Winter Drawers On!

[Vaughan]

 

I didn't know where to post this, but I came across it whilst sorting out some boxes in the loft.  Sorry about the quality but it is an old cutting from the EDP, during the hard winter of 1963.

The dredger is interesting as it seems to be steam powered.  I like the winch on the foredeck as it is exactly like the one we had at Hearts Cruisers for hauling boats up the slipways.  It actually had 3 gears.  Two men, on handles either side, and up she came!

The big white house in front of the church was then owned by Peter Mills, who until his retirement, in the days of Empire, had been chief of police in Kenya.  He had a lot of land on both sides of the broad and the water in front of the house now, is an extensive marina mooring.

Nowadays, we would at once ask why Mr Bugden, of May Gurneys, is not wearing a life jacket.  Especially as he is setting about smashing up the very ice he is standing on, in the middle of the broad!

At the bottom of the caption it says (See also "ice girls" on back page) but I won't post that as one of them was a girlfriend of mine at the time.      

 

[WherryNice]

Thanks Vaughan, always very interesting to read this type of thing. I must say the 'PC holds mob at bay with torch' headline is also rather interesting.....

[Vaughan]

I am afraid this is all have of that, as the page was cut off underneath.

 

But in compensation, here are the ice girls!

 

 

[Wussername]

The winter of '63. A very good friend of mine used to sail and moor his boat the sailing cruiser Goldfish on Wroxham broad. The boat had been winterised at Coldham Hall for Harry Last to dance attendance on annual maintenance.

My friend had purchased a brand new mini from Mann Egerton. This gave him the ideal opportunity to photograph his car on the bouy and he duly parked his car where the boat would have normally been moored, on the broad. 

I and my friends all drove old bangers, worth a fortune today, old MG sports cars, a Morgan, Austin 7 convertible, but we never risked them even though they were worth next to nothing in those days.

I still drive an old banger, an expensive car in its day, worth today about threepence,  but I still would not drive it on the ice.

Andrew.

[oldgregg]

13 hours ago, Wussername said:

My friend had purchased a brand new mini from Mann Egerton. This gave him the ideal opportunity to photograph his car on the bouy and he duly parked his car where the boat would have normally been moored, on the broad. 

Now that's a photo I'd like to see!

Great thread Vaughan, thanks for sharing!

[JennyMorgan]

There were several either brave or foolhardy individuals who drove their cars on Oulton Broad in the '63 big freeze. Back in time that was a brand new car! Note the toboggan behind the car, being towed at some speed was great fun!

[Smoggy]

I've done the towing a toboggan thing but not on a frozen broad, it was kimbolton airfield many moons ago, and yes it was a lot of fun indeed taking it in turn to drive and be dragged, that was behind a mk1 escort estate in a fetching shade of black smoothrite which was anything but new.

[Wussername]

My grandfather told me that people skated from Beccles to Oulton Broad.

Or was that one of his fisherman tales?

Andrew

[JennyMorgan]

28 minutes ago, Wussername said:

My grandfather told me that people skated from Beccles to Oulton Broad.

Or was that one of his fisherman tales?

Andrew

They certainly did.  Apparently it was generally a bit hairy at Aldeby for some reason and so skaters had to watch where they were going at that point. As kids we rode our bikes as far as Burgh St Peter but we never ventured further than that.