Month: June 2020

Covid 19 Repatriaton Saga

THE FIRST….HOPEFULLY THE LAST

I’ve never been repatriated before but then I’ve never been in the middle of a pandemic before. COVID 19 was already in Britain before I left. Going abroad didn’t seem like a good idea but as the holiday company hadn’t cancelled, I went. Even getting there was a trial, with an hour and a half spent standing in a hot and frustrated queue of people waiting to get a health and temperature check before being allowed onto Cape Verde. Just 7 out of the 15 of us had decided to brave it.

The first couple of days meant more travel. An internal flight to a smaller island, walks, dinner, a ferry the next day to an even smaller island and all the while the group discussing how long it would be before trouble struck. On the third day of our trip we experienced a glorious full day walk in the Cape Verdean sunshine. Think the Great Wall of China meets the terraces of Machu Picchu. Our homestay was in a remote village; beers bought from the one shop that services the small cluster of houses and food wonderfully fresh and local. We finally found ourselves in a proper holiday mood. Another day’s walking in the striking scenery meant we settled in for dinner with some optimism that we might actually get a holiday. Cape Verde is a delight for walking and our island felt removed from any of the worries and stresses of our everyday lives. The mood was chilled as we shared dinner and chatted about the days behind us and the experiences shared. When we fell quiet for our briefing on the next day, the news came as if never expected. Cape Verde had closed its borders and we were being repatriated.

The first question was how to get home from this beautiful but remote destination. There is a vague plan to fly us through several European countries. We are all instantly subdued.

Both the ferry port and the airport are busy with overseas visitors heading home. We desperately try and spend some of our local currency and get a good meal whilst we can. We land on a God awful flat salt plain of an island, popular with tourists for its sandy beaches and clear seas and at least our resort has lovely bars on the waterfront for a few beers in the sun. The hotel we stay in hosts us and one other couple. The local guide tells us that we should expect to fly to Luxembourg the next day and then Heathrow via Paris the day after. It sounds like a plan but worryingly, we have no paperwork to support these travel arrangements. It’s a really uncomfortable feeling and the stress levels are clear in all of us but we put on a good show of dealing with it. I think we are all comforted by knowing that we are in this together and we trust that we will look after one other. The experience is bonding.

Several phone calls the next morning get us through to a lady from our travel company called Emily and she quickly responds to our request and sends us the flight details, airline locator number and flight numbers and using the hotel Wi-Fi we manage to check in on-line for the first flight and book ourselves a hotel for the night in Luxembourg.

There is a strong hope that we don’t get stuck there; the budget would be severely stretched by the cost of a lockdown there. The airport in Sal is chaotic. The staff are in masks and gloves, the travellers are edgy and arguments at the check-in desks add to the heated atmosphere. The departure lounge is full. No-one is able to settle for long ,wanting to be first in the queue for their flight in case the plane is overbooked. Bizarrely, when we queue for the plane we are asked to keep 2 metres apart, everyone fully aware that once on the plane we will be rammed in like sardines. In spite of all the stresses, we are delighted to be on the plane and on our way to Europe. The flight goes without incident and also without food; the planes are only carrying water and some biscuits.

In Luxembourg, the total insanity of the whole thing continues as our taxi to the hotel gets lost. In the other taxi, they break down twice and have to get out and push! Once at the hotel the nice young man at reception tries to deal with the difficulty of 7 rooms all booked in the same name having been rejected by the computer, processing our passports and getting us our room keys whilst the hotel manager berates us for all standing in the reception area. ‘Only 3 people at a time’ he says ‘or the police will arrest us’. He cannot believe that those rules were not in place where we came from or in Britain. We are too tired to argue or to move; the priority being getting to bed for another early start.

