one or two. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trambo Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Just now, JennyMorgan said: Yards at Oulton Broad during the 1960's Fowlers, Little Ships, Newsons, Austin's, O'Heft, Broadsway, Darby's, Orient Cruisers, Fletchers, Robinsons, Collins, Sunway, Hoseasons, Trumans, Knight's Creek, Clevelands, Hampton/Safari & Bradbeers. Pretty certain that's right, might have one or two. Can add to that Collen, Pye Marine, Bell (not the one at Brundall) Kevincraft and S&M. Simon, unless they go for silly prices, I think you will find them very interesting. R. B. Bradbeer always gave a lot of information about the boats, rather in the style of the 20/30s Blakes ones and much more than the big boys, especially contemporary Hoseasons ones and I suspect their brochures cost a fair amount to produce. As Peter says they (and Broads Holidays) tended to attract the smaller yards but they did have some big boys as well. Brinkcraft and Martham Boat & Development both booked through Bradbeer. When Bradbeer closed, it coincided (by chance or design I don't know) with Broads Holidays rebranding themselves as the Helmsman Association and most of the boats they represented transferred to Helmsman, although some yards did go to Blakes and Hoseasons. Fred 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Fred, thanks for that, I had forgotten Pye Marine & Kevin Craft and S&M is a new one on me. Collens & Collins might be one and the same or either could be Sunway, a small yard that was owned by a Wally Collins. I remember Bells although I can't remember which premises they operated from. Actually not sure that Bells wasn't Victor Bell who later emigrated to Brundall although it might just be the same name. Victor & I, plus a few others, crossed the North Sea about 1965. Coincidently, by chance, honestly, we were held up in a lock in Kanaal Strasse when Victor took a fancy to a young lady presenting her wares in one of those famous shop windows. We'd all been hitting the sherbet over the previous 20 odd hours of the crossing & Victor was well & truly tanked up. Victor stepped off the side of the boat, shambled across the 'strasse', through the glass (without a mark on him), drew the curtains & the rest is up to your imagination! Victor was a real character! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said: Yards at Oulton Broad during the 1960's Fowlers, Little Ships, Newsons, Austin's, O'Heft, Broadsway, Darby's, Orient Cruisers, Fletchers, Robinsons, Collins, Sunway, Hoseasons, Trumans, Knight's Creek, Clevelands, Hampton/Safari & Bradbeers. Pretty certain that's right, might have missed one or two. I didn't realise Hoseasons and Bradbeers were boatyard operators as well as agents. I take it then that Topcraft (the final Oulton Broad survivors of course) came later, presumably taking over the premises of one of the others. Although I never hired from anywhere at Oulton Broad, I have lovely memories of mooring at Topcraft in the 2000s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Simon, Hoseasons started off as a boatyard in Commodore Road before becoming, very wisely, a letting agent and selling on their boats. Bradbeers, allegedly cousins so many times removed, had a small yard that later became, if I remember correctly, Pye Marine but don't take that as gospel. I'm sure of the location but not the name. Like Hoseasons they subsequently set up as agents. Topcraft took over the old Collins/Collens Pleasurecraft yard that previously had been what we now know as Richardsons of Stalham. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 The auctions have ended. The 1967 brochure was at £21 with only a few minutes to go but finished up selling for £53. The 1968 brochure sold for only £19.99 eBay is an unpredictable world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonRascal Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Talking of brochures, this is a reproduction (in limited numbers) of a 1947 Blakes Boating Holidays brochure. No idea how we came to have this, or when it was produced, but certainly has some interesting boats in it and pretty certain as my dad was born in 1947 it may have been why he decided to have got hold of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deebee29 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 That looks like a real collectors item Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springsong Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 There you are Robin. Top left in the pictures Golden Eagle from Leo Robinson at Oulton Broad. These are my parents and my mothers parents and my Uncle and Aunt all holidaying on Golden Eagle. Film courtesy Broadland Memories. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughan Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 22 minutes ago, springsong said: These boats ended up in the Jenners fleet in Thorpe in the late 60s, by then called "Sea Smuggler". There was also a smaller version, called "Gay Gambler". We called them the Strugglers and the Grumblers, as they were not very reliable, by then. They had a direct cooled 3 cylinder Lister diesel, which had a habit of "hydraulic-ing" - the cylinders filling up with water. When they left the yard on a Saturday and (sometimes) got as far as Bramerton, you could see them coming all the way down Postwick reach by the clouds of steam coming out of the side exhaust! