Philip had many jobs through his life. His passion has been restoring a 1897 wooden steamboat, Banjo, which he runs on the Broads. Banjo has connections with the Colman family. I was born in Norwich in 1939. Shortly afterwards we moved from Poringland to Ruskington in Lincolnshire as my father was at RAF Cranwell; strangely […]
Water
A boatbuilding family. Growing up on the Broads (1900s-1980s)
Rex is a member of a Norfolk Broads boatbuilding family and he spent his working life in the boatbuilding industry on the Broads. My grandfather was Ernest Woods, who originated in Yarmouth, but then he went to Cantley where he had a small boatyard. In 1908 he designed and built the Yare and Bure One […]
A life on the Broads with boats and mills (1953-2017)
Paul has spent most of his working life working on the Broads, building and fitting out boats, including working on world speed record holding boats. He has also had a long interest in the restoration of the mills of the Broads, which led to him owning a local mill and helping restore and repair several […]
A life on the waves: barges and coasters (1960-2019)
Robin worked on cargo-carrying coastal barges in the 1960s and 70s. Later he became a River Inspector for the Broads Authority. Early life I was born in Chingford but grew up in Walthamstow. Every summer my two aunts took me on holiday to Gorleston, for two weeks. That’s when I first got interested in the […]
A life’s trickle with the water (1953-2019)
Kim was born in Potter Heigham and has grown up on the Broads. Many generations of his family going back to the 1700s have lived and worked on the Broads. He has worked on wherries with his father, picked fruit with his grandmother and transported the Caen stone on the wherry Albion into Norwich during […]
A long career in boatbuilding (1960s-2019)
Peter has had an interest in boats from a young age. He has worked in the boat building and restoration business for many years working on many different types of boats. Early days in Norwich and two weeks holiday a year We lived in Norwich just off Riverside Road, right close to the river. I […]
A water way of life (1967-2016)
Chris became river manager in the 1970s. He talks about working on the waterways and how things have changed over the years. When I was eight years old, my parents wanted to get away from the bombing over London and so moved to near Reading, quite near to the Thames and I used to spend […]
Boats, mills and marshes (1960-2017)
David was born and brought up on the Broads and worked for the yacht and hire fleets. His passion for windpumps led him to team up with Paul Reynolds to restore Mutton’s Mill, a labour of love for 40 years. I was born in this house in December 1943. I went to Acle Village Primary until […]
Bridge Master and Norfolk Broads River Inspector (1957-2006)
Gerry’s early working life in the Royal Navy and his second career as a river inspector were bridged by his post as master of Carrow Bridge in Norwich. In 1981 Gerry was awarded the British Empire medal by Her Majesty the Queen. I was brought up in Norwich and went to the City of Norwich […]
Broads heritage – working at Hunter’s Yard today (1981-2019)
Ian has spent most of his working life at Hunter’s Yard building, maintaining and repairing wooden sailing boats, for hire, using traditional skills and craftsmanship. I grew up in Ludham and went to school in the village and then at Stalham. I was sixteen when I left school, did engineering for one year at college […]