Your first time

[mickey123]

So what/when was your first time in the broads. What was that time when you thought "wow, this is defiantly me"?

I was 16 and picked the worse boat you could choose, and didn't fit under any bridges couldn't drive it, crashed everywhere, but absolutely loved it. Since then I've been dragging everyone and everyone on the broads.

[watershed]

Somewhere in a box of family photos there is a picture of me,aged about 3, at the helm of a cruiser in the sixties.i don't remember it at all,but it must have sown the seed of my love for the Broads and boating in general.

[Maxwellian]

First time I would have been about 16. Mum took my friend and I for a week. We stayed in a houseboat in the Summercraft boat yard and had a small dingy with an outboard on it. Went everywhere fishing on it. Lovely holiday.

[deebee29]

My first time on the broads was back in the early 80’s

We had been coming to Norfolk as a family for a few years, firstly camping then to Hemsby Beach Chalets but we always used to tour the area.

We first thought about a boating holiday when we stopped at Ludham Bridge to watch the boats. (Still have some old photos somewhere)

Our first boat was an old Brooms Navigator, an old wooden center cockpit boat with a canvas roof. It was cold and leaked ( no heating in those days) but we loved it so much we booked the same boat for two weeks the following year. By then the bug had bitten

After that we had various boats including Cherry Willow and Compass Viscount (I think we were the second hirers of both of these boats)

Our latest boat was Forth Bridge 1 from Bridgecraft back in April this year and our next Magic Gem in two weeks time

Then we will have to wait until next April when we have Silver Elegance booked

David

[ExMemberBobdog]

Little old wooden dayboat on Oulton Broad, amazing smell of two-stroke oil.  Must have been about 1960 when I was 4/5.  I was allowed to steer, sitting on dad's knees, and thought it was wonderful.

[ranworthbreeze]

I didn't come down to the Broads until 2001 but started on waterways on the Trent & Mersey Canal in 1974, I have been on many waterways since and continually visit the Broads and other waterways each year.

There is nothing better than being on or by the water.

Regards

Alan

[TrevorAndDeirdre]

I had been with boats for years working for a large boat building firm on the south coast. It was in 74 I first came to the broads with my wife to be with her mum and dad and loved it, have not looked back since. Now with at least 4 weeks each year would love to do more thou.

[JawsOrca]

First time up was when I was 17 and could just about get away with hiring.. (Mum and dad where too afraid of us failing in to hire despite me begging them).. we hired silver melody from silverline.. arrived and the thing looked massive.. i thought how on earth am I going to drive that bloody thing.. Made it to reedham saw the ferrry.. it was raining hard.. so stopped ran for the boat manual to read up what we should do.. nothing found so just gunned it past!!

 

First mooring at reedham quay.. we both jumped off with one rope in hand and the boat almost drifted off.. we was saved by someone who moored her for us!! Only other eventual thing that happened was we done the ropes too tight at oulton broad and had to cut the lines as it was friday and had to give the boat back tomorrow lol... poor boat... We booked 2 weeks in the summer before leaving! Brilliant holiday! Thankfully I worked for a well known travel company and got a massive 90% off so it was always broads holidays for 7 years after

[charlesa]

My first time was ~ 1967 aged about 6. Prior to this we used to cram into an old Morris Oxford, parents, 3 older brothers, myself and a none too fragrant Border Terrier, and wind our way from Cheshire through (from memory) Macclesfield, Leek, Ashbourne, Derby, Nottingham, Grantham, Kings Lynn, Fakenham to Bacton for the annual summer holiday ! Added to the fact that the car was crammed full was the delightful fog created by my mother's silk cuts !!

Anyway, having been driven to Womack Water a few times to sit the grandmother on a moth eaten old deck chair whilst I drooled at the lovely old timber cruisers we couldn't afford, my brothers and I finally managed to persuade our parents to book one of them for a weekend.

The boat was called Joytime, which I think was from Herbert Woods and supposedly slept 4 ! Well that didn't leave much room for yours truly who slept on the damp floor of one of the cabins !

Anyway we appear to have covered most of the Broads that weekend. I've got a vague recollection of a few things:

- being terrified of Yarmouth as the boat got caught up in what seemed like a lethal current going through the bridges into Breydon and then being tossed about by the wash of a large coaster ( I have never been through Yarmouth since !!)

