Holiday Report With Quiz Reviews

[pubquiz]

Review of Hol on the Broads on 'Fine Horizon' from Horizon Craft at Acle from 19th April 2013 for 1 week

 

 

Monday:

 

Arrived earlier than expected and boat was ready (nice and clean and tidy....even the engine was highly polished!) so instead of the planned overnight in Ludham we had time to go down to Horning and do the quiz in the New Inn.

 

We couldn't get a berth there as they were booked up in advance, so stopped overnight a bit further back at the Ferry Inn.

Had a meal there...not impressed...they totally forgot about my curry so I ended up eating after the rest had finished ...food was only so so.

 

We then walked to the New Inn for the quiz....although general knowledge and not too bad there were a lot of (too many) football questions...normally that would rule us out of a quiz but luckily my daughters partners were with us and are huge football fans so we won the quiz

 

Prizes were from £8 to £50 in 4 envelopes....I picked 2nd from the left which turned out to be the lowest £8 one....still welcome cash though and well done to the New Inn for giving a cash prize.

 

SATURDAY:

 

A lot of travelling today as we wanted to get as near Norwich as poss to spend a full day there on Sunday so we set off to make a lunch stop at The Ferry Inn at Stokesby and give the kids a play on the park.

 

Then after a short break we went through Breydon Water which I had timed to be at slack water and we just kept going and got as far as the Ferry House at Surlingham for an overnight stop. The 2 lads had a meal there and reported food as good the rest of us just ate on the boat as we were on a bit of a budget. Adnams Broadside £3.50 a pint (ouch)

 

Sunday:

 

We set off early to get to Norwich, only about an hour away, where we moored up for all day and night.

 

We did the usual touristy things round Norwich (though the Mustard shop was shut for Sunday!) and the weather was fantastic.

 

We had lunch in the Wetherspoons by the river....the only cheap beer and food of the week!...We love Wetherspoons and always try and hunt one out for their excellent real ale choice and great prices.

 

The meal and drinks were good but the view of the sunken wrecks and derelict warehouse wasn’t...it looked like these wrecks had been there 20 years or so!...does the Broads Authority plan to clear them ever?

 

We returned for our evening meal on the boat, then Elaine and I walked to the Rose Tavern for the quiz.

Average quiz with the not uncommon annoying prize of beer vouchers for the winners....not much use for holiday makers leaving the following day....curious where all the £1.50 per person entry money went, it was quite busy so a lot was collected it would  be nice if it went as prizes. All teams got a bag of jelly tots.

 

Monday:

 

Left Norwich and went down the Yare to a lunch stop at Reedham then down the new cut to an Overnight at the Waveney River Centre. We arrived about 3.30pm and my 2 daughters and their partners and the kids fancied a swim in the pool but found it closed. We asked at reception and they said that as they were so quiet they had closed it early but they kindly issued them with passes and they had it to themselves till 5.00pm ...great it was really warm and they loved the Jacuzzi.

 

The toilets/showers here are fantastic btw.....tons of room very new and very clean etc

 

We went in the bar/family room at night and were almost the only ones in there...the lady there said she had never known it as quiet in the last 9 years....a story echoed by the boatyard....still the lads enjoyed their games of pool.

 

Tuesday:

 

We left the Waveney River Centre to head towards St Olaves for lunch but first went for a quick cruise around Oulton Broad to give it a look. Then to St Olaves where we moored up for lunch.

 

We walked down a narrow footpath behind houses and through a chandlers to the Bell Inn...a lovely old pub....evidently the oldest pub on the Broads....where we had a pint or 2 and sat out in the sun in the beer garden (due to food and drink prices in all the pubs we were now having all our meals on the boat which was fine as we enjoyed it).

 

We then set off for Breydon Water again stopping at The Berney Arms for a quick pint ...he had just lit the fire in the pub and it was very smokey so we sat out in the sun enjoying our drink...very old traditional basic pub...great to see.

 

Then through Breydon at slack water again and up the Bure to a planned stop for the quiz at the White Horse at Upton for the night.

 

We knew Upton Dyke was narrow with limited turning but thought we would be ok turning round in the basin at the end the following morning. We hadn’t realised though there would be quite a few boats moored in the basin....we got out the following morning doing a ‘20’ point turn to avoid the lovely varnished yachts with the help of a friendly sailing instructor .....not easy as our boat was 42ft long.

 

We walked the short walk 10/15 mins from the Staithe to The White Horse pub and it was FANTASTIC.....the locals had bought this pub themselves as a community project and I really wish them well with it. The atmosphere in there was brilliant and really friendly...the quiz was good and there were free chips/wedges during the quiz.

