vaughans posts of memories of thorpe and the broads.

[C.Ricko]

There was a massive  'CB Antenna' on one of the sheds Stalham, i wonder was that part of the Jenners  system or an independent system?

 

[Vaughan]

12 minutes ago, C.Ricko said:

There was a massive  'CB Antenna' on one of the sheds Stalham, i wonder was that part of the Jenners  system or an independent system?

I think that was later and a different system.

The Jenners one was a very early system which required a GPO licence and was the same as that in Police cars. The radio in the office was a simple landline that went to the old Post Office on Prince of Wales Rd, which is now the Anglia TV complex. The signal itself was sent from one of the old Wartime radar masts at Stoke Holy Cross. This meant you got good reception on the southern rivers, but not a great deal if you were north of Wroxham! Exactly the same as the local police radios, which wouldn't work in north Norfolk unless you were on top of a hill. The Vans had a Pye radio in them and they could hear and talk to the controller but could not hear or talk to each other.

[Vaughan]

 

Here's something I turned up while looking for old photos about VE Day.

 

 

The date on the back of the card is December, 1949.

[vanessan]

A den of iniquity? 

[Vaughan]

22 minutes ago, vanessan said:

A den of iniquity? 

Very probably!

[JennyMorgan]

Where Vaughan grew up!

[Vaughan]

The yacht at the left is the Three of Hearts, nowadays called Tea Rose.

[Vaughan]

In the throes of moving house, I came across this.

Ladbrokes bought Hearts Cruisers from the Caister Group when Jenners closed down. They remained members of Blakes but this must have been a private brochure for their own marketing, showing a small selection of their fleet. They were running about 75 boats at Hearts, using the extended quay heading which had been built by Jenners.

 

 

The old Hearts boats in the main photo are the Queen on the right, with Heart-throb, both looking a bit strange in their new blue waterlines. Behind Heart-throb is an old Wards boat, possibly Sea Rover.

[Turnoar]

The Adventuress I presume was aquafibres take on the Wilds Caribbean? Somehow it seems even less pretentious, if that’s indeed possible, with sharper lines and angles, more akin to the Italian cars of the same era, all that’s missing is a block capital H on the roof to land a helicopter! As a single level cruiser I don’t doubt it is both spacious and comfortable. Seemed to recall it or one of its siblings was moored up at Hoveton a few years back, recall the green one at Barton for many years, good regatta pontoon if not liveaboard I expect.

[Broads01]

Thanks for sharing, Vaughan. I knew Ladbrokes were involved but I didn't know brochures existed, that must be an ultra-rare item.

You're moving house - back to the UK?

 

[Captain]

I notice that they state the largest fleet of luxury cruisers on the Broads even with Woods, Southgates and Hearts combined I wouldn't have thought they would have been bigger than Richardsons cc 300 boats however perhaps I am missing something. I think they had fleets in France as well including the dual steer Adventurer although they probably didn't appear until the late 70s

Neil

[Vaughan]

7 hours ago, Captain said:

I notice that they state the largest fleet of luxury cruisers on the Broads even with Woods, Southgates and Hearts combined I wouldn't have thought they would have been bigger than Richardsons cc 300 boats however perhaps I am missing something. I think they had fleets in France as well including the dual steer Adventurer although they probably didn't appear until the late 70s

That statement would be true for 1975 as it was that year when Richardsons (then Rank) built 100 new boats in one winter, to bring them up to 300.  All coming out of Stalham, with only 60 turning round on Thursdays.  Everything else was a Saturday departure, down the Ant.

Ladbrokes started up a base in Messac in Brittany, which was later bought by Crown Blue Line.

 

9 hours ago, Turnoar said:

Seemed to recall it or one of its siblings was moored up at Hoveton a few years back, recall the green one at Barton for many years, good regatta pontoon if not liveaboard I expect.

They were quite frightful things - probably the worst hire boats I have ever known. They had an early version of hydraulic steering which was unreliable and getting them under Thorpe bridge on a trial run was a challenge to say the least.  You were almost guaranteed a customer complaint every week.

 

8 hours ago, Broads01 said:

You're moving house - back to the UK?

Not at the moment!  We were going to move further north to Normandy to be nearer the ferries but what with the virus and all that, we decided we rather like it around here, so we have moved about 10 miles!  Once I have decorated our old house and put it up for sale, then we can consider a home in Norfolk as well but for now, that is out of the question.  We have our boat in Stalham of course, where we can always stay when back on holiday but what with my daughter's family and my ex wife's family, we shall have to book availability in advance!

