In The 1930s ....

[C.Ricko]

Hi Carol,

I bought some photos home but none from the 30s

I did find this, it relates to the pictures of 'Miss Anne' on pages 2 and 4 of this thread.

[AdnamsGirl]

Thanks for scanning and posting that Clive --- interesting stuff!

I thought you might like this photo ... it's from my 1934 album and there are at least two motor launches in amongst the array of other boats in the foreground! The reg numbers look like W442 and W443 (or 8).

[NorfolkNog]

I think these old pictures are brilliant, there always seems to be plenty of activity going on but obviously sail rather than motor. But I’d be intrigued to know if the Broads were as busy, in relative terms, as they are now?

[AdnamsGirl]

A couple of postcards of Potter Heigham. The first is looking downstream towards the bridge ... the Bridge Hotel can be seen on the left.

And this is the Bridge Hotel itself, dating from the mid 1930s.

Carol

[C.Ricko]

Carol,

I will ask Dad on monday what is going on in that picture.

[AdnamsGirl]

Thanks Clive - that would be great!

A couple of postcards of Womack Water from the 30s - the first is quite a busy scene and those parasol's make another appearance!

Another view of Womack ... the large motor cruiser is probably "Enchantress" which was part of Leo Robinson's fleet at Oulton Broad.

This is the 1933 brochure entry for Enchantress:

Carol

[AdnamsGirl]

Going back to the postcard of Thorpe and the motor cruiser "Test" - a friend has told me that it has a clipper bow and is quite likely to have started life as something like a steam yacht rather than ever having been powered by sail. There were a lot of strange conversions of boats in the early part of the 20th century .... hulls of all sorts of vessels were taken and a new superstucture built on top to create either static houseboats or motor cruisers. Some of them really looked "bodged" together, but "Test" does look like a very stylish boat.

Carol

[AdnamsGirl]

A few images of Great Yarmouth. The first is of two of the "Belle" Steamers moored near Haven Bridge in the 1930s.

And this is Marine Parade - posted in 1939.

The next two actually date from the 1920s, but I thought I'd put them on here because they are just such great images!

Carol

[NorfolkNog]

Fascinating stuff Carol

I love the idea of the attendants! Bring me a pint of Adnams please my good man!!

[AdnamsGirl]

But Howard ... the "Best Beers for your cruise" were apparently Steward & Patteson's celebrated bottled ales and stout!

Or Bullard & Sons celebrated Norwich Ales & Stout ...

[NorfolkNog]

I wish I could have tried some of those beers! Too young of course!

[AdnamsGirl]

I've finally managed to finish sorting out the 1930s photo albums and have uploaded a large selection of images from them to Broadland Memories this morning .... for anyone interested you can find them here:

http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/page240.html

As usual, there are a few unidentified locations and boats, so if anyone can help with those then please do get in touch.

Carol

[NorfolkNog]

Thanks Carol, will enjoy looking at those later (at work at the mo

Hope you feel better soon! pint of Tally-Ho should do the trick

[Guest]

Hi Carol

looks very cool to be able to catch a glimpse back to the good old days wish i could of seen it i bet there was some good times in those days.

do you have any photo's showing what some use to do to pass the time on the broads in those days even if a little odd?

Jonny

[AdnamsGirl]

I don't know that they necessarily did anything "odd" in the 1930s!

The things people did to entertain themselves on the Broads back then were pretty much the same as we do today ... fishing, reading, you were encouraged to take along things like a pack of cards, as I mentioned previously you could take along or hire a wireless or gramaphone ..... ukeleles were popular! The wherries usually had a small piano on board.

Every boat came with a sailing dinghy included in the hire price and swimming was encouraged in those days. I have photos of people swimming at spots like Boater's Hill at Beccles ... not only was it something to do, but there were no showers on boats then and only larger vessels like the wherries had baths on board, so it was a way to keep clean!

People walked a lot further in those days ... to beaches, around villages and sporting pursuits were popular. There were quite a few places which advertised having bowling grens, putting greens, croquet lawns and tennis courts. There was a big health kick in the 1930s .... my grandmother was a member of the "Doric" ladies group who did what were almost aerobics displays round the county. She had this set of strange clubs that she waved about (OK ... that was a bit odd then!). I'll see if I can dig one of those pictures out and post it on here. Picnics seem to have been popular and the area was promoted as being ideal for artists and photographers and bird watchers to visit.

Holiday makers were also encouraged to visit the local inns where there was always an old wherryman or two who were willing to spin yarns for the tourists in return for a few beers!

People also liked dancing in the 1920s and 1930s ... many of the villages held dances and you could apparently find one running somewhere virtually every evening of the week during the summer. Blakes 1935 brochure said "If one really wants to dance during the holiday then there are some jolly affairs run at various villages". I seem to remember reading that the building which is now the Bridge Stores at Potter Heigham was originally built as a dance pavilion, and I think there used to be a pavilion at the Swan in Horning. I also have an account of a boating holiday in the week leading up to the outbreak of WW2 where they mentioned passing a barn which had been converted to a village cinema for the evening.

Most people included a trip to the seaside in their holiday and there were many passenger steamers which ran trips round the coast.

So things haven't really changed that much and I think they found plenty of things to do!

I couldn't find that much in the way of photos, but here are a few.

This is a bit odd, I'll grant you ....

Carol

[AdnamsGirl]

Ok Jonny ... some odd 1930s behaviour!

This is the branch of the Doric Health Movement which my grandmother belonged too .... I think this dates from the late 1930s and she is fourth from the right .... she always did have a sense of the dramatics about her!

And I'll add this ... not exactly Broads related, but this was my grandparents wedding in 1930 which I think is just such a lovely photograph and shows some of the fashions of the time..... not to mention my grandfathers .. er.. interesting haircut!

Carol

[Guest]

Hi Carol

thanks for getting back i do like the bank side darts

Jonny

[jillR]

wonderful pickies thanks carol

jill