Postcards from the Norfolk Broads.net
“Extras” This page is another indulgence of mine. Initially the purpose was to enable me to show and discuss the increasing number of interesting (or just charming) images that come into my possession; but that would probably interfere with the continuity of the main pages, if I were to include them there. In particular: some of these scenes, or their content, have intrigued or mystified me and (as always) I would cordially invite any visitor to add their thoughts via my e-mail link.
Latterly this page, in conjunction with 'Early Days' has also become a vehicle for slightly more 'in depth' articles, relating the history of certain Broadland firms; which is how my interests have developed from the initial 1960's and 1970's cruise theme.
River Bure
Coltishall and the ‘Rising Sun’ in slightly more peaceful days than those on the River Bure page. I would say: around twenty years earlier than that other view; during the late 1950’s. Like the other selections, this postcard has been picked for the pleasure it gives me rather than any great detail about the boats, which (in any case) require a little guess work. As you will see: ultimately my observations are inconclusive so, as always, I hope any visitor who can assist will contact me?
So, why the late 1950’s? First we have the vehicles: a Ford Anglia 100E, which was produced from 1953 –1959, seen here in the estate car version; and what appears to be a Morris Minor Van. The latter doesn’t really help, all that much, because the Minor and its derivatives were produced between 1948 and 1971. Apart from the original Mini, which I believe was produced for forty years, there can’t be many other [single design] models with this long a production run?
Nevertheless, we can also see a Wherry Yacht at the moorings. Her presence should also help to date the picture to the late fifties. There weren’t that many examples still in commission in those days and, although it is not possible to be certain of her identity, I believe she is most likely to be Ernest Collins’ “Olive” or even “White Moth”? Both of these craft were only in use as Houseboats at Wroxham by 1960. Olive was retired in 1958 and White Moth in 1959. However, another of Ernest Collins Wherry Yachts: 'Norada' was built along similar lines to 'Olive' and was sold on to private owners in the early 1950's. This could equally well be Norada?
The cabin cruisers were both built in the 1950’s. On our left is “Bairnmore” or just possibly her sister “Babemore” the smaller centre cockpit, three berth design from R. Moore and Sons at Wroxham; which some other owners (e.g. Maycraft) fitted out as a four berth. A picture of this class appears in the advert shown in the River Bure: ‘Beehive Stores’ piece.
I believe that the other cabin cruiser is from the Ferry Boatyard at Horning: the “Ferry Mutineer” class of 32ft. 6in. Aft cockpit, Four Berths. This was on the large side for a boat of that layout.
Copyright Photocrom Co. Ltd.
This unattributed ‘real photograph’ card is another pristine favourite; I would say, from the 1950’s. The mill was repainted in1950 but there is no piling on the Dyke’s bank which suggests that the picture wasn’t taken too long after?The
same view but even earlier. I would say: almost certainly pictured
before the Second World War. My copy has a George VI 2d stamp, so
definitely posted after 1936, but the year is illegible. The points of
interest here are the weed cutter’s boat at the staithe and the
building on the left. We can see that it has an entrance right on the
riverside and conclude it must have been a Malting House or Mill Store
(I don't actually know) with provision to receive its raw goods from
Wherries moored right alongside. In later years (possibly during the
war?) this building was literally chopped in half with the demolition
of the riverside part. This is clearly illustrated by the previous
view.
Earlier this year, I was fascinated to discover this postcard which shows the location of the Fred Press boat sheds at Belaugh and those of his younger brothers Charlie and George; who were possibly better known to visitors as C. & G. Press of Hoveton? This article first appeared in the ‘Extras’ page because there were quite a few gaps in my knowledge of the Press family but more recently I have been most fortunate to have made contact with Stuart Press (Fred’s Great Grandson) who has been a great help in clarifying some of my unanswered questions and more. My thanks to Stuart who is a well known boat builder and yachtsman, in his own right. As is often the case, Stuart served his boat building apprenticeship at the yard of another family’s business, in his instance Edward (Ted) Landamore’s of Hoveton; a firm that built very beautiful cabin cruisers, for hire, up until the mid 1960’s. Although, of course, this was just a change of direction and Landamore's continue in business as builders of luxury yachts to this day.
I think that this Belaugh scene was probably pictured in the 1920’s. It is reminiscent of the ‘Francis Frith’ photographic series; but was actually published by H. Coates’ (of Wisbech) ‘Nene Series’ and this particular example was posted in 1932.
The group of boat sheds partially survive at this location, to this day, and have a long history in the boat hire trade. It was to become the location for the firm of A.J. Yaxley and, later still that of, Belaugh Boats, the latter of which evolved into today's ‘Moon Fleet’ at Stalham, but this postcard shows that many years earlier it was the site of the Fred Press yard, adjacent to that of C.& G. Press who, by 1934, had their main premises at Hoveton; near Daisy Broad.
Towards the end of his career, Fred Press operated a small fleet of five or six ‘Ranger’, ‘Rover’ and ‘Reverie’ class, 2 - 4 berth, yachts from his yard here at Belaugh. However, during the holiday season the yachts were based at ‘The Meadow’ which was just above Wroxham Bridge and very convenient for visitors arriving by train. This accounts for the yard’s location being given as Wroxham in 1930’s Blake’s brochures. At the end of the season the yachts would be towed back to Belaugh for the winter.
It has long been the custom amongst Broads men to award each other nick names and I was amused and grateful for Stuart’s disclosure that his Great Grandfather used to meet up with his cronies, John Loynes Jnr; and the Collins brothers at Wroxham Bridge each day; and was known to them as “Nicodemus” because of the ever present cigarette in his mouth!
Fred retired from the boat hire business when the Second World War closed the Broads and his yachts were sold on to Chumley and Hawke at Horning. At least one class [Reverie] remained in hire right up to the late 1970's; latterly at Eastwood Whelpton of Upton.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1965
Fred’s father was Herbert Press who built and repaired Wherries at his premises, just by Wroxham Bridge. This is Herbert’s yard pictured around 1900. As you can see: what looks like a new Pleasure Wherry appears to have been just launched and the extended premises of the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company or indeed those of Alfred Collins have not yet been developed downstream.
Herbert Press sold this yard to Frank Chambers in1899 and consequently Fred and his younger brother George became shareholders in the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company. Fred was appointed foreman at Hoveton and the company also had bases at Potter Heigham and Brundall. It may well be that this is ‘Dragon’ (or one of her smaller sisters e.g. Fairy Queen or Endeavour) the wherry built by Fred Press in 1900 whilst in that employ?
January 2011: Following discussions with Carol Gingell who runs http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk and John Hopthrow, whose family owned Dragon for some years, and comparison with various photographs, we are all of the opinion that this is indeed 'Dragon' on her launch day.
Here is 'Dragon' a few years later. This card from the first few years of the twentieth century has been re-touched so some minor details may be unreliable and it is possible that she is Dragon's slightly smaller sister 'Fairy Queen'. However, I think that it shows very well the sheer elegance of these lovely craft:
The NBYCo was just as famous, in its day, for building racing yachts and despite the claims of others, I have it on good authority that Fred was responsible for building the very first Bermudan rigged Broads yacht: ‘Moonraker’ which is still racing in the River Cruiser class to this day. Frank Chambers died in 1912 and after the first world war the business was sold off. Alfred Pegg who had been the (NBYCo.) foreman at Potter Heigham took over the business at Hoveton.
Both [Herbert’s father] Samuel and Arthur Press were Wherry builders at Coltishall (Anchor Street) in the 19th Century and Robert Collins began his apprenticeship there in 1864 as did his son, Ernest, some years later.
Fred Press had a boat builder son, also named Fred, but he declined to work with his uncles (Charlie and George) in favour of a career at the old Collins yard with Jack Powles and the yard at Daisy Broad came to be run by Bernard Press (Stuart’s father) although it was bought by Fred Brinkhoff in the early 1960’s. Bernard continued to run the firm, still known as C. & G. Press, under Fred Brinkoff’s ownership and Fred’s [Brinkhoff] two firms became founder members of the short lived Bradbeer “Red Whale Fleet” organisation. Fred Brinkhoff was also the proprietor of “Brinkcraft” and when he sold up in the early 1980’s his fleet joined that of W.K. Barnes; to be known as Barnes-Brinkcraft. This firm still exists today but I do not believe it is under the same ownership.
After this development Bernard Press continued to maintain a small fleet of ‘Press’ cabin cruisers at Hoveton and still owns ‘Gem’ a yacht from the family’s original hire fleet. Bernard is retired now, of course, but he has recently re-launched ‘Gem’ after carrying out a major re-fit. There are quite a few Norfolk families that can boast a long history in this local industry (for example the Royalls whose family includes generations of Wherry Skippers) but surely there can be very few, if any, remaining who have been building boats for the Broads as long as the Press family?
R.B.Bradbeer Ltd. 1965
A Valentine’s Postcard
The early 19th Century stone arched bridge over the River Ant at Ludham was a tight squeeze for large craft, particularly the Wherries, which could sometimes become stuck under the bridge. At such times the boatmen would have to enlist help from as many of the local men as they could find. The volunteers would crowd on board in the hope that the extra weight would make the wherry sit lower in the water and enable its passage through the bridge. There was also a counter practice whereby the Wherry would tow a large dinghy in case the water was too shallow; particularly in the upper reaches of navigation such as the Waxham Cut or above the locks on the Bure or Waveney. In the event that there was insufficient depth, part of the cargo could be transferred to the dinghy to lighten the Wherry’s load.
Ernest Collins’ Wherry Yacht ‘Olive’ had encountered difficulties at Ludham and been unable, on occasion, to cruise to Barton or beyond. The solution was to build a slightly smaller wherry yacht, along similar lines, which could negotiate the bridge more easily. This new craft was ‘Norada’ launched in 1912; she was some three feet shorter and six inches narrower than Olive. On this occasion (see the Coltishall picture) we can be certain of her identity and as you can see here, she was quite a beauty!
Famously, and rather ironically in this instance, 1912 was the year of a great summer storm which caused considerable flooding and damage to the infrastructure of the region. The bridge at Coltishall was completely destroyed after the lock upstream, at Buxton, burst and the Ant Valley was subject to considerably worse flooding, than expected, because Ludham Bridge held back the flood waters. Even though the bridge survived the storm it was decided to replace the ancient arch with a more modern girder bridge; and this work was completed by 1915.
The party in the above picture are cruising on ‘Norada’ and appear to be enjoying a swimming party in Salhouse Broad. Swimming was a common pastime in the early days of Broads holidays but became impractical in later years due to the amount of pollution, not least, from the much greater numbers of hire boats. I recall the rather unkind saying that a holiday on the Broads wasn’t so much mucking about in boats as boating about in muck! Thankfully, a great deal of work has been done, and is ongoing, to improve the water quality.
It is not all that easy to date this picture. I would say it was most likely photographed just after the second world war. As much as I like the postcard, the group does appear rather posed and I have found that the picture was used for a ‘Radio Times’ advert in the 1948 Blakes ‘Holidays Afloat’. By this time, though, Norada had already been removed from the Ernest Collins hire fleet list and last appeared there in 1947.
Holidays Afloat © Blakes Holiday Boating 1948
It is not possible to assert the identity of the cabin cruiser but her superstructure is distinctive and appears similar to that of ‘Firefly’ a five berth cruiser on hire from C. & G. Press of Wroxham; around this time.
This is a fascinating and (I think) rare picture, a real photo-card by Charles Aldous of Norwich. It is apparently regatta day at Horning and I would guess that the racing is taking place around the 1920's; or even earlier?
I was drawn to this subject by the unusual and unfamiliar “lateener” like, and very large, lug sail of the nearest boat and of several more to the left of picture. Extreme lateen rigs had earlier been popular for Norfolk racing yachts during the reign of Queen Victoria.
It is my belief (but I would welcome comment from anyone who knows better) that these boats are examples of the local 'Yarmouth One Design' class. These were racing half-deckers that were designed and built by Walter Woods (Snr.) for the [Gt.] Yarmouth Yacht Club; not to be confused with the class of the same name from the Isle of Wight.
Walter was manager of the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company at Potter Heigham where he went on to create Walter Woods & Sons, around 1920, after the collapse of that former company. He was the father of Herbert Woods and brother of Ernest Woods; the latter of whom later developed the Yare & Bure (White Boat) One Design.
I do note, however, that the nearest boat has a bowsprit which would enable the rigging of a foresail and which may have formed part of the evolution of the Yare & Bure One Design. Certainly, the YOD was closely related to the White Boat's design and “Noinin” was the forerunner of six more built by Walter Woods; at least one of which was later converted to White Boat specification.
