Twenty years ago we went to Norfolk for a holiday. I absolutely hated it; there was nothing whatever to do; the scenery was awful; the cottage was incredibly uncomfortable; we had to pay to park on a piece of mud, and although the holiday was free I still felt that we had been overcharged. With the benefit of hindsight I can't help feeling that I might have over-reacted somewhat - possibly owing to the fact that I was seven months pregnant and could neither drink in the pubs nor walk in the countryside. However, I have never contemplated the idea of returning to Norfolk until this year.
When I was a lot younger I loved canal holidays, and now that we are able to go out of season it seemed like the perfect idea, until we discovered how outrageously expensive narrow boats are! Broads' holidays, on the other hand, were within our price range. So we put our prejudices aside and booked ourselves up to return to the outpost of the United Kingdom that is East Anglia. September has been a perfect month, but we were going in October - still I bought a five litre box of red wine and hoped for the best.
When we arrived in Acle and saw our trusty ship we immediately saw why the holiday was so reasonably priced. Although the boat was clean and tidy and perfectly serviceable, it is fair to say that it was furnished in seventies chic
When I was a lot younger I loved canal holidays, and now that we are able to go out of season it seemed like the perfect idea, until we discovered how outrageously expensive narrow boats are! Broads' holidays, on the other hand, were within our price range. So we put our prejudices aside and booked ourselves up to return to the outpost of the United Kingdom that is East Anglia. September has been a perfect month, but we were going in October - still I bought a five litre box of red wine and hoped for the best.
When we arrived in Acle and saw our trusty ship we immediately saw why the holiday was so reasonably priced. Although the boat was clean and tidy and perfectly serviceable, it is fair to say that it was furnished in seventies chic
Added to that the Golden Bridge had the shape and manoeuvrability of the Gosport Ferry, and so you can guess that although we had had no experience of boating for over twenty five years we weren't actually that worried about causing any damage - to our boat anyway.
When you go on a boating holiday you get approximately twenty minutes tuition whether you need it or not and then you are on your own. Our guide explained how to start, stop, moor and recommended some places to go. I don't think my conversational powers were at their height - I actually asked him if there were any nice pubs on the Broads. He treated that question with the contempt it deserved, said goodbye and pushed us off.
Now, Norfolk does have its own unique ambience. It is extremely flat, and that is disconcerting even for someone who lives in Southampton which is not exactly the mountainous capital of England. This means the landscape is made up of loads and loads of sky, and it is very scenic when you get used to it.
When you go on a boating holiday you get approximately twenty minutes tuition whether you need it or not and then you are on your own. Our guide explained how to start, stop, moor and recommended some places to go. I don't think my conversational powers were at their height - I actually asked him if there were any nice pubs on the Broads. He treated that question with the contempt it deserved, said goodbye and pushed us off.
Now, Norfolk does have its own unique ambience. It is extremely flat, and that is disconcerting even for someone who lives in Southampton which is not exactly the mountainous capital of England. This means the landscape is made up of loads and loads of sky, and it is very scenic when you get used to it.
A typical day on the boat could be compared to being in the British Army - periods of relative tranquillity interspersed with moments of abject terror as we approached the mooring moment. Once we had moored up we had to recover in the pub, and that's where the beer and baguettes came into their own
Even though we were never more than a mile away from what passes for civilisation in Norfolk, when we were on the water it was incredibly peaceful but also strangely exciting. I had brought knitting and reading to do, but while we were travelling I didn't want to do anything except look out over the water. We were rewarded by views of herons, kingfishers and otters, as well as so many ducks, swans, cormorants and geese that they were too common to be commented on. They take the business of looking after ducks seriously in Norfolk.
By the end of the holiday we had just got the hang of stopping, starting, turning and mooring. We also were free with our criticism of those other holidaymakers who dared to go at six miles per hour - that is an outrageous speed. We had the last laugh as our careful use of fuel earned us a £100 refund. So I won't wait another twenty years before I return