Farming ~ foundation of Great Britain

Bobby supports Great Britain's farmers.

Photo ~ Alec Moffatt

Chris being a bad driver at the wheel of a tractor. Pictured c1984 at his early childhood home ~ Holden Gate Farm, high up on the edge of Rombalds Moor in the craggy West Riding of Yorkshire.

We are passionate about country life!

Farming, agriculture and rural life is the foundation of these old islands ~ long may it continue.

Chris

Swan ringing the changes

On Sunday a group of volunteers from Iceni Bird Monitoring Group came to Hoveton and Wroxham to ring new cygnets and check older members of the mute swan colony.

"We try to get out and monitor the swans once or twice every winter and this is the third year that we’ve helped the project organiser to mark some of the birds at the Broads. This project runs across the entirety of East Anglia and the south east of England. I usually post on our blog about all our ringing activities and have posted a link to our results from the day. We were particularly pleased to catch a mature female that had fishing line wrapped around her foot with a partially embedded hook that we were able to remove. We check each bird over while we process them and quite often find minor issues that can become more of a problem if not dealt with in time.

 

We are all volunteers and are fortunate to have a small amount of funding from the Broads authority carried forward from last year to support this work".

Denise Lamsdell

Find out more ~

lamsdell-swan-monitoring-in-norfolk

Swan Master

Paul went on a call out to a mute swans caught with cord near the bridge. On release another one was found with a line snagged in the back of the neck. After a few minutes and some food, the female was grabbed from Hoveton Granary Dyke. With a couple of plier cutters and another pair of hands, the small barbed hook was cut and slipped out and the bird re~entered her birthright waterways of the River Bure.

A further lethargic looking swan at the rear of the group milling around was spotted swaying its head. Paul explains ~ "The little lass needed treatment for parasites. It worked well and she was released the next day."

C

HMS IOLANTHE or Jack’s Navy ~ the story of the Broads Wartime Flotilla Part 5 ~ Patrols

The late Young Jack Powles relates the routines of Broads Flotilla personel while on waterborne patrols ~

Normally the day started with a debriefing once the officers had arrived, of course log books were filled in but any unusual sightings of people on or near the river were noted as well as any airplane noises.

Licenses were issued to anybody legally allowed to be afloat such as eel catchers and the like but in any case the boat crews got to know who should and who should not be afloat.

One night a gun punt was spotted skulking about Horsey Mere and the suspect was hauled alongside and quizzed. The suspect said that he was just out for a row and climbed ashore and disappeared, the petty officer in charge decided to tow the punt back to Wroxham where it was for a time used about the yard until the well to do owner of Horsey Hall found out and raised merry hell where upon the punt had to be returned to him.

The evening patrols departed HMS IOLANTHE about 7pm once the Lewis guns had been mounted on the motor cruisers bows, their orders could take them anywhere, Barton, Horsey, Dilham, or a bit closer to home, Coltishall. Once the patrol boat arrived at the destination food and drink was served out and they started out for home about 5am where on arrival the crews turned in for a couple of hours.

If though reports were received concerning enemy paratroopers then extra patrols were turned out and no sleep was the order of the day.

Motor Launch SLIM JIM II, No B501, built 1926 by HC Banham, Horning. Berthed at Granary Dyke, Hoveton St John. Said to be part of the HMS IOLANTHE fleet of patrol craft.

Photos: IWM Admiralty Official Collections, Andrew Nicholson © 

Nigel and Sara Royall