Aerial view of Hoveton c1930s-1950s

I’ve discovered several postcards within the archives which feature some of the Broads Tours passenger cruisers over the years and also a few which show the Broads Tours base at Hoveton. One of the most interesting is the postcard on the right. This aerial view of Hoveton and Wroxham has been on the website for a while and was the subject of a “Then & Now” post on the blog last year. I had it dated to the 1950s, but I now think that it could actually be a little earlier. The Broads Tours base can clearly be seen at the bottom, left of the image, adjoining the railway line. As you can see, it was spread over a sizable plot of land and incorporated riverside gardens amongst the boat dykes. Interestingly, this photograph appears to have been taken before the erection of the new Broads Tours building, seen in the 1950s photo of the entire fleet which I included in this earlier blog post. Most of the boat dykes seen in the old aerial photograph were later filled to create the extension to Roy’s car park, although the dyke nearest the river remains as part of Hoveton Riverside Park.

In that first blog post on Broads Tours, I made mention of the connection to George Smith & Sons, and how it seemed that when Charles Hannaford established his Broads Tours company c1935,  he had purchased Smith’s existing passenger launch business and fleet. I met up with Chris Moffatt on the Houseboat Heather at Royall’s boatyard  last week and he kindly loaned me two very interesting items of Broads Tours related ephemera which throw a little more light onto the subject.

George Smith & Sons leaflet c1930

The first is a four page leaflet advertising George Smith & Sons motor launch day trips which I believe dates from early 1930s – the centre pages can be seen on the left. The leaflet gives details of the full day, and afternoon trips which ran from G.Smith & Sons Boat Staithe and River Gardens adjoining the railway station. It seems likely that this must have been at the same location as Charles Hannaford’s Broads Tours which is seen in the aerial photograph above. The information I have indicates that George began hiring out boats and offering conducted tours of the Broads from the Horseshoes Hotel in Station Road whilst he was the licensee of the establishment from c1900 to 1912. However, the leaflet makes the claim that George Smith & Sons had been established for 50 years – if an early 1930s date is correct for the leaflet then that would put the founding of the company back to the 1880s. Were the claims exaggerated, or did George have some involvement in boat hire back then?

William Littleboy's Conducted Tours c1920s/1930s

The second item loaned by Chris Moffatt is another leaflet from the same era advertising William Littleboy’s Conducted Tours of the Norfolk Broads. I’ve not come across the name William Littleboy before and can’t seem to find any reference to him. The leaflet says that the day and afternoon trips ran from Wroxham Bridge, mentions that there was an adjoining restaurant and that car parking was available for 300 cars. It’s got me rather intrigued as, apart from the name of the proprietor and start location, the leaflet is almost word for word identical to the one produced by George Smith & Sons. Did George Smith, or his sons, possibly buy out William Littleboy’s operation? And if so, was Littleboy’s actually based on the same plot of land as Smith’s Boat Staithe and riverside gardens? The back page of the leaflet advertises the motor launch Marchioness which could seat up to 120 passengers – Marchioness was also mentioned by Charles Hannaford in his Charm of the Norfolk Broads booklet as being one of the Broads Tours launches and I suspect that this was one and the same boat.

Marchioness - from "Charm of the Norfolk Broads"

I scanned all of the pages of both leaflets and they were uploaded as PDF’s to the “Adverts & Posters” section of the Broadland Memories website earlier this week. Many thanks to Chris for entrusting them to my temporary care.

Passenger launch at Horning Ferry Inn c1920s

The postcard on the right was another recent find and it shows what looks very much like one of the Broads Tours launches moored alongside the Ferry Inn at Horning. I believe that the card dates from the 1920s or very early 1930s which means that the launch would possibly have been one of those owned by either George Smith & Sons or William Littleboy at the time. It’s interesting to note that the trip itineraries on both of the leaflets mentioned above included lunch or tea stops at Horning. The Ferry Inn had been a popular watering hole for many years and kept a visitor book which contained entries from some very illustrious names of late Victorian high society! The building, of course, has altered since this particular photograph was taken, having been rebuilt twice since the 1940s – firstly after being bombed during the Second World War and secondly after suffering a major fire in 1965. I covered both of these events in the article “Horning Ferry Inn – an eventful history” which I posted on the blog in October 2010.

