Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[NeilB]

Used to the odd one or two speeding but that 2nd one was really going some and as I happened to be near the helm I tried to get his attention.  He saw me indicating to slow down but just ignored me.

Amused my kids anyway!  Driving them back to their mums tomorrow after they have emptied my food cupboards!!

[kpnut]

2 hours ago, YnysMon said:

We don’t tend to watch TV on the boat much.

Me neither to be honest. Maybe in the winter, or when I’m on my home mooring after a day’s DIY, but the aerial gets put in the cupboard all summer. 
And I’ve just discovered iPad jigsaws; a bit addictive. 

 

[kpnut]

Saturday 20th August cont. 

Lots of housework getting ready for Cath. Tony found his belongings put out on the quay, awaiting his lift home with our friends. 
Cath reported that Sutton Bridge had big tailbacks due to an accident and there was a road round Hubberts Bridge near Boston shut, with diversion in place for Tony. Glad I was going nowhere! All I could report was that Tesco  in Stalham was busy and their fuel station is now up and running again and busy. Nicholsons down on the back road to Sutton was the same price, so I went there. 
We set off about 3pm to join a queue of hire boats leaving the yard, but our destination was Sutton Staithe for a pump out. While waiting temporarily for space on their quay, I noticed a sign saying you can reserve a mooring there for £10 a night. I wouldn’t need it but good for those who like Sutton Staithe and would prefer not to moor down the narrow bit, especially on the BA 2 moorings, it might be worth a try. It’s side-on, just at the entrance to the private moorings, with a nice patch of grass and a bench. To get to the pub, you just walk through the boatyard. 
As I’ve already said, we moored on the Ant above Barton Broad and NeilB came past in his dinghy earlier on his way back to his boat on the opposite bank. 

A lovely starry night by the looks of it when I put the dog out an hour ago. 

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

And I’ve just discovered iPad jigsaws; a bit addictive. 

Too addictive! I have a soft spot for jigsaws. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of my childhood time with my grandparents, as Mam had to work. 

My paternal Nain (grandma) was brilliant at keeping a young child occupied. We did a lot of jigsaws, so my jigsaw skills have been honed. Lots of her jigsaws were from jumble sales though, so usually had at least one piece missing.  As soon as you got bored of one thing she would have something else…card games, drawing and painting, helping her do her laundry, polishing her brass, exploring her attic (a treasure trove, of all sorts…jars containing ‘special shells’) etc. She had a streak of fun in her…which I think my cousins and my younger son have inherited. I’m just too serious for my own good. 

[grendel]

9 hours ago, YnysMon said:

We don’t tend to watch TV on the boat much. The occasional DVD, but otherwise it’s books, card games, crosswords and the occasional jigsaw on my iPad. 

i dont watch tv when aboard (water Rail doesnt have one anyway) but i do take a portable DVD player, this last trip I managed 3 dvd's on the whole trip.

I dont watch TV at home either, I do watch DVD,s and Youtube.

[kpnut]

6 hours ago, YnysMon said:

My paternal Nain (grandma) was brilliant at keeping a young child occupied.

Sounds just the sort of nan I want to be to mine if they ever come along!  How wonderful Helen. 
 

 

30 minutes ago, grendel said:

i do take a portable DVD player,

I don’t really watch films either Peter, it probably shows when doing the quiz-ha ha. 
The TV on the boat wouldn’t turn on one day cos the old inverter it uses (all the richardsons hire boats have one inverter, exclusive for the tv, and then some have another for 240v sockets) was making a very strange noise. On a long winded investigation, it turned out to be the DVD player had gone pop. Once that was disconnected from the wiring, the inverter and the TV were fine again.

(sorry, I can’t get rid of that extra thing below!

30 minutes ago, grendel said:

 

[kpnut]

Sunday 21st August

What a lovely day to be out on the river, a real late summer feel to the light. 
We pottered down the Ant where there were more boats in both directions than of late, but plenty of wild moorings available if we’d so wished. 
St Benets was busy too, but plenty of space at Thurne Dyke as we turned onto the Thurne. I heard later that there was a sailing race on, but we must have been too early for it.
I was tempted to moor on the river end by the windpump, but carried on to Womack Dyke as I wanted to check the riverside path round to Potter Heigham, seeing as someone had said it was pretty overgrown a while back and it was one of those I reported on the NCC website. The man on the next boat said it was cut about 3weeks ago, so maybe that did coincide with my online form filling exercise? I’d like to think so, but doubt it!

