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Norfolk Broads 1950sThe pictures below were kindly sent to me by Ron Harrison and his son-in-law Tim Oxley. The pictures and reminiscences are all from Ron's holidays on the Norfolk Broads in the 1950s. Thanks also to Craig Slawson for the additional boat information. Craig is currently cataloguing the old Broads boats and also has his own Horning website. (See the link at the bottom of this page.) Click on any of the images for a larger view & scroll for more pictures
Craig's comments - "Note that the boats are moored bow-on. Salhouse Broad was about the only broad with a shelving beach. Most have vertical sides because of the peat digging, but it was impossible to moor side or stern-on at Salhouse. The left hand boat in picture3 above looks like a Lady class from Herbert Woods (It's certainly from Woods because of the star on the sail). These were beautiful yachts and several are still around today. Most are private, but Royalist & Scarlet Lady at NBYCo are old 'Perfect Lady' class and two of the 'Fine Lady' class still exist for hire at NBYCo.” Ron says "If you moored up overnight on Salhouse Broad, a man with a dog in a rowing boat would rap on the side of your boat to collect your half crown mooring fee. The majority of the hire boats at that time flew the "A" flag (The Norfolk and Suffolk Boat Owners' Association)" Click on any of the images for a larger view
In the Beccles picture above, note the absence of double yellow lines, traffic 'calming' measures, traffic (!) and modern day 'street furniture' . The final image in the three above is the Lord Nelson public house at Reedham. Click on any of the images for a larger view
Fairwind was a 39ft long, 10ft beam, 7 berth cabin cruiser. There were 3 separate cabins, 2 toilets, and a bathroom. The craft was powered by a 20hp 6 cylinder Morris Commodore marine engine. Comment from Craig - "Y210 later became Supreme Commander 1" Click on any of the images for a larger view
Comment from Craig - "Challenger as W92, has now long gone. The number has been reused on a new Truman's boat 'Monarch' which went to Richardsons at Stalham when Truman's closed." Click on any of the images for a larger view
Ron, and others, remember the landlady at The Locks as being a 'character':- "Miss Ellis,the landlady of"The Locks" Inn at Geldeston lock was a very likeable and wonderful character. The only lighting was from candles,which gave it a fantastic atmosphere. She used to get the customers to add up their drinks bill for her. Nearly every winter the downstairs got flooded,and she was marooned on the upper floor (her living quarters). However she used to come half way down the stairs daily to feed the coypus that used to swim in!" Craig Slawson also remembers the landlady well - "I was only a kid, but I remember Susan Ellis - It wasn't a pub to be first in - if you weren't careful you finished up running the pub for the evening while Susan controlled the conversation! All the drink used to be brought up river from Geldeston village by boat, and I don't think there was any water supply or electricity." Poet Andy Morley has written a poem about the infamous Susan Ellis. You can find it here and find more of Andy's poems at his main website. Final comments from Ron:- "I remember the lifting "Toll Bridge" on the
new cut,where the Toll collector held out a large fishing net for
you to put the half crown Toll in." "Goodbye and good riddance to the old "Sea type" toilets that used to discharge directly into the River!"
| Craig Slawson's Horning
web site | |The story of Shaft
of Light - a 1940s cruiser |
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14th
October 2007 Sadly Ron Harrison passed away in the early hours
of 13th October. I would like to pass on my condolences
to Ron's family to add to those already posted on the 