The Prince - by courtesy of Norfolk County Council Library & Information Service

Finally, (for now) I happened to stumble across the photograph on the left whilst browsing through Norfolk County Council’s Picture Norfolk archives. In the original blog post I mentioned the former Broads Tours launch The Prince which is now running as a passenger boat in Scotland under the name of Ratho Princess. The Prince had been built by Graham Bunn in 1924 for George Smith, and was later part of Charles Hannaford’s fleet. The accompanying information for this particular image says that it shows The Prince moored on William Smith’s land in Station Road and that it was built to carry 65 people. This presumably dates it to having been taken after the death of George Smith in 1927. As mentioned in my Broads Tours Update, it seems that William Smith became a director at Broads Tours when Charles Hannaford bought the business in 1935 – his experience in running a passenger launch business would have no doubt been invaluable during the early years of Hannaford’s ownership.

As I said, many of my blog posts tend to be a collation of information and photos received which I can refer back to at a later date and, as usual, there are quite a few unanswered questions and a lot of conjecture. I’m just thinking out loud! As always, I welcome corrections or further information on any of the above. It would be nice to eventually condense all of this into a coherent article for the main website. Many thanks to everyone who has responded via the blog, or contacted me to provide more information on some of the various topics I’ve covered on here recently. It’s very much appreciated ….. and it’s also nice to know that I’m not just talking to myself!

Daisy Broad - 1930s and 2012

Rather foolishly I forgot to take a print out of the original postcard with me, usually a vital tool for trying to match angles and focal lengths, so I had to try to do it from memory. The result is not as close as I would have liked it to be, mainly due to having to find a gap between the Barnes Brinkcraft cruisers from which to get a reasonable view of the new houses, so I think I will have to revisit by boat to be able to get the shot I want. This effort won’t make it onto the “Then & Now” pages of the website, but as I have written a couple of posts on the blog regarding the original houses I thought it might be useful to put the comparison photo on here. I also included far more of the new Kia Manzi, seen on the left, to illustrate just how different the new properties are. I’m getting a little closer to establishing a build date for the original villas after Alison Yardy got in contact to say that they appeared to be shown on the 1938 OS map, which confirms that they were pre-WW2 and suggests that the original postcard did indeed date from the 1930s. I also have a further lead to follow up which may hopefully provide some more information. Watch this space!

RAF Neatishead Air Defence Radar Museum

We paid a visit to the museum over the weekend and were surprised at just how much there is to see. Whilst visitors are free to explore the museum on their own, I would highly recommend going on one of the guided tours which start every half hour. After a brief introductory talk on the history of radar and and the role of RAF Neatishead, the tour is then split into three sections in which a different guide talks you through each of the reconstructions of the operations rooms at the station during various eras. A radar facility was first established at RAF Neatishead in 1941 in the building which currently houses the museum. The museum is like a tardis – behind the rather unimposing entrance there lies a labyrinth of rooms which contain the 20 display areas which visitors can explore once the 90 minute tour is complete. I’d allow at least a good three to four hours for a visit.

The first stop on the tour is the Battle of Britain Room which recreates the earliest operations room at the base. Although it was originally housed in a much larger room in the building (more of that later), it does give a good representation of how Neatishead acted as a co-ordination centre for the information which was being received from the series of Chain Home radar stations which were dotted along the east coast during the war years. Most of the operatives were members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAFs) who plotted out the positions of both British and enemy aircraft on the tables seen in the photographs above and below.

Another view of the Battle of Britain Room. The side panels of the large tote board seen on the wall were actually WW2 originals which were salvaged from another radar station on the south coast which had been bombed during the war. Having been stored away for many years, they were given to the museum a few years ago.

The next part of the tour takes you to the 1942 Final CGI Room (no photo I’m afraid) which shows how the rapid development in radar technology during the war was put to use at Neatishead.  Ground Control Interception (GCI) stations were able to more accurately plot enemy aircraft locations using the new cathode ray tube displays which meant that defensive aircraft could be scrambled to intercept very quickly.  Night time operations were now also monitored as Beaufighter and Mosquito aircraft had interception radars installed.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, surveillance and defensive work at Neatishead continued as the possibility of further hostilities from the USSR increased during the post war years. The very real threat of a nuclear attack led to the operations room being moved to a new underground bunker in 1954. Sadly, this part of the station does not form part of the museum but there are a number of photographs of it on the walls of the various display areas. In 1966 a disgruntled member of the RAF personnel started a fire in a waste paper bin and the interior of the bunker was destroyed. Although all personnel were safely evacuated, three civilian firemen lost their lives and the airman was later tried, convicted and sent to prison. Radar control was diverted to RAF Bawdsey in Suffolk until the 1970s when the original operations room was refurbished and equipped as seen in the final section of the tour which takes you to the large Cold War Operations Room.

