I have a small collection of old Norfolk Broads holiday brochures which are invaluable when researching collections of old photographs. Whilst the excellent Boats of The Norfolk Broads database, created and maintained with absolute devotion by the late Craig Slawson, is the go to website for matching registration numbers to boats seen in old photographs, there will always be gaps to fill in, especially where older yachts and motor cruisers are concerned.
A strong collectors market for all things Norfolk Broads often puts most of the older brochures beyond my reach. Although I’ve managed to pick up a few for my own collection, I was extremely grateful to be given the loan of a set of 1930s and 1940s Blakes brochures a few years ago, most of which I was able to scan for future reference. Whilst the Blakes agency began producing annual yachting lists and brochures from 1908 onwards, Hoseasons from the 1940s, and other agencies including Bradbeer, Helmsman and Pennant’s popping up at various points along the way, many boatyards have also produced their own brochures, advertising leaflets and booklets over the years. I previously wrote an article about a 1930s “Jollidays” brochure, published by Herbert Woods, but this blog post is dedicated to another little gem from the same era.
Graham Bunn established a boat building yard at Wroxham around 1920, initially building small cruising yachts and developing motor cruisers for the hire market. In 1932, Bunn moved to new premises in Wroxham – The Maltings Yard – which was situated off the Norwich Road. The c1937 map on the left shows the approximate location of this, and other boatyards in Wroxham and Hoveton at the time. Bunn built three classes of motor cruiser for hire – the 38ft “Fair Wind”, the 32ft “South Wind” and the 24ft “Eddy Wind”. Although the yard didn’t become known as Windboats until the 1940s, when under the ownership of Donald Hagenbach, the name “Wind Boats” was actually introduced by Graham Bunn in 1933 to describe and promote his growing fleet. Whilst affiliated to Harry Blake’s agency and listed in his annual yachting lists, Bunn also produced a small, hard backed book which served as both a brochure for his motor cruiser hire and as a sales catalogue for prospective owners. It’s a beautiful little book which I believe dates from the mid 1930s. It included detailed descriptions of the three classes for hire, the fixtures, fittings and deck equipment etc. supplied, a guide for motor cruiser use, plus a price list should you wish to purchase your own boat. Photographs of the fleet, the yard, and people enjoying holidays aboard “Wind Boats” illustrated the booklet throughout.
“As a result of many years’ experience as a producer of master-craft suitable for continuous and strenuous service, GRAHAM BUNN now presents the “WIND” Boats. Original and smart in their sporting appearance, and efficient to a remarkable degree, they possess interior arrangements of such a commodious and comfortable nature, as would be common to craft of double the size. Their efficiency has been proved over many months of hard service, and their ease of operation, reliability, and exceptional convenience has been commented upon by everyone of their many users.”
This was the entry for The “Fair Wind” class which slept seven people. It was fitted with a 4-cylinder “POWER” engine, freshwater was supplied to the galley from a 20 gallon tank via the “BEE” automatic electric water supply system, and cooking was done on a Taylor’s double-burner paraffin cooker and oven. The cost of hire began at £13 per week, rising to £18 during the peak, summer period. A 12ft sailing or rowing dinghy was included with the hire, but insurance, petrol, oil and laundry costs for the linen were extra. If you wished to buy one of the 38ft class, which were supplied fully equipped, prices started at £800 for a single-screw version or £900 for a twin-screw. The 24ft, four berth model could be bought for £500.
“Fair Wind” and “South Wind” Saloon
“South Wind” and “Eddy Wind” Aft Cabin
“Eddy Wind” Galley and Fore Cabin
Control Station All “Wind” Boats
What makes the book rather special, and very different to other brochures of the era, was that Graham Bunn obviously fancied himself as a bit of a poet. There are rhymes and poetic musings throughout, culminating in a 14 day Broads diary. I thought it might be of interest to reproduce as much of this a possible, including the original photographs used in the book. Over to Graham for the rest of this blog post ……
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How can I let your life go
For lack of making a little try,
To fathom your dearest holiday hopes
By offering you some anchors and ropes.