[MauriceMynah]

Vaughan,

What was the clearance at the Thorpe railway bridges when you were there? 

[trambo]

Remember this period well. The boats looked good and well cared for. We were moored at the Green on turnover day on Salamander III and I remember lads in dinghies around the wooden hulled boats with paint and brushes removing the scuffs, I was well impressed! Besides the boats of the old Hearts fleet, my favourite was the four berth Maid of Hearts which I think was an old Pegg boat.

Fred

[Vaughan]

49 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

What was the clearance at the Thorpe railway bridges when you were there? 

Couldn't tell you, to be honest! I don't think it even had a height board in those days.

 

You can see that there is a gantry coming out from the boat sheds, which was for getting engines out of boats.  There used to be a bar projecting out from this, with another bar hanging down on chains, set to be the same height as the bridge.  So on a trial run, if the boat cleared when taken under this, it would also clear the bridge.  Be careful that the Norwich end bridge is one and a half inches lower than the Yarmouth end.

The Hearts boats also had a flag on the bow which was just a little higher than the canopy when lowered.  This was mounted on an old valve spring, so if the flag hit the bridge and bent over, you backed out again!

 

[andyg]

Hi Vaughan, I recently came across your YouTube videos, what great memories you must have. I really enjoyed them thanks for taking the time to put them together. The logistics at hearts must of been a nightmare and a lot of hard work transporting everything across to the yard. My parents only hired from there once, roving heart I think it was an old wilds Bermuda. I remember the yard ending up being a bit of a boat graveyard for richardsons with quite a few of there old thames moored. A unique location for a yard and of course the mtb moored there. 

[webntweb]

12 hours ago, Turnoar said:

The Adventuress I presume was aquafibres take on the Wilds Caribbean? Somehow it seems even less pretentious, if that’s indeed possible, with sharper lines and angles, more akin to the Italian cars of the same era, all that’s missing is a block capital H on the roof to land a helicopter! As a single level cruiser I don’t doubt it is both spacious and comfortable. Seemed to recall it or one of its siblings was moored up at Hoveton a few years back, recall the green one at Barton for many years, good regatta pontoon if not liveaboard I expect.

A Woods 38ft ft version on the Yare at Beauchamp, October 84.

[trambo]

When I see this style of cruiser I always think of the old NBN forum member "Johnny"

Fred

[webntweb]

11 hours ago, Captain said:

I notice that they state the largest fleet of luxury cruisers on the Broads even with Woods, Southgates and Hearts combined I wouldn't have thought they would have been bigger than Richardsons cc 300 boats however perhaps I am missing something. I think they had fleets in France as well including the dual steer Adventurer although they probably didn't appear until the late 70s

Neil

A dual steer 38 in Maidline's Wallingford fleet from a 1999 brochure - the fleet was owned by Richardson's by then.

[andyg]

29 minutes ago, trambo said:

When I see this style of cruiser I always think of the old NBN forum member "Johnny"

Fred

Yes he was quite a defender of there beauty. Each to there own...

[trambo]

Hearts and Southgates both had one  Adventuress 44' version each. Astral Heart and Highland Stream. 

Fred

[Captain]

That's interesting to see those old  Aquafibres, always looked wider than the claimed 12 ft for some reason. I forgot Richardsons had them all be it moved to the Thames, I remember they bought some ex France boats in the 90s including Calypso s and Bermuda also believe they had the Adventuress and Astral Hearts 44 footers from Pennant operating briefly from Stalham (not listed in the brochure) then moved to Thorpe.

I don't think they thought much of them either.

Neil

[Captain]

I never realised Southgates had one of the 44s as Highland Stream. Woods built about 6 in 74/75 and 1980 must ended up at Hearts as they had 2 Astral Hearts eventually. I also believe the 38 footers were split between Thorpe and Potter initially as Celestial Heart and Adventurer, the French ones were possibly Laventure

Neil

[Malanka]

We took Malanka through the bridges into Thorpe last week, Fiona took some nice pictures I will post some here so folks who have never been can see how beautiful it still is.

 

Martin and Fiona

[Malanka]

Here you go the beautiful Thorpe in all it’s glory a few days ago.

 

M