 

We didn’t win the quiz but did win £20 on the play your cards right ....they keep doing it till somebody wins....it must have gone on ½ an hour, great fun and a brilliant night out

 

Wednesday:

 

After the difficult turn around at Upton we set off for a day with less travelling for a planned overnight stop at Wroxham.

 

We had more time for stop offs today so it was down the Bure to a lunch time stop at Malthouse Broad.

 

We walked the boardwalk to the Broads Wildlife Centre at Ranworth Broad ....it was great ...the kids loved the walk through the trees ...all on nice boarding and the guy at the centre was most informative, there are spotting scopes and binoculars in the building to view the birds etc.

 

He recommended walking back via the church in the village which is open to visitors. My daughters and their partners also went up the bell tower where the views were excellent. Me and Elaine took the lazy option and stayed at the bottom looking after the grandkids

 

We then walked back to the boat stopping at the Maltsters for a pint.

 

We then set off for the overnight at Wroxham managing to get a free mooring for the night (we asked first) this side of the bridge at the Broads Tours marina right next to the big paddle steamer.

 

We had planned to just stay in Wroxham for the night but the quiz bug was biting and Elaine and I decided to get a taxi to the Bell at Salhouse and were glad we did!. We walked part way then got a taxi. The driver said he wouldn’t be able to pick us back up though as he was finishing for the night.

 

We asked in the pub for a taxi firm number and the landlady said ...’Don’t worry I will take you back’.....how is that for friendly service! I had read on their website that they will pick you up and return you to Salhouse Broad but never expected a free ride back to Wroxham.

 

Anyway the quiz was fun ...only a scratch card for the winner but free to enter. However at the end he does a ‘Golden Ticket’ ...you buy a slip of paper for a £1...as many as you want..we bought 2.

 

He then asks a question and you write it down and have 1 minute to hand it in.

 

The question was ‘In which year was the first fatality in an automobile traffic accident?’

 

Something in the back of my mind told me it was 1896 or 1897 so we put these as our answers......It was 1896 so we were one of 2 winners who put the same answer......so he asked ‘when was the first driving license issued?’ as a tie breaker.

 

We guessed 1912 and the other person guessed 1930 something....the answer was 1903 so we won...£90

 

We had a couple more drinks to round off another great night (and didn’t get lynched by the locals:)) then we said we didn’t mind paying for a taxi home....but the landlady again kindly insisted and said she would take us and dropped us off right at the boat...she didn’t want any money and I had to thrust a fiver in her hand...again another very friendly person and it was much appreciated, another recommended pub :

 

Thursday:

 

For our last full day we set off from Wroxham and up the River Ant and onto Barton Broad...we then went for a lunch stop and a hoped for pint in the Wayford Bridge Inn.

 

This was the first bad service we experienced. Elaine and I went into the bar and waited ages for someone to appear. A waitress/barmaid looked at us several times from the other side knowing we were waiting to be served but just carried on talking to someone and ignored us!....we waited another couple of minutes and thought ‘sod this’ and walked out...can’t abide ignorance.

 

So we got back on the boat and went to the Sutton Staithe Hotel instead......much nicer pub and people and had a pint there.

 

Then a leisurely return down the Ant through all the twisty bits again near Ludham to our last night at the Bridge Inn Acle....playpark etc for the grand kids but food expensive again so tea/supper on the boat.

 

It was 20 degrees temp at 6.00pm ....we had had fantastic weather all week and even got tans ...am writing this a month later and it’s raining here!

 

Friday: just 10 mins back to boatyard for the end of the hols

 

Would I do it again? (this is now my 4^th time on broads in 30 years) YES definately...I always enjoy it.

 

Pro’s : Great Scenery, Nice friendly people at the boatyard and pubs, Plenty of things to do and places to go from quiet villages to seaside resorts, to nice cities.

 

Cons: Food and drink expensive compared to prices up North where we live....average price for a pint of real ale and a half on the broads £4.80-£5.30 ...average price here: £3.85 - £4.10...to be expected I suppose being in the South. Also there weren't any 2 for 1 type food deals in the riverside pubs .....a captive audience I suppose but here there are tons of 2 for  a tenner type pubs serving very nice food.

 

Cost: Expensive if just a couple hiring a boat...there were 6 adults on ours so it was only just over £100 per adult, but if there were less of us once petrol to get to boatyard and some moorings and parking and getting home etc are taken into account it can be quite dear especially peak season...we went on one of the cheapest weeks...end of April beginning of May...guys at boatyard said bookings were down about 20% this year.

