Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[kpnut]

The morning began with a walk down the dyke towards the main river, but I didn’t get far before it was too overgrown to cope with wellies, shorts and t shirt without me getting soaked in the overgrown vegetation.
On my return to the boat I reported the path to NCC, and received a reply later in the day saying it had already been reported and they’d started cutting.
It’s on the schedule for two cuts a year, one in late May and presumably the other in early July. I would think a cut in late April, another in early June and a third in July would maybe be more cost effective as a trip down with the ride-on mower would be far quicker when not overgrown, leading to three short visits rather than what will now be two or three days of strimming for some poor council staff member. A ride on mower wouldn’t get through it now. 

We set off soon after greeting Pipedreams pass us and went very slowly from Thurne mouth up towards the dead trees pumping station, in the very hopeful chance of catching another glimpse of the Bittern. No luck but we did see a cormorant, grebes, heron and various warblers of different types. And also a snake swimming towards the bank. And Karizma who we shared a wave with. And hopefully I waved to the right crew, Chris and Lyn (Grounded), on Swan Romance.

We headed for Fleet dyke again as we wanted to walk along to Ranworth. Before mooring, we cruised gently round both broads and took the opportunity to refill with water again at the boatyard. 
I mused that if they reduced the price of their diesel by 10-15p a litre it would be my go-to place for fuel as it’s so much easier to moor at than either Boulter’s or Sutton staithe. 

I had intended to moor at the bend moorings as it’s pretty, but decided we’d go on the spot nearest the broad on the straight moorings as we’d have a few fewer yards to walk to Ranworth!

After a lovely sit in the sun with a cup of tea (taking advantage of a rather rare opportunity these days!) we walked to Ranworth, stopping in at South Walsham church first. Some of the stained glass in there is really beautiful. 

Lunch of salad and cake in the Granary was well worth the walk round from the boat.

The staithe was busy, but never completely full while we were there. Boats came and went quite regularly. 

My guests walked
to the NWT visitor centre. I stayed on the lane as I can’t take the dog on the boardwalk, nearly falling asleep while sitting on the bench in the sunshine. Lesley and Ray saw an osprey and a hobby and had a good chat to the volunteers manning the centre.

Next stop was the church where they started going up the tower, but came back soon after as Lesley had the collywobbles. She then did her good deed for the day giving some water to a hornet that was lying looking very sad on the floor. Amazingly it started drinking it and fidgeting around a bit, so she emptied a jar holding some pencils and ushered it in to the jar and moved it outside into a shady spot. Maybe it survived. 

The shop was shut on our return to the staithe, so no icecream for Ray. 

We managed to have tea a bit earlier than the last few days as it was a cauliflower cheese I’d brought from home, so all we needed to prep were some peas that needed shelling and some new potatoes that needed washing. The last of the raspberries for pudding with cream. 

And that was it really, another day done. There was a lovely sunset down towards St Benets. 

I have seriously got to stop eating so much. The rest of my trip, once on my own, is going to be very frugal. 

[SwanR]

Hubby was fishing along the Thurne and spotted you going past Kate. 🙂 Sounds like a lovely day and there were some amazing sunset colours late evening that seemed to suddenly appear. Have a lovely day wherever it takes you. 🤗

[kpnut]

13 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Hubby was fishing along the Thurne and spotted you going past Kate. 🙂

I hope I was being considerate! Tell him to wave profusely next time he sees me Jean, I’ll then hopefully recall that it’ll be him. 

[Mouldy]

Not sure that you’d have enjoyed the walk from the moorings at the bends on Fleet Dyke, Kate.  It’s very overgrown.  After I’d walked to the butchers in Ludham, we had a slow cruise up to Potter and moored in Woods yard whilst we went to the great Temple of Tat, where I escaped with an outlay of less that £25!

I’d intended to go to Fleet Dyke for our overnight mooring and wasn’t sure whether to stop on the bends or head for the BA moorings, but my favourite spot was available, just as you get to the bends moorings, so elected to moor there.

I took my camera with the intention of going for a walk to investigate some photo opportunities, but the vegetation was too tall to see anything, so gave up and reported it to NCC.

Id be happy to write up a blog daily too, but I can no longer post photos from my phone to the Forum without processing them through my computer at home!  Doh!

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

but the vegetation was too tall to see anything, so gave up and reported it to NCC.

That’s excellent Mouldy. The more we do it, the more info they get and the more they realise that people want to use these paths. 
 

When I missed you returning from the broad just now, we were trying to work out how to take a screenshot off the Aweigh app. Gave up for now (I’ll find a YouTube video later to try again as it wasn’t as simple as just pressing the side buttons) and Ray took a photo and sent it to me. 
Have a lovely day. 

[kpnut]

The photo I wanted off the Aweigh app. 

Why is South Walsham broad called ‘the weirs’? Does anyone know any history behind it?

 

[CambridgeCabby]

21 minutes ago, kpnut said:

The photo I wanted off the Aweigh app. 

Why is South Walsham broad called ‘the weirs’? Does anyone know any history behind it?

 

I’ve also wondered that ?

