Southgate Boats

[Kron]

Looking to pick your brains if I can 🤔

Does anyone know what boats Southgates yard hired out in 1990/91.

The one I'm looking for was already well past its best by then, blue in colour and a four berth. Think we hired it through Hoseasons.

Any ideas?

[Paul]

have a look here - click on full fleet

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki2018/index.php?title=Boatyard_Details&YardId=137

 

[Paul]

if you type in the year at the bottom of the page it will narrow things down for you a bit

[Kron]

Wow, thank you very much 

[Broads01]

Southgates was never Hoseasons, being Blakes for many years but finishing up as part of the Pennant Holidays group. If it was 1990/1991 it would have been Pennants, who finished in 1992 as I recall. I remember they had a few light blue Elysian 27 four berth centre cockpits and aft cockpits also. They were built in the 1960s and not improved much over the years. Could it have been one of the Crystal Stream class? http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki2018/index.php?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=5755&BoatHistory=9305

[webntweb]

Just looking through the 1991 Pennant Brochure.

Crystal Stream class were 4 berth Elysian 27 centre cockpit; Gulf Stream & Rippling Stream classes were 4 to 5 berth DC30 forward drive.

They are all pictured in blue and probably were, but many boatyards had these classes and the pics could be just a class pic and not a true representation of that particular boats colour.

Craigs website shows about 18 craft in the three classes plus 3 Rhinestone class at Southgates Lower yard in the early 90s. Must have been busy on turnaround day in that small yard.

[Kron]

Yes it's looking like the Crystal Stream is the one, even though the name doesn't ring any bells. Are you able to post a photo?

 

[Broads01]

If you look at the pic in the link in my last post, that's a more recent view under private ownership so you'll have to imagine it light blue. 

[webntweb]

The scan is of Crystal Light 5 which externally is the same as Crystal Stream. The interior layout of Crystal Stream was the same as Western Light.

[Broads01]

That page takes me back Roy, happy memories of booking through Pennants in my youth although I never had a boat from Southgates. 

[Kron]

Thank you. Have managed to find what looks like the colour on Crystal Stream 8.

 

 

[Broads01]

I always thought it's an elegant design, more so than the aft cockpit version for some reason. That sofa/berth doesn't exactly look like the height of luxury though! 

[Kron]

It definitely wasn't. We only had it for a weekend, two children, one still in a high chair and then broke down on the last afternoon. Hubby had to flag down someone in a passing rowing boat to take him back to Horning to get help!

[webntweb]

10 hours ago, Broads01 said:

That page takes me back Roy, happy memories of booking through Pennants in my youth although I never had a boat from Southgates. 

Went 3 times with Pennant Simon:

Late Sept 87 for two weeks on Star Monarch 1 from Jack Powles (we got under Potter on that one). At the risk of boring you overnight stops were: Thurne Dyke; Yarmouth YS (o/n £5); Beauchamp Arms; Norwich YS (o/n £4); Oulton YS (o/n £2.35); Beccles YS; Stokesby; Candle Dyke; Potter Heigham; St. Benets; Wayford Bridge; Wroxham; Horning; Wroxham (via Coltishall). Weather was good, light showers on the first Saturday then no rain at all until second Wednesday when showers and rain for the rest of week. We used 15 gallons of Diesel.

Rhinestone 2 from Southgates in late October 89 for 10 days (had to take her back a day early - end of school holidays). Overnight stops: Stokesby; Oulton Broad; Brundall; Yarmouth YS (o/n £6); St Benets; Wroxham; Ranworth; Thurne Dyke, Wayford Bridge; Horning. We had to moor up for some time on the Yare halfway between Berney and Reedham as BA were doing a river depth survey.

Late October 90 for one week on Swan Raider 2 from Brundall. Overnight stops: Yarmouth YS (o/n £8); Bure (wild mooring nr Ranner Dam); Potter Heigham (via Wroxham); St Olaves; Oulton YS (o/n £3.20); Geldeston Lock; Surlingham Ferry; Brundall. We used 13 gallons. Had a breakdown just above Beccles and were towed back to swimming pool mooring by an Aston boat.

[webntweb]

Ooops sorry I uploaded same pic twice. Here's one of Swan Raider 2.  

[Broads01]

Great pictures Roy. Pennants were very much the budget operators in their time especially so with Hearts Cruisers. My one hire with them was my first hire as an adult in 1989. It was a Hampton called Fiesta and cost something like £230 for a week in July. 