Anyway, we had no problems walking down from the moorings to Toad Cottage/Hall at Womack dyke end, and along to the start of Potter Heigham. We spent a while watching the river traffic on the private quay heading there before going over the little bridge and turning up the track. I commented that the little cottage there would be a wonderful place to live, flooding excepted. It was so funny watching Finlay crossing the metal bridge as it’s like a square grating and he sort of crouched down and ran across with knees bent, that I called him back and he had to do it again. Mean, but then new experiences are what makes them confident when working. 
Following the track round to the left where it branches and before long we were back at Hunters Yard and back to the boat. 
We set to and baked mini quiches for lunch as the sweet potato pastry cases that Cath had brought with her needed using up. The poor man on the next boat told me they smelt quite delicious, I felt quite bad not to have offered him one. 
Another walk up to the village late afternoon, via the footpath that branches west off the top of Horsefen Road, reaching a lane that you turn left onto, then crossing the busy road between Ludham and P.H. Along another lane, turning left at the junction, another left at a t junction later and it brings you out in the village. 
We stopped in at Throwers to get plasters as Cath had cut her foot on the walk and a drink stop in the Kings Arms, which was heaving. We’d seen a couple of ‘for sale’ boards along the way, so as usual, as I’m very nosey, rightmove’ came to my rescue. I was amazed that there were 23 properties in Ludham listed (most marked as sold I might add). And the cottage I’d mentioned earlier on the walk was one of them, but at £850,000 for a two bed property it’s way above even my wildest dreams! Interestingly, it stated that the 200ft long quay heading was leased from the EA for a peppercorn rent.
Back to the boat for soup and a bean stew. A still evening, very few boats coming up looking for a hopeful mooring and neither any sailie boats coming into Hunters. Lots of birdsong if you can the noise geese make as ‘song’ and a beautiful sunset rounded off a very relaxing day. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, kpnut said:

Back to the boat for soup and a bean stew. A still evening

I bet the following morning was a little more breezy 

[kpnut]

Monday 22nd August

More house price research as we went past the black mill on the way down to Acle. I hadn’t noticed before, but it has a ‘for sale’ sign outside. £600,000 for partially renovated, planning permission for extension, materials (oak?) already purchased for sails, fan wheel, gantry etc etc, longish stretch of moorings, outside facilities to be able to offer log cabin holiday let or similar etc. Someone will like a project, may not be to everyone’s taste for development but if it saves another mill, then good in my book. Scrolling through we were then shocked to see we could purchase Thurne Mill for £200,000, (always assuming we had the money of course!) including a 30ft mooring. The wind energy museum and a cottage along there make up another two lots that can go separately or be combined in one deal with the mill. I hope someone takes these icons on sympathetically and the wind energy museum can be developed into a really thoughtful resource. 
I digress. Our day comprised a leaisurely start with a couple of short walks for Finlay along Womack dyke again, then motoring along to Stokesby. I hadn’t realised the pub and farm moorings were free during the day, (£8 overnight for info), and back to Acle bridge. We gave Finlay another run along past the pub and farm moorings to Acle Dyke and carried along the footpath for a while till it crossed the main road. From there you can do a big circular walk that leads to the bank opposite the Ferry Inn at Stokesby and back up, but we didn’t fancy that with Cath’s sore foot. A coffee stop at the riverside Dunes Cafe at the bridge, a long chat with a couple from Scotland who love coming to the broads for a fortnight each year and off we went, back up the Bure and along towards fleet dyke to a wild mooring where we could access the nice blackberry bush on the marsh that I’d mentioned the previous week. We walked about halfway across the marsh with the Tupperware boxes before turning back and picking the remaining berries within our reach. I’m still 300g short of the amount required for a full demijohn of blackberry gin!  All the other ingredients are now in though, so that’s Christmas presents sorted for another year!