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springsong Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I think they may have had Gray Marine engines when built. Last I heard of Golden Eagle was as a live aboard in Cornwall, heaven only knows how she got there; although I did hear of her being beached at Southend on her way to London, with some leaks up forward. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High6 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 As a forum newbie I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread. My first experience of the Broads was at "Camping Boats" on Oulton in the 50's. Does this ring any bells? Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riyadhcrew Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 aboard High6. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranworthbreeze Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Hello High6, Welcome to the NBN forum. A friend of mine used to go on camping narrow boats with the Scouts, I assume that your experience will have been similar but on the Broads. Regards Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trambo Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 13 hours ago, LondonRascal said: Talking of brochures, this is a reproduction (in limited numbers) of a 1947 Blakes Boating Holidays brochure. No idea how we came to have this, or when it was produced, but certainly has some interesting boats in it and pretty certain as my dad was born in 1947 it may have been why he decided to have got hold of it. One of a set of three, 1908, 1916 and 1947. Published by Blakes on one of their anniversaries. Think it was their 90th but not sure. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High6 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Hello High6, Welcome to the NBN forum. A friend of mine used to go on camping narrow boats with the Scouts, I assume that your experience will have been similar but on the Broads. Regards AlanHi, AlanI can only have been about 5 years old. I recall camping with my parents in a field near the water with use of a wooden sailing dinghy. My first taste of sailing. It rained, as I remember, every day for a fortnight, so parents decided to stay for a further week in hopes of an improvement. Guess what.A year or two later we spent a week with friends on board White Moth which was moored as a houseboat at Wroxham. All happy times. Doug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webntweb Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I remember chatting in the mid 60s to an old chap working at Sanderson's in Reedham. In those days the boatyards had a system where they would do minor repairs to boats from other boatyards from the same group - I think they issued the hirer with a chit to give to the yard on their return, possibly so some form of payment could be claimed - I'm sure Vaughan will know more about this. Anyway this old chap was complaining that every Saturday he spent as much time putting faults right on boats from a yard near Thorpe as he did on their own fleet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted August 4, 2017 Author Share Posted August 4, 2017 11 hours ago, trambo said: One of a set of three, 1908, 1916 and 1947. Published by Blakes on one of their anniversaries. Think it was their 90th but not sure. Yep, reproduction versions and I used to have a 1947 one like Robin's. They come up on eBay from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetAnne Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 13 hours ago, Vaughan said: These boats ended up in the Jenners fleet in Thorpe in the late 60s, by then called "Sea Smuggler". There was also a smaller version, called "Gay Gambler". We called them the Strugglers and the Grumblers, as they were not very reliable, by then. They had a direct cooled 3 cylinder Lister diesel, which had a habit of "hydraulic-ing" - the cylinders filling up with water. When they left the yard on a Saturday and (sometimes) got as far as Bramerton, you could see them coming all the way down Postwick reach by the clouds of steam coming out of the side exhaust! Still got my eagle awaiting restoration. I met Adrian who was the apprentice at Jenner's when the (4) Eagles arrived to be updated into Sea Smugglers. He was going to find out some photo's, I will chase him up. Golden Eagle is still around down west. Not seen her personally but talked to someone who had seen her last year. She is now blue and white and modified but the lines are still clearly there. My Eagle is in a very bad state and probably beyond restoration but we will give it a go and see where it leads us. Anyone got some spare oak? Lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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