Walking down into the Cold War Operations Room is like stepping on to a 1970s film set, the darkened room heightening the atmosphere and giving a real sense of what life was like for the operatives during this era. Banks of radar consoles fill the room and illuminated, transparent tote boards line the walls. Information was written onto these tote boards by operatives who worked in a gallery behind the boards, writing everything in reverse! In the 1990s, the burnt out bunker was refurbished and the Ops Room was re-located there once again. Active operations at RAF Neatishead finally ceased in 2004.

As previously mentioned, the rest of the building contains a number of rooms in which further displays can be seen. The history room contains a collection of artefacts, documents and equipment which tell the story of radar and its role in air defence. From Home Defence to Space Defence is another large room which houses yet more interesting items, from an early Chain Home transmitter to the sophisticated Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems of the Cold War era.  Photographs of some of the displays can be seen above and below.

Other areas of the museum include a reconstruction of a Royal Observer Corps Nuclear Reporting Post, the Radar Engineering Room, a display devoted to the development of telecommunications, the Hobley Gallery which contains a collection of military memorabilia relating to RAF Neatishead and the new RAF Coltishall Memorial Room which houses a collection of historical artefacts from the now defunct station. Finally, outside the museum entrance are some further exhibits which include the impressive Type 14 Mobile Radar (seen below) and a Bloodhound MkII Surface to Air Missile ….. deactivated I hope!

The Air Defence Radar Museum is open between 10.00-17.00 hrs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Bank Holiday Mondays from April to October, and also on the second Saturday of the month all year round. The guided tours run every half hour with the last tour starting at 3.00pm. Admission is £6.00 for adults (reductions for concessions and children) and refreshments are available in the Crumbs Cafe. Further details of opening times and admission prices can be found on the museum’s website.

Fish & Chips Bar pictured on the River Bure in the 1970s - by courtesy of Iain Gray

The photograph on the right was taken by Iain Gray in the 1970s and shows the floating fish and chip bar which also operated on the River Bure. It appears to have been yet another short-lived venture and one which Health & Safety would surely prohibit these days – the thought of large fat fryers full of boiling oil on a boat is quite terrifying! Mick Middleton also remembers this fish and chip boat and recalls that it used to moor up on the Bure between Salhouse and Wroxham Broads. The boat itself was one of the Windboats Flat-a-Float’s, a wonderful promotional film for which can be found on the British Pathe website – more details of that film and the Flat-a-Float itself can be found in this previous blog post. After the Food Market disappeared Mick says that a “Take-Away” boat called Once Bittern arrived on the Bure. It used to drop anchor on Salhouse Broad and an inflatable would then do the rounds with take-away menus from which you could place an order, the food would be brought to you later in the evening. Once again, this apparently only lasted for a couple of seasons.

If you remember any other floating “foodie” ventures on the Broads over the years then please do get in contact.

There are some fascinating images within the collection so far, with more on the way as and when he is able to digitize them. As I tend not to have too much time to spend on the website during the summer months, I’m safely storing the photographs as they are received and will make a start on getting them onto Broadland Memories come the late summer/early autumn. In the meantime I will be posting a selection of those images here on the blog.

Broads Floating Food Market 1980s

The photograph on the left dates from the 1980s and shows the “Broads Floating Food Market” at Salhouse Broad. I don’t recall seeing a photograph of this particular provisions boat before, and actually had no idea that such things were still going in the 1980s. I’ve seen plenty of images, and read accounts of floating stores from the 1920s to the 1950s but nothing from this era – until now! Mick recalls that it visited Salhouse Broad regularly but only lasted for a few seasons. The boat itself was the ex Fulmar 12 which had been built by R. Richardson Pleasure Craft at Stalham. According to the entry for Fulmar 12 on Craig Slawson’s “Boats of the Norfolk Broads” database, she was renamed Pacesetter 5 in 1969 and left the fleet at some point in the 1980s – presumably after Bob Richardson had bought the Stalham yard back from the Rank Organisation in 1984, when many of the older wooden cruisers were sold off.

"Our Boys" at the Museum of the Broads

The Museum of the Broads at Stalham has a much earlier example of a floating general stores on display. Our Boys (pictured right) was owned and operated by Curtis Stores at Acle Bridge from 1921 onwards and used to make daily rounds of the most popular mooring spots on the River Bure. Boaters could purchase a variety of goods including fresh and cooked meats, bread and dairy produce, seasonal fruit and vegetables and daily newspapers. In the “Log of Corinthian“, an account of a boating holiday taken on the Norfolk Broads in June 1949 which was published on Broadland Memories last year, a mention was made of a floating fishmonger coming alongside one morning whilst the crew were moored at Acle. I suspect that the combination of boat maintenance, rising fuel costs, business tolls and the dreaded Health & Safety would prevent such ventures from being economically viable these days, although we do still currently have the ice-cream boats which operate in the Salhouse and Brundall areas during the summer months.