Next day we arrive at an eerily deserted airport. Outside, it starts to snow. The whole thing is beyond surreal. Unexpectedly our flight boards on time and is full, of people but no food. We sit on the runway as they de-ice the plane for take off, watching the snow through the window and feeling very thankful that this country is not brought to a halt by a sprinkling of the white stuff. Next stop Paris and an equally deserted Charles De Gaulle airport. We have 8 hours to kill here and even though there are still no guarantees of the next flight, we all have some hope of actually getting back home. The departure board reads a long list of flights cancelled but ours slowly creeps round. With a tangible surge of relief we board and the last leg of our epic journey gets underway. I’d love that to be the end of the tribulations but of course there is always more.

We make it home but our bags don’t so we queue in Heathrow to fill out lost luggage forms and say our farewell to each other. Hugs all round are well deserved but we make do with elbow bumps and I waste no time getting a taxi back to the hotel where my car has been sitting for 7 days. The gravity of the situation at home hits me as I find the hotel where my car is parked in complete lockdown; 6 burly security guards on the front entrance. Stopping on the way home for a coffee and a break would be sensible but I drive straight back and fall into the house for the glass of wine that has had my name on it for the last 3 days. Two days later we are in lockdown.

By Sue Hoddell

Twenty Years

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

Twenty Years

2020 has been bizarre. From wildfires destroying much of Australia’s landscape, to floods which devastated much of South Wales to these unprecedented times – all within a handful of months.

It’s impossible to forget the pain and suffering so many have unfortunately had to face this year alone, with barely five months under our belts.

I can’t help, however, but contemplate the last twenty years of my life and hope for better days ahead. As dramatic as it seems, I think we’d all like for this year to be done with.

Twenty years ago, the world was celebrating a new Millennium. The world entered the twenty-first century, and within ten years, leapt to heights not many could predict.

I was born in May of 2000. Which means I’ll be twenty this month. But what a weird twenty years of life to have lived. Countless events shocking the world, to now, living through a global pandemic.

People my age have seen so much, and yet our lives are barely even beginning yet. We’ve seen war and terror attacks on our screens; we’ve seen political upheaval (and countless arguments over such upheaval); we’ve seen technological advancements so vast it’s often seen as surprising that I lived through a period of life where I didn’t have an iPhone.

Twenty years is a long time – but it’s also not. Not really. My life is only now really beginning, but I still don’t have many life experiences. Twenty seems so old, but also so young all in one go.

A few weeks ago. I was announced as the new Editor in Chief of my university’s newspaper. And yet in that same week I was hoping my Mam could ring the doctor for me. It seems so mind-boggling to me that I am gaining these opportunities to advance my career, but I still feel like a child.

There’s an expectation that by twenty years old you should have your life in order. That being in University or having a job or a family should mean that you’re an adult. But it doesn’t feel that way, really.

It feels a little as though I’m playing House. I know what I’m doing when it comes to Uni and the newspaper, but then, somehow, I still feel as though everything else is a big guessing game.

I’ve seen so much change in twenty years. Enough change that my ancestors would likely feel my twenty years was more than three lifetimes. Twenty years which feel like centuries, but also like no time at all.

I mean this generally of course – my lifetime is only so different to that of any other twenty-year-old. But these past twenty years have been rough, no?

It’s not all bad, of course. Although we’ve had some terrible times, we’ve had some advancements, too.

Opinions are evolving, and acceptance is more readily available. It would be naïve of me to say there is no evil in the world, or that prejudice is non-existent; but it is possible to say that the world has changed for the better and more people are having open discussions and checking their own prejudices.

Hard topics are being discussed, and topics such as women’s rights and reproductive health; mental health; racial stereotyping; gender norms; LGBTQIA+ rights, and the mental wellbeing of men are reaching new audiences.

Twenty years ago, it seems unlikely a popular television programme on a big American network, such as ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, would have such open discussion about sexuality, racial prejudice, sexual harassment and even male mental health. The show takes place in a New York police department – an unlikely background for such open discussions to be had twenty years ago.

Twenty years ago, the world was a different place. It’s not the first time this has been the case, and it won’t be the last. But it has been remarkable to see. The world still isn’t a great place, but by some means it’s a better place than it was twenty years ago.

