Remember ELENI V? And what the press said?

[Vaughan]

The recent pollution of the beach at Gorleston with old oil from the Eleni V collision has given me bitter memories of the disaster itself.

Only a couple of days later, the national tabloid dailies blasted off into Black Death headlines saying "The oil from the Eleni V is encroaching on to the Norfolk Broads!" followed by the usual doomwatch journalism about dead birds, pollution, the Broads will take 50 years to recover, holiday-makers on boats will have their little kiddies covered in oil, and all the rest of it.

What actually happened was that the Yarmouth Commissioners quickly got a floating boom across at the Haven Bridge, and the oil never got on to the rivers. But did the press come back and say "It's all right folks, all is well, the Broads have been saved"? Of course not. They had already shoved off looking for the next scandal to feed their rapacious appetites.

This was the spring of 1978 when Broads tourism was already in the grip of a fearful recession, and the new competition from foreign package tours. So the Broads was saved but for us in the boat business, that was the end of our bookings for that season.

Does anyone have other stories to tell, of our Noble Crusaders for the Truth At All Costs? How about "No Lullaby for Broadland"? Remember that?

[JennyMorgan]

Hi Vaughan, don't know that we can blame Eleni V entirely. We'd just suffered crippling interest rates, which I'd survived, when Jimmy Hoseason decided to go steeply down market rather than concentrate on the more traditional Broads holiday maker. All of a sudden our takings plummeted, despite the numbers holding up.  Only my theory but I reckon 1977 onward suffered because of Jimmy's ill considered change of direction. At about the same time a large number of Broads yards were selling up, property prices far exceeding the value of the yards, money was easier to earn elsewhere. Sadly the Broads went into decline.

[jillR]

was it also about the time that cheap holiday flights took brits places they never thought they would go ?

[JennyMorgan]

Certainly was, Jill. The Broads couldn't compete on price, it was a battle that the Broads was not going to win so why did it bother? 

[Vaughan]

Hello Peter,

Of course I cannot blame the Eleni V entirely but I can identify it as about the time when everything started to spiral downwards out of control.

I have posted this topic as I hope to expand it into an interesting discussion of how things were for Broads businesses then, and the forces that were working against us. Let us see who else replies and what they have to say.

I will get back to you tomorrow as I am sure you and I and Jill have lots to discuss!

Meantime, corkscrews at the "high port"!

 

[BroadScot]

JM I still believe that the electrifying of the line to Norfolk from London, and shortening the commuter travel time, had an effect on property prices.

Iain

[JennyMorgan]

Iain, it certainly did, and it also brought a lot of early retirees up here, selling a house in London for three times what it cost to buy in Norfolk at that time. Although still involved with Fowlers via Ripple Craft I'd really moved away from boat hiring by 1975 and almost 100% into the Waveney River Cente with its shop, moorings, caravans and pub so perhaps I saw it from a different angle to Vaughan, nevertheless the late 70's hit us all hard.

[JanetAnne]

Dont forget Jimmy Hoseason was also bringing in his 20 year rule. Hire boats had to be under 20 years old.

I remember the pages and pages of boats from Norfolk Yacht Agency trying to find buyers for what must have been 1000's of woodies suddenly out of work so to speak. 'Fulmar, choice of 12... £1000 each' sort of thing.

We suddenly outdated half our fleets just as old Freddie Laker discovered the DC10 and riverside housing/land became worth something.

 

 

[jillR]

extracts from a broads river map I have ... possibly around 70s .... any guesses ?

[JennyMorgan]

Whoever drew the map of Oulton Broad must have had a really bad hang-over! Grossly inaccurate!

[jillR]

hi JM

is the list of yards correct .... even though they are not mapped correctly

there are a couple ive not heard of.

 

[JanetAnne]

My guess would be late 70's. It must have been mid 70's before Harlequin came to exist.

Kelvin Craft, I suspect, should be Kevincraft...

Not sure whether Camping Boats should be included as they only had day boats for hire but were certainly trading at this time

[jillR]

things can change very quickly and a holiday on the broads is a perfect get away from

the stress of the world.

I can imagine that many will not be so keep to go abroad with the political climate as it is at

the moment.

I do wonder how much the cut in hire boats and commercial craft movements has contributed to

the silting and I was hoping that cantley would use the river which could have helped clear

breydon and partly un plug the flow of silt.

who needs a dredger when you've got the likes of the Blackheath crossing

breydon regularly.

[Bound2Please]

It was after October 1974 as Beever fleet were in what is now St Olaves marina.

[Vaughan]

Did you happen to know that the original Beaver Fleet was owned by Sir Christopher Cockerill (hope I have spelled it right) who invented the hovercraft? The original design was a biscuit tin with an aero model engine, which he first tried out in the slipway at the yard.

I actually worked for the second Beaver Fleet (a different company, owned by Rank) when I started out as a base manager on the Canal du Midi.