I was pleased to find this picture of Horning, recently, because it shows the premises of H.T. Percival; a very rare thing in my experience. This was their main yard which was situated just upstream of the New Inn; and is today the site of three town houses at the end of the shops next to the Inn on Lower Street. Percival’s sign and their ‘roundel’ flag can be clearly seen and the verandah office gives a smart ‘marina’ appearance to the premises.
It is difficult to date this picture but bearing in mind the tranquil atmosphere, the mixture of craft present and the development of the buildings, my instincts suggest it was photographed just after the second world war. At that time Herbert Woods had acquired the firm of Southgate Brothers (who had premises next to the New Inn) and was developing the new Southgate’s Main Yard above the Swan corner. Around 1960, H.C. (Bert) Banham passed away and his Horning business, which can be seen in the centre of this picture, was bought up by H.T. Percival.
Along with Southgate’s old Lower Street premises the firm became “Norfolk Holiday Boats” which was run separately from the original Percival fleet. The Banham boat names and livery were retained except for a slight change to the firm’s burgee: The initials HCB on a White Shield with Red background were changed to NHB on the same design.
In the early 1970’s, after the death of H.T. “Percy” Percival, the old Banham fleet was dispersed and many went to the Herbert Woods group. The Sirdars were renamed ‘Smuggler’ and along with the larger ‘Monarch’ class were eventually returned to within a few hundred yards of their birthplace at the Southgate’s Main Yard. The old Banham sheds were demolished and replaced with a row of seven town houses. The Percival yard, seen here, was also redeveloped with three more houses being built; all with private moorings on the riverside.
The old Southgate’s sheds were retained for Tom Percival’s yacht brokerage business: Percival Boats. Tragically, Tom was killed whilst power boat racing in 1984 but the yard still survives and is now the location of Mike Barnes’ Norfolk Broads Yachting Company.
A Valentine’s Post Card
Another picture (posted in 1934) apparently showing ‘Palace’ and her crew of pretty girls. This example has been photographed on the River Ant a little way downstream from Ludham Bridge; which is just out of sight by the large sheds, in the background. The long boom crutches have been employed so I imagine the crew, aided by the skipper [here] in braces and trilby, are preparing to get under way, after spending the night, rather than to quant through the bridge?
I am intrigued by the mill and its nearby buildings. This is Beaumont’s Mill which was demolished in the early 1960’s. The nearest building is an enclosed type like a brick kiln but the furthest has a conical roof which tapers to a central chimney. I have no information about these buildings or their history but it is reasonable to suggest that they were used to make bricks and burn chalk to make builder’s lime; a common riverside occupation in these parts. In fact some mills were dual purpose and could be used to grind Marl for soil improvement or the clinker from the kilns to manufacture cement.
A Valentine’s Post Card
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1935
Another picture on the River Ant near Ludham Bridge very much in the same, late 1920’s early 1930’s, era as the former set. This time the camera is looking downstream from above Ludham Bridge which can be seen here, behind the middle yacht, and is that which was built in 1915.
I have been unable to identify the cabin cruiser at the left bank. She is similar to a Woods ‘Delight’ but I do not believe she is of that class; I will keep trying. Thankfully, I have been more successful with the yachts which are usually the more challenging craft to identify.
Sailing past is ‘Selda’ a gaff sloop of 24ft. She and her class sister ‘Sirena’ where on hire from George Smith & Sons at Wroxham and were described as “Yachts of the popular amateur sailing man’s type” which I suppose means that they were quite lively? They were also described as having four berths, although this expected that one member of the crew slept on a mattress in the well. These yachts were built in 1912 and originally they also had a cot in the forepeak for an attendant. Both the yachts had been withdrawn from the hire lists by the late 1930’s.
The two sister yachts making sail on the far bank are of the ‘Clipper’ class from Chumley & Hawke at Horning. Again, these yachts were quoted with one berth in the well and, as can be seen from this extract from the 1939 Blakes’ Holidays Afloat, were described as having “first class sailing” qualities for experienced helms.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1939
The nearest yacht is a ‘ Perfect Lady’ and the others are all from the fleet of Herbert Woods so I feel fairly comfortable in the conjecture that this was pictured during the annual regatta of the famous “Lady Yacht Club”?
This club was founded in 1945 and initially the “Perfect Lady” class yachts were made available free of charge to the staff and families of the Herbert Woods organisation as an end of season “thank you” for their efforts throughout the year. The yachts would race to Thurne from their Potter Heigham base and spend the first night moored in the dyke. The next day would be spent racing in and around Thurne Mouth and would culminate in a dinner at the Lion Inn. A “merry” time would be enjoyed by all and the boats would return to the yard on the third day; ready to be hauled out for the winter. I believe that The Lady Yacht Club still exists and can thoroughly recommend Jennifer Woods’ book “Herbert Woods” A Famous Broadland Pioneer
(ISBN 0-473-08945-9) as a very good read if you would like to hear a lot more about these events; including personal recollections from some of the participants.
Belaugh
Earlier this year, I was fascinated to discover this postcard which shows the location of the Fred Press boat sheds at Belaugh and those of his younger brothers Charlie and George; who were possibly better known to visitors as C. & G. Press of Hoveton? This article first appeared in the ‘Extras’ page because there were quite a few gaps in my knowledge of the Press family but more recently I have been most fortunate to have made contact with Stuart Press (Fred’s Great Grandson) who has been a great help in clarifying some of my unanswered questions and more. My thanks to Stuart who is a well known boat builder and yachtsman, in his own right. As is often the case, Stuart served his boat building apprenticeship at the yard of another family’s business, in his instance Edward (Ted) Landamore’s of Hoveton; a firm that built very beautiful cabin cruisers, for hire, up until the mid 1960’s. Although, of course, this was just a change of direction and Landamore's continue in business as builders of luxury yachts to this day.
I think that this Belaugh scene was probably pictured in the 1920’s. It is reminiscent of the ‘Francis Frith’ photographic series; but was actually published by H. Coates’ (of Wisbech) ‘Nene Series’ and this particular example was posted in 1932.
The group of boat sheds partially survive at this location, to this day, and have a long history in the boat hire trade. It was to become the location for the firm of A.J. Yaxley and, later still that of, Belaugh Boats, the latter of which evolved into today's ‘Moon Fleet’ at Stalham, but this postcard shows that many years earlier it was the site of the Fred Press yard, adjacent to that of C.& G. Press who, by 1934, had their main premises at Hoveton; near Daisy Broad.
It has long been the custom amongst Broads men to award each other nick names and I was amused and grateful for Stuart’s disclosure that his Great Grandfather used to meet up with his cronies, John Loynes Jnr; and the Collins brothers at Wroxham Bridge each day; and was known to them as “Nicodemus” because of the ever present cigarette in his mouth!
Fred retired from the boat hire business when the Second World War closed the Broads and his yachts were sold on to Chumley and Hawke at Horning. At least one class [Reverie] remained in hire right up to the late 1970's; latterly at Eastwood Whelpton of Upton.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1965
Now then, John Loynes is generally credited with being the father of the boat hire trade and although this can be justified in some ways, he was not actually the first person to engage in this business and I would offer that the true pioneers, were the men who built and owned the Norfolk Wherries; of which there were a good few. People like the Press Brothers of North Walsham; who were Millers and Wherry owners. They would clean out their wherries, roughly furnish them and offer them for hire to parties of Victorian holiday makers during the (then) short summer season. This was well before pleasure wherries began to appear; towards the end of the 19th Century. It may be that the first [of such] to be recorded was ‘Blanche’ built at Bungay in 1863 by one William Brighton who is probably better known as the builder of the famous ‘Albion’ in 1898.
I am unable to say whether or not Fred Press was related to the Press Brothers at North Walsham but he certainly was a member of an old established Yacht and Wherry building family from the Coltishall area and was himself the first foreman at the original Norfolk Broads Yachting Company’s Wroxham base; where he built the famous Pleasure Wherry ‘Dragon’ around 1900.
I am unable to say whether or not Fred Press was related to the Press Brothers at North Walsham but he certainly was a member of an old established Yacht and Wherry building family from the Coltishall area and was himself the first foreman at the original Norfolk Broads Yachting Company’s Wroxham base; where he built the famous Pleasure Wherry ‘Dragon’ around 1900.
Fred’s father was Herbert Press who built and repaired Wherries at his premises, just by Wroxham Bridge. This is Herbert’s yard pictured around 1900. As you can see: what looks like a new Pleasure Wherry appears to have been just launched and the extended premises of the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company or indeed those of Alfred Collins have not yet been developed downstream.
Herbert Press sold this yard to Frank Chambers in1899 and consequently Fred and his younger brother George became shareholders in the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company. Fred was appointed foreman at Hoveton and the company also had bases at Potter Heigham and Brundall. It may well be that this is ‘Dragon’ (or one of her smaller sisters e.g. Fairy Queen or Endeavour) the wherry built by Fred Press in 1900 whilst in that employ?
January 2011: Following discussions with Carol Gingell who runs http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk and John Hopthrow, whose family owned Dragon for some years, and comparison with various photographs, we are all of the opinion that this is indeed 'Dragon' on her launch day.
Here is 'Dragon' a few years later. This card from the first few years of the twentieth century has been re-touched so some minor details may be unreliable and it is possible that she is Dragon's slightly smaller sister 'Fairy Queen'. However, I think that it shows very well the sheer elegance of these lovely craft:
The NBYCo was just as famous, in its day, for building racing yachts and despite the claims of others, I have it on good authority that Fred was responsible for building the very first Bermudan rigged Broads yacht: ‘Moonraker’ which is still racing in the River Cruiser class to this day. Frank Chambers died in 1912 and after the first world war the business was sold off. Alfred Pegg who had been the (NBYCo.) foreman at Potter Heigham took over the business at Hoveton.
Both [Herbert’s father] Samuel and Arthur Press were Wherry builders at Coltishall (Anchor Street) in the 19th Century and Robert Collins began his apprenticeship there in 1864 as did his son, Ernest, some years later.
Fred Press had a boat builder son, also named Fred, but he declined to work with his uncles (Charlie and George) in favour of a career at the old Collins yard with Jack Powles and the yard at Daisy Broad came to be run by Bernard Press (Stuart’s father) although it was bought by Fred Brinkhoff in the early 1960’s. Bernard continued to run the firm, still known as C. & G. Press, under Fred Brinkoff’s ownership and Fred’s [Brinkhoff] two firms became founder members of the short lived Bradbeer “Red Whale Fleet” organisation. Fred Brinkhoff was also the proprietor of “Brinkcraft” and when he sold up in the early 1980’s his fleet joined that of W.K. Barnes; to be known as Barnes-Brinkcraft. This firm still exists today but I do not believe it is under the same ownership.
After this development Bernard Press continued to maintain a small fleet of ‘Press’ cabin cruisers at Hoveton and still owns ‘Gem’ a yacht from the family’s original hire fleet. Bernard is retired now, of course, but he has recently re-launched ‘Gem’ after carrying out a major re-fit. There are quite a few Norfolk families that can boast a long history in this local industry (for example the Royalls whose family includes generations of Wherry Skippers) but surely there can be very few, if any, remaining who have been building boats for the Broads as long as the Press family?
R.B.Bradbeer Ltd. 1965
Stalham Staithe in the 1930’s. Passing, what is now, the ‘Museum of the Broads’ site is an example of the unmistakable Herbert Woods’ ‘Delight’ class but we have often discussed this class elsewhere. On the right is a larger cruiser built in the same era and on-hire from a rather less famous but very long lived firm at Wroxham / Hoveton.
She is of the ‘Song of Eve’ class from George Smith and Sons of The Rhond, Hoveton St John. Song of Eve and her sisters ‘Song of May’ and ‘Song of Spring’ were introduced in the early 1930’s although they appear to have had their initial names changed by 1935. The class remained on hire from George Smith’s until the early 1950’s. Their fleet also included the slightly later ‘Song of June’ class and the smaller ‘Songster’ class which were both introduced in 1939. The charming little Songsters remained in the fleet, for over thirty years, until the early 1970’s. With a very few exceptions all the Smith craft had names that began with the letter ‘S’ and their burgee was a red diamond on a blue ground.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1939
George Smith came to Hoveton in the last decade of the nineteenth century to become Licensee of the Horse Shoes Hotel. It was here that he founded his ‘Smith’s Norfolk Broads Tours’ operation that provided sightseeing day trips around the northern broads. His waterside premises can be seen (with the flagstaff) in the very early image below and the launch in the foreground is believed to be a Broads Tours craft.
