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1900 to 1950 - An Historic Overview

By 1949 there were no trading wherries left under sail on the Broads. A group of local people were concerned that this traditional Norfolk vessel was going to become extinct and an advert was placed in the Eastern Daily Press in February inviting the public along to a meeting to discuss ways of preserving them. From this meeting The Norfolk Wherry Trust was formed whose intention was to purchase a Wherry and operate it as a trading vessel. It was suggested that the Trust have a new Wherry commissioned but the interim plan was to find a salvageable one and restore her. Within a few weeks the 50 year old wherry “Plane” had been found and made available to the Trust. Owned by Coleman’s, she was moored outside the mustard companies’ factory in Norwich having had her mast removed, but she was a viable project as the hull was sound. The summer was spent restoring her and on the 11th October 1949 she sailed from Yarmouth to Norwich having had her original name of “Albion” re-instated.

Over the next two decades the hire industry was to grow and re-capture the post war holiday boom as boat numbers increased, major developments to craft design were made, and once again visitors flocked to the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.   

©  Carol Gingell 2006

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Petrol was heavily rationed which meant that motor craft could not be moved, obstacles such as half sunken vessels still covered the system which meant that cruising would have been far too hazardous anyway. Hoseason produced his first holiday brochure in 1946 which covered just four pages but the company he formed would go on to become a household name for boating holidays and a major rival to Blakes agency. Harry Blake retired in 1945, aged 65, and his agency was sold to a group of boatyards and owners who were keen to gain more control over their holiday lets. The company name was changed slightly to reflect this, becoming Blakes (Norfolk Broads Holidays) Ltd., and H.F.“Jim”Brooker was appointed as General Manager. The first post war brochure was published in 1946 and was labelled as the “austerity edition” including a note that it was not as fully descriptive as they would like due to paper still being rationed. The rationing of some items, including fuel and certain foodstuffs, would continue to affect the whole of Britain until the early 1950s.

Blakes 1947 brochure was a more lavish affair containing colour photos and was the first to be produced in the upright format. The effects of the war were still evident though as clients were informed that petrol restrictions meant that cruising was limited to 120 miles a week. There were 33 boatyards represented and 400 yachts, motor cruisers and houseboats listed for hire, down on the 600 that had been listed just prior to the war. There were only 9 houseboats available, priced from £6 10s a week, but no bungalows for hire in this issue. The average cost of a weeks boating holiday, including hire, insurance, food, fuel and general expenses, was quoted as being £5 to £6 10s per person for a yacht and between £6 and £8 10s for a motor cruiser.

Two tier pricing made a re-appearance as the peak “A” rate was charged from the last Saturday in June to the second Saturday in September, all other dates were charged at the “B” rate.  The wherry yachts “Olive” and “White Moth” had by now risen to between £40 and £46 for a weeks’ hire including attendants. Hunters 3 berth “Hustlers” cost £12 to £14 per week and the 5 berth “Lustre” class were £16 10s rising to £19 5s. Amongst the motor cruisers listed, the smallest at 17ft was the 2 berth “Peter Pan” from Horning which would cost £14 to £16 per week, Herbert Woods 4 berth “Dancing Light” class of boats were between £23 10s and £27 10s and the large, 7 berth Fairwind from Wroxham could be hired for £30 and £35 for a week.

In the late 1940s, Broadland had undergone very little in the way of change since the pre war years as development had ceased whilst the nation concentrated on the war effort. The tourist industry slowly started to pick up where it had left off, and the beauty of Broadland once again began to attract visitors to the area.  Comparing it to the pre war guide, the 1947 edition of “What To Do On The Norfolk Broads” shows very little difference in the shops, pubs, tea rooms and B&Bs, or the attractions and entertainment which were available to holidaymakers. The Bure Court Hotel at Wroxham was now advertising for business, as was The Broads Hotel who were offering full board to guests for 6 ½ to 7 ½ guineas a week. Mention was made of the “River Inspectors” who patrolled each of the rivers and whose duty it was to enforce the by-laws and lend assistance to craft. In addition there were also plain clothed and uniformed policemen to maintain order and “proper decorum”. There were water bailiffs too, who were employed to patrol the rivers to see that anyone fishing complied with the by-laws of “The Norfolk Fishery Board”.