The river and sky looked totally wonderful as we went to bed and I think it’s Venus up there shining bright, low on the horizon. 

 

[kpnut]

Was serenaded to a rendition of campfire type songs at 7am as 3 canadian canoes or similar of sea cadets came paddling up the Bure.
I do really love seeing youngsters pursuing outdoor activities with no adults in tow (or not visibly anyway, I’m well aware of ‘remote supervision’ as have done it many times with DofE groups). 
As I write this an hour later, another 2 canoe loads have just passed. 
Hopefully passing boats will give them the space they should. 

[Smoggy]

8 minutes ago, kpnut said:

I hope someone takes these icons on sympathetically

Now who would take on old buildings and re-purpose sympathetically....

Oh crap we are going to have a mini wetherspoons every 2 miles along the broads soon!

(It's the only thing I like spoons for)

[kpnut]

Put a ‘ha ha’ but not sure it’s a laughing matter if what Smoggy says was to come to fruition. 

Tuesday 23rd August

After my morning ‘arise’ call from the sea scouts, I gave Finlay a run along the riverbank before setting off for Horning direction. More boats than I expected were out and about and the nearer we got to Horning, the more frequent the day boats became. In one view that would have been a photo shot if the phone had been handy, I would have fitted 7 day boats and a cruiser in. 
Cath was at the helm from near Ranworth to past Horning, partly because she had to take over when I firstly realised I’d forgotten to feed the dog, and secondly realised the fridge had packed up/had a warning light on and had defrosted itself. The instruction manual said to do the equivalent of ‘turn off/turn on again’ on the PC, but It did say disconnect fully. Well, to do that involves emptying the contents and pulling the fridge out, so I wondered in my simple way if taking out the fuse from the fuse box would achieve the same thing. It did, and bingo, it’s been working fine since then. How it got its knickers in a twist I don’t know! The only thing I can think of was plugging into the 32amp socket at Acle Bridge on the ‘reducer adapter’ , switching the fridge to 240 for a couple of hours to use up a bit of free electric I found, then putting it back on 12v. Would that confuse the fridge? It’s always fine running on normal 16amp supply and switching to 12v when underway. You can see by this that I don’t really understand physics!!

I called a hello to Doug and Hellie on Papaver at Horning staithe but not sure if they recognised me and we carried on to the Hoveton Great Broad nature trail. I could set up camp there, the number of times I’ve visited this season. I think it’s 5, or maybe 6 times now. I can recommend it as a good educational introduction to the wetland habitat, but my goodness, I have come across a couple of quite officious volunteers - the paid staff are very cheerful and helpful though. 
We cut across to Salhouse to fill up with water and go for a wander in the woods, sort rubbish etc. Finlay asked to go for a swim but then faffed about in the increasingly black mud on the beach area, so had to have a proper dousing with a bucket of water before being allowed on the boat. 
On passing back through Horning again, I spied Ranworth Breeze for the first time. 
Our next and final stop of the day was at St Benedict’s church mooring, with a late lunch, then a walk to Horning and a glass of cider at the Swan Inn garden, and picking the remaining 300g of blackberries needed for my gin on the way back, following a rummage in a wheelbarrow of old tools that had been left at the end of someone’s drive during a house clearance. I was looking for anything remotely useful in imperial sizes and found a sort of socket spanner that seems to fit from 1/4 to 3/4” by an ingenious set of retractable pins inside. Whether it’s as effective as it looks is anyones guess, but worth a punt. Tony had bought me a whole Draper set for the boat on eBay the other day, so this isn’t really needed but I was intrigued. Cath found an unopened set of two door handles that match ones in her house that her husband had been unsuccessfully searching for online recently. 
We’d been joined on the mooring by a family on their hols staying in Hickling and revisiting old haunts. They were fishing and left after an hour or so. Curry for tea and I remembered to feed the dog too this time. 

