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 […]
Boatyards
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 […]
Broads heritage – Hunter’s Yard history. Early days (1940s-1980s)
The water was very clean at one point because there were very few motor cruisers. At one time you could see all the water lilies growing and you could see the bottom in places. But once the motor cruiser started going up and down the river they churned the water up and then that got […]
Changing times at Cox’s boatyard (1970s-2018)
Eric talks about his life with boats and the history of Cox’s boatyard on Barton Broad, Norfolk In my early life my father was a great sailor. He used to sail a lot of the little dinghies around the Broads with his brother and then he taught me how to sail in the good old […]
Innovation in boat building (1960s-2019)
Alan, proprietor of Goodchild Marine, had early ambitions to run his own business. He speaks with WISEArchive about the work and thinking behind the business, and also covers the development of a boat, creating innovations, and his approach to remaining competitive. Starting out I grew up Great Yarmouth and Caister-on-Sea, and went to school in […]
Ludham Bridge to the Museum of the Broads (1960s-2019)
Robert is a founder of the Museum of the Broads in Stalham, Norfolk. The museum is perhaps one of the Broads’ best kept secrets, but a lot of effort is going into marketing to extend the reach of this resource. Robert’s family ran businesses at Ludham Bridge, with chandlery, swap shop and a boatyard, doing […]
Sailing holidays on the Norfolk Broads. Keeping tradition alive at Hunter’s Yard (1909-2018)
Philip’s family has a long connection to Norfolk. Philip tells of his involvement with Friends of The Hunter Fleet and volunteering at Hunter’s Yard. I grew up in south west Hertfordshire but my family have had a long connection with Norfolk over many decades. My father’s first holiday on the Broads was in 1908 and […]
Ships great and small (1870s-2018)
Thelma’s family has a strong connection to the boatbuilding industry, including the building of wherries. One particular wherry dear to her heart is the wherry Maud. My grandfather William Henry Hall, a lively lad, his working life My grandfather was called William Henry Hall and he was born in Reedham in Norfolk in 1877. He […]
The story of Bee’s Boats, Brundall (1950s-2018)
When Trevor was young he wanted to be a boat builder but living in the middle of Norwich there was no opportunity to get to a boatyard. However, when his family left the pub business they moved out to Brundall and established Bee’s Boats. I was born 72 years ago on the Catton Grove estate, […]