By 1912 George had also added three Broads Yachts to his fleet, for unattended hire. The first of which, ‘Sabrina’ was built by Graham Bunn's father Herbert and remained in the fleet for around fifty years until the early 1960's. Her four, slightly younger, sisters remained in hire right through until 1973-4 when the firm at last gave up on their remaining yachts. I believe that 'Sabrina' and two of her sisters survive, to this day, in the River Cruiser Class.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1965
Two of George’s sons: Willie and his younger brother, Clifford, lived at the Horse Shoes and joined with their father to form the family firm. None of the three were career boat builders ( Willie was a House Decorator and Clifford an Engineer) and some of their fleet were certainly bought in but I am unable to say whether or not this was always the case, in the early years. The first cabin cruisers began to appear in the 1920’s with ‘Superb’ an older conversion and the new ‘Sable’ in 1926. Sable was listed (by Blakes) together with ‘Serenade’ which was on hire from the new yard of Herbert ‘Bert’ Banham at Horning. Bert was a boat builder with an established premises at Cambridge and so it seems more likely that it was his firm that built ‘Sable’ for George Smith & Sons.
I am not sure of the exact sequence of events but after the death of their father, in 1927, the brothers disposed of the ‘Broads Tours’ side of the business and concentrated on the hire fleet operation at their yard in The Rhond; which continues business under the same name, to this day. By 1939 the firm had a fleet of around eleven cabin cruisers and eight or nine yachts, for hire. Several of the cruisers displayed a similar style to that of the ‘Song’ classes which suggests that they were possibly of ‘in-house’ design and build by this time?
Typically, after the war the original fleet was slightly reduced. Amongst those lost was the Cruiser-fleet founder ‘Sable’ whose name would be remembered later. Graham Bunn had introduced a new design for his ‘Windboat’ cruisers and the Smiths bought in two of his older craft: from the ‘Fairwind’ and ‘Finewind’ classes. The boats were re-named ‘Broadwind’ and ‘Brookwind’ by the Smith brothers. I imagine this was in respect of their origins but it would also be necessary because the original names were retained by Windboats for their new craft. A little later the similar but smaller ‘Southwind’ joined the Smith fleet and was re-named ‘Spring Song’, possibly after her predecessor 'Song of Spring' which also did not survive the war.
A new forward drive ‘Sable’ class was introduced in the 1950’s and with the addition of the ‘Sparkle’ (a Porter & Haylett - ‘Emiline’ type) and ‘Salamander’ classes, the fleet remained largely unchanged until the late 1970’s when a short lived modernisation took place; suggesting a further change of management? Willie and Clifford would have been in their eighties by this time so it seems most likely that younger members of their families were running things along similar lines in the interim.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1965 © Blakes Holiday Boating 1965
The new ‘Sable’ was very similar to the ‘Sheerline’ class on hire from Chumley & Hawke at Horning (Please see the note about 'Sable 1' above) and after the middle 1980’s George Smith & Sons turned away from the regular hire business to concentrate on production of GRP Boats and Bare Shells under the ‘Sheerline’ brand name. Boats were built for their Day Hire and Short Break classes and (I believe) Bare hulls were produced for sale to other firms. Today the day boat and short hire business continues at The Rhond and a range of Sheerline cruisers, up to 37 feet are manufactured by Peter Applegate’s ‘Wroxham Marine’ at Thorpe St Andrew.
She is of the ‘Song of Eve’ class from George Smith and Sons of The Rhond, Hoveton St John. Song of Eve and her sisters ‘Song of May’ and ‘Song of Spring’ were introduced in the early 1930’s although they appear to have had their initial names changed by 1935. The class remained on hire from George Smith’s until the early 1950’s. Their fleet also included the slightly later ‘Song of June’ class and the smaller ‘Songster’ class which were both introduced in 1939. The charming little Songsters remained in the fleet, for over thirty years, until the early 1970’s. With a very few exceptions all the Smith craft had names that began with the letter ‘S’ and their burgee was a red diamond on a blue ground.
By 1912 George had also added three Broads Yachts to his fleet, for unattended hire. The first of which, ‘Sabrina’ was built by Graham Bunn's father Herbert and remained in the fleet for around fifty years until the early 1960's. Her four, slightly younger, sisters remained in hire right through until 1973-4 when the firm at last gave up on their remaining yachts. I believe that 'Sabrina' and two of her sisters survive, to this day, in the River Cruiser Class.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1965
Two of George’s sons: Willie and his younger brother, Clifford, lived at the Horse Shoes and joined with their father to form the family firm. None of the three were career boat builders ( Willie was a House Decorator and Clifford an Engineer) and some of their fleet were certainly bought in but I am unable to say whether or not this was always the case, in the early years. The first cabin cruisers began to appear in the 1920’s with ‘Superb’ an older conversion and the new ‘Sable’ in 1926. Sable was listed (by Blakes) together with ‘Serenade’ which was on hire from the new yard of Herbert ‘Bert’ Banham at Horning. Bert was a boat builder with an established premises at Cambridge and so it seems more likely that it was his firm that built ‘Sable’ for George Smith & Sons.
I am not sure of the exact sequence of events but after the death of their father, in 1927, the brothers disposed of the ‘Broads Tours’ side of the business and concentrated on the hire fleet operation at their yard in The Rhond; which continues business under the same name, to this day. By 1939 the firm had a fleet of around eleven cabin cruisers and eight or nine yachts, for hire. Several of the cruisers displayed a similar style to that of the ‘Song’ classes which suggests that they were possibly of ‘in-house’ design and build by this time?
Typically, after the war the original fleet was slightly reduced. Amongst those lost was the Cruiser-fleet founder ‘Sable’ whose name would be remembered later. Graham Bunn had introduced a new design for his ‘Windboat’ cruisers and the Smiths bought in two of his older craft: from the ‘Fairwind’ and ‘Finewind’ classes. The boats were re-named ‘Broadwind’ and ‘Brookwind’ by the Smith brothers. I imagine this was in respect of their origins but it would also be necessary because the original names were retained by Windboats for their new craft. A little later the similar but smaller ‘Southwind’ joined the Smith fleet and was re-named ‘Spring Song’, possibly after her predecessor 'Song of Spring' which also did not survive the war.
A new forward drive ‘Sable’ class was introduced in the 1950’s and with the addition of the ‘Sparkle’ (a Porter & Haylett - ‘Emiline’ type) and ‘Salamander’ classes, the fleet remained largely unchanged until the late 1970’s when a short lived modernisation took place; suggesting a further change of management? Willie and Clifford would have been in their eighties by this time so it seems most likely that younger members of their families were running things along similar lines in the interim.
The new ‘Sable’ was very similar to the ‘Sheerline’ class on hire from Chumley & Hawke at Horning (Please see the note about 'Sable 1' above) and after the middle 1980’s George Smith & Sons turned away from the regular hire business to concentrate on production of GRP Boats and Bare Shells under the ‘Sheerline’ brand name. Boats were built for their Day Hire and Short Break classes and (I believe) Bare hulls were produced for sale to other firms. Today the day boat and short hire business continues at The Rhond and a range of Sheerline cruisers, up to 37 feet are manufactured by Peter Applegate’s ‘Wroxham Marine’ at Thorpe St Andrew.
Salhouse Broad
The early 19th Century stone arched bridge over the River Ant at Ludham was a tight squeeze for large craft, particularly the Wherries, which could sometimes become stuck under the bridge. At such times the boatmen would have to enlist help from as many of the local men as they could find. The volunteers would crowd on board in the hope that the extra weight would make the wherry sit lower in the water and enable its passage through the bridge. There was also a counter practice whereby the Wherry would tow a large dinghy in case the water was too shallow; particularly in the upper reaches of navigation such as the Waxham Cut or above the locks on the Bure or Waveney. In the event that there was insufficient depth, part of the cargo could be transferred to the dinghy to lighten the Wherry’s load.
Ernest Collins’ Wherry Yacht ‘Olive’ had encountered difficulties at Ludham and been unable, on occasion, to cruise to Barton or beyond. The solution was to build a slightly smaller wherry yacht, along similar lines, which could negotiate the bridge more easily. This new craft was ‘Norada’ launched in 1912; she was some three feet shorter and six inches narrower than Olive. On this occasion (see the Coltishall picture) we can be certain of her identity and as you can see here, she was quite a beauty!
Famously, and rather ironically in this instance, 1912 was the year of a great summer storm which caused considerable flooding and damage to the infrastructure of the region. The bridge at Coltishall was completely destroyed after the lock upstream, at Buxton, burst and the Ant Valley was subject to considerably worse flooding, than expected, because Ludham Bridge held back the flood waters. Even though the bridge survived the storm it was decided to replace the ancient arch with a more modern girder bridge; and this work was completed by 1915.
The party in the above picture are cruising on ‘Norada’ and appear to be enjoying a swimming party in Salhouse Broad. Swimming was a common pastime in the early days of Broads holidays but became impractical in later years due to the amount of pollution, not least, from the much greater numbers of hire boats. I recall the rather unkind saying that a holiday on the Broads wasn’t so much mucking about in boats as boating about in muck! Thankfully, a great deal of work has been done, and is ongoing, to improve the water quality.
It is not all that easy to date this picture. I would say it was most likely photographed just after the second world war. As much as I like the postcard, the group does appear rather posed and I have found that the picture was used for a ‘Radio Times’ advert in the 1948 Blakes ‘Holidays Afloat’. By this time, though, Norada had already been removed from the Ernest Collins hire fleet list and last appeared there in 1947.
It is not possible to assert the identity of the cabin cruiser but her superstructure is distinctive and appears similar to that of ‘Firefly’ a five berth cruiser on hire from C. & G. Press of Wroxham; around this time.
This is a fascinating and (I think) rare picture, a real photo-card by Charles Aldous of Norwich. It is apparently regatta day at Horning and I would guess that the racing is taking place around the 1920's; or even earlier?
I was drawn to this subject by the unusual and unfamiliar “lateener” like, and very large, lug sail of the nearest boat and of several more to the left of picture. Extreme lateen rigs had earlier been popular for Norfolk racing yachts during the reign of Queen Victoria.
It is my belief (but I would welcome comment from anyone who knows better) that these boats are examples of the local 'Yarmouth One Design' class. These were racing half-deckers that were designed and built by Walter Woods (Snr.) for the [Gt.] Yarmouth Yacht Club; not to be confused with the class of the same name from the Isle of Wight.
Walter was manager of the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company at Potter Heigham where he went on to create Walter Woods & Sons, around 1920, after the collapse of that former company. He was the father of Herbert Woods and brother of Ernest Woods; the latter of whom later developed the Yare & Bure (White Boat) One Design.
I do note, however, that the nearest boat has a bowsprit which would enable the rigging of a foresail and which may have formed part of the evolution of the Yare & Bure One Design. Certainly, the YOD was closely related to the White Boat's design and “Noinin” was the forerunner of six more built by Walter Woods; at least one of which was later converted to White Boat specification.
It is difficult to date this picture but bearing in mind the tranquil atmosphere, the mixture of craft present and the development of the buildings, my instincts suggest it was photographed just after the second world war. At that time Herbert Woods had acquired the firm of Southgate Brothers (who had premises next to the New Inn) and was developing the new Southgate’s Main Yard above the Swan corner. Around 1960, H.C. (Bert) Banham passed away and his Horning business, which can be seen in the centre of this picture, was bought up by H.T. Percival.
Along with Southgate’s old Lower Street premises the firm became “Norfolk Holiday Boats” which was run separately from the original Percival fleet. The Banham boat names and livery were retained except for a slight change to the firm’s burgee: The initials HCB on a White Shield with Red background were changed to NHB on the same design.
In the early 1970’s, after the death of H.T. “Percy” Percival, the old Banham fleet was dispersed and many went to the Herbert Woods group. The Sirdars were renamed ‘Smuggler’ and along with the larger ‘Monarch’ class were eventually returned to within a few hundred yards of their birthplace at the Southgate’s Main Yard. The old Banham sheds were demolished and replaced with a row of seven town houses. The Percival yard, seen here, was also redeveloped with three more houses being built; all with private moorings on the riverside.
The old Southgate’s sheds were retained for Tom Percival’s yacht brokerage business: Percival Boats. Tragically, Tom was killed whilst power boat racing in 1984 but the yard still survives and is now the location of Mike Barnes’ Norfolk Broads Yachting Company.
This second picture would seem to have been taken in the 1950’s; but it may have been commissioned by H.T. Percival and was obviously utilised to promote the “Norfolk Holiday Boats" era which began after 1960.
The picture shows five properties as belonging to the Percival firm. No key was included, on the card, but we can see The Banham yard (1) and the Southgate sheds (3) next to the then ivy covered New Inn; these were the Norfolk Holiday Boats premises. The H.T. Percival yard, shown in the previous picture, can be seen at (2) which gives a better indication of how substantial they were.The sheds were originally built as barns for housing and fodder etc. for the horses of the London coaches and were used as garages for the later motor buses. Percy acquired them in 1929.
