August Discounts

[Broads01]

5 hours ago, JawsOrca said:

There is nothing "fun" about high season on the broads.  The broads are far far nicer out of season with the best time june or september..  perhaps lots of people are sharing the same idea and staying away.

So the Broads in July and August isn't fun? I think you must be thinking about somewhere else. If not then I couldn't disagree more. I love quiet out of season but I'm with you Grace, I love the bustle and the buzz of the peak season too, Bure around Wroxham and Horning included. 

[deebee29]

We always go in low season these days but have in the past been in high season and loved it just as much. 

If the timing and funding was right I'd go tomorrow like a shot (as well as off season)

there is something about the buzz of anticipation when it's busy.

I just love it anytime although never tried winter ......... yet

[ChrisB]

I was thinking of visiting a few old haunts next year and looked at a few of my favourite small out of the way hotels only to find they are sold out already May to September 2018. Maybe it is the value of stirling.

[JennyMorgan]

My wife and I spent a pleasant few hours in that delightful seaside of Southwold earlier today. The place was absolutely rammed, thankfully I have a relative living there where I can count on a parking spot. We waddled around the sights and shops as folk do and it soon became clear that the 'expensive' shops were all offering mouthwatering discounts yet staff in many of these shops were bored and standing around, people were there in the town but by and large they were not spending as the trade were hoping. We have a good friend who has fish and chip shops both in the town centre and down by the harbour. What he sells is second to none and he is always deservedly busy but today he told us that he had never been so busy, both his shops were operating near breaking point. As he said, folk are in town, not spending in the shops as they have in the past but they can always find a fiver for fish & chips. We don't normally see huge discounts being offered in August, at least not in Southwold of all places.  

[Boatingman]

I did a trial booking on Hoseasons Web site Friday for a holiday starting today 5th August one boat only came up Sparkling Horizon from Richardson's

Discount or not they are getting the boats out

Ray

[BrundallNavy]

End of August produced 16 boats available with Cover Girl costing £2774 for 7 days. OMG.

Doug.

[Boatingman]

Glad I do not like Cover Girl type of boat

Ray

[JennyMorgan]

She does look the biz though!

http://www.norfolkbroads.com/accommodation/boat-hire/brundall/cruiser-boat-hire-7571.html

[SwanR]

We passed Cover Girl on the Waveney a couple of weeks ago. Looked far more like a private boat than a hire boat. I certainly wouldn't pay that kind of money for one week at any time of year. 

[Matt]

Roughly the cost of a prime mooring, then....

Or a two week share in a syndicate boat.......


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[Poppy]

11 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

She does look the biz though!

http://www.norfolkbroads.com/accommodation/boat-hire/brundall/cruiser-boat-hire-7571.html

From the photos on the link her registration number appears not to carry the additional  registered  capacity  (-4).  Would that be so thatat she looks even more like a private boat ?

[Matt]

She still has the red ensign on her though.


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[JennyMorgan]

My wife and I went for a delightful walk around 'Lound Lakes' today. Because we were out and neither of us fancied cooking or washing up we decided to visit a nearby, waterside hostelry.  It's one that we have passed numerous times whilst out on the water but, to be honest, have never visited as it really looks unappealing but people have recommended it on the forum so we took the plunge! Thus we arrived by car rather than boat, err, what is this place? It looks like it's made up of breeze blocks, somewhat shed like and with flat roofs. The menu was on the wall beside the door and that at least looked appealing so in we went. The Eu de wee as went past the toilets was less than appealing but we carried on regardless, the scent turned into one of fustiness, the place clearly needed a deep, intense clean. Into the bar we went where we were met by two totally lack lustre, devoid of personality bar staff. Despite being about one o'clock the place was rather less than busy, we wondered why? Two of Richardson's finest moored up, their crews looked at the menu and the bar, turned round and departed. We ordered our drinks, picked up a menu and went outside and sat down in the sun, lovely, my glass of well chilled Aspels sliding down nicely. Lynn, my wife, drank a couple of mouthfuls before noticing the dreaded red of lipstick, which she wasn't wearing, on the rim of her glass.  Into the bar she marched returning almost instantly minus a glass of drink. Apparently Miss Lacklustre 1960 to 2017 had asked Lynn what she expected her, the barmaid, to do about it. Not only that but she laughed at Lynn, bad mistake, when she suggested a replacement. Until that point we had planned to spend at least £40.00 in the bar on food. Sod this, says Lynn, let's go back to the Wherry at Oulton Broad. Fine dining it is not but the food is good, the standard reliable and so we handed the menu back and we headed back towards the car park via the odorous toilets and fusty passage. I'm rather glad, despite the wonderful view across the water, that we had decided not to dine there.

