Norfolk Broads family holiday 1962 film

[AdnamsGirl]

I've uploaded the latest film addition to the Broadland Memories Archive today and it's a absolute gem!

Filmed early in 1962, it follows a family boating holiday with three generations who hired one of the Delight class and one of the Starlight class of motor cruisers from Herbert Woods boatyard at Potter Heigham. There are several things that make this film a bit special. Firstly, whilst their are plenty of scenes showing the family, the cinematographer concentrated on footage of the scenery, the landscape and the villages of Broadland including some super film of Ludham, Coltishall, Horstead Mill, Hoveton and Wroxham along with some lovely shots of Herbert Woods Broads Haven yard. It's always interesting to see how some areas have changed whilst others have remained largely unchanged.

What has changed significantly, and what makes this film really special, is that sections of the car journey were filmed. This is yet another orphaned film. I know nothing about the family featured or where they came from but my best guess, based on the journey, is that they were from Derbyshire and appear to have travelled to the Broads via the old A17 and the A47.  I have left the footage intact as it is incredible. No bypasses in those days and straight through town centres that today, I'm sure, are gridlocked by traffic.  Leaving home, they pass first through Chesterfield then Newark-on-Trent with some footage of the old RAF Winthorpe base as they pass. Sleaford with the Handley Monument in the town centre is seen next followed by crossing what I think must have been the Fosdyke Bridge in the fens. Towards the end of the journey they pass through Swaffham with the George Hotel seen.

The interest doesn't stop there as far as the car journey is concerned. The approach to Wroxham is filmed and the family obviously stopped off at George Smith's boatyard for a look round. Back in the car, we get highlights of the drive through Horning and Ludham before the family arrive at Potter Heigham where the roadside is almost unrecognisable.

Carol

 

 

[BroadScot]

Thank you Carol a very enjoyable piece of Broads film. So much has changed since then, some good some....well.....

Iain

[boycee]

Great viewing Carol-just 2 years before my first visit to the Broads-brings back lots of memories particularly of Coltishall where we hired our first boat Broadwave from Clifford E Allen and its still running after a major refit

Boycee

[JanetAnne]

Lovely film. Makes you realise just how much we have lost, destroyed and thrown away in the name of progress.

[BroadScot]

Just now, JanetAnne said:

Lovely film. Makes you realise just how much we have lost, destroyed and thrown away in the name of progress.

So true JA so true.....its Films like this makes one wish you could turn the clock back, there again maybe not.

Iain

[JanetAnne]

Just now, BroadScot said:

So true JA so true.....its Films like this makes one wish you could turn the clock back, there again maybe not.

Iain

You really not up for a trip down from Troon in a Ford Pop Iain?

Come on, I know you're tempted

[BroadScot]

JA the first vehicle I ever drove was a Ford Thames anglia van on L plates. A real challenge would have been the NEXT van I drove an Atlas Major OMG the thought of getting that heap over the A66 as it was then, does not bare thinking about. The car in Carols film was one the plods used then quite a lot.

Iain

[JanetAnne]

Yes they did like a Wolseley.

Here's one of our daily drives, not that we are stuck in the past or anything. You'll recognise the location I'm sure.

[LizG]

What fantastic footage - obviously you have a serious fan here!!!  I thought at first it was B78 Delight VIII but it became pretty clear in later footage that it was B76 number VI and built in 1932 the year before Water Rail which was number VII. There were two Starlights.........

The final fate of B76 is not known to me, she went to Ireland to the Irish Grand Canal in probably 1965 with number B73/B74/B75 and there are several pictures available of three of them on the Irish Wooden Boats pages.........

http://irishwaterwayshistory.com/about/irish-inland-waterways-vessels/wooden-boats-on-irish-inland-waterways/

However, I was never able to confirm the bulk head number of the 'blue delight' before she sank on Loch Ree, my gut feeling was that the Blue Delight was B73 which was a shorter boat coming in at 26'62 as opposed to 27'5" which was B76 and B77 and several other Delights.  The owner of B75 heard a story that there was a Delight under the railway bridge at Athlone being done up but he has never found the boat so I suspect she is no more.

As to the holiday it looks like one of the Easter holidays that I experienced in similar years, bleak, cold and very windy but then it brightens up! I remember running around on the grass by the Anchor, it was one of our favourites and walking up from Womack Water to the village past the 'fairy gardens'?  What fantastic memories, the child would have been my age and apart from it was boy and we didn't have any cine cameras could have been me!  Fabulous!!!! Thank you so much

[LizG]

Meant to add nothing has changed at Ludham Bridge!!! (i.e. boat getting stuck across!)

