In The 1930s ....

[Springsong]

Last ones for now. Did I say these are all 1938.

First My Mother and the unknown gentleman spud bashing

and lastly someone getting too much help I suspect while rigging the boat.

[jillR]

brill

[C.Ricko]

I would like to see the launches Carol,

I have a few old photos from the 30s I will scan (and some from before which I promised you long ago )

I will write the names down and PM you when done

[Guest]

What a superb thread! Carol, that one of the Breydon rail swing bridge had me gobsmacked - I had no idea there was ever anything like that.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

And i echo exactly what plesbit says. Fantastic thread, and i rail swing bridge i did`nt even know existed. The Beccles rail swing bridge, is that what is now called Aldby swing bridge (site of) ?. Regards......................Neil.

[AdnamsGirl]

Oooh, don't get me started .... I could bore you for hours on the subject of Broadland Bridges!!

I've been rather obsessed with them over the last year in trying to piece together some of the history surrounding them. I have done two articles for the website on the bridges of the rivers Yare and Wensum (just look in the Further Historical Reading section of BM if you are interested) and the Waveney and Northern rivers will follow when time allows.

The Breydon rail viaduct was built by the Midland and Great Northern railway company. Construction began in 1899 and it was opened in 1903, connecting the Great Eastern Lines South Town station at Gorleston with the Beach Station at Great Yarmouth. It was around 800 feet in length with five spans, one of which swung centrally on a pier to allow passage for river craft. It ran along the same course across Breydon that the current road bridge does. It was closed in 1953 because they thought it would need major restoration works, the cost of which was not going to be economically viable. It remained in situ for around another ten yers before it was finally demolished and sold off for scrap.

I have often seen the Aldeby swing bridge referred to as Beccles swing bridge, but the one in my photo is actually the fixed railway line which crossed the Waveney in Beccles itself. It was part of the Waveney Valley line which connected Beccles to the main London to Norwich line at Tivetshall. Apparently it was originally going to be a Beccles to Diss line, but they moved it further North to Tiveshall in the end. It opened in 1863 and became part of the Great Eastern Railway. The notes I have so far say that passenger services ceased in 1953 although freight continued to use the line until 1965. I'm not sure when the bridge was demolished but you can still see the remains of it on either side of the river in Beccles a little upstream of the old road bridge.

The Aldeby swing bridge was was part of the East Suffolk line, along with the lost Haddiscoe High Level swing bridge which you can see in the background of the Haddiscoe bridge photo I posted. This line opened in 1859 and was a more direct route for trains travelling from London to Yarmouth an Lowestoft. Trains branched off at Beccles to either Lowestoft or Yarmouth .... the Yarmouth trains crossed Waveney at Aldeby and then back over at Haddisoce with it's terminus at South Town Station. I believe that this line closed in 1959 although I think the bridges remained in situ until the mid to late 1960s? Still researching that one! The piers that you see in the river at Haddiscoe and Aldeby are the remains of that line .... you can actually almost follow the line of that route and the Waveney Valley line on Google Earth as the scars of much of the old track remain in the landscape.

Right .... think that will have probably bored you enough for today!!

Carol

[AdnamsGirl]

I should add ... the father of the family, who did most of the filming, was obviously obsessed by the bridges too as he filmed so many of them (usually approaching and passing underneath), which was really interesting for me having delved so much into their history. I was quite surprised at just how rickety the old Haddiscoe road lifting bridge looked .... it was no wonder that they replaced it!!

Here is another long gone bridge which he filmed ... the old rail bridge at Potter Heigham.

And this postcard from 1910 shows you where the fixed rail bridge at Beccles was - the photograph was taken from the old road bridge.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Carol, My brother was extremely good at history at school, but i could never take to it, until i got to about 40ish, and then i started taking an interrest in the history of the Broads. Now, i can see how vitally important history is to everybody, though like me, they probably don`t know it yet. I don`t see how you can say this thread can be boring, as in my opinion, these pictures show a past to a place that we all love, and how much the Broads have changed, and not always for the better. Please keep these photo`s coming, as they are so informative, and they will make me look around the rivers and riversides to see some things that can quite easily be missed, but can also be enjoyed. Regards............Neil.

[AdnamsGirl]

Hi Neil

I hope that people won't find the pictures boring (although I guess some won't be interested) ... it's just my tendancy to start rabbling on about some of the history behind the images which I think might send some people reaching for the "Close thread" button!

I was also not in the slightest bit interested in history at school ... well, that's not quite true ... I did find some of the medieval history quite interesting, but when we got to O level and it was modern history (Russian revolution through to the second world war) and I just had absolutely no interest at all. I find it all very fascinating now and that started to develop in my early 30s. There is so much fascinating history surrounding the Broads though, and most people find a way in through one era or aspect even if they are not interested in everything. I've only just scratched the surface and am learning more all the time ... Kev jokes that I don't read anything nowadays unless it's related to the Broads!!

I seem to be stuck in the 1930s at the moment ... I am awaiting the arrival of a couple of photo albums of holidays in the early 1930s which I purchased. Obviously they are eventually intended for the website but I will stick a few sneak previews on this thread when I get them!

Clive ... I meant to say, please do get scanning! I would love to see your photos as would a good few others on here!! I have taken a few more stills of the launches and I think there are only two ... they just have different passengers in them! The one I posted certainly looks as though it has the name "Miss" something on the back although I can't get a good enough still to be able to make the full name out but I think I have the reg number. I will sort out a few more pics and post over the weekend for you.