I don’t know what the next twenty years may bring. I don’t know whether the world will have bettered itself or deteriorated. Honestly, I don’t know if the world will still be here, given the threat of World War III at the beginning of this year.

Twenty years is a long time in the grand scheme of things.

I wonder what the children born in 2020 will have experienced by the time they reach twenty years old

 

 

Dinner Party Authors

 

This month, the Page Turners were asked to suggest which of their favourite authors they would invite to a post-lockdown dinner party and why.

May issued her invitation to Jane Austen, author of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Emma’, amongst many others. May would ask her if she wrote romances based on her personal feelings, or because they were popular and provided her with an income.

Sylvia’s choice of guests would be Annie Proux, the Pulitzer prize winning author of ‘The Shipping News’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’. Her latest novel is ‘Barkskin’s’, whose theme is deforestation. Sylvia’s dinner party discussions would centre on the meticulous research undertaken for her books.

Lynne would like Michelle Obama who wrote ‘Becoming’ at her table. Michelle (presumably I would be on first name terms if she was in my house!!) was the first African American First Lady of the USA and has inspired a generation of women. Conversations with her on education, poverty, politics and empowering women would be very interesting.

Helen’s guest would be Sir Thomas More, the 16th century humanist, martyr and statesman who wrote several books, including ‘Utopia’ and ‘Richard III’. He was also a prolific writer of poetry. Helen would like to hear his opinion on Hilary Mantel’s trilogy which makes his nemesis, Thomas Cromwell, a hero. That would be an interesting discussion over a glass of wine!

Tess is hoping to have two guests: C.J. Sansom who has written numerous historical mysteries set in the reign of Henry VIII; Tess is hoping he will be accompanied by the afore mentioned Hilary Mantel who writes about the same period. It seems Hilary is rather a popular choice with some Page Turners. I hope both guests enjoy the Welsh cakes, a Tess speciality, that may be offered to them!

Babs would send her invitation to Marian Keyes who has written numerous novels including ‘Rachel’s Holiday’ and ‘Grown Ups’. Babs started to read her books in the late 1990s when she says she was at her most miserable…A friend told her they would cheer her up, which they did as Babs enjoyed Marian’ s humour. Babs and Marian would hopefully enjoy a happy and humorous conversation about her books together with some chilled wine.

Sandra would invite Victoria Hislop whose novels include ‘The Return’, ‘The Thread’ and ‘Those Who are Loved’. Sandra loves history and feels that Victoria has taught her a great deal about Greece and its people, as many of her novels are stand-alone titles based around historical events in Greece. Sandra wonders whether she should offer Victoria Greek cuisine as they sit and chat about Greece and its history. I’m sure Victoria would love a kebab!

Margaret Atwood would have been one of my choices for a dinner guest. Then I read that she has a note pinned to a board above where she writes and it says: ‘Wanting to meet an author because you like his work, is like wanting to meet a duck because you like pate’. So, I left her off my list….and will ensure I put duck pate on the menu for my dinner guest!

Who would YOU like to invite to your post coronavirus dinner party…do you agree with our choice of guests? We hope this list of authors and their novels has given you some food for thought and tempted you to pick up a book…or two.

 

 

Tomato and Pesto Spaghetti

MR GREEDY’S KITCHEN – JUNE

Tomato and Pesto Spaghetti

1tbsp. garlic olive oil

330g pack cherry tomatoes, halved

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed chillies, plus extra to serve (optional)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

350g dried linguine

3/4 x 190g spinach and ricotta pesto (or green pesto)

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes, season well and fry for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and caramelise. Stir in the garlic, chillies and lemon zest, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant. Cook the linguine to pack instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp. of the cooking water. Stir the pesto, lemon juice and reserved cooking water into the pasta. Use tongs to toss every thing together to coat. Toss through half the tomatoes, serve with the remaining tomatoes in a separate serving dish. Sprinkle with a small dish of extra chillies, if you like.

