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© Broadland Memories 2006-2026

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1960s Photo Gallery

W376 “Patricia” moored at Reedham Ferry Inn c1963.

“Patricia” seen back at her home yard of Collins Pleasure Craft Ltd at Oulton Broad, with Nicholas Everitt Park in the background.

More of Andrew Day’s photographs from the 1960s

The final photograph of “Patricia” at the Collins Pleasure Craft boatyard at Oulton Broad

The unknown family started their boating holidays from Oulton Broad regularly during the 1960s. Here the two children are seen on board W41 “Lucky Guide” at C.B. Darby and Sons boatyard at Oulton Broad.

Another photograph of “Lucky Guide” at Darby’s boatyard c1964 - in the background on the right you can just make out the sign for Newson’s boatyard. Out of sight, and between the two yards, was the Commodore public house.  

The interior of W376 “Patricia” looking forward towards the toilet which was housed in the bow. Between the forward heads and the saloon was the small galley area with a sink to port and a cooker on the starboard side. The saloon doubled as a sleeping cabin with a pull out double berth on one side and a single opposite, whilst the aft cabin had two singles plus a second toilet and wash basin.

“Lucky Guide” moored at Geldeston c1964 - the old rail bridge can be seen in the background.

W41 “Lucky Gude” moored at Reedham Ferry Inn c1964.

Another photograph of “Lucky Guide” c1964, moored alongside the Anchor Hotel moorings at Coltishall.

Looking downstream on the River Wensum towards the old Norwich Power Station, photographed c1965 having just passed beneath Trowse rail bridge. The station was opened in 1926 and was demolished during the 1980s.

St. Olaves Bridge and the River Waveney, also pictured c1965.

The view from the boatyard of Collins Pleasure Craft Ltd., looking across Oulton Broad to Nicholas Everitt Park c1968.

W915 “Swan Lake 2” from Collins Pleasure Craft moored at an unknown location on the River Waveney c1968. The 34ft Swan Lake class slept four with two singles in the forward cabin, a toilet to one side with a shower opposite, two further single berths in the saloon and an aft galley. The cost of a week’s hire during August 1968 was £68 12 shillings.

The River Bure at Horning c1968 with the Swan Hotel seen in the background. The half decker, sail number 88, is the Yare & Bure One Design “Yorkshire Skipper”.

Wroxham Bridge c1968 - on the left of the bridge you can see some of the fleet at the Loynes boatyard and on the right the sheds which belonged to Jack Powles boatyard at this time. These were soon to be demolished to make way for the Hotel Wroxham which opened in the early 1970s.

Heading upstream into Wroxham c1968. On the left is Jack Powles boatyard and on the right were the individual boatyards of Brinkcraft Ltd and W.K. Barnes - now the site of Barnes Brinkcraft of course!

The following pictures were sent in by Brian Powell and were taken at Oulton Broad during the big freeze in early 1963. This was the coldest winter on record with most of Britain lying under a blanket of snow until March, temperatures plummeted to 5 degrees below average with the coldest day in Norfolk being recorded at Santon Downham near Thetford on January 23rd at -19.  The whole of Broadland was badly affected with rivers and broads freezing over as Brian’s pictures demonstrate below.

Oulton Broad pictured during the winter of 1963 when the broad became frozen over - many townsfolk came down to make the most of the opportunity to skate. Alan Peak was a resident of Oulton Broad at this time and contacted me with his rather painful memories of that winter:

“I was 13, and with various friends & acquaintances from school, the local neighbourhood and Boys Brigade. We were very cautious, at first, about going on the frozen ice. The centre of the photo depicts what started out as a small slide. Through usage it became wider … and by the hour longer and longer. Likewise through increased use, we boys became more skilled on the slide, and foolishly more adventurous. We progressed from just about staying upright to more advanced techniques, this culminated in our ability to rotate a full 360 degrees as we moved along the slide. Then some of us mastered 2 complete rotations, so I attempted the first 3 complete rotations

Did I achieve it ? Well yes, so instant “stardom” but immediately ended as I then fell flat on my face, what a come down (in more ways than one). This resulted in a lot of blood that others kindly wiped from my face and mouth. The fact that my school scarf was mainly red in colour hid some of the blood stains. Then came the long cold walk home to Dell Road. The air was cold on my face, even with the protection of my school scarf now held tightly against it. The air I breathed was also freezing. This internal and external cold would have been bad enough without the injury, but with it every breathe was painful. It was a miserable and painful 25 minute walk home, performed at an unusually slow pace.

At home I cleaned myself up, and of course I dare not tell my parents of my misfortune. Finally safely home and slowly regaining body heat, I weighed up my cleaned up appearance in the lounge mirror. What was that bit of white just below my mouth? I eventually realised that I had cut my lower lip, and the tooth that had caused the bleeding had gone right through my lip and was now visible. So now any eating or drinking was also painful for a long while. Did I seek or get any medical treatment……..of course not.”

A stunning photograph showing the ice skaters on Oulton Broad in 1963.

Another picture of Oulton Broad in 1963.

The bad weather also gave youngsters the opportunity to indulge in a few snowball fights! The Wherry Hotel can be seen in the background.

Looking towards the yacht station at Oulton Broad in 1963 where many boats can be seen frozen in. The efforts of boatyards to get their fleets refurbished for the new season were severely hampered by the bad weather this year.

The severity of the big freeze of 1963 is clearly demonstrated here by the brave soul who drove his Ford Consul out onto the ice!

And here a motorbike and sidecar decides to join the skaters out on the ice. If you have any photographs of Broadland from the winter of 1962/63 then I would be delighted to see more!