My thanks to Mick for sending the photograph to me. If you remember any of the provisions boats which have operated on the Broads over the years then I’d love to hear from you.

This pocket sized book was produced as a guide to cruising on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, some of the material for which was reproduced from the East Anglian magazine,  and it was illustrated with 24 black and white photographs of the area. It contains a general guide to the northern and southern rivers along with some of the history of the region, but what makes this book worthy of interest is the wonderfully written holiday logs which the author named his “Ditch Crawler’s Diary.” Split into four sections, each covering a week long cruise taken at different times of the year, the diary entries are both informative and extremely humorous! They are an absolute joy to read – so much so, that I couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished it. I would dearly love to republish the diary in full on the Broadland Memories website but have no idea where copyright would now lie, Bradbeer’s having long since gone. It is such a delightful book that I at least have to share a few selected highlights on here though.

Harry Griffin was accompanied on the holiday cruises by his wife, Gladys, and I presume that they owned the boat featured which he named as Owl and Pussycat. Their first week afloat was during March and, having set off from a boatyard at Potter Heigham on a Saturday afternoon, he writes; “Cruise down the Thurne in bright sunshine, noting the decorative riverside bungalows. Point out one with particularly charming aspect. Wife has noticed it, also, and replies that view is not improved by scantily clad hussy mowing lawn. As an afterthought she adds the entirely irrelevant information that she was not born yesterday and requests that I pay more attention to the steering.”

Their first night is spent moored at the Boundary Farm Dyke and after eating an enormous meal onboard the couple settle down to sleep: “Awakened during the night by anxious wife requesting explanation of weird noises. Listen fearfully to dull, unearthly thuds. Recall recent television play entitled ‘Poltergeist’ but draw comfort from the fact that neither Gladys nor myself can be described as adolescent. Leave warm berth to investigate. Poke frightened head through canvas aperture and confront equally frightened horse. Return, thoroughly chilled, to stone-cold bed.”

The spring sunshine didn’t last, strong winds began to batter the area and, after a brief trip to Stokesby, the couple spent the next two days holed up in Upton Dyke. On the Tuesday they ventured out along the Bure to South Walsham and then back to Boundary Farm but mentioned the large number of yachts aground in the reeds due to the fierce winds which still raged. On the Wednesday morning they prepared to set off: “Start engine, turn bows and prepare to leave. Envious looks from yacht crews having no ‘bit of iron’ give way to shouts of alarm as steering behaves in most erratic manner. Take evasive action, to no purpose. Crash broadside into ‘Perfect Lady.’ Crew of ‘Perfect Lady’ appear on deck armed with mops, quants and boat hooks. As we are in Nelson’s country, hasten to assure them we are not a boarding party. Crew reply to this witticism by informing us what they think we are. Suggest they choose a more appropriate name for their boat next year. Climb into pre-war bathing trunks to disentangle motor tyre from steering gear. Embarrassment increased by ribald comments from ‘Perfect Lady’ and obnoxious youth with camera. Leave Thurne.”

Wednesday night was spent at Ludham Bridge and on Thursday morning they continue their cruise up the Ant: “Select Neatishead as our next port of call, turning left as we enter the Broad. Consult guide book for further information and learn we have to keep red posts to our left and black to our right. As all the posts are battleship grey, this proves beyond our capabilities. Posts marking the navigable channel now abruptly cease, with one exception. This isolationist bears the notice: ‘Mooring To This Post Not Allowed.’ Wonder why something should be erected only to advertise its uselessness? A little further on, another notice fixed at the entrance to a narrow inlet is equally baffling. It carries the caption NEATISHEAD and underneath what the elements have left of an arrow. Needless to say, both ends are missing and as a directive it is useless. Gladys suggests we explore the inlet. But I oppose this with charts, maps and logic. Shortly afterwards distinct protests from the engine necessitate a reversal of this decision. Return to inlet. Cruise through pleasant, tree-lined dyke and moor at sheltered staithe. Notice bids visitors: ‘Welcome to Neatishead’ and lists many commodities unobtainable in our part of the country. Discover they are also unobtainable here, it being early closing day.”