 

 

American Skillet on Cornbread

MR GREEDY’S KITCHEN – JUNE 

American Skillet on Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup full milk

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

1/4 cup + 2 tbsps. shortening

smoked paprika for the top

Shortening is TREX hard cooking fat. St.Ivel Buttermilk, 284ml tub is the exact amount, available Tesco.

You will need a skillet /strong frying pan suitable for the oven. 26cm diameter. (No plastic handles)

Preheat the oven 200C. Sieve the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Measure the buttermilk and milk into a measuring jug and add the egg. Whisk together and add the soda; whisk again. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until well combined. In a small bowl, melt the shortening in the microwave, but do not overheat.

Slowly add the melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined. In the skillet, melt the remaining 2 tbsp of shortening over a medium heat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. The batter should sizzle. Spread to even out the surface. Cook on the stove top for about a minute. Remove and sprinkle the desired amount of paprika over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes. The edges should be crispy. Check with a skewer. It’s easy to forget so don’t grab the handle of the skillet with your hand, as this will be very hot. Serve as a side for your BBQ.

 

 

Wildlife Photos In The Parish

NATURE NOTES

Wildlife Photos In The Parish

Those who follow us on Facebook will have seen the large numbers of photos of wildlife taken in the parish. Many are coming from gardens, others from the countryside, as more adults and families are walking the footpaths around the village. Species sent in include moths such as the Cabbage, the Silver Ground Carpet and Grass Wave; beetles including the Red-headed Cardinal and Wasp beetle; a rare form of Early Purple Orchid known as ‘var. alba’ and fungi such as Dryad’s Saddle. The Cockchafer beetle has been snapped – Thomas Gray referred to this in his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard – ‘Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight’. A Dormouse was believed to have been seen up Pound Lane – we are not aware of any formal records of this in the parish although it has been identified near Wrinstone on the parish border. Gardens have revealed everything from the modest Vine Weevil (not great news for gardeners) and the Grey Squirrel, which can attract all sorts of reactions.

First imported from America between 1876 and 1929, they proved to be great colonisers and can be found all over Great Britain. Unfortunately the spread of the Grey coincided with the retreat of the Red Squirrel which, despite claims that they have been seen locally (probably Greys with a bit of russet colouring) cannot be found anywhere near here. The nearest Red Squirrel populations to Wenvoe are around Llyn Brianne reservoir in mid Wales with populations also established on Anglesey and elsewhere in North Wales. In the south of England they can be seen on Brownsea Island near Bournemouth. The Isle of Wight has also stayed Grey-free and Reds are surviving. Most people find the Red attractive and lovable but it is worth noting that the Squirrel Hunt (and this was before Greys ever set foot on the island) was part of the Boxing Day or St Stephens Day celebrations.

 

 

A Walk Leader’s Adventures

WALK LEADER’S ADVENTURES

Returning from a Kenyan safari in 1932, Ernest Hemingway had many trophies including buffalo hides and rhino horns. Four years later, in ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’, Hemingway described the summit of Kilimanjaro as ‘wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white in the sun’.

 

With no Living with Cancer or Carers walks to report on, attention turns again to the youthful experiences of this Walk Leader in ascending Mt Kilimanjaro – a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres above sea level. For this adventure 12 teachers, two 18 year old past pupils and the Head Teacher’s son made up the group.

An essential part of any venture outdoors is to ensure you are well prepared. On Kilimanjaro, the trekkers had a hard job collecting the down jackets, thermals, boots and woollen socks that were necessary for the trip, as living and working in Mombasa required little more clothing than shorts, T-shirts and cool cotton clothes to teach in. Most of the party begged or borrowed equipment from visiting relatives who were asked to add socks and bobble hats to their luggage of sandals and sunhats!

The convoy of three cars rattled and rolled along dirt tracks from Mombasa to the border. Here the guards took a particular interest in the cassettes we were playing and made it clear that the price of crossing the border was to ‘gift’ a large number of these cassettes to them! We arrived at our hotel just outside the Kilimanjaro National Park and excitedly planned for an early start the next day.