 

Would definitely recommend a Boating on the Broads holiday to anyone though and dare say one day we will be back for more.

 

Tom

 

 

[Hockham Admiral]

A great post, Tom!

Just so surprised at your comment about the Wayford Bridge:
 

Thursday:
 
For our last full day we set off from Wroxham and up the River Ant and onto Barton Broad...we then went for a lunch stop and a hoped for pint in the Wayford Bridge Inn.
 
This was the first bad service we experienced. Elaine and I went into the bar and waited ages for someone to appear. A waitress/barmaid looked at us several times from the other side knowing we were waiting to be served but just carried on talking to someone and ignored us!....we waited another couple of minutes and thought ‘sod this’ and walked out...can’t abide ignorance.
 
So we got back on the boat and went to the Sutton Staithe Hotel instead......much nicer pub and people and had a pint there.
 
Marco Pierre White (who's a mate of mine) owns it and when we stopped at the Acle Bridge on Sunday Phil, who runs that, was telling us that his ex-manager now runs the Wayford Bridge and that she'd cleaned it up! (We by-passed it this year 'cos it was so bad last year).

[Brian]

Great write up  saying how it was  and also good font  

i Love reading all peoples blogs on the broads

[pubquiz]

Thanks for the replies ...yes always liked Comic Sans as a font

 

John: Wow didn't know it was run by Marco Pierre White not heard of many Chefs but he  IS one I have heard of.

 

Maybe we just went in at a bad time...it certainly looked nice inside and out and there were people eating inside.

 

So can't fault the place decor wise...it was just the way that nobody was behind the bar for ages and even when making eye contact with a member of staff who saw us and knew we wanted to be served she just carried on talking to guests at a table...it was a casual sort of joky laughing talk as well ....she wasn't taking orders or anything.

 

We just stood like lemons for what seemed like ages on a quiet midweek afternoon.

 

Anyway like I say it was prob the exeption to the rule and she was having a bad day

 

Will give them a second chance if we ever go back

 

Tom

[BuffaloBill]

 

"we waited another couple of minutes and thought ‘sod this’ and walked out...can’t abide ignorance."

 

 

Why? If you get bad or no service....LET THEM KNOW!

Jenny used to tell me off for raising my voice over poor service but now agrees

with me whole heartedly. The british people seem to accept this kind of thing as

the norm. If more customers let the staff know there-and-then, the service would 

improve. I also let them know if Iv'e been happy with the service too.

Incidentally, we went into the Wayford last week and the service was good as was

the meal.

[pubquiz]

Thing was time was all important with things to do and places to get to.

 

If it was somewhere local to us or somewhere we were likely to re visit  make no mistake I WOULD HAVE DONE, but since there wasn't anybody there to complain to and by the time I had looked around to find someone to complain to and then got served it wouldn't have made any difference as we weren't there for a long visit just a quick drink then off.

 

On a weeks hol with 3 or 4 different pubs a day being visited it just wasn't worth it ....easier to make a decision on the pub and move on to the next.

 

As a local you will know the place better than me and they obviously normally give good service so maybe it was an off day to the person who ignored us but was just saying how it was in the report.

 

Tom

[BuffaloBill]

Tom.

      I'm not a local by any stretch of the imagination but I do

own my own boat and get down around every two weeks or

so being retired now.

     If it had been me being ignored by the lady who was

nattering, it would have been her that heard my raised voice

and then when someone came to see me I would then have

informed her/him as to why I was taking my money to

somewhere that wanted it  and that the owner would be

getting a letter regarding our treatment, which I would do and

have done in the past.

    The only way to get an improvement in customer services

(In all it's forms) is to not just walk away.

    Remember:-  Don't walk away, have your say!  :angry:

Pubs will keep closing if you don't, as others hearing your 

story will most likely avoid the place too, leading to it's demise.

 

(We by-passed it this year 'cos it was so bad last year). 

 

Point made!

[pubquiz]

'Pubs will keep closing if you don't'

 

Well may not be a bad thing if they do.....

 

I am a CAMRA member (btw didn't come across any pubs other than Wetherspoons giving a discount to CAMRA members....loads here) so am totally saddened at the fact that 12 pubs per week are closing.

 

BUT if it gets so bad that a pub closes due to bad service then it has been proved that the ODD complaint hasn't made a difference.It's multiple complaints or many other reasons that cause it to close

 

Better they close and re open with whole new management etc.....as long as it doesn't get bought by Tesco or the like I don't care if it closes and re opens under a new name/mangement as a pub again......it keeps them on their toes knowing what has happened before!

 

But that is getting to the extremes and prob doesn't apply to this pub.

 

Tom