I am unsure what was opposite at (5), possibly just moorings, but (4) is the property and moorings at ‘Deerfoot’. There we can see the Percival - Houseboats ‘Freelance’ and ‘Summertime’ moored on the river. The retired cabin launch Freelance, seen here - above the dyke, had been replaced by a purpose built houseboat of the same name by 1964.
There were several prominent publishers of postcards such as Jarrold & Sons and J. Salmon Ltd. who were well known for their many pictures of the Norfolk Broads but it was also not uncommon for the boat owners to commission cards to sell to their hirers and promote their own fleets. Sometimes these would take the form of individual portraits of the hire craft, similar to those in the brochures. Sometimes a photographer would be engaged to picture the boats in a sequence of holiday scenes. Here we have just such a mini-collection of Valentine’s postcards commissioned by Jack Powles and featuring a group of young women cruising in the famous yacht ‘Palace’ and thought to be circa 1930:
In this first picture we can see the crew boarding ‘Palace’ at the Alfred Collins / Jack Powles yard on the Hoveton Bank, just below Wroxham Bridge. To the right is one of the 4 Berth ‘Lulworth’ class yachts and aft of ‘Palace’ another group of girls, some still in their school smock dresses, are boarding another of the smaller yachts.
‘Palace’ was a very famous and elegant, 43ft, gaff sloop of seven berths; which was launched by Alfred Collins in 1914. In 1930 she was on-hire from £11.10 shillings up to £17 a week including the services of an attendant to help with the sailing. I imagine that gentleman will be the individual standing by the mast, watching the ladies embark. Jack Powles was Alfred’s business partner and yard manager. He took over the business when Alfred retired, in the early 1930’s, and later changed the firm’s name to his own.
A Valentine’s Post Card
The crew get under way and set off downstream, towards Horning, on a lazy looking broad reach. Several other yachts are following suit and it is possible that this group are sailing together. This was not an uncommon practice particularly amongst school or scouting / girl guide groups at Easter or off the high season.
I have no real idea who the ladies are in the speed boat. It looks rather too nice to be a hire craft and I suspect it might be Jack’s family? It would be most interesting to hear from anyone who knows who they are.This same speedboat appears in company with 'Palace' in the 1932 edition of Holidays Afloat.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1935
The picture shows five properties as belonging to the Percival firm. No key was included, on the card, but we can see The Banham yard (1) and the Southgate sheds (3) next to the then ivy covered New Inn; these were the Norfolk Holiday Boats premises. The H.T. Percival yard, shown in the previous picture, can be seen at (2) which gives a better indication of how substantial they were.The sheds were originally built as barns for housing and fodder etc. for the horses of the London coaches and were used as garages for the later motor buses. Percy acquired them in 1929.
I am unsure what was opposite at (5), possibly just moorings, but (4) is the property and moorings at ‘Deerfoot’. There we can see the Percival - Houseboats ‘Freelance’ and ‘Summertime’ moored on the river. The retired cabin launch Freelance, seen here - above the dyke, had been replaced by a purpose built houseboat of the same name by 1964.
There were several prominent publishers of postcards such as Jarrold & Sons and J. Salmon Ltd. who were well known for their many pictures of the Norfolk Broads but it was also not uncommon for the boat owners to commission cards to sell to their hirers and promote their own fleets. Sometimes these would take the form of individual portraits of the hire craft, similar to those in the brochures. Sometimes a photographer would be engaged to picture the boats in a sequence of holiday scenes. Here we have just such a mini-collection of Valentine’s postcards commissioned by Jack Powles and featuring a group of young women cruising in the famous yacht ‘Palace’ and thought to be circa 1930:
A Valentine’s Post Card
In this first picture we can see the crew boarding ‘Palace’ at the Alfred Collins / Jack Powles yard on the Hoveton Bank, just below Wroxham Bridge. To the right is one of the 4 Berth ‘Lulworth’ class yachts and aft of ‘Palace’ another group of girls, some still in their school smock dresses, are boarding another of the smaller yachts.
‘Palace’ was a very famous and elegant, 43ft, gaff sloop of seven berths; which was launched by Alfred Collins in 1914. In 1930 she was on-hire from £11.10 shillings up to £17 a week including the services of an attendant to help with the sailing. I imagine that gentleman will be the individual standing by the mast, watching the ladies embark. Jack Powles was Alfred’s business partner and yard manager. He took over the business when Alfred retired, in the early 1930’s, and later changed the firm’s name to his own.
A Valentine’s Post Card
The crew get under way and set off downstream, towards Horning, on a lazy looking broad reach. Several other yachts are following suit and it is possible that this group are sailing together. This was not an uncommon practice particularly amongst school or scouting / girl guide groups at Easter or off the high season.
The calm conditions still prevail when the crew reach Salhouse. Could this be their first night's mooring location? There are few nicer places to spend a night in the wild-ish.
A Valentine’s Post Card
Sailing downstream from Wroxham. This card doesn’t show the ‘Palace’ group but it was photographed in the same sequence. Interestingly the gentleman at the helm of the yacht is Jack Powles himself; obviously smartly dressed for the occasion and complete with neck tie. Whilst it is difficult to be 100% sure, I believe that he is taking a test sail in a newly built ‘Westward’ class, 5 berth yacht. The main clues being the roller reefing loose footed jib and what is known about the vintage of these pictures. Seen here the yacht still flies the Alfred Collins burgee which was replaced by the Jack Powles' design around 1935. I have no real idea who the ladies are in the speed boat. It looks rather too nice to be a hire craft and I suspect it might be Jack’s family? It would be most interesting to hear from anyone who knows who they are.This same speedboat appears in company with 'Palace' in the 1932 edition of Holidays Afloat.
A Valentine’s Post Card
Palace glides past the old Horning Ferry. This is one of those postcards that were later copied by Artist Brian Gerald and turned into excellent watercolours. His version of this photograph and several others appear on the 'Early Days' page of this website.
A Valentine’s Post Card
All
hands to the halyards me jolly crew! This is the original mill on
Horning ‘Ferry Reach’ which was replaced by the famous and much
photographed holiday bungalow that incorporates a smaller pseudo
windmill in its design.
I am
unsure precisely when this derelict mill was demolished and replaced but
it must have been well before the second world war, so that is
consistent with my dating these scenes as around 1930? The new building
was part of a development created by Mr A. L. Rhodes, a prosperous
Electrical Engineer and Cinematic pioneer who was one of those that lost
their lives in the air raid on the old Ferry Inn in April 1941. (Please
see the Horning Ferry section on the main River Bure page where there
is also a view of the newer bungalow.)
Sadly, like Mr Rhodes, ‘Palace’ does not seem to have survived the war; as she doesn’t reappear in post war brochures. It is nice to note though that a slightly smaller replica, with the same name, was built in the mid 1990’s and is on hire from the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company based at Lower Street Horning.
Sadly, like Mr Rhodes, ‘Palace’ does not seem to have survived the war; as she doesn’t reappear in post war brochures. It is nice to note though that a slightly smaller replica, with the same name, was built in the mid 1990’s and is on hire from the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company based at Lower Street Horning.
Another picture (posted in 1934) apparently showing ‘Palace’ and her crew of pretty girls. This example has been photographed on the River Ant a little way downstream from Ludham Bridge; which is just out of sight by the large sheds, in the background. The long boom crutches have been employed so I imagine the crew, aided by the skipper [here] in braces and trilby, are preparing to get under way, after spending the night, rather than to quant through the bridge?
I am intrigued by the mill and its nearby buildings. This is Beaumont’s Mill which was demolished in the early 1960’s. The nearest building is an enclosed type like a brick kiln but the furthest has a conical roof which tapers to a central chimney. I have no information about these buildings or their history but it is reasonable to suggest that they were used to make bricks and burn chalk to make builder’s lime; a common riverside occupation in these parts. In fact some mills were dual purpose and could be used to grind Marl for soil improvement or the clinker from the kilns to manufacture cement.
My favourite of this series:
Our crew have returned to Wroxham and are striking a jolly pose, for the
camera, as they quant through the bridge. This is copied from a slide
as I do not have an original postcard.
I would be delighted to hear from anybody who has a spare copy to sell.
a Valentine’s Postcard
The young ladies are returning from Belaugh or Coltishall. The church is that of St. Mary the Virgin in Wroxham, itself, which suggests to me that the view is from the South West (looking N.E.) not as is implied by the card’s caption?
I would be delighted to hear from anybody who has a spare copy to sell.
a Valentine’s Postcard
The young ladies are returning from Belaugh or Coltishall. The church is that of St. Mary the Virgin in Wroxham, itself, which suggests to me that the view is from the South West (looking N.E.) not as is implied by the card’s caption?
Another picture on the River Ant near Ludham Bridge very much in the same, late 1920’s early 1930’s, era as the former set. This time the camera is looking downstream from above Ludham Bridge which can be seen here, behind the middle yacht, and is that which was built in 1915.
I have been unable to identify the cabin cruiser at the left bank. She is similar to a Woods ‘Delight’ but I do not believe she is of that class; I will keep trying. Thankfully, I have been more successful with the yachts which are usually the more challenging craft to identify.
Sailing past is ‘Selda’ a gaff sloop of 24ft. She and her class sister ‘Sirena’ where on hire from George Smith & Sons at Wroxham and were described as “Yachts of the popular amateur sailing man’s type” which I suppose means that they were quite lively? They were also described as having four berths, although this expected that one member of the crew slept on a mattress in the well. These yachts were built in 1912 and originally they also had a cot in the forepeak for an attendant. Both the yachts had been withdrawn from the hire lists by the late 1930’s.
The two sister yachts making sail on the far bank are of the ‘Clipper’ class from Chumley & Hawke at Horning. Again, these yachts were quoted with one berth in the well and, as can be seen from this extract from the 1939 Blakes’ Holidays Afloat, were described as having “first class sailing” qualities for experienced helms.
River Thurne
Copyright J. Salmon Ltd., Sevenoaks, Kent ©
A group of yachts at Thurne Mouth on the River Bure. The original card was posted in 1959 but I think it probably a slightly earlier photograph. Nevertheless, I believe that the subject matter is of some interest. (May 2010: the original monochrome image has now been replaced with this colour example)
The nearest yacht is a ‘ Perfect Lady’ and the others are all from the fleet of Herbert Woods so I feel fairly comfortable in the conjecture that this was pictured during the annual regatta of the famous “Lady Yacht Club”?
This club was founded in 1945 and initially the “Perfect Lady” class yachts were made available free of charge to the staff and families of the Herbert Woods organisation as an end of season “thank you” for their efforts throughout the year. The yachts would race to Thurne from their Potter Heigham base and spend the first night moored in the dyke. The next day would be spent racing in and around Thurne Mouth and would culminate in a dinner at the Lion Inn. A “merry” time would be enjoyed by all and the boats would return to the yard on the third day; ready to be hauled out for the winter. I believe that The Lady Yacht Club still exists and can thoroughly recommend Jennifer Woods’ book “Herbert Woods” A Famous Broadland Pioneer
(ISBN 0-473-08945-9) as a very good read if you would like to hear a lot more about these events; including personal recollections from some of the participants.
It is easy to identify the class of the nearest cabin cruiser but not the individual. She is a ‘Finewind’ class from Graham Bunn’s yard at Wroxham; as is the cruiser moored just behind her. In those days the hire fleet were all presented with varnished hulls but I would say that this craft is a privately owned example. A number of these craft were built for private customers and she has the more costly wooden sides to her wheel house. She also has a flagstaff, with cross trees, on her fore cabin like her sister ‘Dijack’ which can be seen on the River Ant page. This is a mark of the privately owned craft and she carries a burgee with a roundel emblem. The only hire fleet that had a similar burgee was H.T. Percival, of Horning, but this is not quite the same and I have no record of their having one of these boats. Neither does the burgee appear to be that of any of the Norfolk Sailing Clubs?
Consultation of Craig Slawson’s database reveals a Finewind built in 1956 for a private buyer and then named “Bubble”. Her number was B843 which is possibly what we have here? It is not possible to be certain because these numbers can be very difficult to read in postcards and are easily confused unless the photograph is a fairly close-up example.
Equally, easily we can identify the Yacht motoring past as one of the Truman fleet from Oulton Broad; still in her varnish. She is an “Odyssey” class, similar to “Fantasy” but with a slightly smaller sail area; she was also built in the early fifties. See the River Ant page for more on A.D. Truman yachts.
Copyright J. Salmon Ltd., Sevenoaks, Kent ©
A busy Potter Heigham Bridge in the 1950’s. I have included this card for its nostalgic atmosphere and unusual wide angle format; and, in the spirit of this page, because I like it. My eye is taken by the number of people enjoying the view from the bridge. A popular pastime on the Broads and often undertaken at this location in the hope of witnessing some entertainingly disastrous attempts at shooting the bridge. The parked car is a Standard Vanguard; the Phase 1 version which was built between 1947 and 1952. About ten years after this picture I learned to drive in an example of the later Standard Vanguard ‘Six’ model. It had a bench front seat and a floor mounted gear stick that would not have looked out of place in a ten-ton truck!