The gales continued, accompanied by lashing rain, but the couple continued on up to Stalham where they spent Friday night. On the Saturday they travelled back down the Ant and returned to Potter Heigham; “Bring cruiser back to boatyard to the accompaniment of hoots, cat-calls, etc. Wonder if usually polite staff are showing disapproval of clumsy mooring. Quickly reassured by diplomatic foreman, who explains that his men are ambitious to become radio bird-mimics. Bid sad farewell to our floating home and return to civilisation strong advocates of a Broadland holiday – IN AUGUST.”

The couple returned in July to resume their tour of the northern rivers. On the Monday they visited Hoveton, mooring alongside the Horseshoes Inn: “Approach imposing building, claimed to be the ‘largest village stores in the world.’ Part company with Gladys, after receiving instructions not to miss anything good that is going. Wife, with eager gleam in her eye, enters building. Spend interesting hour in and around the boatyards. Return to shopping centre. No sign of wife. Note that, with the exception of antique shop and dairy, all shops appear to be operated by one firm. Doff my hat to these individualists but wonder how they survive. Watch middle-aged man emerge from dairy clutching bottle of milk. A few minutes later, jolly faced milkman leaves antique shop carrying hideous china monstrosity. Wonder if this is the answer to the problem – that they exist by trading with each other. Catch sight of long queue and, remembering wife’s admonition, join it. Arrive at counter and am offered the contents of two revolting tins. One is gentles, the other lugworms. Stagger out of the shop and into bar. Leave hospitable bar and confront accusing wife.”

The following day they continue upstream: “Belaugh, being too small to support a football or cricket team, has invented its own sport. This consists of collecting buckets, tins and iron bedsteads, dragging them to the waters edge and heaving them into the river. Regular river users inform me that it’s no unusual thing to awake in the morning and find one’s boat moored to a four-poster.”

By Wednesday the couple had reached Horning where they visited the Ferry Inn: “Question river man about damage to river crossing. Fail to get condemnation of Hitler but much adverse criticism of William the Conqueror. Change subject. Gladys remarks how nice it must be to have river at the bottom of one’s garden. Gather from pungent comments of riverman that gardens are often at the bottom of the river.”

Passing through Potter Heigham Bridge on the Thursday, the night is spent at Somerton: “Walk to Winterton for early morning bathe. Change in deserted look-out post. return to find post occupied by beach guard. Have difficulty in convincing him we have not swum the North Sea. Discover reason for Somerton’s declining popularity. Compelled to wait several hours to refloat cruiser. Return to boatyard. Join locals on bridge waiting expectantly for inevitable collisions. Listen to eye-witness account of giant pike caught in Heigham Sound. Interfering woman cuts in to say: ‘Fishing is a cruel sport. That fish would have been happier in the river.’ Eye witness replies: ‘It would still be there, lady, if it hadn’t opened its mouth at the wrong time.”

In August the couple took their third cruise of the year and made their way across Breydon to the southern rivers.: “Reach Reedham. Moor at Lord Nelson. Received with marked deference by elderly waterman. Remark on this to landlord whose cryptic reply: ‘We’ve learned our lesson’ leaves me puzzled. Pursue matter further and discover that because hospitality of local inhabitants fell short of expectations Viking king had ancestors massacred. Return to boat, shave off beard.”

Mystery Reedham man 1955 - pictured by the Bell Family

I wonder whether the elderly waterman mentioned by Harry Griffin is the mystery Reedham man who appears in two sets of mid 1950s photographs I have on Broadland Memories, seemingly with associations to the Lord Nelson. I’ve cropped in on one of those which was taken by the Bell family in 1955,  seen here on the right. He certainly looks to be a real character and did have the weathered look of an old waterman to me. I’ve appealed for information about this gentleman before on the blog and on the website but, so far, he remains unidentified. The reference to the “Viking king” is just one of the many legends which surround Broadland and it’s a story which has been retold in many books over the years. The tale revolves around Ragnar (also sometimes referred to as Lothbrok or Lodbrog), a Viking chief, who was caught in a storm and found himself washed up on the shores of Reedham in the mid 9th century, along with his faithful hound. At this time, East Anglia was under the rule of a young King Edmund who had a hunting lodge in the village. The foreign stranger was taken to Edmund’s hall where he was tended to. Ragnar shared the king’s passion for hunting and, once recovered, the pair struck up a great friendship and he gained Edmund’s admiration for his great hunting skills. The king’s chief huntsman, Bern, grew increasingly jealous of this friendship and, seizing upon an opportunity one day whilst out hunting, he murdered Ragnar. The only witness to his crime was the Viking chief’s dog, an animal which is said to have been endowed with great intelligence. Every night after his master’s death, the dog would walk into the great hall of the lodge and howl. He would then sink his teeth into Bern. Eventually, Bern confessed his sins and, as punishment, was cast adrift in a small boat onto the sea. By a strange coincidence, this boat found its way to the shores of Ragnar’s home country where his son’s were distraught at the news of their father’s death. Keen to exact revenge on Edmund, Bern informed the vikings that it was Edmund who had killed Ragnar. A large army of warriors was quickly gathered and they set forth in a fleet of ships to avenge the death of Ragnar. Landing at Reedham they proceeded to massacre the entire village and executed King Edmund.

