Waterways of life

Rivers provide vital arteries for people, conveniently flowing through dynamic urban areas and vast tracts of green countryside. Even though rivers link the town with country, the contrast and misunderstanding between the two may never have been greater ~ yet both are reliant on each other, not least because of the pivotal farming industry, where much of our food comes from.

Waterways in many respects, form the bedrock of civilization and remain fundamental for commerce, wildlife and recreation. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads waterways are famed for boating, yet the area is much more than an idyllic holiday destination. Local people depend on visitors during the high summer season and in turn visitors can expect excellent hospitality and attractions. Even in today’s digital age, when information is widely available to most of the world’s population, the voice of some individual groups, especially in Broadland appears to be mute. Social media by default, can also easily warp the reality of actual happenings on the riverside.

Today, the stewardship by public bodies, serving Broadland’s precious waterways are increasingly being questioned. Is it right that some of the most beautifully, protected landscapes in UK ~ designated as official national parks, plus the affiliated Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Waterways, are operated without any direct local accountability?

The small independent band of friends who look after the houseboat are passionate about history. However, a weather eye is always kept on the future. We also care deeply about local communities and all aspects of conservation, culture and the landscape. It is possible to draw upon the best attributes from the past, while embracing modern advancements. In this spirit of hope and benevolence towards each other and the environment, Heather is promoting this code for Broadland, believed to have been devised in the 1970s, but little used since.

Please:

• Preserve river banks
• Respect other Broads users
• Don’t leave litter
• Don’t discard fishing tackle
• Keep out of the reeds (where possible)
• Keep to the marked channels
• Keep to the speed limits

The Broadland Code was copied from the booklet ~ Life in Norfolk, by GM Dixon and MG & HJ Harland, 1979.

Chris

Tercentenary of Haendel's Water Musick

On Wednesday 17th July 1717, George Frideric Handel gave his first performances of the famous Water Music suites on the River Thames, between Whitehall Palace and Chelsea. Musicians played on board barges for King George I, members of the court and an enthralled public.

This grand waterborne concert may have been organised by politicians as a spectacular public relations exercise for the new Hanovarian monarch, who could speak little English. The eighteenth century was a heady age of discovery, enlightenment and industrial expansion and Handal was at the forefront of the baroque musical revolution, penning scores for the theatre, church and state.

The staging of the Water Music was truly an assault on the senses, with elaborately decorated barges, flickering illuminations and the sounds of the instruments booming across the water. It has been suggested popular segments of the music are played somewhere in the world continuously, such is the power of the score. In 1987, a live performance was held on nearby Wroxham Broad.

Water, music and light combined after dusk can often produce magical scenes, including along Hoveton’s public Riverside Walk (pictured).


Andrew

Rags of many colours

Laundry Monday is the customary day for doing laundry or “dobby”, as washing is sometimes referred to in the merchant navy. Cloth rags are used for general cleaning and maintenance of boats. Cast off bed linen, shirts and sundry other things can be made into cleaning rags; used especially by cleaners ~ a pivotal, but often disregarded cog in the operating machinery of industry.

With rags, well known local characterful rag and bone men (the original recyclers) spring to mind. The rag and scrap trade is wonderfully captured by Messrs Simpson and Galton, where the domestic antics of Steptoe and Son were shown on screen, radio and stage plays.

I was often told by the elders about Mr “Raggy” Myers, the legendary gentleman merchant of Skipton~in~Craven, Yorkshire, for much of the 20th century. In truth, the kindly and enterprising Mr Myers and his family bought and sold many commodities, including wool (a staple of the Dales) and antiques. One of the attractive golden sandstone buildings where the Myers' originally operated, remains at Albert Street, between Coach Street, the canal and the High Street; albeit presented today in a smarter guise, with restaurants, bars and shops.

Chris

Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee cypher

To celebrate the achievement of 65 years of the Sovereign’s reign, a stylised Queen’s cypher EIIR has been placed at the riverside Granary Staithe, Hoveton St John, close to Wroxham road bridge. The letters were made from a sheet of marine plywood at Windboats Marine Ltd of Wroxham by Jamie Hunton and painted at Hotel Wroxham.

Eric

Touring the Pennine Dales ~ 1

While in the north we had opportunity to travel east to west, across the craggy pennines, forming the high back bone of England. It was a glorious sunny day, calling at Richmond, this being a stunning stone built town, skirted by the River Swale. From Richmond, on to Wenslydale, passing interestingly named villages ~ Aysgarth, Asgrigg and Hawes, up and over winding roads, where motorists often come face to face with freely wandering sheep.