Day 1. We met our porters and guides at the Marangu Gate, the entrance to the park. The porters would carry our food, water and cooking gas whilst we would carry day packs with essential items: drinking water, snacks, spare clothes. The hike to our first stop, the Mandara Hut, 2,715m, would be about 5 hours through montane forest. The forest trail followed a stream, and we spent most of the trek in a thick mist under trees.

Porters

The main advice for high altitude trekking is, ‘GO SLOWLY’ or ‘Pole, Pole’ in Swahili. For the fitter, younger members of our group this proved difficult, even though they had been told to walk slowly and enjoy the scenery. Coming from 0 metres in Mombasa, the altitude was always going to be a challenge, so there were constant reminders to slow down: the slower you walk the more time is given for the body to acclimatise.

The Mandara hut was a welcome sight; the party settled down for the night. Everybody had made it.

Mandera Hut

Day 2. We set off to the Horombo hut, at 3,705m. We walked through a short section of forest before emerging into moorland. Here we could see the giant lobelia and giant groundsel. In the distance we could see, tantalizingly, the peak of Kibo.

Moreland Walk

At the Horombo hut, the trek, unfortunately, finished for one member of our group. David, a very fit and active sportsman, who had followed all the advice was showing symptoms of altitude sickness. He had a splitting headache, was nauseous and felt exhausted. The guide advised he should descend immediately, as a drop in altitude is one of the most effective treatments. Reluctantly, we said goodbye to David, as he set off down the mountain with a guide.

Horombo Huts

 

Day 3. We set off on the 9km trek to the Kibo hut, 4.730m, all agreeing to go at a snail’s pace. We were now in an alpine desert. We all arrived at the Kibo hut and looked towards the peak. The summit was another 1,190m away and we were going to make the ascent that night. We went to bed around 6pm and were woken at 11pm.

Kibo Hut

Day 4. The path to the summit zig-zagged up the mountain on stone scree. All I could see were small patches of light ahead and behind me as our group’s head torches bobbed in the darkness. All I wanted to do was sleep. I had a headache. I felt sick. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to sit down. Everybody felt the same. We encouraged each other to stumble, shuffle and struggle upwards. The sun rose….we were on the top of the mountain. It felt like we were on top of the world. And unbelievably, in the distance we could see Mt Kenya.Feelings of nausea and exhaustion subsided. Elation, exhilaration and excitement took over. Photos were taken and then the descent. We were to walk to the Horombo hut, a total of 15kms and a day’s total walking of 14 hours. The descent seemed like we were walking on air; the effects of the altitude subside as you descend. The Horombo hut was a very welcome sight and we sank into the bunk beds.

Day 5. Back the way we came. We were welcomed by a disappointed but healthy David, who joined in with the celebration beers.

Physical and mental stamina helped us to the summits of Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro. Cosmeston and Barry Island strolls may not offer the same extreme physical and mental challenges as these mountains, but the companionship, the sense of achievement and pleasure and enjoyment from being outdoors will be the same.

The Group

 

 

Lynne Frugniet

 

 

May Was An Awkward Time

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Environment Team tips.

  1. Put hanging baskets out on display.
  2. Pinch outside shoots on tomatoes.
  3. Try to mow the lawn weekly.
  4. Finish planting out summer bedding.
  5. Keep feeding the birds.

Mr Crump’s top tips

  1. Plant some runner bean seeds for a later crop.
  2. Do not forget the lawn edging.
  3. Hoe weeds every dry day if possible.
  4. Clean your UPVC. This will set the garden off.
  5. Always keep tools clean and put away after use.

May was an awkward time in the garden, trying to purchase seeds, plants and compost. With garden centres open, the temptation to go mad will be great. I do hope that centres will have learnt from this. They were very quick to enable you to buy their garden furniture online, yet slow to allow the purchase of plants which left nurseries without an outlet and in a terrible position.