I presumed , rightly or wrongly I don’t know, that due to the location there was once a fish weir in place creating a fish larder for the grand house and kitchens 

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

That’s excellent Mouldy. The more we do it, the more info they get and the more they realise that people want to use these paths. 
 

When I missed you returning from the broad just now, we were trying to work out how to take a screenshot off the Aweigh app. Gave up for now (I’ll find a YouTube video later to try again as it wasn’t as simple as just pressing the side buttons) and Ray took a photo and sent it to me. 
Have a lovely day. 

Thanks Kate.

Have you got an iPhone.  I believe a screenshot is usually obtained by pressing the volume up and power buttons simultaneously.  It’s how it is on ours.

[kpnut]

8 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Have you got an iPhone.  I believe a screenshot is usually obtained by pressing the volume up and power buttons simultaneously.  It’s how it is on ours.

I have and yes, we tried that. It’s an old phone and maybe I also haven’t got my settings set up right. An evening’s entertainment for me over the next few days to work it out. 
While fiddling with the phone, we did find out I had Google Lens so tried it out identifying my tomato plants, my spider plant, and the dog. 100% accuracy, even when we tried it on my knitted springer spaniel that sits in the window. It found an identical example to show us from the internet. 

We went Bittern hunting up towards Sutton staithe on our way back to Stalham, as that’s  where I’d recently seen one fly over. No luck but Lesley took a lovely photo of a heron calmly watching the world go by. 

I had a lovely surprise while eating lunch back at the mooring. Dave (Troyboy) and Inga had spotted Springer’s Retreat on her mooring and popped round to introduce themselves, and very importantly to introduce Finlay and Vera to each other. I wish I’d taken a photo of the two of them, so alike. 

After my guests left for home, and I’d spent some time chatting to GarryN while Finlay and Oscar ate dried fish skins, I got the housework done and prepared for going out again tomorrow, who knows where to.

And it’s raining again, ha ha!

[dom]

2 hours ago, kpnut said:

I have and yes, we tried that. It’s an old phone and maybe I also haven’t got my settings set up right. An evening’s entertainment for me over the next few days to work it out. 

Press the power button (usually top right) and main control button at the same time. You'll get a camera shutter sound effect (unless sound is muted) and the screenshot will save to the same folder as all your other photos.

[Norfolkangler]

4 hours ago, kpnut said:

 

We went Bittern hunting up towards Sutton staithe on our way back to Stalham, as that’s  where I’d recently seen one fly over. No luck but Lesley took a lovely photo of a heron calmly watching the world go by. 

 

I've heard more bitterns this year than I have in my lifetime. Its great to see such a revival. Reminds me of the Marsh Harriers.

My wife and I used to travel all over Norfolk and Suffolk from february onwards in search of the Bittern then low and behold, whilst out with our dogs early morning in April or May, I heard one at Somerleyton, literally a couple of miles away from where we live. 

Nature at its best.

[kpnut]

6 hours ago, Norfolkangler said:

I've heard more bitterns this year than I have in my lifetime.

Loads of ‘hearings’ this year, plus my two sightings. I haven’t heard any on the last trip though so perhaps they’re all playing happy families now. Lulu will be pleased if they’ve stopped making a racket in the night!

[kpnut]

8 hours ago, dom said:

Press the power button (usually top right) and main control button at the same time. You'll get a camera shutter sound effect (unless sound is muted) and the screenshot will save to the same folder as all your other photos

Sorted! You’ve cracked it.

Is that cos it’s an old iPhone, 7?  The advice Mouldy gave about the power button plus the up volume button seems to be the norm for an iPhone but not on mine. 

[dom]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

Is that cos it’s an old iPhone, 7?  The advice Mouldy gave about the power button plus the up volume button seems to be the norm for an iPhone but not on mine. 

I'm not too sure. It's been power and main button on every iPhone I've had - and my current one is 15th generation.

 

[Mouldy]

7 hours ago, dom said:

I'm not too sure. It's been power and main button on every iPhone I've had - and my current one is 15th generation.

 

We both have iPhone 15s and it’s volume up and the power button simultaneously.

[MargeandParge]

34 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

We both have iPhone 15s and it’s volume up and the power button simultaneously.

Mouldy please remember this is a family friendly forum . 

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[Norfolkangler]

10 hours ago, kpnut said:

Loads of ‘hearings’ this year, plus my two sightings. I haven’t heard any on the last trip though so perhaps they’re all playing happy families now. Lulu will be pleased if they’ve stopped making a racket in the night!

They certainty do make a racket if you are close to them. Last time I was home, I was fishing on the Yare with my mate and there were two of them Booming all night. I thought it was a bit late in the year being second week of June, but google says not. 