Much of the Yorkshire Dales is within the Dales National Park. It covers 841 square miles, yet no less beautiful landscapes lie outside this boundary. Every shade of colour is on show from gold and rusty moorland to shimmering silvered grass pastures and buff stone buildings, each scene creating a mood assisted by the time of year and weather.

It was noticeable how many property owners were taking advantage of the vast number of tourists driving, biking and rambling through this stunning part of the country year round; offering a wide range of services and home made products.

Jason

Come what May

We had a stand and welcomed visitors at the popular Skipton Waterway Festival, taking place beside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Pictures and furnishings from the houseboat were displayed and a range of gifts were offered for sale on the shop table.

Chris
 

Touring shop and display

From this spring, a touring shop and display will offer a carefully chosen selection of novelties and themed gifts, including illuminating toys and decorative wooden boxes, to suit every age and taste. The shop will open at public locations both locally and beyond and also attend special events.

On occasions a presentation display, will be combined with the shop, containing information about the houseboat and surrounding landscape. Revenue generated from the shop goes directly towards the annual maintenance and restoration of Heather.

Chris

Bon voyages

David Simpson (pictured) handling the newly fitted tiller of the launch, near Wroxham Staithe, a little up stream of the bridge. Dave resided on board his boat for many years, until recently. An experienced yachtsman, David was born in Bermuda and saw service in the Royal Navy, before embarking on a career with GPO Telephones, later British Telecom.

David's sincere and playful personality lights up the dullest of situations. On the waterside, he was always ready to help anybody moor up and had a genial word for visitors and local people.

An occasional glass of 'vino,' of the red grape variety is a favourite pastime. If he wasn't indulging in vino, he could be found perusing the many floors of delights at Thorns, the famous ironmongery and general store in Norwich. He remains a sterling friend to us and many more. Times change however and it was decided to relocate David close to his family in Wolverhampton.

Tim, Jason

Marine litter picking

Lumps of wood, bottles and a wide range of litter regularly turn up on the high tide, occurring twice a day. For a number of reasons, litter soon collects and finds its way into the river and eventually the open sea. We endevour to retrieve litter on the water, where it is safe to do so. It is always advisable to wear gloves and wash your hands with disinfectant thoroughly afterwards.

Floating litter is especially dangerous, as it can harm wildlife and cause damage to hulls of craft. Stuck in a semi private backwater, away from the official navigation, plastic packaging, complete with contents (pictured) looks very unsightly.

Timothy

Historical Broadland Wherry relics for sale

We are reducing a number of things we no longer have space for, kept at rather rambling stores on board and ashore. Amongst these are a collection of artefacts from the pinnacle era of large working wherry vessels on Broadland rivers (1850 ~ 1950).

The hand made objects range from a large gilt masthead, once on top of a pleasure wherry mast and various humble fastenings from trading and pleasure wherries including: Cornucopia, The Fir, Gleaner, Lady Violet, Dragon, Albion, Fairy Queen, Lord Roberts and White Moth. These items will shortly be offered for sale.

Chris

Haste Post Haste

A scarlet coloured hand cart, remodelled from a Royal Mail electrical postal trolley, is a new attraction ~ facility for Heather. Similar in design to shepherds' huts or living vans, it is multi functional and can be transported to different places.


The glass fibre bodied cart was formerly used to move postal bags between railway stations and depots. For 500 years, the Royal Mail has being carrying post; firstly sending messages for Henry VIII and later as a global delivery service for everyone, conveying mail by air, sea and road.

Timothy

Twelve Festive Days

The houseboat is rigged up with cheery trimmings over the Christmas season for visitors delight. Among the decorations is an illuminating ice blue Christmas tree on the roof, provided by local lady, Lisa McGreish and Welsh mistletoe bought from the plant stall on Magdalen Street, Norwich~Over~The~Water. Freshly cut laurel and ivy from the Catfield garden are placed around and tinted beads and sprigs strung in a garland, across the saloon.

It is surprising how, with a little imagination, ornate decorations can be made (Blue Peter fashion) from very ordinary things, economically. Candles, electrical fairy lights and Chinese paper lanterns add more merriment on board, mirroring in the rippling water.


Jill, Chris

Jam and Windboating

Some jars of plum and blackberry jam were kindly made for us in the autumn by a special friend of Heather, Carole Gordon of Sydney, Australia. The fruit were picked locally while Carole was visiting Norfolk. 

