A Favourite Memory

[Ray]

After posting my photos from Broads holidays in the 80s I remembered one of our weeks when we were so hooked on one particular wild mooring that we moored there over night on 3 of our six nights, every other night in fact. We had hired on the Northern rivers and as is common for new boaters with only a week we didn't venture south.

Wild moorings have changed a lot over the years and many including this one are no longer accessible. Our idea of a perfect day was a good cruise after breakfast, followed by a mooring within walking distance of a pub for a hearty lunch and liquid refreshment and then on cruising again for as long as possible before finding a quiet wild mooring for the night. A simple supper of something like cheese on toast followed by sitting on deck with a big mug of tea watching the wildlife and the sunset. Still my ultimate best way to spend a day!

Anyway, just after you turn into Womack from the Thurne there used to be a dip in the bank on the port side just big enough for a 25 foot boat tucked in and out of the main navigation. We soon got used to how close the Hustler yachts came before tacking and enjoyed watching them without the stress of being underway and trying to guess which way they would go next (still have that problem lol)

On those 3 nights in one, all too short holiday we experienced standing on the roof while a mini murmuration swarmed around us, so close you could feel the air move from their wings! (I'm not sure what they were, they were feeding and I only call it a murmuration as a description of their behaviour)

Another time two hare's engaged in boxing as I'd only ever seen in wildlife videos (well, films not videos as they weren't widely available then!)

Finally there was the Barn Owl hunting silently in the twilight, pure white and silent returning to the same spot after each flight to survey the fields again!

So there you have it... was there any way that I could not have become addicted to the wonderful Norfolk Broads? 🙂

[Gracie]

Ray, that's so lovely and what a brilliant topic to start

I've probably told this before, sorry if I'm repeating myself but one of my favourite memories was sitting in the front well of a Gold Gem from Richardson's fishing with my Dad. I remember catching my first tiny roach, the way my Dad reacted I thought I'd landed a record breaking fish, I've loved boats, the Broads and fishing ever since  

My love for Broadland pubs comes from sitting outside The Berney Arms with my parents having a real beer shandy and a packet of crisps watching the boats across Breydon and spending the night there being allowed to stay up late, sitting outside listening to the sounds of the water and wildlife, magical  x

[Ray]

Sounds like heaven! 🙂👍

[JennyMorgan]

My first memory of life was being carried aboard my father's new sailing boat by my mother. Access to the boat was along a wobbly ligger and I suspect that my habitually anxious mother had held me very tight before placing me amongst the spare sails and sail bags in the forepeak. Perhaps the sound of water running along the hull was akin to being back in the womb! I related that experience to my mother many years later, she remembered it too and was really surprised that I also remembered, after all I was only a baby in arms. Perhaps my mother's anxiety imprinted itself upon me.  Needless to say, the sound of water running along the waterline, especially on a chine or clencher built, wooden hull, is to this day one of life's real pleasures. 

[Broads01]

My favourite memory is the moment we arrived at Norfolk Broads Yachting Company for our first hire, 14th August 1981. I was 10 years old. We hadn't even boarded our boat and yet something about seeing it from where I was sat (in the back seat of our Austin Allegro) triggered something in me which is very much still with me today. 

[SwanR]

Great topic. Thanks Ray. 

My memory is much more recent and like Grace, I’ve probably told it before. It was the first time I ever saw Cockshoot Broad. Had seen the moorings on one of Robin’s videos and was happy to find somewhere that we could have a walk. But I had no idea what we would see until we opened one of the hatches in the hide. Wow! So beautiful. You can’t ever repeat that in quite the same way once you know what’s there.