Sadly, there is insufficient detail to easily or accurately identify most of the boats in the picture and I am only confident about the cabin cruiser moored on the left. She is ‘Broadland Teal’ an early (1950) example of those uniquely designed cabin cruisers from Ripplecraft at Somerleyton. You can find out more about these craft on the River Waveney page of this web-site; in the Oulton Broad section.
River Waveney
A “Tuck” postcard commissioned by Leo A. Robinson in the 1930’s and showing part of his fleet, probably on change-over day, at their home yard overlooking Oulton Broad. There’s more about these boats a little later.
In the years before the Second World War the three largest hire fleets on the Broads were those of Herbert Woods at Potter Heigham, Bert Banham at Horning and “Leo A. Robinson” at Oulton Broad. All three had more than fifty craft in their fleets and only a few other firms had as many as half of this number; although Jack Powles wasn’t very far behind.
Herbert Woods went on to double the size of his fleet after the [second] war; achieving this partly by the acquisition of other yards and the creation of the Southgates’ [Main Yard] fleet at Horning. Like the Woods family, the Collins family, and a few others, the Robinson’s firm was passed down through several generations and experienced some surprisingly similar adversities in the course of its history.
I am very grateful to Leo A. Robinson’s Great - Grand Nephew: Jack A. Robinson who has recently helped me to clarify some of my questions about his family firm’s history. This has been particularly helpful, because the information that Jack has provided would be outside the scope of my normal research facilities, and has enabled me to extend and improve the article that originally appeared with the Rockland Staithe postcard, below.
The Robinson family business was founded in the late nineteenth century by William W. Robinson, who had two sons and a daughter. The sons: Leo and Jack Robinson were both born in the last decade of that century [1890’s] and both joined their father in running the family business and building boats for hire on Oulton Broad; which was an important venue for day-trippers in those days. When their father died his estate was all left to Leo [the eldest son] as was often the custom in those days. Under Leo’s tenure the two brothers continued to work together, their business thriving and enjoying considerable expansion. Sad to say that these harmonious days did not continue and eventually there was a family dispute about the running of the business which resulted in Jack leaving the family firm to set up his own yard nearby. It would seem that this was around the end of the Great War?
Jack was very successful in his own right and built a thriving albeit smaller business before he died, rather tragically, at around 45 years of age! In the late 1930’s he contracted acute appendicitis for which he received surgery but, most unfortunately, Jack did not recover from the anaesthesia! At the time of his death Jack had three sons but for various reasons none were available to continue his business and the firm was sold off; primarily to the Blakes organisation. This was the location that was later to be in trade under the name “Robinson’s Yard” as a member of the “Bradbeer’s” organisation. Eventually the premises were absorbed by those of Topcraft Cruisers, another well known Oulton firm which is still in business to this day.
Unfortunately, I have no research material that shows Jack’s firm as having been a member of the Blake’s Association. I believe this is because he operated independently, possibly in association with one or two other yards? Nevertheless, I am very fortunate to have received permission to use the following picture which shows an example of Jack’s “Empire” class of motor launch - type cruisers; a design very popular with builders in the1920’s.
© Reproduced with permission from the Robinson family
Sporting his familiar ‘yachting cap’ here, we can see Jack himself along with his wife Edith and, I imagine, his two elder sons. The boat appears to be clinker built in wide strakes and this picture shows clearly the arrangement of the sliding hatch over the companionway to allow headroom for easy access, in and out of the well, during the day.
Jack’s older brother Leo A. Robinson went on to control what was one of the earliest and most successful boat hire businesses at Oulton Broad and, as I have implied, was operating the second largest fleet of Yachts and Motor cruisers on the whole of the Broads by 1939. This included the Pleasure Wherry “Bramble”, the famous clipper bowed Wherry Yacht “Rambler” and the quite unique 60ft Motor Launch “Enchantress” a ten berth craft which also sported elegant 19th century lines. It seems likely that these three craft were originally bought in and formed the nucleus of the early fleet.
The firm of Leo A. Robinson continued to thrive for many years and was, apparently, still adding a few newly built craft to the fleet up to around 1960. Unfortunately, Leo also passed away: in the 1950’s. He would have been in his sixties by then and, although we wouldn’t think it now, his was probably a more normal life span for those days. The business passed to his son, Neville, and appears to have gone into a gradual but eventually terminal decline; from this time. ‘Enchantress’ had been relegated to Houseboat status by 1959, many of the fleet were virtually unchanged from inception and class numbers, in hire, began to reduce until the firm appears to have gone out of business altogether, around 1963.
The Staithe at Rockland St. Mary, probably in the early 1930’s. Not the crispest of images but atmospheric, nevertheless. In the background is the New Inn and, apart from some modern tidying and the removal of the nearest roadside building, possibly a stable, I doubt that this scene has changed all that much to this day?
In the foreground is Leo A. Robinson’s “Golden Eagle” the first of a class of 39ft six berth cruisers, built in the early 1930’s and very much in the style of that decade. There were also two “Royal Eagles” (1 & 2) which were similar but larger; 42ft, eight berth versions. This larger class was later expanded to a total of four craft, all with individual [Eagle] names. e.g. Majestic, Flying & Crested Eagle.
There are three examples of this same (Golden Eagle) class that appear in the ’Tuck’ photograph of the yard - at the top of this article. The middle craft in the foreground is in fact the same “W376” seen here, at Rockland. At the yard, she was seen in her later turnout with a white painted hull; a fact that implies she was very new in the picture above; which is not accredited to any particular publisher.
The design and style of these craft is very typical of the Centre - Cockpit, 6 & 8 Berth, Cruisers which were introduced in the1930’s. Close similarities can be seen in the fleets of Herbert Woods with his ‘Light’ Cruisers; J.W. Eastick’s ‘Royal Oak’ class, the ‘Planet’ class of H. C. (Bert) Banham and Jack Powles’ ‘Flying Foam’ etc.
Also to be seen in the Oulton Broad picture are a number of the firm’s yachts - there were twenty eight in the 1939 fleet; and two of Leo’s earlier cruisers. On the left is motor - launch style ‘Rangoon’ or ‘Waveney’ and (this side of her) one of the ‘Silver Spray’ rear cockpit types.
“Lavengro” a smaller sister to ‘Rangoon’ and ‘Waveney’ was used by a 'Francis Frith & Co.' photographer to take many pictures of a cruise on the Broads; which I suspect were originally commissioned by Leo Robinson, for postcards, as several bear close resemblance to his “Holidays Afloat” brochure photographs.
Lavengro appeared to be very new in the Frith pictures, suggesting that they were taken in the 1920’s; but she had disappeared from the hire list by the late thirties which, given the longevity of the Robinson boats’ hire careers, may be an indication that she met an untimely end?
Incidently: "Lavengro" is Romany for a word-smith and it seems that this boat was named as a tribute to the famous Victorian author, George Bower (1803 - 1881) who settled at Oulton Broad in his latter years. Mr Bower had his home on the north west shore of the Broad and the house was also named Lavengro after his most famous work: 'Lavengro the Scholar'.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1938
A “Tuck” postcard commissioned by Leo A. Robinson in the 1930’s and showing part of his fleet, probably on change-over day, at their home yard overlooking Oulton Broad. There’s more about these boats a little later.
In the years before the Second World War the three largest hire fleets on the Broads were those of Herbert Woods at Potter Heigham, Bert Banham at Horning and “Leo A. Robinson” at Oulton Broad. All three had more than fifty craft in their fleets and only a few other firms had as many as half of this number; although Jack Powles wasn’t very far behind.
Herbert Woods went on to double the size of his fleet after the [second] war; achieving this partly by the acquisition of other yards and the creation of the Southgates’ [Main Yard] fleet at Horning. Like the Woods family, the Collins family, and a few others, the Robinson’s firm was passed down through several generations and experienced some surprisingly similar adversities in the course of its history.
I am very grateful to Leo A. Robinson’s Great - Grand Nephew: Jack A. Robinson who has recently helped me to clarify some of my questions about his family firm’s history. This has been particularly helpful, because the information that Jack has provided would be outside the scope of my normal research facilities, and has enabled me to extend and improve the article that originally appeared with the Rockland Staithe postcard, below.
The Robinson family business was founded in the late nineteenth century by William W. Robinson, who had two sons and a daughter. The sons: Leo and Jack Robinson were both born in the last decade of that century [1890’s] and both joined their father in running the family business and building boats for hire on Oulton Broad; which was an important venue for day-trippers in those days. When their father died his estate was all left to Leo [the eldest son] as was often the custom in those days. Under Leo’s tenure the two brothers continued to work together, their business thriving and enjoying considerable expansion. Sad to say that these harmonious days did not continue and eventually there was a family dispute about the running of the business which resulted in Jack leaving the family firm to set up his own yard nearby. It would seem that this was around the end of the Great War?
Jack was very successful in his own right and built a thriving albeit smaller business before he died, rather tragically, at around 45 years of age! In the late 1930’s he contracted acute appendicitis for which he received surgery but, most unfortunately, Jack did not recover from the anaesthesia! At the time of his death Jack had three sons but for various reasons none were available to continue his business and the firm was sold off; primarily to the Blakes organisation. This was the location that was later to be in trade under the name “Robinson’s Yard” as a member of the “Bradbeer’s” organisation. Eventually the premises were absorbed by those of Topcraft Cruisers, another well known Oulton firm which is still in business to this day.
Unfortunately, I have no research material that shows Jack’s firm as having been a member of the Blake’s Association. I believe this is because he operated independently, possibly in association with one or two other yards? Nevertheless, I am very fortunate to have received permission to use the following picture which shows an example of Jack’s “Empire” class of motor launch - type cruisers; a design very popular with builders in the1920’s.
Sporting his familiar ‘yachting cap’ here, we can see Jack himself along with his wife Edith and, I imagine, his two elder sons. The boat appears to be clinker built in wide strakes and this picture shows clearly the arrangement of the sliding hatch over the companionway to allow headroom for easy access, in and out of the well, during the day.
Jack’s older brother Leo A. Robinson went on to control what was one of the earliest and most successful boat hire businesses at Oulton Broad and, as I have implied, was operating the second largest fleet of Yachts and Motor cruisers on the whole of the Broads by 1939. This included the Pleasure Wherry “Bramble”, the famous clipper bowed Wherry Yacht “Rambler” and the quite unique 60ft Motor Launch “Enchantress” a ten berth craft which also sported elegant 19th century lines. It seems likely that these three craft were originally bought in and formed the nucleus of the early fleet.
The firm of Leo A. Robinson continued to thrive for many years and was, apparently, still adding a few newly built craft to the fleet up to around 1960. Unfortunately, Leo also passed away: in the 1950’s. He would have been in his sixties by then and, although we wouldn’t think it now, his was probably a more normal life span for those days. The business passed to his son, Neville, and appears to have gone into a gradual but eventually terminal decline; from this time. ‘Enchantress’ had been relegated to Houseboat status by 1959, many of the fleet were virtually unchanged from inception and class numbers, in hire, began to reduce until the firm appears to have gone out of business altogether, around 1963.
(River Yare)
The Staithe at Rockland St. Mary, probably in the early 1930’s. Not the crispest of images but atmospheric, nevertheless. In the background is the New Inn and, apart from some modern tidying and the removal of the nearest roadside building, possibly a stable, I doubt that this scene has changed all that much to this day?
In the foreground is Leo A. Robinson’s “Golden Eagle” the first of a class of 39ft six berth cruisers, built in the early 1930’s and very much in the style of that decade. There were also two “Royal Eagles” (1 & 2) which were similar but larger; 42ft, eight berth versions. This larger class was later expanded to a total of four craft, all with individual [Eagle] names. e.g. Majestic, Flying & Crested Eagle.
There are three examples of this same (Golden Eagle) class that appear in the ’Tuck’ photograph of the yard - at the top of this article. The middle craft in the foreground is in fact the same “W376” seen here, at Rockland. At the yard, she was seen in her later turnout with a white painted hull; a fact that implies she was very new in the picture above; which is not accredited to any particular publisher.
The design and style of these craft is very typical of the Centre - Cockpit, 6 & 8 Berth, Cruisers which were introduced in the1930’s. Close similarities can be seen in the fleets of Herbert Woods with his ‘Light’ Cruisers; J.W. Eastick’s ‘Royal Oak’ class, the ‘Planet’ class of H. C. (Bert) Banham and Jack Powles’ ‘Flying Foam’ etc. Also to be seen in the Oulton Broad picture are a number of the firm’s yachts - there were twenty eight in the 1939 fleet; and two of Leo’s earlier cruisers. On the left is motor - launch style ‘Rangoon’ or ‘Waveney’ and (this side of her) one of the ‘Silver Spray’ rear cockpit types.
