A Fading Memory

[Aboattime]

I seem to remember many years ago, possibly 25 years plus, Anglia afloat ( remember them }? They used to advertise a different take on boat hire.As far as i can remember the yard was posslbly in Wroxham,but im not totally sure on that, There were all different types of boats for "hire",but you had to be some sort of member to take the boats out,not sure but you may have had to pay a "membership fee",I also seem to remember that you could "hire" at very short notice.Does any one out there remember any thing about this,or am i imagining all this?

[gancanny]

i do remember a magazine called ANGLIA AFLOAT many years ago

[gancanny]

i also remember the editor had his picture or photo in every edition at least half a dozen times,  the mag seemed to be about him rather than the topics

[gancanny]

anglia afloat started life as NORFOLK AFLOAT, then started reporting the fens and essex off shore etc, hence the name change to anglia

[Captain]

I have got an Anglia Afloat mug at home somewhere. However I do vaguely remember  Broads boating scheme called Key Holder, something between hire and syndicate membership. May have operated out of more than one location and Sabena Marine rings a bell. Not sure how long it ran for, assuming it ran at all. Possibly ex Sabena hire boats and maybe even a woody or two, although I maybe dreaming

Neil 

[rightsaidfred]

I think you are confusing two things, Anglia Afloat was a magazine, the Key Club thar I think you are referring to was run by Darren later DRS and involved  private owners  sharing their boats between other owners.

Fred

[gancanny]

i am thinking darren and andy banham were involved with this then later as a boat yard operating from womack, there was some of sabena marine boats involved, darren and andy parted company and andy started freedom boats eventually moving to thorpe

[gancanny]

30 minutes ago, gancanny said:

andy banham

sorry,  andy banner, my apologies,  tried to edit but ran out of time

[Dan]

I don't think Andy or Darren had a connection to the Keyholder club (was it also called something like Quayline perhaps), which was run by a chap called Gordon (I think)... however Darren & Andy were initially connected at Womack as stated, before Andy 'broke away' and ran Freedom from Horning (the old Compass Craft yard the other side of the road to Horning Pleasurecraft's building, before it was redveloped/enlarged by them) and then they later moved to Thorpe.  

When Andy left Darren ran a variety of stuff including ex Sabena craft (still owned by Sabena), and also ex Highcraft boats under DRL Marine at Womack

Dan

[Aboattime]

1 hour ago, Captain said:

I have got an Anglia Afloat mug at home somewhere. However I do vaguely remember  Broads boating scheme called Key Holder, something between hire and syndicate membership. May have operated out of more than one location and Sabena Marine rings a bell. Not sure how long it ran for, assuming it ran at all. Possibly ex Sabena hire boats and maybe even a woody or two, although I maybe dreaming

Neil 

Hi Neil.Broads boating scheme called Key Holder seems to ring a bell with me,thanks for the info .

[NorfolkNog]

I think I have a copy of this somewhere, I'll try to find it. 

[NorfolkNog]

Is this the boy?

[Broads01]

I vaguely remember the Quayside club and I remember Gordon posting online somewhere and having great ambitions. I think it was very short lived, however. I seem to think DRL ran into problems as well, "quality control issues" you might call it. Womack would have been a lovely starting location though.

[Captain]

Thanks Mr Nog and remaining posters, so everyone was right to a degree and I am not going balmy well not completely Lol. It was Quayside not keyholder at Sabena did feature a woody and was featured in Anglia Afloat which is where the Op got the name from. I also agree that Drl ended up with some of the boats however that's a different story entirely.

Thanks Neil 

[BroadAmbition]

[ChrisB]

10 hours ago, Broads01 said:

I think it was very short lived, however. I seem to think DRL ran into problems as well, "quality control issues" you might call it. Womack would have been a lovely starting location though.

"Quality control issues" somewhay generous. Whenever I saw one of their boats they always looked completely Kn☆cker☆d.

[Hylander]

 

 

The boats always did look tired.      Trouble was it was a small concern.     At one time they had a lot of boats.

youtube clip removed

[Happy]

I am sorry to say this but your clip shows Andy Banner boatyard at Thorpe and I do not agree with what you say.  We hired Absolute Freedom the last year they operated and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.  His other boats were well cared for too.  If he had not have closed down I certainly would have booked again.

Whilst the boatyard was not the best his hand over was second to none.

[ChrisB]

We/I were talking of the few boats out of Womack, not Norwich. They were very old and covered in battle scars, the curtains were a hotch potch. Lets say presentation needed improvement.

[grendel]

there was also the little ships that hired out private boats.

[Happy]

14 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

We/I were talking of the few boats out of Womack, not Norwich. They were very old and covered in battle scars, the curtains were a hotch potch. Lets say presentation needed improvement.

I agree with everything you say so Andy Banners piece should not have appeared on this thread

[grendel]

i have removed the link to the freedom holidays clip following the comments made in the above posts.

[Happy]

2 minutes ago, grendel said:

i have removed the link to the freedom holidays clip following the comments made in the above posts.

Thank you.  Only fair I feel. 

[Aboattime]

12 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

Is this the boy?

Thats the one m many thanks Howard, i remember the pics.And thanks to every body else who racked there memories,where did all those years go ?

[Broads01]

I think DRL went downhill after Andy left. I hired 3 times from Freedom and they did a good job.