Now that June is here pests will be enjoying the long days feasting on your flowers and vegetables. Whatever method you choose to curb their enthusiasm for ruining your plants, just keep at them. A deep dish with a drop of beer in is a sure way of trapping slugs. Also, a flat stone placed on the border will give slugs and snails a place to hide during the day, which you just lift to remove the culprits. What you do with them is up to you but throwing them over the fence will not work as they have a keen homing instinct and will soon be back.

Dead heading is the best method of keeping the plants flowering longer. Sweet peas benefit greatly from this. By doing so the plants will continue producing new flowers; it will also keep them looking neat and tidy. If you are going to take the spent blooms off rhododendrons, be careful not to damage the embryo beneath.

This month is a good time to plant biennials such as wallflowers [Erysimum]. Sow in seed tray and seal in clear bag. Once they are large enough to handle, separate into pots and grow on. In August/ September time plant out in the garden in their permanent position. Choose a scented variety if you can. They are good value plants that will flower for ages in the spring.

More people are growing veg in their garden and pots this year. Those of you who are maybe looking for advice need only visit the allotments in Twyn yr Odyn, near to the Horse & Jockey. Here the very best growers in the Vale reside and they love sharing advice on growing veg.

Whilst working in the garden remember to stay safe. Wear a hat, put on gloves and use insect repellent and sunscreen. A visit to A&E at any time is bad enough; to put extra pressure on hospitals now by being careless, will not get you any sympathy.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

 

The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads

The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads

With our movements restricted to home these past weeks, I have been reminiscing about days gone by when holidays were very much on our minds at this time of the year. The excitement of picking and choosing our next vacation was taken for granted and in particular my mind was drawn back to our family visits to East Anglia and in particular the Norfolk Broads.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, more commonly known as the Norfolk Broads, became part of my life as far back as 1976. Following a discussion with two married friends, my wife and I were invited to join them for a cruising holiday along with our two young children then aged just 6 years and 3 years. A handful you may ask – what with six of us on board a 6 berth cruiser with water all around us, and never having experienced this type of holiday before?

Challenging, yes, but with a whole two weeks of fine weather, in an area of the country teaming with wildlife, we fell in love with East Anglia and its flat terrain and endless skies. We found so much to do with navigating our way around 125 miles of inland waterways, walking the footpaths, visiting the small villages and hamlets, not to mention entertaining and supervising two young children. This love affair, 300 miles from home has lasted for the rest of our lifetime and we returned to ‘The Broads’ many times over the ensuing years. Culminating with my wife and I, purchasing a Broads cruiser and owning it for 10 years. Before I expand on these many visits and our own cruiser, let me give you some insight into the history of The Broads and what they actually comprise of.

The Broads are a series of large lakes and 7 rivers that navigate through eastern Norfolk and Suffolk. They were the result of flood surges over the centuries, but closer inspection by conservationists determined that the lakes were actually manmade peat diggings going back to medieval times. In those days East Anglia was the most populated part of England with many large monasteries and abbeys supporting the spread of Christianity. There were in fact over 150 churches and Norwich was the second most populated city after London. Indeed records at Norwich Cathedral, taken from that time show that in one year alone, 400,000 divots of peat were delivered from these cuttings to the Cathedral. Since that time the diggings have flooded thus creating the large lakes or Broads that we see and use for leisure and wildlife preservation today. There are over 60 Broads altogether, many non-navigable and the preserve of conservationists with a wonderful selection of wildfowl, insects and birds.

The navigable Broads are of various sizes, some as large as four miles long and over a mile wide. Many are the home of local sailing clubs and Regatta’s are part of the sailing calendar every year. A sight to behold is the annual August bank holiday Regatta at Barton Broad on the river Ant. Observe a sea of sails, with yachts racing and tacking to arrive first over the finishing line. These Broads, however, remain open to visitors and hire craft. It was on Barton Broad that Admiral Lord Nelson learnt to sail, having been brought up in Burnham Thorpe.

