Call Me Captain (1961)

[AdnamsGirl]

It's been a while since I had a trawl of YouTube for the most recent Norfolk Broads related uploads but the British Film Institute have added this marvelous offering to their collection in the last week. I still have a huge grin on my face from watching it! 

Call Me Captain dates from 1961 ... there is so much I could say about it ... and a good few artistic licences were taken in it's commentary ..... but I'll leave it for you to watch and enjoy. It's an absolute belter ! 

 

Carol

[WherryNice]

Excellent! I thoroughly enjoy these old films, thank you

[VetChugger]

Wonderful film! The speed of those roundabouts and waltzers! Elf and wotsit has slowed those down over the years!

[Lulu]

What a delightful film. I will be sending the link to my 84 year old father who will love this. Its woodie heaven :)

The feather lady bit was curious. I now have a vision of many bald swans on the Broads in 1961

[Wonderwall]

Only had time to watch the,first 15 mins , will watch the rest later . Fantastic viewing!!

Couple of points of note, not a,life jacket in sight and the water levels look quite high which seems to blow away some of the myths.

[smellyloo]

What a delightful reminder that ..... not that many years ago ...... people knew how to have fun.

When and why did this change?

[NorfolkNog]

Thanks Carol, I'll be watching that when we get home! 

[Lulu]

My dad has just rung me to say he loved this film and said it brought back so many memories further back, in particular a boat called Talisman.  I can only assume it was this one. 

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=10506&BoatHistory=16884

 

[Wonderwall]

2 hours ago, smellyloo said:

What a delightful reminder that ..... not that many years ago ...... people knew how to have fun.

When and why did this change?

In what respect is it any different to having fun in today's goings on?

I certainly have a lot of fun when on the broads, doing nothing much different than I did 40 years ago as a young lad.

[charlesa]

What a charming film, thank you Carol.

I love Princess of Light too !

[Broads01]

1 hour ago, Wonderwall said:

In what respect is it any different to having fun in today's goings on?

I certainly have a lot of fun when on the broads, doing nothing much different than I did 40 years ago as a young lad.

I'll second that. 

[DAVIDH]

Thanks for finding it Carol. The quality of the film is really good for it's age. I must say, when it started the music reminded me of a Carry On film. I half expected Reg Varney to trundle up to his boat in a red double decker bus!

[Vaughan]

Thank you very much for that Carol. Brings back a lot of memories! I can mention a few things that may be of interest:

At 1.50m into the film I think that filling station was in Oulton Broad.

1.52. The boatyard is Ivan Darby's and you can see the big slipway that led down from the Commodore pub, also run by Ivan. The man in the white shirt and smart trousers getting on and off the boats is Ivan Darby himself.

2.46. This is one of Truman's yachts, called Extasy, I think.

2.53. An Easticks cruiser, of the Foxglove class.

3.12 Banhams of Horning later called Norfolk Holiday Boats, I think called Sirdar.

The Princess of Light Class were very special boats, built before the War, to the same Admiralty specifications that Woods also used to build the Broads Tours passenger boats. They had a big yacht type balanced rudder, a long way back from the propellor, and would literally turn in their own length. Gorgeous boats to drive.

9.27 Notice that the attendant at Yarmouth Yacht Station has a Blakes flag on his cap badge.

9.40. You can see one of Percival's Peter Pans moored up. This was taken at Thurne Mouth and you can see St Benet's Level mill, before it was restored.

10.08. One of Windboats' "Flat-a-Floats" which were a caravan on a raft, with an outboard motor. The most famous of these was converted into a fish and chip shop by Tom Percival, and was called the "Fish-afloat".

10.48. River Cruiser number 5, "Barracuda". Later sunk during a Cruiser race on Wroxham Broad, in collision with a Broads Tours passenger boat.

12.04. Salhouse Broad as it used to be.

12.32. The Petersfield was a hotel and country club on the hill above Lower Street, which had its own footpath down to a mooring on the river, for passing trade. All gone to private housing now.

15.27. An aluminium outboard day launch built by Windboats and very popular at the time. One of them was used as the North rivers Police Launch, and was numbered A999.

17.56. This shot of the Pleasure Boat dyke shows that yards such as Brooms, Wards, Powles and Martham all had varnished hulls in those days. Moores were always varnished.

19.13. The speedboat was from Landamores and I think called Miss Mischief. They were clinker built, but using cold moulded construction, which meant no ribs or mainframes, which gave lightness in construction. This design was carried on into the famous Landamore "Lapstrake" lugsail dinghies.

I still have the little brown envelopes which show the prizes that I won as a boy for speedboat racing on Barton Broad in the late 50s. Second prize was 10 shillings!

[Vaughan]

I seem to remember that the bloke who ran the yacht station at Yarmouth was called "Bro" Canham.

A bit of a salvage expert, so I heard.

Anyone else remember him?

[Broads01]

Thank you Vaughan. I haven't watched the film yet but when I do so I'll have your post in front of me. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Great little film.Shows how things have and have not changed,but a shame Great Yarmouth is not so great at present. 

[JennyMorgan]

22 hours ago, smellyloo said:

What a delightful reminder that ..... not that many years ago ...... people knew how to have fun.

When and why did this change?

Back then it was all something of an adventure and the Broads was more of a holiday resort than it is today. We were all in it together too. I also think that people in general were less insular than they are now. 

By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, we put it on the TV and the quality is pretty good. So many memories, saw my old Sheerwater catamaran, long since burned up, poor old girl! No, it wasn't me aboard, I bought her for a few quid at the Wroxham Boat Auction, she was pretty rough but we had a great deal of fun with her. Ridiculous boat for the Broads but she could get a shift on and we enjoyed her.

[Vaughan]

The first motor cruisers on the Broads were more like converted yachts and it was Jenners, in Thorpe who are reckoned to have built the first genuine, centre cockpit Broads cruisers, in around 1912.

I have always believed that ever since then, the basis of a Broads holiday has not changed. Yes, we now have hot running water, fridges, diesel engines, TV and all the other goodies but these are just detail : The Broads holiday can be enjoyed today in just the same way as it always has been.

After all, it is the people themselves, who make a good holiday!

[Gracie]

I really don't think the Broads has changed at all. Okay so the last time we went was October last year and had a few weekends staying in Broadland hotels but I have as much fun now as I did when I was six and sitting at the helm with my Dad. People are just as friendly and helpful now as they were then. So you get the odd few who will stand on deck shaking their heads, and hands on hips as you come into moor like they are so perfect at it and have never messed up, I just wave and give them a friendly smile (im indoors isn't so forgiving lol) That happens now and when I was growing up. We were always made to wear life jackets as are my boys, they don't leave the boat otherwise. It's all just the same for us as it ever was, adventure, fun and messing about on boats, not a better holiday to be had in my opinion

Thanks for the film Carol, I also showed my Dad, he loved it

Grace

[JennyMorgan]

10 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

After all, it is the people themselves, who make a good holiday!

Quite right too! 

What has changed is the make-up of the fleets, at one time the holiday boats far outnumbered private ones. People came to the Broads for a holiday, for an adventure, for most it was something entirely new. Today private boats far outnumber hire boats, now many people now come here just to relax, to unwind, to enjoy their own boats. Regretfully for many there isn't quite the same carefree holiday atmosphere that there was over half a century ago. In reality I don't suppose the Broads is any less enjoyable, just that perceptions and expectations have changed.