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 […]
Waterways
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 […]
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 […]
Keeping the waterways clear (1960s-2018)
Vic tells us about his working life on the water, and that his most satisfying and enjoyable times were spent on the dredger. He has a collection of objects found when dredging the rivers and broads. My first job was at Boulton & Paul’s on the riveting floors, they made steel girders and all things […]
Mariner, river inspector and after (1965-2008)
Mark worked as a River Inspector for the Port and Haven Commissioners and the Broads Authority. He talks about the day-to-day life on the river. Life before the Broads Authority I was one of those children who managed to leave school at the age of 14 because my birthday was in the summer holidays. But […]
Memories of a river man (1977-2017)
After travelling the world with the Merchant Navy Tony started to work as a river inspector on the Norfolk Broads. He talks about his long and varied career. Since the age of 13 I knew that I wanted to go to sea; I’m an only child and grew up in a Council house and I […]
Nature in the raw (1950s-2018)
A love of water and a fascination with rivers joining communities inspired Geoff to set up the River Waveney Trust in 2012. I was born in December 1945 after the war had ended and I was actually born in Wisbech so technically I’m a yellow belly. But that was only a temporary hiccup for my […]
Sailor, farmer, river inspector (1939-1980s)
Tim talks to us about being a sailor in World War Two, a farmer in Suffolk and becoming a river inspector on the Yare and the Waveney in 1962. My father worked as a clerk for a firm in the London Stock Exchange and when I was about 13, he asked me if I’d like […]
Sparkes on wherries (1951-2019)
Mike grew up by the river in Trowse near Norwich and played on the Whitlingham marshes. His great grandfather was a skipper on the old tar wherries working out of Norwich and his four times great grandfather the master boatbuilder Stephen Field. As archivist for the Norfolk Wherry Trust he tells about the history of […]