As well as The Broads, the navigable waterways consist of seven rivers: four main rivers, the Bure, Yare, Waveney and Wensum and three smaller tributaries, the

Ant, Thurne and Chet. The Norfolk Broads are landlocked and not linked to any other of the English inland waterways. All are tidal and the effects of the tides are quite significant, particularly the closer you are to the estuary at Yarmouth. Here you can enter the North Sea, not recommended for inland cruisers and prohibited to hire craft. There are no locks to navigate but good use of the tide times depending on your location can result in a quicker passage from place to place and save on time and fuel. There is one lock at Oulton Broad near Lowestoft that affords access and egress to Lowestoft and again the North Sea. Again this is also out of bounds to hire craft.

The two largest navigable rivers are the Bure and the Yare. Both these rivers enter the North Sea at Yarmouth and are the most tidal. You can navigate the Yare right up and into the city centre of Norwich, where it joins the river Wensum. You can moor at the Yacht Station less than 200 yards from Norwich Cathedral, with just a short walk to the city centre and its market and main shopping areas.

The river Bure gives access to the main tourist area of the Norfolk Broads, its many boatyards, Broads, moorings and hostelries. Head on up to Wroxham, the capital of the broads where many tourists start and finish their cruising holidays and where the largest number of boatyards are located. Wroxham is a village with a variety of shops supplying everything you could possibly want. The majority of them are owned by ‘Roy’s of Wroxham’, a company set up in the village in 1931. Today you can visit its many outlets from the supermarket and department store, to the smaller chandlers, DIY store and many others all trading under the name Roy’s of Wroxham.

The two other larger rivers are the river Waveney and river Wensum. The Wensum joins the river Yare just outside Norwich and gives you access to the city of Norwich, whereas the river Waveney affords navigation down to the Suffolk Broads, and up as far as Beccles, a popular market town, again with its many shops and hostelries. Beccles has an outdoor swimming pool, a great favorite of ours and a must on warm Summer days. A couple of miles above Beccles is Geldeston, the end of navigation of the river Waveney. Visit the Geldeston Lock Inn, again a popular mooring serving hot food and some traditional Real Ales. It is a typical isolated mooring, ideal for those who prefer a quiet location.

There are many bridges crossing the various rivers, some large and some small. The smaller bridges can restrict headroom to 6’ 5” at high water, so some tidal planning has to be taken into account when negotiating the lower bridges. Two of the low bridges are arch bridges at Wroxham and Potter Heigham, but the assistance of Bridge Pilots are available during navigable times, compulsory for hire craft, and a small fee is charged. I recommend the experience of passing through these bridges, sometimes negotiated with inches to spare. Have your camera ready but watch your head.

The type of holiday you choose can vary from family to family. Our choice was to cruise each morning for a couple of hours and choose a mooring for lunch and

 

couple of hours and choose a mooring for lunch and visit the local villages to top up with provisions. We did the same in the afternoon selecting a mooring for an overnight stay, sometimes near civilization and other times just out in the middle of nowhere. Moorings are everywhere on The Broads, most of them are free for 24 hours, but sometimes a fee will be charged where facilities such as water are available or alternatively limited mooring space outside one of the many riverside pubs. All these hostelries offer good lunchtime and evening meals so cooking on board is not a necessity. Knowing our way around The Broads afforded us the luxury of choosing our meals in a local hostelry or taking advantage of the locally sold produce to cook aboard. Every hire craft has a fully fitted Galley. Many villages have vegetables, fruit, eggs or other such produce for sale outside their houses with ‘honesty boxes’ and we often took advantage of this fresh produce.

After our first visit to The Broads in the mid 70’s we returned many many times for what was in those days our main and only annual holiday. On a number of these holidays we were joined by my sister, brother-in-law and their two children and spent many a fortnight cruising our beloved waterways in sister boats named Master Peter and Master Paul. These were old traditional wooden Broads cruisers, 6 berth, quite basic, but enjoyed by one and all. As our children grew older, they enjoyed many experiences, some of which they discuss even today. Indeed when they became independent young people and arranged their own holidays, the first place they returned to with their friends was The Norfolk Broads.