[JanetAnne]

Depends on the journey. I have a positively modern 25 year old Fiesta for the motorway work

 

[AdnamsGirl]

Glad that you've all enjoyed watching this one. I thought it was rather special

Liz - thank you for all the info. It would be lovely to think that B76 is still out there somewhere but it sounds unlikely now. I guess you never know though! I also thought it was probably Easter of 1962 going by the leafless trees.

With these orphaned films, I do often wonder what happened to some of the younger people seen and why the film is no longer with the family. Sadly, I will probably never know.

Back to film editing now - you are going to LOVE the next film I have lined up!

 

Carol

[JawsOrca]

Found some time to watch. That's amazing (Thank you again Carol for preserving and sharing these, you deserve an MBE!).

You guys (Those that have) are so lucky to have seen all timber boats on the broads. I only started in 1999 so missed them. Those woodies are just gorgeous, imho it shows how lazy modern hireboat companies are. My dream is to bring back a small classic timber hirefleet.. One day it will go full circle.. (No JA! I'm dreaming).  

 

[JanetAnne]

20 minutes ago, AdnamsGirl said:

Back to film editing now - you are going to LOVE the next film I have lined up!

Carol

Drool...

Have you ever had anyone come up and say 'thats me'!?

[JanetAnne]

2 minutes ago, JawsOrca said:

 

You guys (Those that have) are so lucky to have seen all timber boats on the broads. I only started in 1999 so missed them. Those woodies are just gorgeous, imho it shows how lazy modern hireboat companies are. My dream is to bring back a small classic timber hirefleet.. One day it will go full circle.. (No JA! I'm dreaming).  

 

You ever pull it off young Alan and I will be in your fleet. I'm sure there are one or two on here that wouldn't mind the whiff of galaxy bars 

[JawsOrca]

1 minute ago, JanetAnne said:

You ever pull it off young Alan and I will be in your fleet. I'm sure there are one or two on here that wouldn't mind the whiff of galaxy bars 

I think you will need to talk to the humans JA, before you offer your soul to hirers!... One day it will happen.. People will shun the 70's tupperware for proper timber boats and a traditional timber fleet will be amazing. I need to win the lottery....

[BroadScot]

6 minutes ago, JanetAnne said:

You ever pull it off young Alan and I will be in your fleet. I'm sure there are one or two on here that wouldn't mind the whiff of galaxy bars 

Aye Chocolate Classic Cruisers, the smoothest fleet on the Norfolk Broads Who wood, pun intended not hire from that company?

Iain

[BroadScot]

Oops with choc brown hulls and varnished tops!

[JanetAnne]

1 minute ago, BroadScot said:

Oops with choc brown hulls and varnished tops!

Now you've spoilt it... Caramel hulls surely

[BroadScot]

Behave JA remember, choc can be melted down 

Iain

[AdnamsGirl]

16 minutes ago, JanetAnne said:

Drool...

Have you ever had anyone come up and say 'thats me'!?

I think Timbo thought he may have spotted himself in one of the films and certainly saw Royal Tudor in another.

I had someone contact me who had spotted himself fishing in someone elses photograph of Dydler's Mill in 1966, another who had found the only known photograph of her great uncle amongst a long lost relatives Edwardian photos on the website. That was a good one as I managed to put them in touch with a branch of their family that they never knew existed. One of the rather nice sides of running the website as a number people find it via Google whilst researching family history.  I've had quite a few contacts like this.

However, I have a feeling that one of my photographic contributors father may feature in the next film, behind the bar at the Maltsters  

[BroadScot]

The kids "Titanic" life jacket took a trick with me. Surely that wasn't Timbo?

Iain

[Viking23]

What a great prize, I recognised most places, the walk from Womack Water to Ludham hasn't changed that much, if it has, my memory of it hasn't lol. I remember walking back once over the old railway Bridge at Potter Heigham with my parents back in the 60's...

There were huge gaps along the way too

[deebee29]

Brilliant Carol

really enjoyed the film. It's great to see how things used to be in days gone by.

thanks for all the work you put in to Broadland Memories.

looking forward to the next instalment.

 

 

[LizG]

I have watched it now all the way through!

Question: Where is the location just before we see them going back through Irstead?

Loved the shot of the old HSC front and the tree coming down but also there was a dredger in the distance!

Noted one of the yachts passed as they left Horning would have been a Mayfly built by Ernest Collins - my brother has no 1!

I sent the link to one of my brothers - he commented that there were no trees and despite there seemed no difficulty at Potter, the water level in places was high!  Perhaps the strong winds had brought it up?

Just love it!