Back to the Ditch Crawler’s Diary, and as they pass Reedham Ferry they come across the old Cockatrice pub which had been a private house since c1920s but was advertising eggs and dairy produce for sale: “Discover Cockatrice to be a ‘fabulous reptile, said to be hatched by a serpent from a cock’s egg and whose look and breath are fatal.’ Decide to purchase victuals through the normal channels.”

On Wednesday they reached Brundall where they tie up at a boatyard: “Gather from employee that first boat built in Broadland was launched by the Romans at Brundall. Irate skipper of cruiser undergoing repair confirms this and asserts that said boat is still in commission as part of unmentionable boat owner’s hire fleet. Awakened in the night to discover we have broken loose from moorings. Wife switches on lights as I rush aft to investigate. Cries of terror from opposite bank greet my appearance.” The following morning they stop at Surlingham Ferry House: “Join excited group discussing reappearance of ‘Bishop of Brundall.’ Riverman explains that bishop, dressed in long white gown, passed down the river in ghostly barge the previous night. Make hurried exit. Gladys insists that from now on I discard old-fashioned nightshirt and take to wearing pyjamas.”

The “Bishop of Brundall” is one of the many ghosts which are said to have haunted Broadland over the years.  Twice a year, in June and again in September, his ghost may apparently be seen gliding down the river on a barge being rowed by white-robed figures, blessing all those he passes. To witness the event is said to bring a year of good health and good fortune.

After visiting Norwich on Friday, the couple head to Thorpe St. Andrew: “Bring boat alongside quay in quite professional manner. Regret absence of witnesses. Trip over warps and fall face downwards in mud. Regret presence of witnesses.”

The final week is taken in October and the couple continue their exploration of the southern rivers. Monday is spent visiting Beccles: “Purchase replica of giant ‘bellringers mug.’ Gather that original when filled with strong ale was responsible for some amazing displays of campanology. Leave Beccles. Cruise to end of navigable waters at Geldeston Lock. Receive permission from licensee to moor alongside front garden. Belligerent gander vetos this concession and bars return to the boat. Join clientele in taproom. Listen to ‘fishy’ stories. Local character takes umbrage when doubts expressed as to truth of outrageous yarn. Agrees to be placated with pint of ‘arms and legs.’”

The “bellringers’ cup” used to be kept in the St Michael’s Church tower and, in times past, was filled with strong ale to be passed around the bell ringers on duty. I’ve seen more than one reference to the fact that the bell ringing would get progressively more interesting as the session went on! Fred Morris had been the landlord at the Locks Inn since 1932 but mention was made in the book of the fact that he had recently passed away and would be much missed in the area. His successor was the infamous Susan Ellis who had previously worked alongside Fred at the inn. I have no idea what a pint of “arms and legs” was though!

On the Wednesday they make a pre-arranged rendezvous with the “in laws” at St. Olaves: “Decide to leave boat and spend day at Yarmouth Races. Wife’s mother registers disapproval. Attempts to sabotage operation by delaying tactics. Take short cut across the fields to make up for time lost. Fractious horse gives chase. Surprised to see mother-in-law outdistance the rest of the field.”

Quays without Locks is probably one of the most entertaining Norfolk Broads guide books to have been written over the years and is well worth purchasing if you happen to come across a copy in a secondhand bookshop. I managed to secure mine for the bargain price of £2.54 including postage via a well known online auction site, but average prices seem to be around £10 for a copy in reasonable condition.

The Great Yarmouth Suspension Bridge disaster - from the Illustrated London News 1845

In a widely advertised publicity stunt which was designed to draw in the crowds, Nelson the Clown, a performer with William Cooke’s Circus, had undertaken to swim in a barrel drawn by four geese from Haven Bridge at Hall Quay to the Suspension Bridge at North Quay. He began his feat on the flood tide and, as he drew nearer to his destination, an estimated 300-400 spectators had rushed onto the suspension bridge in an effort to get a better view as he passed beneath. When one of the rods gave way a cry went out to evacuate the bridge, but it came too late and as the chains began to snap along one side, the bridge tipped over, catapulting its occupants into the waters below. There was a scene of absolute panic as the horrified bystanders attempted to rescue those who were struggling to reach the banks, others managed to scramble ashore by themselves. A call was immediately put out for every medical person in the town to attend and the injured were treated in Vauxhall Gardens on the west side of the Bure and in private houses along the east side.  As the rescue proceeded it soon became clear that not everyone had survived as, one by one, the bodies of those unfortunate victims who had either drowned, or had been crushed by falling bodies and sections of the collapsed bridge, were pulled from the river.