Firmly attached to a stylish boat,
Believed to be the best afloat.
Style and elegance planned for you,
Complete the whole with you and crew.
“I will not weary you with superlatives extolling the virtues of this place, but will hold myself to say merely that a Broads holiday is a very original experience, and if you are equipped with the right party, a good boat and fifty per cent fine weather, you can have a very good time, at a much lower cost than you can afford. As the holiday has become more popular, and craft have multiplied, the essential services of stores, provisions, fuel, garaging, amusements, have also increased and brought their beneficient aids to the holiday-maker. The scope of the vacation can be gained to a certain extent from the brief diary and map in this book.”
The Maltings Yard and Lake
“I have been told that many would-be Broads users hesitate to take a boat for the following reasons, among others, and I therefore take pleasure in explaining the groundless nature of their fears. To do this I must again break into rhyme.”
Thieves are a rarity, intrusions unknown,
Once you’re on board, you are all on your own.
You’ll not be seasick, it’s all a mistake,
It’s smoother than rowing about on a lake.
Your motor should not fail at any time,
But should you need help, ring double one nine.
Steering’s a serious but most easy task,
I’ll show you how, and explain what you ask.
The only “Rats!” that can intrude,
Are those your friends say when they’re rude.
Moor almost anywhere when you stop,
On rare occasions, a shilling may “pop”.
If larder is bare and petrol is low,
You’ll find “fill-ups” every mile or so.
Why worry if sometimes it rains a bit,
The rest of England has more of it.
You’ll get your letters, have no fear,
Special arrangements are made about here.
You’ll often need and get advice,
It’s all well-meant, please take it “nice”.
“The diary which follows might have been the tale of your wonderful holiday. Fourteen days of unfettered freedom on a floating home, in surroundings entirely different and better compared with other holidays. My boats are ready to help you sunbathe, fish, swim, row, sail, sing, or lull you to a pleasant sense of well-being.”
Saturday
“So this is Wroxham, not a bad place
Looks rather friendly – “Confound this suitcase”
Here are our stores and the boat’s ready too.
Soon we are off, the whole “Jolly Crew”.
Away up the stream, which wiggles about.
We can’t go wrong, there’s no way out.
Where shall we stop? Why just on the right,
In with the anchors and stay the night.”
6 miles
Sunday
Now for a bathe, after we’ve fed,
I’m sure the others will get out of bed.
We start off down-stream to Wroxham Broad,
Horning and Acle, past other boats moored.
Alongshore is shallow now, better near middle,
“Stranding’s” the answer to “re-floating’s” riddle.
To stay at Yarmouth and fill with fresh water,
Undoubtedly pleased the Inkeeper’s Daughter.
32 miles
Monday
An early start is in our plan,
Through Breydon tide and fisher clan.
“To Left! To Left!” the crew all shout,
Then we stop, the petrol “out”.
Bridge after bridge we leave intact,
And Oulton Dyke was soon side-tracked.
Old Beccles Town was to the right,
And tired out we stayed the night.
21 miles
Tuesday
Now with the motor idly turning,
We ripple our way to a pleasant hill.
Near Aldeby Bridge we stay and bathe awhile,
And dry ourselves in a splendid Sun.
A lengthy meal, a quiet snooze,
And onwards to Oulton Broad we meander.
A worthy Port of Waiting
until Lowestoft has given of its best to us.
6 miles
Wednesday
To the most Eastern point of Britain, shops,
people, and things; but we are on holiday
and all are happy things. The cobbled streets
are music, and the fish wharves “Ozone”.
1 ½ miles – bus, train, or walk.
Thursday
The ship is dirty, “sez you” – sez Bill,
And so we set to work with a will;
With mop and scrub, and “Vim” in Tin,
Our fingers soon lost bits of skin.