During 1988 my family and I moved back to Wenvoe, and have remained in the village ever since. We had resided in Wenvoe in the mid 70’s when I was stationed in the old police house carrying out my duties as village constable. We had moved two years later due to a career move but loved the village so much we were determined to return someday and came back as I say in 1988.

At about this time my wife and I began to take holidays further afield to the usual sunny destinations abroad. Even so, we invariably booked at least a week visiting Norfolk hiring smaller craft, with just the two of us. In 2003, having retired from my career in the Police Service, I set up my own business and was able to schedule my work with holidays to suit us both. Following a visit in June of that year back to The Broads, we were loath to return home, and we started to discuss the possibility of buying our own cruiser. During the ensuing weeks and months, I returned to Norfolk on two weekends, staying in B&B and spending the time plying the length and breadth of broadlands chandlers and boatyards, searching for an ideal craft.

By this time private ownership of older hire craft had become very popular as well as enabling the cost of these boats to be available to the pockets of the everyday working couple. It actually took three visits to find our ideal cruiser; a glass fibre traditional broads design ‘Broom Ocean 30’ with the name ‘Rambler’. She began her life as a hire craft but had been sold to a private buyer when only 4 years old and clearly had been lovingly maintained over the years. She was for

sale at a boatyard in Wroxham and when I first set eyes on her I knew she was exactly what we were looking for. Thus began a 10 year love affair with what I described as my ‘pride and joy’.

She was 25 years old when I bought her. This made her affordable to us and with a full survey arranged, we took her over in September, 2003. We did consider changing her name but was informed this could be unlucky so we stuck with the name ‘Rambler’.

From that time on, we spent at least a week, sometimes two weeks on our cruiser during each month from April to October. The fact that she was berthed 303 miles from home was no barrier to us and every time we set out to visit her, the excitement never waned. We upgraded and modernized ‘Rambler’ over the years, with my wife renewing the internal furnishings and fittings whilst I concentrated on replacing worn or broken deck fittings and upgrading and maintaining her single diesel engine and the on board gas and electric systems. It was a learning curve, and we both learnt many new skills.

The annual costs for maintenance, mooring fees, insurance, river license and general running costs was approximately the same cost of a 2 week holiday abroad, so by maintaining her ourselves, it made the enterprise of owning our own cruiser manageable. Each year we would spend at least 10 weeks cruising our favourite waterway at a relatively low cost. We never tired of Norfolk and although we sold her in 2014, we still visit the Broads from time to time and relive those exciting adventures on board our very own cruiser.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, offer a healthy, relaxing and enjoyable holiday. Hire craft today offer all modern conveniences such as wi fi, satellite TV, mains electricity and they are fitted to a high specification. There are cruisers of all ages for hire that would suit most pockets.

I would suggest, as holidays go, there is no better way of recharging the batteries and getting out in the fresh air once again. So when planning your future holidays, why not give the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads some thought. You can research the various hire boats on line, have a look at Hoseasons Holidays or Blakes Boats. It is a holiday for all ages and for families in particular it is an ideal choice. Good luck and enjoy, but most importantly, stay safe.

Terry Ewington.

Save A Farm Animal

SAVE A FARM ANIMAL

Responsible dog owners ensure their pets are regularly wormed to help keep them healthy by reducing the worm burden.

We are all aware of the dangers posed from dog faeces hence owners are expected to act responsibly about clearing up after their pets especially around areas where children play. BUT are you also aware that dog faeces are equally poisonous to farm animals especially lambs and calves?

Many owners so often ignore collecting their dog’s faeces when exercising their pet on footpaths across farm fields where it can so easily unknowingly be collected in with the hay and silage from the field to be fed to animals at a later date.

Clear up after your pet at all times and dispose of the bag responsibly

 

 

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