 

[kpnut]

Wednesday 24th August

Slightly more dull this early morning than forecast. I’d been sleeping with curtains and door open so I could see the river waking up, but nothing special this morning. The weather did cheer up by the time we left though and the rest of the day was decidedly hot and humid. 
Stopped for fuel at Ludham Bridge boatyard, at £1.80 /L might not be amongst the cheapest now, but they’ve lost a lot of revenue while waiting for required paperwork from HMRC to arrive since April so George tells me, and haven’t been able to stock it since then, so I thought I’d support them. 
Somewhere yesterday or today I spotted Hi-jinks who, on their thread had requested a wave so I willingly obliged. I do like to wave to other forum folk, partly cos it makes me feel part of a community, even if we don’t know each other in person. 
We called in at Neatishead for a lunch stop onboard, a trip to the fudge lady for Cath’s gifts to take home and a walk across the fields for Finlay. Poor thing, he has suffered slightly these last couple of weeks with guests on board with fewer and shorter walks.
Kingfisher spotting down Lime Kiln dyke paid off with some very obliging birds. We arrived at Neatishead at about 11.45 I think and found just two boats in. A very few minutes later 7 boats all came along at once -5 large cruisers from H.W. who were all together, come to celebrate a birthday at the pub. At one point there was one boat just moored, 2 boats across the dyke turning, 2 more holding station down the dyke waiting to turn and 2 waiting to get in. They told me they were new to boating so did extremely well, but it looked chaotic. I did warn them for future reference that they’d been extremely lucky to find enough available space for the whole group to moor together, as I’d hate them to get the impression that space is no issue down there. Even before they’d all settled, more boats arrived and the dyke was full, all in about 15 minutes. 

We and the boat that had been in when we’d arrived both left by 2.45, and the spaces were taken immediately by 2 boats just turning up, lucky them!  as plenty more had hopefully arrived during that time and been disappointed. 
Our destination for the final night was Dilham, spotting Robin and Trixie moored up along the way and Papaver again later. More kingfisher spotting, this time I actually managed a photo which I won’t post cos it’d be extremely fuzzy I fear.

No space at Dilham and in turning, I must have grounded as it cut the engine dead. No problem as it started again immediately, but hopefully no damage and a shock to me I must say. 
We docked at the wild mooring on the V junction of Stalham and Sutton Broad and very nice too. I’ve wanted to moor there awhile but last season it was occupied for a good stretch of time. The ground actually goes back a long way, I thought it’d just be bog, so a good little training area in amongst scrubby bushes for the dog. 
Lovely sunset with a fairly friendly swan joining us, then I zipped the canopies down after reading the forecast, and sure enough, at 2.20 I was awoken to a massive flash of lightening and a rumble of thunder followed by a loud crack that shook the boat!  This continued, not quite to the same extent for an hour or so, with intermittent rain, but as I write that, it’s calm. Forecast is for more of the same all day, but hey! I sign off the boat today so no worries for me. To have had no poor weather to speak of on my travels since I can’t remember when has been an absolute joy.
Pump out and boat cleaning await me this morning before the off. 

Thanks for reading, happy adventures to all. 

 

[YnysMon]

Thanks Kate, it’s been lovely reading about your adventures, even with fewer walks for the dog.

[kpnut]

Here again. Springer’s Retreat seems to have weathered the recent downpours well, no signs of any leaks anywhere ( written while touching a large piece of wood). I got caught in one such downpour when I misjudged the length of a walk round Salhouse yesterday after driving back from Norwich. So I went for a drive to Walcott and Bacton to dry my shorts in the heat of the car, only to find my heater has packed in. So I went under the hand dryer in the public WC in Walcott for a good 10 mins which did the trick!

2 friends arrived at lunchtime today and they are with me till Wednesday, more Broads newbies. The sun came out to greet them and we managed to get away before the parade of boats leaving Stalham on a Saturday afternoon. Rambling Rosie was spotted moored up down the Ant, but no sign of NeilB. 
Our destination was St Benets for that lovely walk up the concrete track to the lane where you turn left and emerge onto the main Horning to Ludham road by the Dog pub, after passing Ken’s veg shed. I’d have bought some as it’s always good but have brought so much veg from the allotments that I daren’t fill the boat with more. Then down the permissive path that starts opposite the WCs, along the riverbank and across the causeway back to the moorings. Just what my friends needed after a long 4 hour car journey. Finlay needed a good run too, but had to have a dunk in the river back at the boat as he’d gone in a ditch when I wasn’t watching and had come out black. Nice sunset this evening but no pictures. And seems like a full moon, there or thereabouts, it certainly lit up the surroundings nicely when I put the dog out before bed. 