- covering most of the North Broads and decent part of the South including Loddon and Oulton Broad in what I think was only about 4 days

- one of my brothers  catching what seemed like an enormous bream at the mouth of the Chet

- the horror of the car journey there and back !

- the fantastic crabs from Colin the crab man who operated from a shed in Bacton

- the best strawberries I have ever eaten from a lovely old boy with one tooth who grew them in his garden in Bacton too

- the enormous spiders in my grandmother's Box room in Bacton that my brothers used to shut me in !

 

Anyway I was hooked and I've been coming ever since, latterly on my own , as my wife would rather spend a fortnight in Chernobyl than come on the Broads !!

 

I did warn you that I tend to bang on a bit........

[mbird]

I was about 18 months old on holiday with my parents. Dad had been coming to the Broads since he was 18 years old with a few mates and I guess it rubbed off!

[JimG]

My first time was 1976, the year I was born. My first broads memory was 1981. There were 9 of us on Star Wonder and other family members on Trail Dorchester and Lady Lidell (I probably have those names wrong). I remember the boats being beached at Salhouse and getting hours of fun from swinging on a rope hanging from a tree!

It's the biggest attraction of The Broads for me, the simplicity of it all.

[NonTecky]

I think it was the mid 70's with my Parents and Sister.... 'Broadlands Holiday Village'. We used to rent a day boat from there for part of the week.... A little later, again with parents with Porter & Haylet..... then came the mid eighties My sister and I and friends  with Connoisseur from Wroxham.

 

There was than a gap to the early naughties.... by now in my forties with my own kids......

 

My wife books a first holiday with the two 'cash eaters' (they were 3-4 by then) at somwehere in Suffolk, I was very busy with work so left her to it. Anyway, come the day we are driving to Suffolk, SWMBO navigating..... we reach Oulton Broad and I start to get de-javous.... "it says you should go the the roundabout and come back and turn right into the place".... well bless my cotton socks.... she had booked Broadlands Holiday Village! To cap it all when I checked old pictures it was a chalet I had stayed in 25 years earlier!

 

We then stayed in Horning with Ferry Marina, then I took the plunge in August 2012 with my 11yr old son and hired Ivory Emblem for a week, Been on a boat with Son and Daughter twice a year ever since! (Wifey doent like 'bathroom facilities' on boats!)

 

I think its genetic as in August when we were on Golden Emblem (again) my daughter starts planning  which friends she will bring on a boat when she is older!

[Gracie]

First time for me was when I was about 10 with my parents and brothers, we hired a Gold Gem from Richardsons (where else) and I remember thinking it was a palace even though the seats in the Saloon were brown plastic. Fell in love from that week onwards.

 

When our holiday was over we looked on other boats and realised ours was a bit basic compared to some of the others and I remember thinking to myself that when I grow up I'm going to go on holiday in a really posh one lol, now to be honest being afloat on the Broads is all that matters so don't care if it's a posh boat or a basic one. Like I said been in love with Broadland ever since

 

Grace

[MauriceMynah]

Ahhh, Twas in the year 1965 when I first came to the broads. The boat was from Richardsons and was called Fancy Free. First night was at Thurne Dyke where my cousin introduced me to fishing. I caught a few small roach and have been hooked on both fishing and the broads ever since.

[donnygeoff]

My first time was about 21 years ago.

The OH booked it as she had been before when a teenager...

We hired from Freshwater Cruisers, Brundall (no longer hiring)

We set off with no supplies, thinking we could get some en-route...

After arguing all the way to Reedham about finding a shop for food and stuff to keep my two year old son happy, I saw a gap between two boats near Sandersons yard, about 10 ft long, I just put the nose into it, got off, tied the bow rope with the stern sticking into the river, jumped off and shouted at the OH "here's a shop" she said you can't park it like that, I said "watch me" and told her to go to the shop.

A bloke from Sandersons came out and asked what I was doing, I explained that it was our first time and that we were just popping to the shop, he said that, that would be fine as long as I was not too long as the tide was changing and the back of the boat would not be held by the flow to the boat behind but would swing round. He then asked if it was our intention to stay for the night, as the boat I was "leaning against" was about to do the trial run, and if they wanted to go elsewhere for the night I could moor in their place. I said we weren't sure what we were doing, gave my thanks for the advice and went to the shop.

We were just about to leave the post office/shop when out of the doorway I saw him moving our boat into the vacated gap and tying it up. I waited inside the shop until this was completed, then walked out and asked if we were OK to stay the night. No problem, he said, You are all tied up safely, have a nice holiday......