As the evening progressed the full horror of the death toll became apparent as the bodies of the victims were laid out in the Norwich Arms Inn, Admiral Colingwood and Swan public houses. The youngest, Mary Ann Lake and Charles Dye, were just two years old. The oldest, Mary Ann Ditcham, was 64. Of the 79 who lost their lives, 58 of them were aged 16 or under. A report in the Norwich Mercury on the 10th of May said; “In every street are to be seen one or more bodies extended on biers, returning to that home from which but short minutes before they had passed in health and life. The consternation – the agony of the town is not to be described – it is as if some dread punishment was felt to have fallen upon its inhabitants – every face is horror stricken – every eye is dim.”

Many of the victims were buried in St. Nicholas’ churchyard in the town and there is now a campaign to provide a permanent memorial to those who died near to the spot where the suspension bridge once stood. The full transcript of the original report on the disaster from the Norwich Mercury can be found in this PDF document on the Broadland Memories website.

Ernest Caston, Florrie Jones and Lily Child pictured at St. Olaves in August 1909

The notes were, however, very interesting and certainly gave a feel of what holidaying in the town was like at the turn of the 19th/20th century, but I felt they needed to be accompanied by some explanatory information which would hopefully provide further insight on their visits. As well as being a popular seaside resort, Great Yarmouth is of course a Broadland town, and ever since people have been hiring boats it has been a favourite stopping point for those on a holiday cruise too. The resulting article will, I hope, be of interest to some and it includes several of the photographs which were taken by Harry Caston at the time along with postcards from the same era which illustrate some of the places the family visited. Notes from an Edwardian Seaside Holiday was uploaded to the main Broadland Memories website yesterday and a selection of the photographs were also added to the 1900-1950 Gallery pages. One of those photographs, dated to August 1909, can be seen above right and I believe that this was taken at St. Olaves. It took me a little while to fathom it out, but on closer study the main clue can be seen on the far right where you can just about make out the approach to a rail bridge. I believe that this was the old Haddiscoe rail swing bridge, the piers of which are still in situ on the River Waveney,  and you can also see a huge plume of steam as a train approaches. To get this view, I think the family would have been standing on the spit of land which lies between the River Waveney and the New Cut, with Herringfleet in the background.

The notes and photographs are a lovely addition to the archive and show holidaying in the region at this time from a slightly different angle, although many of the places they visited would also have been destinations for those on a boating holiday. Links to the article and the photos can be found via the “What’s New” page on the Broadland Memories website.

Princess Margaret as illustrated by C.A. Hannaford

Firstly, my thanks to Chris Moffatt, one of the houseboat Heather’s co-owners, who sent me details of Princess Margaret which was up for sale recently on the Thames through Henley Sales & Charter and Val Wyatt. She is now sold, but the sales details included some interesting information about her history. She was listed as having been built c1903/1904 by Herbert Bunn (father of Graham) and was constructed of Archangel redwood over oak with a teak superstructure and was originally commissioned for Sir Robert Price MP. It seems that her original name was Archangel and that she was later sold to “Billy” Smith at the Horseshoes public house at Hoveton – I presume this must refer to William Smith who was one of George’s sons. The sales listing also went on to say that Billy Smith became a director at Broads Tours when Charles Hannaford bought the business in 1935 and that it was at this time that Archangel was renamed Princess Margaret. In 1971 she was purchased by Cedric Lovewell who fitted a steam engine, extended the rear cabin, and ran her as a trip boat from Norwich. In 1975 she was fitted out as a Royal barge for the visit to Norwich of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. She was sold after this and had a Vedette petrol engine installed and seems to have passed through the hands of several owners since, including hotelier and TV personality Ruth Watson. The name has reverted to Archangel and she now has a Beta diesel engine.