“Lavengro” a smaller sister to ‘Rangoon’ and ‘Waveney’ was used by a 'Francis Frith & Co.' photographer to take many pictures of a cruise on the Broads; which I suspect were originally commissioned by Leo Robinson, for postcards, as several bear close resemblance to his “Holidays Afloat” brochure photographs.
Lavengro appeared to be very new in the Frith pictures, suggesting that they were taken in the 1920’s; but she had disappeared from the hire list by the late thirties which, given the longevity of the Robinson boats’ hire careers, may be an indication that she met an untimely end?
Incidently: "Lavengro" is Romany for a word-smith and it seems that this boat was named as a tribute to the famous Victorian author, George Bower (1803 - 1881) who settled at Oulton Broad in his latter years. Mr Bower had his home on the north west shore of the Broad and the house was also named Lavengro after his most famous work: 'Lavengro the Scholar'.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1938
Copyright © Valentine’s Postcards
It seems to me that Oulton Broad was much more popular with the postcard photographers in the early years and between the two world wars? Judging from the level of development at the Yacht Station I believe that this, once again - pristine, example must have been photographed in the 1920’s? At the mooring are various flush decked and launch style cruisers of the period and in the foreground we have a ‘Motor Sailor’ the like of which I have never before seen.
I would say that the day boat [nearest the camera] is a “Waveney One Design” as can be seen on the River Bure page but I am intrigued by her companion.
At first glance you might (like me) take her to be a smart cruiser in the Flush foredeck style popular in those days. It is only with more careful examination that one realises that the Gaff Yacht rig is not that of a craft moored on the far side of the pontoon but is that of B148 “BELLE” herself; the craft in question.
“Belle” is, I feel sure, a privately owned craft? Possibly owned by the same skipper as the ‘Waveney’ day sailor who may be here for the racing? She has a fine entry and is round (possibly counter) sterned, giving her an elegant appearance and, probably, good sailing qualities. She appears to have an electric anchor winch and she carries navigation lights. The former must have been the latest kit in this era and the latter implying that she has sea going capability or at least the ability to make night passages on the Broads?
It would be fascinating to hear from anyone who knows of this boat or has memories to share.
August 2010: An enquiry from Mr Brendan Flynt, who owns a very similar boat to 'Belle' and is about to restore her, has provided a vital clue. That is that the boat was built by J.W.Brooke's 'Brooke Marine' of Lowestoft.
Armed with this information I have even been able to locate another example, built some four years after Brendan's in 1933. The latter has twin Lister Diesels and is currently for sale. She is lying at Falmouth and has had her trunk roof and canopy replaced in Epoxy sheathed Marine Ply. Interestingly, her design gives her length on the waterline as exactly the same as her length overall, maximising hull speed for her size.
Of course Brooke Marine made their own engines and it may be that these have been replaced by Listers later. Here is what Alfred Collins had to say in his 1930 brochure:
Another fascinating card from Oulton Broad (publisher unknown) which definitely falls within my “mystifying” group for this page.
Judging from the folks’ attire I am guessing 1930’s or possibly late 1920’s? Clearly our group are watching some mixed class ‘handicap’ racing and, in view of the bunting, it may be that this was a regatta rather than a club racing night?
The larger craft (sail emblem ‘C’) behind the gentleman appears to be a “National Canoe” class. Her hull reminds me, a little, of the old fashioned, boy scout, kayaks that were built with a canvas hull stretched over plywood frames and stringers but it bears little resemblance to the International Canoe of today. The boat just ahead of her looks like a Broads One Design (aka BOD or Brown Boat) to me; but the class of the leading boat is not so clear.
To me, this craft looks like a Yare & Bure One Design or White Boat; but no matter how hard I stare at it, the sail insignia still looks like a ‘B’ and not a number 8! A White Boat would carry only her class number on the mainsail and the letter ‘B’ would indicate a Norfolk Dinghy; of which this is not an example. The Norfolk was introduced in 1931 having been designed and built by Herbert Woods to provide an inexpensive alternative to the, then, National 14 and carried a ‘B’ for Broads rather than cause confusion with the ‘N’ of the National 12.
Finally, and although there is not much to go on, the Pleasure Wherry does not appear to be any one of the examples still around today but there were rather more at this time and wherries were a popular choice for providing transport and accommodation whilst visiting regattas.
I would say that the day boat [nearest the camera] is a “Waveney One Design” as can be seen on the River Bure page but I am intrigued by her companion.
At first glance you might (like me) take her to be a smart cruiser in the Flush foredeck style popular in those days. It is only with more careful examination that one realises that the Gaff Yacht rig is not that of a craft moored on the far side of the pontoon but is that of B148 “BELLE” herself; the craft in question.
“Belle” is, I feel sure, a privately owned craft? Possibly owned by the same skipper as the ‘Waveney’ day sailor who may be here for the racing? She has a fine entry and is round (possibly counter) sterned, giving her an elegant appearance and, probably, good sailing qualities. She appears to have an electric anchor winch and she carries navigation lights. The former must have been the latest kit in this era and the latter implying that she has sea going capability or at least the ability to make night passages on the Broads?
It would be fascinating to hear from anyone who knows of this boat or has memories to share.
August 2010: An enquiry from Mr Brendan Flynt, who owns a very similar boat to 'Belle' and is about to restore her, has provided a vital clue. That is that the boat was built by J.W.Brooke's 'Brooke Marine' of Lowestoft.
Armed with this information I have even been able to locate another example, built some four years after Brendan's in 1933. The latter has twin Lister Diesels and is currently for sale. She is lying at Falmouth and has had her trunk roof and canopy replaced in Epoxy sheathed Marine Ply. Interestingly, her design gives her length on the waterline as exactly the same as her length overall, maximising hull speed for her size.
Of course Brooke Marine made their own engines and it may be that these have been replaced by Listers later. Here is what Alfred Collins had to say in his 1930 brochure:
Another fascinating card from Oulton Broad (publisher unknown) which definitely falls within my “mystifying” group for this page.
Judging from the folks’ attire I am guessing 1930’s or possibly late 1920’s? Clearly our group are watching some mixed class ‘handicap’ racing and, in view of the bunting, it may be that this was a regatta rather than a club racing night?
The larger craft (sail emblem ‘C’) behind the gentleman appears to be a “National Canoe” class. Her hull reminds me, a little, of the old fashioned, boy scout, kayaks that were built with a canvas hull stretched over plywood frames and stringers but it bears little resemblance to the International Canoe of today. The boat just ahead of her looks like a Broads One Design (aka BOD or Brown Boat) to me; but the class of the leading boat is not so clear.
To me, this craft looks like a Yare & Bure One Design or White Boat; but no matter how hard I stare at it, the sail insignia still looks like a ‘B’ and not a number 8! A White Boat would carry only her class number on the mainsail and the letter ‘B’ would indicate a Norfolk Dinghy; of which this is not an example. The Norfolk was introduced in 1931 having been designed and built by Herbert Woods to provide an inexpensive alternative to the, then, National 14 and carried a ‘B’ for Broads rather than cause confusion with the ‘N’ of the National 12.
Finally, and although there is not much to go on, the Pleasure Wherry does not appear to be any one of the examples still around today but there were rather more at this time and wherries were a popular choice for providing transport and accommodation whilst visiting regattas.
A busy morning at Beccles Yacht Station. It looks as though the crew of “Lucky Days” have just cast off and are heading out towards the river. They are rather better dressed than the average Broads holiday maker; I must say! This will be around 1950 and I am unsure whether the crew’s attire and the bunting on the boat to our right might indicate that the picture was taken during the Beccles Regatta? To be honest though: the “bunting” could just be a holiday maker’s laundry drying in the breeze!
By the time of our postcard ‘Lucky Days’ was on hire from C.B. Darby and Sons’ yard near the famous Wherry Hotel at Oulton Broad but she originated from the nearby fleet of Frederick Miller (father of the well known Teacher, Artist and Writer: Philippa Miller) where she was built in [around] 1936. She was then known as ‘Spear’ and was one of Miller’s attractive ‘Arrow’ class of two berth twenty footers. The style ‘Spear’ displays here with her short stepped foredeck was a signature of Miller’s designs.
Frederick Miller had a fleet of over twenty yachts and cruisers and even a converted Thames Barge ‘Pauline’ which was used for skippered cruises. Pauline also carried a steward and stewardess and could accommodate up to twelve guests; in single or double cabins. Individual berths could be booked or parties could charter the whole vessel for the tour of their choice. Pauline offered several different cruises with embarkations at Oulton Broad, Yarmouth and Wroxham.
Unfortunately, Frederick’s son Martin fell ill and died in 1941 and, with no one to continue the business after the War, Frederick decided to retire. The business including his fleet were all sold off to other operators; such as Darby & Sons.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1939By the time of our postcard ‘Lucky Days’ was on hire from C.B. Darby and Sons’ yard near the famous Wherry Hotel at Oulton Broad but she originated from the nearby fleet of Frederick Miller (father of the well known Teacher, Artist and Writer: Philippa Miller) where she was built in [around] 1936. She was then known as ‘Spear’ and was one of Miller’s attractive ‘Arrow’ class of two berth twenty footers. The style ‘Spear’ displays here with her short stepped foredeck was a signature of Miller’s designs.
Frederick Miller had a fleet of over twenty yachts and cruisers and even a converted Thames Barge ‘Pauline’ which was used for skippered cruises. Pauline also carried a steward and stewardess and could accommodate up to twelve guests; in single or double cabins. Individual berths could be booked or parties could charter the whole vessel for the tour of their choice. Pauline offered several different cruises with embarkations at Oulton Broad, Yarmouth and Wroxham.
Unfortunately, Frederick’s son Martin fell ill and died in 1941 and, with no one to continue the business after the War, Frederick decided to retire. The business including his fleet were all sold off to other operators; such as Darby & Sons.
Copyright © www.francisfrith.com
A lovely crisp image of the River Waveney at Beccles Yacht Station from the Francis Frith collection of 1955. I was particularly taken with the image of ‘Elita’ in the foreground. She would have been one of the earliest craft to be book able through the James Hoseason organisation in the early 1950’s. At that time the firm also had a small fleet of their own based at Oulton Broad and many of their clients were based in the southern Broadland region.
This particular four berth cruiser was on hire from R.C. Harradine of Thorpe St Andrew and was, as far as I can tell, one of only two craft on hire from that owner. In fact I have no personal memory of this boat or her owner but their very obscurity made this a fascinating find.
The large cruiser passing by appears to be ‘Wayfarer’ one of the earlier examples from the fleet of R. Richardson (Pleasure Craft) Ltd. of Oulton Broad and, of course, latterly at Stalham.
© Hoseasons Ltd 1958
An image of this same cruiser appeared in an early advert for the newly formed W. B. Hoseason, Norfolk Broads Holidays Company. This is from 'What to do on the Norfolk Broads' 1948 Edition.
Reproduced with permission from Jarrold & Sons Ltd
This article is based upon one that I wrote recently for the Arthur Ransome Society and that, I hope, will also be of interest to visitors to this web-site. I am sure that many Broads lovers will have read the stories although they may not be members of the Arthur Ransome Society. The original article has been re-edited to be more self-explanatory and exclude any material such as illustrations or quotations that are copy-right to the Arthur Ransome Literary Estate; who unfortunately felt unable to grant permission for their use outside Society publications.
The two Arthur Ransome stories set in the Norfolk Broads differ from those set in The Lakes in that the locations are an almost entirely accurate representation of the region. In the stories at least three proprietors of boatyards are mentioned by name, albeit fictitious ones of course. All three are located in different Broadland villages but were they also based on real personalities and boatyards? Indeed, were the boats also described with actual craft in mind? I like to think the answer is yes to both questions!
For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the works of Arthur Ransome and his Swallows & Amazons stories I should explain that two of the books were set in the Norfolk Broads, based in Horning, and did not feature the Walker and Blackett (Swallows & Amazons) children. The links are Dick and Dorothea Callum, friends of the Walkers & Blacketts: who travel to Norfolk to stay with a family friend aboard her rented yacht the Teasel. They quickly become embroiled with local children when the Horning - Doctor’s son hides nearby after he feels forced to cast adrift the cruiser ‘Margoletta’ and her crew of obnoxious Hooray-Henrys we know as the Hullabaloos! Events take the children all around the Broads, pursued by the Hullabaloos, and culminate in the wrecking of the Margoletta on Breydon Water; through no fault of the hero’s - I should add! In the second book (The Big Six) mysterious enemies conspire to implicate the younger members of the Coot Club in a series of events involving the casting off of boats from their moorings and the Coots have to fight to clear their good names in the community.
