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Designed & Maintained By Carol Gingell
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The following collection of photographs were submitted to the archive by Rob Aylott and document holidays taken on the Broads by his parents Harry and Joan Aylott with friends and family between 1953 and 1959.
Y130 “Droleen” moored at an unknown location in 1953. Originally one of a class of five cruisers built between 1929 and 1933, the 22ft Droleen slept three in single berths in an open plan cabin and was powered by a Morris Vedette petrol engine. The cost for a weeks hire in the early 1950s was around £25 per week during the peak season.
Another photograph of Droleen from 1953. The four original sister ships were Rosaleen, Maureen, Eileen and Merleen. At the outbreak of the Second World War, there were just three of the class remaining in Brooms fleet and when the hire industry started up again in 1947 just Droleen and Merleen remained.
Alan Grodner and Alan Baldwin pictured onboard Droleen.
Enjoying a spot of lunch onboard Droleen in 1953.
The view from the top of the Stracey Arms Mill -
Y130 “Droleen” moored at Acle Bridge in 1953. Curtis stores can be seen in the background.
Being towed in the dinghy behind Droleen -
In 1953, aged 17. Harry Aylott (seen on the right) visited the Broads with his cousin Alan Baldwin (left) and their mutual best friend Alan Grodner, hiring the motor cruiser “Droleen” from C.J. Broom and Sons of Brundall. The two lads are seen here on the quayside at Brooms boatyard. The group travelled to the Broads from East Ham by train and Harry remembers that everyone “dressed up” to travel in those days!