I mentioned in the previous blog post that the National Historic Ships Register entry for another of the ex-Broads Tours boats, Princess Mary, indicated that she had moved to Scotland and was operating as a trip boat from the Falkirk Wheel. I could find no mention of her on the Falkirk Wheel website but photographic evidence has now come to light via Flickr. This link to a photo taken by Flickr user mag379 shows Princess Mary there in December 2008 – this is the earliest photo found of her at Tamfourhill but there are quite a few others which also show Princess Mary there, although the latest so far seems to have been taken in 2010. I sent of an email to the visitor attraction to enquire whether she was still there but, as yet, have received no reply. If anybody happens to be that way then it would be nice to be able to confirm whether she is still one of their trip boats – a photo would be even better!

Further update 28/04/2012 – I’ve received information today that the passenger cruiser Her Majesty moved to the River Shannon in Ireland, but it seems as though she may have been accidentally crushed and, as a consequence, was sadly sunk. If anyone has any further information on this, or can confirm those details then please do get in contact.

Beccles and District Museum is housed in the historic Leman House and is everything that a town museum should be, displaying an eclectic range of exhibits which range from prehistoric sea urchins and Roman artifacts to 18th century mantraps and WW2 memorabilia, all of which help to paint a fascinating picture of the history of Beccles. The museum may be small, but it is crammed full of display cases and static exhibits which can take a good hour or more to explore fully.  Named after Sir John Leman, a wealthy Beccles tradesman who was born in 1544 and later became the Mayor of London, the building is believed to have originally been built c1570 but was rebuilt with it’s current brick and flint facade in the 1760s. The building was bequeathed to the town for use as a free school by Sir John Leman in his will of 1631, but it had actually already been established as an educational facility prior to his death. The school could receive up to 48 boys from the age of 8 years old who were required to be able to read and write before they were accepted for tuition. During the summer months the pupils attended school from between 7am to 5pm each day and between 8am to 4pm during winter. It continued to be a free school until around 1908 when it was decided to build the new, larger Sir John Leman Grammar School at Ringsfield Road which opened in 1914. The old building was then used as a private school up until the 1990s before being sold, and subsequently leased for the use of the museum.

Poster for Beccles Regatta 1846

The largest room of the museum contains displays which cover trade and industry in the town, geological and archeological artifacts including some beautiful Roman brooches and shards of Roman pottery, and various other aspects of the town’s past. One display case has a fine set of Victorian Mayoral robes which were used for official ceremonies for 100 years! Another contains wartime memorabilia including a bridesmaids dress made from parachute silk and a jar of plums which were bottled in 1940! I moved swiftly past the collection of rather gruesome looking dentistry tools and on into the main reception room of the museum which contains a large model of the town as it was in 1841. Beyond this, another room contains lots of exhibits relating to the history of the port of Beccles and the River Waveney. Throughout the building, the walls are hung with various old photographs of the area and posters for events such as a steamboat trip in 1897 and the Beccles Regatta of 1846 (see above left). I took a few photographs which I’ll post below with brief descriptions. Although it’s impossible for me to cover the vast range of items which can be found on display, I hope that it will at least give a little taste of what the museum has to offer.

Items seen in the photograph above include two examples of grandfather clocks which were built by the town’s clockmakers and a display about the Beccles workhouse and the town gaol.

On the right is an exhibit relating to building and architecture in Beccles and, in the corner, items relating to Walter Green & Sons Ltd. flour mill. Unseen, to the left, are several large glass cases containing a variety of objects relating to the town’s history which range from the sublime to the downright bizarre!

Part of the area of the museum which covers trade and industry in the town including William Clowes printworks and the Elliott & Garrood engineering works. In the background, to the right of the photograph, is a glass case containing a 19th century diorama of a riverbank scene with stuffed birds and bird eggs. The Victorians seemed to have been rather fond of shooting, stuffing and mounting anything that moved and contemporary accounts of Broadland note that good money could be earned by supplying carcasses to collectors. The rarer the bird, the more prized a target it became!

Part of the display relating to the River Waveney. Above the large, stuffed pike is a model of Geldeston Lock as it would have looked when it was still operational and, on top of that is an old wherry vane. There is an interesting collection of photographs of the Lock and Locks Inn over the years at the museum including one which shows a vintage Deemster motor car being used as a wedding vehicle. The car was apparently owned by Fred Morris, a previous landlord of the Locks, who had acquired it from a couple who came to stay at the pub in the 1930s. They were unable to pay their bill so the landlord took the car instead! It apparently spent many, many years in a shed at the Locks, partly submerged by water before it was eventually re-discovered and restored. I believe that the legendary Susan Ellis originally worked for Fred Morris at the Locks before becoming landlady herself.

The Beccles and District Museum is open from the beginning of April until the end of October, every day except Mondays between 2.15pm and 5.00pm. Entry is free but a donation box is situated by the door. There are also a range of booklets covering various aspects of the town’s history on sale.