If we were on holiday, possibly having spent well over a grand on a boat, then we would have expected far better of the holiday infrastructure. A wonderful location, awesome view across the marshes and river, but it was a dump in need of immediate and intense TLC, or even total replacement. That it was practically empty on a Sunday lunchtime when the weather was really nice should surely have registered with the owners, it certainly did with us. Some of the yards are offering superb accommodation on state of the art boats, not my choice but that's another issue, whilst their customers, when going ashore, are sometimes expected to really slum it. Will those customers come back? If the answer is no then I can hardly blame them!

PS, there are some cracking pubs and restaurants on the Broads, equally there are some really poor ones, and that's just what we found! Perhaps it should be renamed the First and Last Time!

[Poppy]

I bet they had Stella - and John Smiths too or something like it

[JennyMorgan]

30 minutes ago, Poppy said:

I bet they had Stella - and John Smiths too or something like it

You must have been there then! Actually they had some good stuff on offer as well as the above jollop.

[MauriceMynah]

I have to admit that not knowing the southern waters too well, I'm struggling to think where that might be. I can only think of one place with that architecture.

[JennyMorgan]

46 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I have to admit that not knowing the southern waters too well, I'm struggling to think where that might be. I can only think of one place with that architecture.

Or total lack of!  Cracking location, just need Lotto to cough up.

[ChrisB]

12 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Or total lack of!  Cracking location, just need Lotto to cough up.

For someone who would go in a pub everyday except Christmas day I never go in a pub now. I would stop and have a sandwich and a half as I would be driving. I started not going when I could no longer get my sandwich. I don't want a half a fathom of Bagette and a 5 litre bucket of chips on the side. Funnily enough this thread got me thinking when I last went to a pub and it was on the last day of the last holiday that Judith and I had before she became ill again. That will be two years in September. By coincidence It was one of the first that I ever took her to and even stranger I know it is a Jenny Morgan (Peter) favourite as well.

This painting hangs in our dining room, it is stylised but you will recognise it Peter.

[JennyMorgan]

Anchor Bleu, Bosham, good memories. It used to be Mary's excellent 'ploughman's' that were the attraction, and Barry's pints!

[Essexgirl]

Can only think of one - near Roman ruins?

 

[ChrisB]

You were at Lound and you are returning to Oulton. You could simply drive south. Or you could small circular taking in St Olaves and Somerleyton or a bigger circular taking in Burgh St Peter, Geldeston and Beccles. Unless of course you hopped over on the Reedham Ferry.

You win I give up.

[JennyMorgan]

I now understand that the pub in question is a managed house and that there is a new manager in for 2017.  

[Boatingman]

Peter

 

From your visit it would seem that they need another new manager

Someone who understands Customer Service

Ray

[JennyMorgan]

Ray, something of a dilemma I suspect. The place has one of, if not the finest of vistas in Broadland so there is potential there, I'd really love to take it on. It is what it is though, probably built during the 70's or 80's when the area was awash with holidaymakers and just about anything went. Unfortunately the place doesn't appear to have been developed much over the years and is now long overdue a serious revamp, get away from the acres of cream paint.  Problem might be that the present, probably very seasonal turnover doesn't provide for a long overdue  redevelopment. On top of that I doubt that the place will, as is, attract the right calibre of manager.  On top of all that the area is surrounded by holiday parks all of which offer entertainment and probably a far more attractive ambiance thus I doubt that it touches that market. Whilst we were there a large walking party (30 or so) came in, looked at the menu, put their haversacks back on and left. I'm sure that it could work though. Nice enough mooring, good selection of drink, nice garden area, not all doom & gloom. 

[ChrisB]

I can think of a pub with a beautiful setting in Broadland that has had mixed fortunes in the past. Could we be talking riverside in the general locality of Langley.