Carole's father was a member of the highly regarded boating family, the Bunns, who lived around Coltishall. Graham Bunn began as a boat building apprentice and draughtsman. In 1920 he took the plunge and opened a boat building and letting yard, Windboats, along Grange Walk in Wroxham. The place still flourishes, as does the smart brand name.

Graham Bunn was a trailblazer, constructing stylish inland and sea going motor cruisers to exceptionally high standards. Windboat craft were often finished in strong Burma teak, said to be the king~emperor of timbers. Deck fittings were chromium plated and diesel engines provided motive power. The galleys were usually fitted with gas cookers, stainless steel sinks, refrigerators and even fans (an early form of air conditioning); while chic coloured furnishings filled the cabins ~ rare for the inter war period, especially in a provincial area. A number of these superior craft can still be seen today around the world.

Extract from 'Windboating' by Graham Bunn, courtesy of Carole Gordon.

The rule is, jam to~morrow and jam yesterday - but never jam to~day.
Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, 1871

Lewis Carroll

Timothy

Christmastide

With the season of magic and mystery close by, it is time for the the decorations to come out of the stores. We are always looking for new things, including old delicate glass baubles to make beguiling seasonal displays on board.

Baubles add merriment to any environment. These are pictured at the famous Leeds outdoor market, where Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer (a Skiptonian) started their humble penny bazaar stall in 1884.

Andrew and Chris

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. 

The Minpins, Roald Dahl, 1991

New aquisitions ~ ephemera

New and old familiar objects regularly find their way onto the houseboat. Books and pictures are particular favourites, although they easily add up, creating a great deal of clutter. Some objects are usually displayed on a rotation basis and the rest kept in storage ashore.

A spray and blackboard paint on card head portrait by upcoming Norwich based artist Liam Ashley Clark, purchased from a from a pop up gallery.

 

During the clearing of Royall's Yard, several objects were found in the dusty lofts, untouched for years. Amongst the treasures was a little pink booklet explaining tables for high and low tides each day on the Broadland rivers and sea ports. Published for the Great Yarmouth Port and Haven Commissioners in 1982, it is unusual for displaying the complete armorial bearings of the much admired, former maritime body. The Port and Haven Commissioners maintained the navigational waterways from 1670 until 1989. Acts of Parliament were granted to enable collection of tolls, principally from commercial vessels and the duties of Commissioners were overseen by a board of locally appointed wise counsel.

The crest above the shield shows a stately galleon in full sail. Anglo Saxon and Medieval graphics on the quarters, or sections of the main shield represent the main towns and counties connected with the rivers and harbours. Clockwise from top left: the Borough of Great Yarmouth, then the City of Norwich, the old Suffolk County arms, (from the Liberty of St Edmund, granted by Edward the Confessor) and the County Council arms of Norfolk, (lower part are the arms of Ralph (Ranulph) de Gael (de Guader), Earl of East Anglia).

Unusually, the motto is QUATUOR JUNCTA IN UNO ~ meaning literally, 'three joined as one'. The phrase dates from the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when England and Scotland were bonded by James I. It is also used by some army regiments and the Order of the Bath. Could the motto refer to the three primary rivers ~ Bure, Yare and Waveney, administered by individual Commissioners?

Noblesse Oblige was gifted to the houseboat collection this year. Published 60 years ago this month, it has contributions by Nancy Mitford, Evelyn Waugh and John Betjeman, amongst others.

Inevitably the world has changed tremendously since the cartoonish front cover was made in 1956. Yet, somehow the age old virtues of the multi layered aristocracy maintains stability, continuity and style in the country (albeit when working in a pragmatic fashion, for example the Devonshire family and Chatsworth Estate).

C

Clean sweep

With winter drawing in, it is time again to service the chimney. This is a messy, though very necessary job, ensuring the pipes are not clogged up with soot.

On a trip to Stoke on Trent, it was good to see evidence of the earlier industrial pottery factories scattered around, including some bottle kiln chimneys. Several towns, like Longton make up the modern city and the local people are very friendly.

I felt much of Stoke had a rather sad aura of forlorn creative enterprise, similar to parts of the once bustling riverside of Hoveton ~ Wroxham and Broadland.

Most of the crockery supplied to Broadland boat letting companies, including the houseboat, was produced in the Midland Potteries.

Chris

200 years of Leeds and Liverpool Canal life

 

The longest man made waterway in the UK, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal was officially opened two centuries ago. 