After that we never argued again and had a great time...

Been back ever since..and have hired from Sandersons...

[kadensa]

First time for me was when I was about 10 with my parents and brothers, we hired a Gold Gem from Richardsons (where else) and I remember thinking it was a palace even though the seats in the Saloon were brown plastic.

 

 

 

Thank goodness they've got rid of those!

[Timbo]

One early morning in 1972, at the age of six, I made the walk from Balby to Doncaster railway station with my family. Three vintage leather suitcases, complete with Orient Express labels, especially bought for the trip at an auction contained our luggage. The small attaché case from the luggage set I was carrying contained my prize possessions of a note book and pencil, test tubes, specimen cases for insects and a magnifying glass. You did know I'm a geek right? After what seemed like an eternity of rail travel we arrived in Brundall to collect our boat Captain XII only to be kept hanging about for several hours as there was a fault with the boats engine. I can remember Mum taking us for some tea at a cafe as I was getting hungry. When we returned Uncle Albert lost the plot and went down to where engineers were working on the boat with my Mum and my brother and I trailing in his wake. The engine would not start, the engineers had put a new engine into the boat...that wouldn't start, they had put the old engine back into the boat...that wouldn't start. Uncle Albert pushed his way onto the boat and took a look at the engine. Fiddled around for a second or two and told them to start the engine. It fired first time. Uncle Albert had only left the RN after twenty odd years as a Marine Engineer a couple of weeks earlier. And so began a lifelong (so far) love affair with the Norfolk Broads and boating in particular.

Over the last forty years or so, I've gone boating, camping, even spent a weekend with Ted Ellis and his wife at their home before heading out and roughing it for a week with my schoolmate. I've had holidays and honeymoons and times good and bad...mostly good...rented and hired and now finally own a boat of my own, but central to my existence is my love of the Norfolk Broads.

[BroadScot]

Well for me it was 1976. SWMBO had been in 1972 with her parents on Sharmaine from Alan Johnsons Acle.

 

Drove down overnight, breakfast in Norwich Market. Arrived at Wroxham and did the old Roys store now The Foodhall etc. Went along to the Three Horseshoes Bar looking over at all the freshly painted Porter & Haylett cruisers, wondering which one was Sun Glory. We got the boat at 12.30pm. Shown all the bits n pieces. Taken upriver under the railway bridge, I brought it back down, Peter Clarke the Hire Manager moored it into the fuel mooring. Pushed us out and two minutes later I was going through Wroxham Bridge! Who needs a pilot! 

 

Just cruising down through Wroxham, and that was me smitten. Over a hundred hires later and YES my love of the Broads has never waned.

 

My first ever mooring was outside The Swan Inn, Horning, and did I make a pigs ear of mooring up? You bet I did . I thought there was a powercut when it went dark, till I realised there were NO street lights in the village, duh.

 

I still say to people thinking of going a Broads Holiday, don't think.... DO it!

 

 

Iain.

[LondonRascal]

My parents had been keen on both the Canals and the Broads since the early 1970’s – so it followed that at some point I would be brought along.

 

I was 8 years old when I first came, Saucy Gem 5 a DC30 from Richardson’s.  I remember three things about that first trip to this day:

 

1. My dad having a nightmare every morning trying to start the engine.

 

2. The fact I opened the window in the galley and as it did so the latch fell off, hit the side deck and went in the river – just along from St. Benet’s and I was so scared I would get into trouble I said nothing, until my dad broke a glass and I owed up about the window latch.

 

3. It had a black and white TV

 

And that was it, years after year we came back – I never did go on the Canals and by 2001 I began exploring other places – Europe, America and suchlike and forgot the Broads for a decade until in 2011 I came back once more with Richardson’s and it all began over

[Springsong]

It all started in 1950 aged around 1 year old on Fairwind 1

[mickey123]

great stories and pics! I've been having a chuckle at some of the stories whilst working today.

 

 

Well i'll be boating tomorrow, so I'm going to get packing! Hopefully I may bump into a few of you around, I cant remember names on here so if I do see anyone, don't be offended if I look at you like you're an alien if you introduce yourself.

[watershed]

I hope your knots are better than your memory then,mickey!

[mickey123]

Ha ha ha ha Knots???? Wrap it round the post, it'll be fine.

[watershed]

Good idea if you attach it to the boat as well.......

[mickey123]

You're just getting technical now