Off message: - back from a short 4 night break in the Norfolk Broads. I crashed the small motor cruiser we had hired into Wroxham Bridge (centre photo) within 5 minutes of leaving the boatyard. So after our first emergency mobile telephone call of the holiday we had to return due to a damaged canopy and broken outdoor table.It took me about 10 minutes to reverse stern side back into the yard much to the despair of the hire company worker who was trying to guide me. I could steer forwards quite happily but you could not steer in a straight direction when in reverse. A group of young lads passing by in a launch helpfully clapped and cheered me on. Bless ‘em.
Luckily the boatyard had another replacement boat spare which was just about able to survive my captaincy for the rest of the "voyage".
There was another return visit the following day to the hire company to pick up the bedding we forgot when we swapped boats.
Mooring was always a bit of an adventure. After several abortive attempts usually someone onshore would take pity on us (or were worried about a collision with their boat) and would suggest that we throw them a rope and they would pull us. Eventually I worked out that the best way was just to aim head on for the mooring and approach at very slow speed then turn away at the last moment and jump ashore.
There was further excitement in Potter Heigham when I woke up at 3AM on Thursday to find 3 inches of water in the cabin. For some still unexplained reason the bilge had flooded and seeped into the living accommodation. Another rather frantic conversation with an emergency engineer resulted in us pressing the auto button on the bilge pump which stopped any further flooding.
Despite all this (and some intermittent wet and windy weather) – it was on the whole a fantastic experience. Cruising slowly along truly beautiful waterways and stopping off almost at your whim amongst drop dead gorgeous countryside for the night was a treat. There was also great meals and beer in lovely country pubs. In between the various disasters it was really a little bit of heaven on earth.
You can listen to what I think is the very apt song "messing about on the river" here.
Back on message somewhat: - Norfolk has some of the lowest wage rates in the UK despite being relatively close to London so the public exhibition of wealth on the rivers and its banks compared to the modest red brick terraces you see as you drive through Norwich was striking. I sailed past countless impressive riverside homes often with thatched roofs with immaculate private gardens and moorings for huge boats.
In the historic "White Horse" pub in beautiful Neatishead there was a plaque on the wall to annual competitions between the various local Agriculture Workers Union branches. But this dated from the 1960’s and I doubt if any of those branches mentioned were still active. I am pretty sure that all the customers that night in the pub were like me - fellow visitors.
I don’t believe in wearing a hair-shirt and it did not spoil the holiday but the discrepancy in wealth on show was in one way more unsettling than even that sinking feeling in Potter Heigham.
(due to PC problems – I’ll post picture another time - UPDATE - SORT OF SORTED)