After years of economic setbacks and hard toil by the navvies, who dug the canal, the waterway finally linked two great mercantile cities and the east to the west coast. One of the most serene stretches of the canal swathes through the ancient Craven and Pendle districts.

On a recent visit to Leeds in West Yorkshire ~ birthplace of literary giants Arthur Ransome, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Alan Bennett, we walked along part of the towpath. It was a pleasant surprise to see a number of fascinating craft, berthed along sections of wharves ~ many converted into residential vessels. There are well kept historic lifeboats, naval launches, cruisers, barges and narrow boats, all adding interest to visitors and local people.

Chris

Hallowe'en Den

The Veranda space is festooned with spooky props for Hallowe'en, making macabre window scenes. At the Water Bird table, a selection of LED illuminating novelty ducklings and toys are for sale.

Friends of Heather are welcome to step on board, whilst she remains berthed at the dike, adjoining Hotel Wroxham. Please contact us to arrange a visit. A black board nearby will also indicate open days. 

David

To the point

Follow these stylised duck plaques or silhouettes around Hoveton and Wroxham’s waterside area. They lead to several Water Bird Food points, located at several individual places around the village; including shops, boatyards and The Hotel Wroxham. Most of the outlets operate throughout the year and they have kindly agreed to our advertising.

During winter, water and garden birds are especially in need of extra food. The income raised from the water bird food, supports local people and helps towards the maintenance costs of the Houseboat.

Andrew

Remaking an entrance

 

 

 

Improvements and restoration of the houseboat facilities continues, time permitting. Relatively dry periods are especially helpful for maintaining wooden craft. In July, Heather was pulled round to Royall’s undercover wet boat shed (a scarce commodity in modern local boat yards) to carry out repairs on the main doorway and sliding roof hatch. Located on the port side, it is the principal entrance and leads into the vestibule, or lobby, where coats and hats are hung. This small space links the front and back end (fore and after part) of the houseboat.

Paul, the stoical assistant at Royall’s, who marked thirty years of service at the boatyard this autumn, removed the worn framework and makeshift threshold. With some thought, Paul redesigned the setting of the door, building a new frame, a threshold that slopes outboard and made new hardwood trim around the hatch.

The chunky, though diminutive door (shades of Alive in Wonderland) had been ill fitting for several years and much of the hastily made 1950’s woodwork was decayed. It is believed to have been cut out of the 1920’s solid cabin side, which may have had a fixed plate glass window, adding symmetry to the three window arrangement on either side of the central cabin house. The horizontal teak timbers of the door are believed to be mostly composed of recycled timber from the original Dutch flushed deck lighter ~ the utilitarian vessel conceived around a century ago. Some of the grey painted timber is visible inside the door, pictured above.

Curiously, an old brass rim lock is sandwiched inside the carcass of the door. This was removed and cleaned and new keys were cut. A simple, small steel spring inside the lock was duly replaced, enabling the catch to work; meaning the door can close properly for the first time in decades. 

A new step into the vestibule is now being finished. Sitting on this and laying against the saloon bulkhead (nautical speak for wall) will be a detachable ladder. The ladder is handcrafted from spare oak and mahogany timber by retired Sprowston engineer and joiner, Graham. This should enable direct access to the roof and also provides a handle for visitors, when boarding the houseboat.

Chris, Paul

The simple and pure world of Swallows and Amazons

Arthur Ransome’s first story of a group of children exploring the countryside, camping and using boats, has been newly dramatised in a BBC film set in Yorkshire, in the Worth Valley and the Lake District. In an often hurried world, it is pleasant to make the most of the simple joys of outdoor life, where both young and old sail, make camp and ramble around. The adventure stories are a springboard for children’s imagination and provide everlasting memories.

Joining in the spirit of summer holidays and the new film, we have hung cloth bunting along the fence and inside the cabin, are placed authentic items, such as pipe cleaners and feathers in jars and elephants ornaments ~ reflecting the inventory of Captain Flint’s (co~incidentally Mr Turner’s) houseboat, a central feature of the stories.

Chris

What is conservation in Broadland?

According to the dictionary, conservation is defined as:

"The action of conserving something, in particular: 1.2 Preservation and repair of archaeological, historical, and cultural sites and artefacts".

How can we apply this definition to the recent changes at the Bridge Restaurant, formerly historic boat sheds, beside Tudor Wroxham Bridge.

 

8th August

9th August

Surely conservation does not equate to demolition, or is there a fine line?

David, Chris