There can be no doubt that the first boatyard to feature, in The Big Six, really did exist and is the most easily identified. That is “Jonnatt’s” boat yard, just by Horning Staithe; were the Coots used the sail loft window as their dentist’s to remove (the youngest Coot Club member) Pete’s much jiggled loose tooth by tying a brick to it and dropping the brick from the window! That location was clearly based on the firm of Herbert Charles Banham, whose company was in its heyday at the time, during the1930’s, that Arthur Ransome frequented the Broads and stayed at Horning to write the two books.
Reproduced with permission from Jarrold & Sons Ltd
This picture is from the 1930’s and shows Horning Staithe just as it was at the time that the books were set and written. I think the atmosphere is just right and the boatsheds can be clearly seen. They are those grey buildings on the right of the view. At the Swan moorings is the Wherry Yacht ‘White Heather’ and sailing by is a White Boat (Y&B.O.D) similar to ‘Flash’ owned by Frank Farland the Solicitor in the stories.
H.C. Banham (always known as Bert) was one of the most important boat-builders in Horning, or indeed the entire Broads; between the Wars and up until his death, around 1960. He was amongst the pioneers of the motor cruisers which became popular in the late 1920’s and 1930’s; with the improved reliability of the petrol engine and which alleviated the need for a skipper to handle the sailing for unskilled holiday makers.
Arthur Ransome paints the picture of a sleepy Horning village and a quiet country boat yard with a few boats and a handful of men employed; that we have all come to love. Remember the lone cruiser at Horning Staithe, waiting to be hauled into Jonatt’s sheds for the winter? In fact, at the time of his stories, Banham’s yard had one of the largest fleets on the Broads. He was a founder member of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Yacht Owners’ Association (incorrectly but better known to most of us as Blake’s) and, in the late 1930’s, he had a hire fleet of around 20 Yachts and 35 Motor Cruisers, plus a couple of Houseboats.
During the Second World War boat movement on the Broads was banned and the Holiday trade was mothballed. Many craft were commandeered and anchored out on the Broads, for the duration, to prevent enemy seaplanes from landing. Nevertheless, boatbuilding was a reserved occupation and Bert Banham worked closely with his near neighbour H.T. Percival (who was known as Percy and had a smaller fleet based at his yard, a little downstream from Bert’s) sharing staff and facilities to build military craft (such as Motor Torpedo Boats and Air-Sea Rescue Launches) for the War effort.
Towards the end of the war things began to return to normal, on the Broads. Bert continued to modernise his fleet but did not renew his association with Blakes. He operated independently until his death when his business was bought out by H.T. Percival, who had expanded his own operations by this time. Percy operated the Banham fleet separately from his own and called it Norfolk Holiday Boats.
This operation lasted for another decade when the business passed to Percy’s son, Tom, who discontinued the boat hire concerns to concentrate on a Brokerage based at the old Southgate’s Lower Street yard. That which is now the premises of the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company.
Bert Banham also owned a smaller (but not insubstantial) boat yard at Cambridge; where he began his career as a Motor Launch Builder in the years before the First World War. After Bert established his Horning yard, in the early 1920’s, his brother Harold, who was (a little confusingly) known as ‘Alf’ ran the Cambridge business. That yard continued until the early 1970’s when it was sold to Pye Marine; a subsidiary of the famous Radio manufacturers.
Given the reality of a Jonnatt’s boat yard it is surely acceptable to suppose that the other two yards, featured in the books, were also written with real people and places in mind? However there will need to be a greater measure of intuition and conjecture to bring these to life; because there is rather less evidence to go on. In Coot Club: The five Hullabaloos hired the ‘Margoletta’ and she was apparently from a firm by the name of “Rodley’s” at Wroxham
In the late 1930’s the largest hire fleet in Wroxham was that of Jack Powles. Arthur Ransome was a regular customer of this firm where he would hire their ‘Fairway’ yachts for his flotilla holidays, with friends, in ‘Fairways’ and ‘Whippets’; the latter from Ernest Collins & Sons. He also, at least once, hired a Powles’ Star class motor cruiser which might be described as a pocket Margoletta?
The Powles’ and the Collins’ premises on opposite banks of the River Bure at Wroxham, in the late 1930s.
Jack Powles had been the foreman to Alfred Collins. He had been made a partner of that business and took over the firm after Alfred retired. The company name was changed to that of Jack Powles & Co. in around 1935.
The Collins’ premises at Staitheway Road, Wroxham were founded by Robert Collins who had been apprenticed to the Wherry Builder, Samuel Press at Coltishall; as was, his eldest son, Ernest. When Robert died his sons, Ernest and Alfred, inherited the family firm but had different ideas on how to develop the business. Eventually the brothers separated the business and continued to trade on opposite sides of the river. Ernest remained at Wroxham and Alfred set up by Riverside Road, in Hoveton, where he built the yacht basin and the famous sheds which stood on the present site of the Hotel Wroxham.
Alfred was one of the pioneers in the development of motor cruisers; although, in 1930, he still did not feel that they would ever replace sailing yachts altogether. By 1935 the firm was trading as Jack Powles & Company Ltd. and their premium motor cruisers were the six berth ‘Foam’ class. It is this famous class that I would like to suggest was Ransome’s inspiration for Margoletta.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1935 © Blakes Holiday Boating 1968
The 1935 photo (above) shows ‘Flying Foam’ with a happy crew, also possibly hullabaloos, passing the old Ferry Inn at Horning. The later picture is the same class and looks even more Margoletta-ish, to me. In the television series ‘Swallows & Amazons For Ever’ the R. Moores’ cruiser ‘Craigmore’ was used as ‘Margoletta’ and she very closely resembles this class. You can find a picture of Craigmore on the River Ant page of this web-site. Below is her class sister Strathmore.
The least amount of evidence we have is for the identity of Mr Sonning of Potter Heigham who is spoken of, with a little reverence by Dr. Dudgeon when he explains to his son that Mr Sonning will not stand for any interference with his boats and is most likely to refer such matters to his solicitor who just happens to be the Dudgeon’s neighbour and father to the twins who are part of the Coot Club and friends to the main characters.
In the late 1930’s there was only one such force to be reckoned with at Potter Heigham. One of the most formidable and famous of all Broadland boat builders: Herbert Woods.
Again, Arthur Ransome had hired boats from Herbert Woods, a ‘Delight’ class motor cruiser for a fishing trip in 1933 and ‘Welcome’ a yacht from the Applegate fleet that also belonged to Woods. As his was such a significant figure in Potter Heigham it does seem most likely that it was Herbert whom the author had in mind when talking of a Mr. Sonning?
At the turn of the 19th Century the Schoolmaster and Yacht Designer, Frank Chambers founded the original Norfolk Broads Yachting Company. There were bases at Wroxham, which later became the site of Jack Powles & Co. Brundall, where Charles Broom later established his family firm and at Potter Heigham where the yard manager was one Walter Woods.
In 1912 Frank Chambers died and his businesses were sold off after the end of the 1st World War. Walter Woods bought the Potter Heigham yard, which was on the Repps side of the River Thurne, just by the famous bridge. Walter’s son Herbert Woods had served his time as a apprentice boat builder, with his father, before the Great War and when Walter formed his company ‘Walter Woods and Sons’ Herbert and his brother Walter (Jnr) joined him to assist in the running of the family firm.
Whilst working for his father Herbert commenced the building of a cabin cruiser in his own spare time. That cruiser was ‘Speed of Light’, the first of many “Light” cruisers and was launched in 1926. She was built for hire and could be boarded at Potter Heigham or, by arrangement, at Wroxham; possibly from the John Loynes establishment, as seen below?
Walter died in 1929 and left the business to his surviving children: Herbert, Walter and Peggy. Herbert was easily the more ambitious of Walter’s children and, with the aid of a business loan, he bought out their shares of the business. The Herbert Woods empire was born and his brother Walter, who had not served an apprenticeship, remained in the employment of Herbert, for the remainder of his working life, principally in charge of the ‘Lady’ yacht fleet.
Herbert Woods went on to establish one of the largest fleets on the Broads. He built, what some argue, was the first ever marina basin at Broads-Haven and he acquired the business of George Applegate Junior and various other ancillary businesses, like the Hotel and Bridge Stores, at Potter Heigham.
In Horning he bought the Southgate Brothers’ yard and went on to establish another yacht basin, known as Southgate’s Main Yard; just above the Swan Hotel. A new fleet was built for this firm, at Broads-Haven, based on established Herbert Woods’ designs.
Woods had financed his expansion ambitions by taking on investment partners and forming a Limited Company. Sadly, when he died suddenly, in 1954, he had no heir who could take on the business and it was run by its Board of Directors from then on. The company has had a succession of owners since his death but Herbert Woods’ name lives on at Potter Heigham to this day.
So there we have it. I offer that Arthur Ransome had in mind these three Broadland Master Boat Builders when writing the two Coot Club novels. Perhaps it is no coincidence that they are three of the four largest and most important firms of his day! The last, of which, being Leo Robinson’s at Oulton Broad.
That just leaves one last tantalising little question: Where did Mrs Barrable’s brother charter the ‘Teasel’?
There’s not much to go on and ‘Teasel’ is described as very much a typical generic Broads yacht; although her plan lacks the companionway and toilet, between the fore cabin and main cabin, which would be a typical feature on a four berth yacht. Therefore I am uncertain whether AR had a specific yacht in mind but I do believe that he used one as his model.
We are told that ‘Teasel’ was hired in Wroxham and there is a tiny clue in a barely relevant detail that AR leaves when Tom Dudgeon returns to Wroxham for a fresh battery. We are told that Tom lands by the Granary and passes the battery to a boat yard worker who takes it off in a punt.
Why would the author (who was always precise in the details of his stories) even bother to mention the fact that the man went off and returned in a punt unless he had a location on the other side of the river in mind? The fact that he did so gives us a clue that he was thinking of one of the two firms who hired out yachts from the Wroxham bank in the 1930’s.
Directly opposite the Granary was the famous John Loynes’ yard but that is right next to the bridge so why bother punting across? Further downstream, however, were the premises of Ernest Collins which were a long way around by road. Here a punt to cross to the Hoveton bank makes perfect sense. We know that Arthur Ransome was also associated with this firm; it was the source of the ‘Whippet’ yachts hired by members of his holiday flotillas. Ernest Collins also hired out the ‘Medina’ class yachts which would be a reasonably close match for Teasel. Could this be what AR had in mind?
I have seen it suggested that the Jack Powles’ ‘Fairway’ class yachts were the model for ‘Teasel’ (probably because Arthur and his friends used to hire them for group holidays) but they were of only three berths and not a good match for the plan Ransome drew of her. His plan of ‘Teasel’ is almost identical to that of ‘Medina’ and accommodates that issue that all Ransome fans will know of: He never mentions or even alludes to matters of er... “bathroom” arrangements in his stories despite the fact that they all take place out of doors. Unlike the majority of yachts of this size ‘Medina’ has no separate WC compartment and that, I believe, enabled him to use her plan almost directly. If you have a copy of Coot Club why not compare Ransome’s drawing of ‘Teasel’ with that of ‘Medina’ for yourself.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1939
A lovely crisp image of the River Waveney at Beccles Yacht Station from the Francis Frith collection of 1955. I was particularly taken with the image of ‘Elita’ in the foreground. She would have been one of the earliest craft to be book able through the James Hoseason organisation in the early 1950’s. At that time the firm also had a small fleet of their own based at Oulton Broad and many of their clients were based in the southern Broadland region.
This particular four berth cruiser was on hire from R.C. Harradine of Thorpe St Andrew and was, as far as I can tell, one of only two craft on hire from that owner. In fact I have no personal memory of this boat or her owner but their very obscurity made this a fascinating find.
The large cruiser passing by appears to be ‘Wayfarer’ one of the earlier examples from the fleet of R. Richardson (Pleasure Craft) Ltd. of Oulton Broad and, of course, latterly at Stalham.
An image of this same cruiser appeared in an early advert for the newly formed W. B. Hoseason, Norfolk Broads Holidays Company. This is from 'What to do on the Norfolk Broads' 1948 Edition.
Reproduced with permission from Jarrold & Sons Ltd
The Real Norfolk Boat-builders in Arthur Ransome’s: Coot Club and The Big Six?
This article is based upon one that I wrote recently for the Arthur Ransome Society and that, I hope, will also be of interest to visitors to this web-site. I am sure that many Broads lovers will have read the stories although they may not be members of the Arthur Ransome Society. The original article has been re-edited to be more self-explanatory and exclude any material such as illustrations or quotations that are copy-right to the Arthur Ransome Literary Estate; who unfortunately felt unable to grant permission for their use outside Society publications.