[Matt]

The scan is of Crystal Light 5 which externally is the same as Crystal Stream. The interior layout of Crystal Stream was the same as Western Light.

One of Crystal Lights provided my first ever Broads experience in 1990! We even got under Potter :-)


Sent from my iPhone using Norfolk Broads Network

[woodwose]

I have got a film of turn round day at Southgates Yard on this link:  http://www.ludhamarchive.org.uk/vidholdy.htm

It is probably a bit before the time you wanted but it is an interesting bit of film.

Nigel (Ludham)

[Boatingman]

I have watched the film as Nigel stated it is an interesting watch

[Vaughan]

Anyone recognise a young and handsome Reggie Reeve? He went on to be the manager at Herbert Woods, until he retired in about 2009.

An interesting mix of old boats as only about half of them are Southgates originals. The rest are what was left over from when Jenners in Thorpe was closed down by the Caister Group, who also owned Herbert Woods and Southgates at the time. These had already been sold to Jenners by their original yards, in 1966/7, so you get all sorts from Landamores, Windboats, Dawncraft, Moores and several others, all operating out of the same yard.

[trambo]

I remember the old Main Yard from the 60s. It always looked tidy (probably wasn't) with a dyke of neat attractive houseboats for hire.

Fred

[Seagypsy]

42 minutes ago, trambo said:

I remember the old Main Yard from the 60s. It always looked tidy (probably wasn't) with a dyke of neat attractive houseboats for hire.

Fred

Hi Fred that sounds like Chumley & Hawkes in the 70s is it possible they had taken it over

Tony

[trambo]

Hi Tony. Chumley & Hawkes......now that was tidy. Southgates Main Yard was sold for the residential developments we see today and they just retained the Lower Street yard. If memory serves me right this was the old H. T. Percival hire yard. Going upstream you then had the the New Inn,  Norfolk Holiday Boats (H. C. Banham) The Green,  Swan Inn, Horning Sailing Club and then Southgates main yard.

Just remembered my dad did not like mooring there as it was too long a walk to the pub!

Fred

[Vaughan]

30 minutes ago, trambo said:

the Lower Street yard. If memory serves me right this was the old H. T. Percival hire yard. Going upstream you then had the the New Inn,  Norfolk Holiday Boats (H. C. Banham) The Green,  Swan Inn, Horning Sailing Club and then Southgates main yard.

To misquote a famous duo - all the right yards, but not necessarily in the right order!

Southgates Lower St is still there, just downstream of the New Inn. On the upstream side was Percivals, then Banhams, which was bought by Percivals sometime in the 60s. Arthur Ransome had Banhams in mind for his fictional yard known as Jonatts, in "Coot Club", and the scene where one of the boys has his tooth pulled out with a piece of string and a brick, "took place" in the sail loft over one of Banham's slipways.

When Tom Percival was tragically killed in a powerboat accident in 1984, his father had no spirit to keep the business going any more, so he sold the two main river yards and kept the marina moorings in Woods Dyke.

Chumley and Hawke were further down towards the Ferry and it was a very pleasant yard with lots of houseboats and later some holiday bungalows, which are still there today. Nearby was also Turners boatyard.

[Seagypsy]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

To misquote a famous duo - all the right yards, but not necessarily in the right order!

Southgates Lower St is still there, just downstream of the New Inn. On the upstream side was Percivals, then Banhams, which was bought by Percivals sometime in the 60s. Arthur Ransome had Banhams in mind for his fictional yard known as Jonatts, in "Coot Club", and the scene where one of the boys has his tooth pulled out with a piece of string and a brick, "took place" in the sail loft over one of Banham's slipways.

When Tom Percival was tragically killed in a powerboat accident in 1984, his father had no spirit to keep the business going any more, so he sold the two main river yards and kept the marina moorings in Woods Dyke.

Chumley and Hawke were further down towards the Ferry and it was a very pleasant yard with lots of houseboats and later some holiday bungalows, which are still there today. Nearby was also Turners boatyard.

Remember Turners, we were in a cottage just outside Horning rang Blakes and booked Silver Spray 2berth on short brake to use as a day boat, went to pick it up and saw a big guy with a walking stick think he was Mr Turner told him what we were there for he said it's out of the water take that one it's all ready, gave us Crystal Spray 35ft 4 berth