The children enjoying our Norfolk Broads boating holiday
The children enjoying our Norfolk Broads boating holiday

We left Rocklands Staithe early after a reasonable night’s sleep and hot refreshing showers for me, Di and Daniel, pulled back the sliding roof on a sunny morning for breakfast and then cruised back across Rockland Broad, right down the Yare and along the long and tortuous river Chet to Loddon. After lunch at the converted River Mill, we went back down the river Chet and turned right downstream to moor at Reedham in a fast flowing tide. We took old courtesy bus to Pettit’s feather craft site which had all sorts of animal and other amusements to the children and then had a walk around the village but found it was dominated by retired and holiday residents. The news from a neighbour’s radio, was all about the test match being drawn on the rail strikes being due for the next day. Sir Laurence Olivier has died

We were awake quite early and slept reasonably well. Our morning routine is now forming and includes a hot shower for Di me and Daniel, which is refreshing. Rocklands Staithe proved to be a nice place to moor, but we did not stay long this morning, choosing to leave early. We had to pull back the sliding roof on a sunny morning to make a nice circumstance for breakfast. A longish cruise back across Rockland Broad, right down the Yare and along the long and tortuous river Chet to Loddon. We had not been here before, always having been short of time, but we moored and did our shopping in the village after morning coffee.

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We had lunch at the same converted river mill in Loddon, choosing to eat outside in the fine weather. Then all aboard and back down the Chet and right downstream to moor at Reedham. The tide was flowing well when we came in at Reedham, and we had to move the boat to get in. We rested a while, had refreshment, and then found ourselves right next to the ‘courtesy bus stop, for a trip and an old-fashioned model bus to Pettit’s! Now this is a place that crafts reproduction flowers and pictures out of birds feathers in a very skilful and unusual way. There is also all manner of pet foul and animal distractions and amusements for the children. I was most taken with the glass-topped tables, bearing scenes below ducks et cetera fashioned from feathers. I would have bought one – being remarkable value at £110 – but Diana was not interested. We settled down after to spend the day at Reedham and later Diana and I took a walk around the hamlet but found not much of interest. It is rather too dominated by the retired and holiday people and not enough of the Norfolk village for by taste. Before bed, I read a couple of publications I had bought to send home; a collection of vicar stories for the Rev Peter Lewis and the picture collection of Broadland scenes from my parents. The tide runs very strong here at Reedham, and it is quite scary and worrying for the children’s safety. I did not listen to any news today but heard (from another boats radio) that the third cricket test match was drawn and that the rail strikes are the main preoccupation for tomorrow. I heard also that Sir Laurence Olivier has died. The day ended as it had begun – warm and bright – but the nights are started cooler and more misty than of late.