The two Arthur Ransome stories set in the Norfolk Broads differ from those set in The Lakes in that the locations are an almost entirely accurate representation of the region. In the stories at least three proprietors of boatyards are mentioned by name, albeit fictitious ones of course. All three are located in different Broadland villages but were they also based on real personalities and boatyards? Indeed, were the boats also described with actual craft in mind? I like to think the answer is yes to both questions!
For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the works of Arthur Ransome and his Swallows & Amazons stories I should explain that two of the books were set in the Norfolk Broads, based in Horning, and did not feature the Walker and Blackett (Swallows & Amazons) children. The links are Dick and Dorothea Callum, friends of the Walkers & Blacketts: who travel to Norfolk to stay with a family friend aboard her rented yacht the Teasel. They quickly become embroiled with local children when the Horning - Doctor’s son hides nearby after he feels forced to cast adrift the cruiser ‘Margoletta’ and her crew of obnoxious Hooray-Henrys we know as the Hullabaloos! Events take the children all around the Broads, pursued by the Hullabaloos, and culminate in the wrecking of the Margoletta on Breydon Water; through no fault of the hero’s - I should add! In the second book (The Big Six) mysterious enemies conspire to implicate the younger members of the Coot Club in a series of events involving the casting off of boats from their moorings and the Coots have to fight to clear their good names in the community.
There can be no doubt that the first boatyard to feature, in The Big Six, really did exist and is the most easily identified. That is “Jonnatt’s” boat yard, just by Horning Staithe; were the Coots used the sail loft window as their dentist’s to remove (the youngest Coot Club member) Pete’s much jiggled loose tooth by tying a brick to it and dropping the brick from the window! That location was clearly based on the firm of Herbert Charles Banham, whose company was in its heyday at the time, during the1930’s, that Arthur Ransome frequented the Broads and stayed at Horning to write the two books.
This picture is from the 1930’s and shows Horning Staithe just as it was at the time that the books were set and written. I think the atmosphere is just right and the boatsheds can be clearly seen. They are those grey buildings on the right of the view. At the Swan moorings is the Wherry Yacht ‘White Heather’ and sailing by is a White Boat (Y&B.O.D) similar to ‘Flash’ owned by Frank Farland the Solicitor in the stories.
H.C. Banham (always known as Bert) was one of the most important boat-builders in Horning, or indeed the entire Broads; between the Wars and up until his death, around 1960. He was amongst the pioneers of the motor cruisers which became popular in the late 1920’s and 1930’s; with the improved reliability of the petrol engine and which alleviated the need for a skipper to handle the sailing for unskilled holiday makers.
Arthur Ransome paints the picture of a sleepy Horning village and a quiet country boat yard with a few boats and a handful of men employed; that we have all come to love. Remember the lone cruiser at Horning Staithe, waiting to be hauled into Jonatt’s sheds for the winter? In fact, at the time of his stories, Banham’s yard had one of the largest fleets on the Broads. He was a founder member of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Yacht Owners’ Association (incorrectly but better known to most of us as Blake’s) and, in the late 1930’s, he had a hire fleet of around 20 Yachts and 35 Motor Cruisers, plus a couple of Houseboats.
During the Second World War boat movement on the Broads was banned and the Holiday trade was mothballed. Many craft were commandeered and anchored out on the Broads, for the duration, to prevent enemy seaplanes from landing. Nevertheless, boatbuilding was a reserved occupation and Bert Banham worked closely with his near neighbour H.T. Percival (who was known as Percy and had a smaller fleet based at his yard, a little downstream from Bert’s) sharing staff and facilities to build military craft (such as Motor Torpedo Boats and Air-Sea Rescue Launches) for the War effort.
Towards the end of the war things began to return to normal, on the Broads. Bert continued to modernise his fleet but did not renew his association with Blakes. He operated independently until his death when his business was bought out by H.T. Percival, who had expanded his own operations by this time. Percy operated the Banham fleet separately from his own and called it Norfolk Holiday Boats.
This operation lasted for another decade when the business passed to Percy’s son, Tom, who discontinued the boat hire concerns to concentrate on a Brokerage based at the old Southgate’s Lower Street yard. That which is now the premises of the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company.
Bert Banham also owned a smaller (but not insubstantial) boat yard at Cambridge; where he began his career as a Motor Launch Builder in the years before the First World War. After Bert established his Horning yard, in the early 1920’s, his brother Harold, who was (a little confusingly) known as ‘Alf’ ran the Cambridge business. That yard continued until the early 1970’s when it was sold to Pye Marine; a subsidiary of the famous Radio manufacturers.
Given the reality of a Jonnatt’s boat yard it is surely acceptable to suppose that the other two yards, featured in the books, were also written with real people and places in mind? However there will need to be a greater measure of intuition and conjecture to bring these to life; because there is rather less evidence to go on. In Coot Club: The five Hullabaloos hired the ‘Margoletta’ and she was apparently from a firm by the name of “Rodley’s” at Wroxham
In the late 1930’s the largest hire fleet in Wroxham was that of Jack Powles. Arthur Ransome was a regular customer of this firm where he would hire their ‘Fairway’ yachts for his flotilla holidays, with friends, in ‘Fairways’ and ‘Whippets’; the latter from Ernest Collins & Sons. He also, at least once, hired a Powles’ Star class motor cruiser which might be described as a pocket Margoletta?
The Powles’ and the Collins’ premises on opposite banks of the River Bure at Wroxham, in the late 1930s.
Jack Powles had been the foreman to Alfred Collins. He had been made a partner of that business and took over the firm after Alfred retired. The company name was changed to that of Jack Powles & Co. in around 1935.
The Collins’ premises at Staitheway Road, Wroxham were founded by Robert Collins who had been apprenticed to the Wherry Builder, Samuel Press at Coltishall; as was, his eldest son, Ernest. When Robert died his sons, Ernest and Alfred, inherited the family firm but had different ideas on how to develop the business. Eventually the brothers separated the business and continued to trade on opposite sides of the river. Ernest remained at Wroxham and Alfred set up by Riverside Road, in Hoveton, where he built the yacht basin and the famous sheds which stood on the present site of the Hotel Wroxham.
Alfred was one of the pioneers in the development of motor cruisers; although, in 1930, he still did not feel that they would ever replace sailing yachts altogether. By 1935 the firm was trading as Jack Powles & Company Ltd. and their premium motor cruisers were the six berth ‘Foam’ class. It is this famous class that I would like to suggest was Ransome’s inspiration for Margoletta.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1935 © Blakes Holiday Boating 1968
The 1935 photo (above) shows ‘Flying Foam’ with a happy crew, also possibly hullabaloos, passing the old Ferry Inn at Horning. The later picture is the same class and looks even more Margoletta-ish, to me. In the television series ‘Swallows & Amazons For Ever’ the R. Moores’ cruiser ‘Craigmore’ was used as ‘Margoletta’ and she very closely resembles this class. You can find a picture of Craigmore on the River Ant page of this web-site. Below is her class sister Strathmore.
The least amount of evidence we have is for the identity of Mr Sonning of Potter Heigham who is spoken of, with a little reverence by Dr. Dudgeon when he explains to his son that Mr Sonning will not stand for any interference with his boats and is most likely to refer such matters to his solicitor who just happens to be the Dudgeon’s neighbour and father to the twins who are part of the Coot Club and friends to the main characters.
In the late 1930’s there was only one such force to be reckoned with at Potter Heigham. One of the most formidable and famous of all Broadland boat builders: Herbert Woods.
Again, Arthur Ransome had hired boats from Herbert Woods, a ‘Delight’ class motor cruiser for a fishing trip in 1933 and ‘Welcome’ a yacht from the Applegate fleet that also belonged to Woods. As his was such a significant figure in Potter Heigham it does seem most likely that it was Herbert whom the author had in mind when talking of a Mr. Sonning?
At the turn of the 19th Century the Schoolmaster and Yacht Designer, Frank Chambers founded the original Norfolk Broads Yachting Company. There were bases at Wroxham, which later became the site of Jack Powles & Co. Brundall, where Charles Broom later established his family firm and at Potter Heigham where the yard manager was one Walter Woods.
In 1912 Frank Chambers died and his businesses were sold off after the end of the 1st World War. Walter Woods bought the Potter Heigham yard, which was on the Repps side of the River Thurne, just by the famous bridge. Walter’s son Herbert Woods had served his time as a apprentice boat builder, with his father, before the Great War and when Walter formed his company ‘Walter Woods and Sons’ Herbert and his brother Walter (Jnr) joined him to assist in the running of the family firm.
Whilst working for his father Herbert commenced the building of a cabin cruiser in his own spare time. That cruiser was ‘Speed of Light’, the first of many “Light” cruisers and was launched in 1926. She was built for hire and could be boarded at Potter Heigham or, by arrangement, at Wroxham; possibly from the John Loynes establishment, as seen below?
Walter died in 1929 and left the business to his surviving children: Herbert, Walter and Peggy. Herbert was easily the more ambitious of Walter’s children and, with the aid of a business loan, he bought out their shares of the business. The Herbert Woods empire was born and his brother Walter, who had not served an apprenticeship, remained in the employment of Herbert, for the remainder of his working life, principally in charge of the ‘Lady’ yacht fleet.
Herbert Woods went on to establish one of the largest fleets on the Broads. He built, what some argue, was the first ever marina basin at Broads-Haven and he acquired the business of George Applegate Junior and various other ancillary businesses, like the Hotel and Bridge Stores, at Potter Heigham.
In Horning he bought the Southgate Brothers’ yard and went on to establish another yacht basin, known as Southgate’s Main Yard; just above the Swan Hotel. A new fleet was built for this firm, at Broads-Haven, based on established Herbert Woods’ designs.
Woods had financed his expansion ambitions by taking on investment partners and forming a Limited Company. Sadly, when he died suddenly, in 1954, he had no heir who could take on the business and it was run by its Board of Directors from then on. The company has had a succession of owners since his death but Herbert Woods’ name lives on at Potter Heigham to this day.
So there we have it. I offer that Arthur Ransome had in mind these three Broadland Master Boat Builders when writing the two Coot Club novels. Perhaps it is no coincidence that they are three of the four largest and most important firms of his day! The last, of which, being Leo Robinson’s at Oulton Broad.
That just leaves one last tantalising little question: Where did Mrs Barrable’s brother charter the ‘Teasel’?
There’s not much to go on and ‘Teasel’ is described as very much a typical generic Broads yacht; although her plan lacks the companionway and toilet, between the fore cabin and main cabin, which would be a typical feature on a four berth yacht. Therefore I am uncertain whether AR had a specific yacht in mind but I do believe that he used one as his model.
We are told that ‘Teasel’ was hired in Wroxham and there is a tiny clue in a barely relevant detail that AR leaves when Tom Dudgeon returns to Wroxham for a fresh battery. We are told that Tom lands by the Granary and passes the battery to a boat yard worker who takes it off in a punt.
Why would the author (who was always precise in the details of his stories) even bother to mention the fact that the man went off and returned in a punt unless he had a location on the other side of the river in mind? The fact that he did so gives us a clue that he was thinking of one of the two firms who hired out yachts from the Wroxham bank in the 1930’s.
Directly opposite the Granary was the famous John Loynes’ yard but that is right next to the bridge so why bother punting across? Further downstream, however, were the premises of Ernest Collins which were a long way around by road. Here a punt to cross to the Hoveton bank makes perfect sense. We know that Arthur Ransome was also associated with this firm; it was the source of the ‘Whippet’ yachts hired by members of his holiday flotillas. Ernest Collins also hired out the ‘Medina’ class yachts which would be a reasonably close match for Teasel. Could this be what AR had in mind?
I have seen it suggested that the Jack Powles’ ‘Fairway’ class yachts were the model for ‘Teasel’ (probably because Arthur and his friends used to hire them for group holidays) but they were of only three berths and not a good match for the plan Ransome drew of her. His plan of ‘Teasel’ is almost identical to that of ‘Medina’ and accommodates that issue that all Ransome fans will know of: He never mentions or even alludes to matters of er... “bathroom” arrangements in his stories despite the fact that they all take place out of doors. Unlike the majority of yachts of this size ‘Medina’ has no separate WC compartment and that, I believe, enabled him to use her plan almost directly. If you have a copy of Coot Club why not compare Ransome’s drawing of ‘Teasel’ with that of ‘Medina’ for yourself.
© Blakes Holiday Boating 1939
The content of this article is to a necessary extent conjectoral and is based on the author's opinion and Arthur Ransome's known attention to detail. If you have other opinions or assertions please don't hesitate to get in touch and discuss them with me.
