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©  C.Gingell 2006-2026  All photographs, personal stories and written articles on this site are copyright and should not be reproduced anywhere else without the permission of the copyright owner and Broadland Memories.

© Broadland Memories 2006-2026

Page  11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

1950s Photo Gallery

A small batch of photographs, dating  from the late 1950s, which document a holiday taken on the motor cruiser “Vesta 9”.

Also taken at Somerleyton. The cost of a week’s hire in 1958 varied between £25 10 shillings and £49 10 shillings, depending on the time of year.

Passing an unidentified sailing cruiser on what appears to be a narrow stretch of river.

A153 ‘Shimmering Light’ mud-weighting at what looks like Oulton Broad. Built by, and hired from Herbert Woods yard at Potter Heigham, the class were 35ft in length and slept four. There was a small galley to the fore housing a two buner hob with oven and grill, and an Astral gas fridge. There was an aft cabin with two singles, the saloon contained a further two berths, one of which was hinged to allow greater floor space during the day, and hot water was supplied to both toilet and galley. The cost of a week’s hire during the summer of 1958 was £55 15 shillings.

The coaster ‘Frivolity’, one from the fleet of F.T. Everards & Sons of Greenhithe, approaching Reedham swing bridge. Built in 1944 as ‘Empire Fashion’ at Goole for the Ministry of War Transport as a coastal/harbour auxiliary tanker , it was sold to Everard’s after the war. The ship was retired from the fleet and broken up in 1961.

The ‘Golden Galleon’ passenger boat pictured on Breydon Water. Running two hour cruises from the North side of Haven Bridge at Great Yarmouth, up to 220 passengers could enjoy the sights of the River Yare, twice a day, seven days for 5 shillings and sixpence in the morning, rising by a shilling for afternoon and evening cruises. On Sundays and Wednesdays, the ‘Golden Galleon’ offered ‘Novelty Nights’, leaving at 9pm with “Dancing on the Deck’.

B478 “Vesta 9”, buit by E.C. Landamore & Co. Ltd at Wroxham, pictured here at Somerleyton c1958. Blake’s ‘Norfolk Broads Holidays Afloat’ brochure described the Vesta class thus: “These Elanco Craft select cruisers provide everything of the best at very economical cost. Their layout makes instant appeal to holiday-makers who appreciate the combination of pleasing design, the complete absence of cramped space, and reliability. Pleasing scheme of grey and white enamelled hulls, varnished fitments and all weather canopies of new design.”

Another photograph of ‘Vesta 9’ at Somerleyton. There were a total of 12 cruisers in the class, the first four being built in the 1930s prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, the remaining cruisers being built after the war at a rate of around two a year. The original four were apparently replaced by newer craft bearing the same registration numbers over the years.

‘Vesta 9’ slept four in two cabins - two single berths in an aft cabin and two in the forward saloon, both cabins having adjoining toilet compartments. There was a small galley between the forward cabin and the wheelhouse equipped with a multi-burner gas cooker with oven and grill, a sink, drainer and crockery cabinet.

This was presumably three of the crew of ‘Vesta 9’, also pictured at Somerleyton c1958. The yacht moored ahead of them was ‘Golden Wren’. Of note is the tall chimney you can see in the background which was the last remaining chimney of the Somerleyton Brickworks. The works had closed at the outbreak of WW2, but produced bricks for some prestigious buildings in its time, including both Liverpool Street and York railway stations. Wherries would collect the bricks from a cut beside the current marina and the site included kilns, drying sheds and workers cottages. Whilst most of the works buildings were demolished in the early 1950s, this chimney remained until 1959 when it was brought down using dynamite. Some remains of the old brickworks can still be seen today and it is thought that extensive remains may still lie underground. During the 1950s, the old wherry cut and adjacent premises were associated with the prototype hovercrafts designed by Sir Christopher Cockerell.

A closer look at ‘Golden Wren’ which was built by Leo Robinson at Oulton Broad. ‘Golden Wren’, and her sister ‘Silver Wren’ were 22ft in length, slept two, and were advertised as being suitable for novice sailors. The cost of a week’s hire in 1958 was between £13 and £21 10 shillings. An outboard engine could be hired for an additional 85 shillings per week.

Ranworth Staithe, pictured c1958, with the Maltsters Inn seen in the background. The little launch on the right is ‘Brown Moth’, one of the Broads Tours launches which was built for the owner’s wife, Phyllis Hannaford, in the 1930s. The bathtub style cruiser on the far left is B624 ‘Sunflower’ from Porter & Haylett of Wroxham.