Back To The Summer Of 1976?...

[vanessan]

47 minutes ago, kingfisher666 said:

. A definite nautical/piratical theme ran through the boat names at the yard 'Ferry Buccaneer', 'Ferry Mutineer  etc.. 

It must have changed a bit in the 80s as we hired a sedan type called Ferry Pioneer.  (Totally different to the Pioneer above from the 70s.) Having had a week on Pioneer, we then had Ferry Pilot for a long weekend. It was the size of the Pilot day boats which are around now and we had it specifically so we could get upstream of Potter bridge. Happy days!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, vanessan said:

It must have changed a bit in the 80s as we hired a sedan type called Ferry Pioneer.  (Totally different to the Pioneer above from the 70s.) Having had a week on Pioneer, we then had Ferry Pilot for a long weekend. It was the size of the Pilot day boats which are around now and we had it specifically so we could get upstream of Potter bridge. Happy days!

During the 70's & 80's we wouldn't hire a boat if it wouldn't go under Potter Heigham bridge, that was a definite 'no no'... Usually, we would try to arrive at Horsey Staithe as early as possible. If the day was nice (usually we were lucky), we would pack a picnic and walk past the 'Nelson Head', across the marshes to the dunes & beach. Sometimes, we would walk right up to Sea Palling along the beach and back. It's nice to get off the boat and stretch your legs occasionally and the walk around Horsey, Waxham and Sea Palling is lovely, if the weather is kind to you...

Often, we would leave Horsey Staithe in the early evening and take a slow trip back through Meadow Dyke and across Martham Broad to West Somerton Staithe, finishing the evening at 'The Lion' a short walk away... I love that part of the broads and I'm often surprised, when I hear seasoned broads boaters say, they've never been above Potter Heigham bridge. I guess, it's because so few of the 'modern' boats can pass under the old bridge. A pity really, they don't know what they're missing...

[JanetAnne]

9 minutes ago, kingfisher666 said:

... I love that part of the broads and I'm often surprised, when I hear seasoned broads boaters say, they've never been above Potter Heigham bridge. I guess, it's because so few of the 'modern' boats can pass under the old bridge. A pity really, they don't know what they're missing...

Shhhhhhhh!!! 

[Malanka]

First taste of the broads. Bridge craft dog kennel. Watched Wimbledon final. Sooooo hot all the time  and snow at home (Rochdale) in May. 

I was 14 

 

M

[FairTmiddlin]

2 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

I forgot the ladybird until you said.We were on holiday in Bognor. We sat outside have a drink and we became covered in them.Cant remember why there was so many.Never seen so many since.1976 was the year before we got married. The summer seemed to go on forever.Fast forward, so far this  summer has been good.

The reason was the aphid population which bloomed in the start of the heatwave, died off because of the extreme heat, leaving the ladybirds with nothing to feed on. So they swarmed to try and find food.

[Springsong]

I was told at the time thy were born on the wind from the continent, it was not pleasant walking down the Southsea front with them flying in ones face and crunching under foot.

[Siddy]

10 at the time walking home from school, guy down from us used to own about 6 taxis 'Austin Princess' which ran on LPG with a big white tank in the boot. Three lined up on the spare ground over the road and the middle one was bent to hell due to the tank blowing up with the heat. Boot lid was vertical and rear door blown open & rear seats were in the front but remember the internal light was still working.

 

[Minifer]

Talking of ladybird swarms, I currently am experiencing a swarm of pollen beetles in my Norfolk garden, the photo just shows the ones on the window, not the swarm behind.  Maybe it is the start of another summer like '76! We have had no rain in 4 weeks. 

[Guest]

Our last rain, was on Tuesday 29th. May, when we had an absolutely torrential downpour, during a thunderstorm and nothing since. The grass is getting a good suntan and gets browner by the day, I'm not complaining though, I love the sunshine...

[Minifer]

I like it too, but I work from home in a south facing garden room/conservatory thing and I have to pull the blinds down so I don't cook.  As long as the wind stays fresh I'm happy!

[MauriceMynah]

In the winter when the weather is cold, the best thing to do is sit in a nice warm pub and have a warming drink or two. When the summer comes and it's too hot, the best thing to do is sit in a nice cool pub and have a refreshing drink or two. However, when the temperature is just right, not too hot, not too cold, it would be somewhat churlish not to go to the pub and tell everybody how nice the weather is... over a drink or too of course.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

In the winter when the weather is cold, the best thing to do is sit in a nice warm pub and have a warming drink or two. When the summer comes and it's too hot, the best thing to do is sit in a nice cool pub and have a refreshing drink or two. However, when the temperature is just right, not too hot, not too cold, it would be somewhat churlish not to go to the pub and tell everybody how nice the weather is... over a drink or too of course.

I have to confess, these days I'm a bit of a 'lightweight' where daytime drinking is concerned. Anything more than a couple of pints at lunchtime, would see me scurrying for my bunk!... I got the 'lunchtime sessions' out of my system in my twenties & thirties. A couple of bottles of 'Becks' (yes, I know that's sacrilege to 'real' beer drinkers) is my lunchtime limit these days... I've actually got a few cooling in the fridge for later, when (if the forecast is to be believed) it could reach 28 deg.C (82 deg.F in old money). 

Enjoy your lunchtime drink or two, whatever your poison,  Mr. Mynah...

[ranworthbreeze]

1 hour ago, kingfisher666 said:

I have to confess, these days I'm a bit of a 'lightweight' where daytime drinking is concerned. Anything more than a couple of pints at lunchtime, would see me scurrying for my bunk!... I got the 'lunchtime sessions' out of my system in my twenties & thirties. A couple of bottles of 'Becks' (yes, I know that's sacrilege to 'real' beer drinkers) is my lunchtime limit these days... I've actually got a few cooling in the fridge for later, when (if the forecast is to be believed) it could reach 28 deg.C (82 deg.F in old money). 

Enjoy your lunchtime drink or two, whatever your poison,  Mr. Mynah...

There is nothing wrong with Becks and if you can find it on draft even better or Peroni rather than the old brown sludge

Regards

Alan

[Simondo]

Bottled becks is my choice as well, the first one after not drinking for a few days goes in about 39secs ?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Simondo said:

Bottled becks is my choice as well, the first one after not drinking for a few days goes in about 39secs ?

I've just been out in the garden, doing a bit of 'tidying up'. According to the thermometer, it's touching 85deg.F in the sun. I reckon I'll cut that time down to 3.9 seconds later, when I've finished the work and claimed my reward. But for now, a nice cuppa is doing the job just fine...

 

[VetChugger]

Bottled or draft, Becks is a refreshing drink as is Kronenberg which has just a tad more "bite"! Goes down alarmingly easily at times.

[chrisdobson45]

My first Broads holiday, aged 10, was in the summer of 1976, aboard Golden Arrow III from Pearson Marine, Reedham, accompanied by another family who had hired Golden Gleam (centre cockpit woody). On arrival we were warned that there was "not much water above Wroxham" so it was with a certain amount of trepidation that my father headed out for the week. We needn't have worried, we cruised to Coltishall (swimming in the crystal clear waters at the Rising Sun) & Stalham without any issues. It was the holiday that started this 42 year affair with the Broads....