Then on to St. Olaves and through a straight cut,
As if the river had made a “rut”;
Reedham and Cantley all in good time,
We must reach Brundall to make a rhyme.
23 miles
Friday
Now away to the Capital of England’s East,
Cupp’d in a valley and capp’d with haze;
Pull’s Ferry welcomes, and comes a new adventure
Of blending yachting kit with city raiment.
Our sight-seeing over and shopping well done,
The boat calls us again, and with its gentle purr,
soothes the noise from our very soul, and puts
in its place a longing for a quiet evening and
night at some pleasant mooring.
14 miles
Saturday
“A slippery deck maketh a fine diver” – (KING FISCHA).
Dear little dinghy
Put up your sail
Then blow me along;
I’ll make up a tale
To tell the others,
Well – just for swank
Just say nothing
Of ramming the bank.
“An engine switched on starteth easier” – (JENNY RATER).
“A kind tide reduceth friction in the fuel pipe” – (SHELLEY MEX).
To the left is right for Breydon and Yarmouth.
21 miles
Sunday
“Twenty bells” would not wake us at dawn,
We sleep then soundly until the morn,
Is well ahead, as we do at home;
“My hat! Where did I put my comb”?
Along up the Bure, at first it looks “Dutch”,
Windmills, then chimneys built out of a hutch
The boat goes well and is doing its turn,
To place us quickly well up the Thurne.
17 miles.
Monday
“Pottah” to Oxford, “Porrayam” to those,
Who tell us just to follow our nose;
Hickling, Somerton, Waxham, all and each,
Are not very far from a lovely white beach.
Bathe and sunbathe till we’ve had enough;
Then back to the boat to find a tough
Bunch of weeds round propeller, these we dislodge
With the boathook, truly a capital dodge.
9 miles.
Tuesday
Fine mops to sell, who said “Oh H_ll”?
We clean the boat dinghy as well.
We’re off down the Thurne and up the Bure,
I’m sure St. Benet’s and Barton’s the lure.
But not today, for inclement weather
Has made all our clothes as hard as leather;
With record and radio we make a song,
Until neighbouring parties wonder what’s wrong.
Wednesday
Scurrying clouds and exhilaration,
St. Benet’s ahead, all anticipation.
“That’s it! Oh, yes!” – not much to be seen,
But think of the stones and mortar there’s been.
Right up the Ant to Ludham and Barton,
The place where that yacht and ourselves will part on.
We are for Irstead where river bed’s sandy,
For swimmers and others it’s ever so handy.
16 miles.
Thursday
Back to the Bure we twist and turn,
Up to South Walsham we see and learn.
Idyllic spots are there for the lovesick,
If you’re unlucky, well – take Pickwick.
The crew are all gone, arranged in pairs,
They’re off to taste the district’s wares.
Come hither dinghy – Oh, please, no blushes!
We’ll name the day in yonder rushes.
12 miles.
Friday
Oh that we could capture in small measure the perfection around us,
so we might sip when in the chains of city life.
Even as our gaze comprehends the stream to Ranworth,
it dawns upon us Nature would not permit such greed.
The Sun, Wind and Sky have so lent themselves to our happiness,
that on our homeward journey we now know our dreams manifest.
This winding waterway edged with trees and subtle pools is irresistible,
and to print its living soul on our memory, we respond to its call,
and cast our anchor here.
12 miles.
Saturday
Shake a leg my hearties,
Let’s get on the way,
Our little dream is over,
We’re going home today;
Tidy up the boat girls,
It’s getting on for ten,
And if there’s any liquid left
It’s easy to “say when”.
We’re stony broke or nearly,
But nobody really cares,
We’re taking home some bargains
In samples of Nature’s wares.
3 miles.
G.B.
A holiday afloat is unique
I hope you will take it
By hiring a “WIND” Boat
Or buying a “WIND” Boat
In any case
May you have a happy
holiday wherever you may go
____________________________________
The memory of quality remains
long after the price is forgotten.
GRAHAM BUNN