In the meantime ... can anybody tell me what these two chaps are doing? They seem to be pushing these things along the field ... I wondered if they were seed drills of some sort but there doesn't appear to be any seed hopper attached. Whatever they are doing it must have taken them days to do an entire field!!

[Broadlander3]

As usual Carol ...this is wonderful stuff...just love it

Sorry...can't help with the guy's in the field...never was into farming or gardening a great deal

Best regards...Terry

[VetChugger]

Don't ever mention the word "boring" on threads like this Carol. This sort of posting makes forums like this solid gold! Thanks!

Trevor

www.normanboats.co.uk

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Carol, I echo the thoughts of Terry and Trevor entirely. As for the farmers pushing their wheelie things, could they be measuring the land for Plot sizing? . By that i mean measuring the acreage to plot the layout for various different crops etc, well something like that anyway. Regards...............Neil.

[Jupes]

Probably, completely wrong but they look like they would put furrows for seeds into the ground. It also looks to me like a man and a woman, rather than two men.

Love this thread Carol, please keep going. Another who loved medieval history and pre-1900's and got completely turned off in later seniors.

[AdnamsGirl]

Many thanks ... glad that so many of you are finding it interesting!

As promised for Clive, here are another couple of launch stills from Oulton Broad. The first is the same one I posted before. I think the registration number is W381 or possibly W387.

This is the other launch featured which has the reg number W63

[AdnamsGirl]

On a slightly different tack .... one of the joys I find of looking through old brochures and period publications is the little insights you get into some of the other aspects of holidaying on the Broads during the various eras. From advice given by the brochure/guide writers to the adverts featured, some of which do make me chuckle! I thought I'd post some examples on here which date from the early 1930s.

Firstly ..... Blakes featured an article in their 1933 brochure on how to enjoy a Broads Holiday using a title picture which shows activity which would be quite frowned upon today from a hire cruiser!!

Suggestions were also made as to the sort of clothing and sundries you ahould take on your Broads boating holiday ....

Most of the shops in the area would make up hampers of provisions which you could order in advance and would then be delivered to the boatyard for the start of your holiday. Lists of suggested food items to order were issued in the brochures of the time .... many items on the list were actually goods which had paid for advertisments elsewhere in the brochure!

And for those wondering what Diploma Crustless chesse was ..

Or "Messrs. Brands A1 delicacies" ...

There was always the standby of Chivers tinned vegetable, fruit and jams or a "Denmor" Roast Chicken in a tin!

And the finishing touch to breakfast, luncheon, dinner or supper was apparently ..... er ... curry powder!

[Gordon]

With regards the guys on the land I am assuming they are using wheel hoes. I remember my father had one and you could change the blade attachments and their spacing. I have just done a swift web search and come up with the Planet wheel hoe, that name certainly rings a bell

http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.c ... l-hoe.html

[AdnamsGirl]

It was suggested that you bring along a portable wireless or gramaphone for your holiday. You could also hire these from various boatyards and stores ... Leo Robinson advertised gramaphones and records for hire at 10 shillings per week, or a portable wireless at 22 shillings and sixpence for a week. If you bought your own "McMichael" radio it would set you back 17 Guineas which was actually more than the cost of a weeks boat hire!

I mentioned the valor stoves which were on board Herbert Woods cruisers at the time .... this is what you might have found yourself cooking on in 1933 ....

[AdnamsGirl]

Ah, Gordon .... that does look very much like the tools they were using doesn't it? Many thanks for that!

Carol

[Gordon]

Carol

You can buy one if you want

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Planet-Jr-Very-Go ... 20af93055e

Looking at the web they seem to be an American product and indeed there seems to be a modern version as well as people making their own.

I have seen them from time to time in museums in England. I have no idea where my father obtained his from but suspect it probably might have been bought at an auction in Suffolk.

[AdnamsGirl]

I think I'll pass Gordon .... it looks like bloomin' hard work!!

[Gordon]

It was suggested that you bring along a portable wireless or gramaphone for your holiday. You could also hire these from various boatyards and stores ... Leo Robinson advertised gramaphones and records for hire at 10 shillings per week, or a portable wireless at 22 shillings and sixpence for a week. If you bought your own "McMichael" radio it would set you back 17 Guineas which was actually more than the cost of a weeks boat hire!

Wow that was serious money, whilst I was waiting for my car to be MOTd last Friday I was reading some MG magazines and one was refering to the cost of post war cars comparing them to the average wage at that time. That radio was about 3 weeks pay. We whinge about the price of petrol but it seemed to be twice the price in real terms then.

[Gordon]

I think I'll pass Gordon .... it looks like bloomin' hard work!!

Well I think so Carol as I can recall as a small lad getting between the handles and pushing the thing. It was however fun to turn it upside down get between the handles like a horse and charge round the lawn

[Guest]

I love the adverts Carol. I used to work in print advertising so it's interesting to see "how it was done" so long before my time!

[C.Ricko]

Hi Carol,

the top boat is Miss Anne She was a Brooke kit built by Jimmy Fletcher behind York Villa (88 Commodore Road) Oulton broad in the early 30s.

the W63 'Vivo' was also his, she was once run over and sank by 'Mutty' a MTB owned by Yarmouth bookmaker Toby Sutton. I have a few more pictures of her but none of Miss Anne. I will try and dig them out today and Scan tonight.

[C.Ricko]

After the War, when the cost of a holiday was £30 the radio would be about £1.25 (25-30 shillings)

He used to charge for spare oil too!