[NeilB]

Managed to grab a spot at Irstead, as I've got a lot of "housework" to decided to keep the weekends travels short!

[YnysMon]

Good to hear you are back on the rivers Kate. I hope our paths cross. 

How lovely that you are introducing more friends to the Broads. 

[Roy]

Hi kate I saw you today in wroxham but I didn’t speak as you had company hope you are having a good time Roy 

[kpnut]

You should have done! Where were you, on land or river?
We’ve had a bit of a day as one of my friends seems to have developed seasickness, very queezy. She had it once on a long plane journey too, feeling sick when raising her head etc, maybe more like vertigo?

So we’ve been on a broadside search for seasick tablets. Down towards Acle but I had the sense to ring the Co-op and Lathams, Throwers and the Big Shop at Womack, none sell them so I turned round at Thurne mouth and headed rather quickly to wroxham where Roys pharmacy was shutting earlier than the main shop. Through the bridge at the smallest gap I dare risk, nearer high tide than low, went shopping and moved on gently to Coltishall. Not sure the tablets are going to work, so perhaps it’s something more?

Coltishall was busy with families enjoying themselves on the grass, (most have gone now), pub frontage looks busy too (may try it later), but only about 5 boats in. 
And a bonus-spotted two kingfishers, photos were hopeless though. 

[kpnut]

3 hours ago, YnysMon said:

 

Good to hear you are back on the rivers Kate. I hope our paths cross. 

 

 

So do I Helen, keep me posted about your whereabouts. 

[YnysMon]

We were hoping to come me up north, but given the engine’s recent travails we’ll follow Dave’s advice on whether to do that or not. 

[Roy]

23 minutes ago, kpnut said:

You should have done! Where were you, on land or river?
We’ve had a bit of a day as one of my friends seems to have developed seasickness, very queezy. She had it once on a long plane journey too, feeling sick when raising her head etc, maybe more like vertigo?

So we’ve been on a broadside search for seasick tablets. Down towards Acle but I had the sense to ring the Co-op and Lathams, Throwers and the Big Shop at Womack, none sell them so I turned round at Thurne mouth and headed rather quickly to wroxham where Roys pharmacy was shutting earlier than the main shop. Through the bridge at the smallest gap I dare risk, nearer high tide than low, went shopping and moved on gently to Coltishall. Not sure the tablets are going to work, so perhaps it’s something more?

Coltishall was busy with families enjoying themselves on the grass, (most have gone now), pub frontage looks busy too (may try it later), but only about 5 boats in. 
And a bonus-spotted two kingfishers, photos were hopeless though. 

Hi I was on land today in the riverside park as no boat yet I’m still looking. 

I’m sorry to hear your friend is suffering from sea sickness my dad had a friend that could not even sit on his boat without feeling sea sick. 

The rivers looked noticeably quieter today than they had been. 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your stay and hope the weather keeps fair Roy 

[YnysMon]

That sea sickness is unfortunate. When we were younger Graham did try to teach me to sail off the coast of Anglesey, but I usually had a problem with feeling queasy. That’s one of the reasons I love the Broads so much.

We also did quite a lot of sea canoeing. For some reason I didn’t feel seasick once when doing that. It’s almost like you are part of the sea instead of sitting on top of something floating on it. I know that’s a silly thing to say, but that’s what it felt like, and I’ve been out in some very choppy conditions. 

[Smoggy]

One of the key things for seasickness is staying on deck and seeing the horizon as the boat bobs, if the eyes are in a cabin telling you it's all static and the ears (where most balance is done) are telling you it's bobing you will feel ill.

[ZimbiIV]

There are two stages of seasicknesd.

1. You think you are dying!

2. You wish you were!

I suffer the reverse after a long sea day at sea I cannot stay still on land.

It has  name but I cannot remember what it is.

paul