[kpnut]

Change of plan today. I stayed ‘home’, took down all my curtain pelmets and took them in the car to Ludham Bridge boatyard where George had said he’d cut new ones for me. The existing ones are pretty delaminated on the backs and have so many screw holes in them that when I took them down, some of them were quite wobbly. 
A boatyard who shall remain nameless, but not on the Ant, had put in new 12v lights for the previous owner. This is now the third time I’ve found very flimsy wiring connections, with the wires too short and pulling out of their crimped joins. I had to cut a slit out of some of the pelmets to thread the wiring through as I haven’t got crimpers with me to rewire, and when I touched them they just pulled out.
Then with one of the original lights, I stupidly let two wires touch when I was undoing the junction box (I suppose I should have turned the battery isolator switch off, but didn’t think, seeing as it was 12v). So a fuse blew and I had to spend 3/4 hour going to two places in Stalham to buy a supply. I now have plenty in stock. 
At least I now have lights again. 

All that hassle just to take pelmets off.
George will roll Formica on to match the one he did in the bathroom and then I’m hoping my son-in-law will spend part of his holiday on the boat refitting them and sorting out the wiring. The jury’s out as to whether to use screws or adhesive. I’m a bit concerned to stick them as the wiring’s behind but it seems a shame to drill screw holes in new wood. We’ll see. 

Other than that, I found some banana split chocolate eclairs in Lathams as a present for my daughter (I promise I left some this time), and took Finlay for a couple of nice walks round by the staithe, down Mill Rd past Broadsedge marina, and along Chapel Field Lane to the field that heads back towards Tesco. The peas in that field are coming along beautifully, another couple of weeks and they’ll be harvested I would think. 
I must get up earlier tomorrow for a full day down the river. 

[Mouldy]

Saw them in Lathams a couple of days ago.  Not a big fan of banana flavour, but the coffee ones could tempt me.  

[grendel]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

The jury’s out as to whether to use screws or adhesive. I’m a bit concerned to stick them as the wiring’s behind but it seems a shame to drill screw holes in new wood.

heavy duty velcro works well for such things

[NeilB]

Looks like I need a visit to Lathams!!

Ive got decent wire strippers and a crimping tool if you want to borrow them?

Not back home until Friday late morning though.

[YnysMon]

3 hours ago, kpnut said:

Other than that, I found some banana split chocolate eclairs in Lathams as a present for my daughter (I promise I left some this time),

That’s no use Kate. We’re not back again until November! I suppose it’s a bit selfish of me to grumble when we’ve already had so much extra time on MS this year.

[kpnut]

8 hours ago, NeilB said:

Ive got decent wire strippers and a crimping tool if you want to borrow them?

Many thanks Neil. I might well ask later next week. Wed pm probably. I’ll message you if needs be. 

It’s just the one light that is very temperamental and I might get away with not using it at all until the pelmets go back up when Tony and Roald will bring theirs. 

[kpnut]

I promised myself an earlier start this morning, and nearly managed it! 
I was up earlier than often - so far, so good. And had a boiled egg for breakfast - so far, so good on my ‘eat sensibly’ idea. I took Finlay out for a walk which he doesn’t always get in the morning - so far, so good. 
Then I told the lad doing the pump outs I’d be round in the next hour hour and he said ‘best to come after 10.15 after my tea break’. So that delay meant I wasn’t so early after all, but had time to put some oil in the gearbox. It seemed to not be showing anything on the dipstick. I have no idea how much it should have but I’ll check it again in a day or so and see if it needs more. 

I decided a stop at Wood End staithe on Barton Broad would be good, for a walk onto Catfield Fen. Just as I was about to turn in, a boat came shooting across the Broad and looked like it was making a beeline for the entrance. So I slowed and watched. It turned right in the entrance and veered away again, so I circled round and went down to the little staithe. 
Muddy, as Grendel reported recently, and the nature reserve path is more overgrown than last year, but worth it regardless. 
Here’s what I spotted - 

the dyke full of water soldiers having made their way to the surface over spring 

birdsfoot trefoil in flower

marsh St.John’s wort with their red stems standing proud of the surface

purple loosestrife, not much, I saw just a couple of clumps

water pepper, the leaves are certainly hot! more akin to a chilli than black pepper. The heat stayed with me for the rest of the walk!!

frogbit in the dykes

some hop twining up a reed

soft rush in flower

and a lot of amber snails

I couldn’t get photos of the dragonflies as they were too flighty, and what I was hoping for, rather optimistically in an overcast and damp day, the swallowtail butterflies, were nowhere to be seen.

I’ve realised this newly found Google Lens is OK as long as you have a fair idea already what you’re looking at. You have to use your common sense, as it comes up with all sorts of options.

The path on the way back through the wood had that lovely fresh smell of young bracken/fern. 

The best reason for stopping at Wood End is the access to the fen, the second best is finding shade on a very hot day. That was certainly not needed and there were quite a few midges around, so we moved on.

There was a space to stop at Irstead and I’d intended to even before spotting Norfolk Lady on the BA side, but I’d been having problems following a little yacht under engine power that was going SO slowly I had to keep reversing and it waved me on just as we came up to the slight bend of the moorings, before I spotted the space. I’d have felt silly going past, then turning round and coming back!

[Roy]

Thanks for the pictures Kate it’s always interesting to see. 
 

last week  I went for a walk on the Barton Broad walk way and it was full of dragon flies lovely to see!