Broads Holidays

Holidays taken on the Norfolk Broads by Barry Faulks and his family and friends 1946-1951, and other holiday scenes on the Broads to 1966.

Part 1. This covers holidays taken during the years 1946 - 1951. It shows Barry Faulks with several of his friends and family on a number of holidays. He begins by taking sailing holidays and then discovers motor cruisers and houseboats. The first part shows several scenes of sailing boats and motor cruisers on the broads, mainly on the Rivers Ant and Bure and on Horsey Mere. In 1946 there are general scenes of the friends sailing and film of other sailing boats. There is a passing shot of St. Benet's Abbey on the River Bure. Several ruined windmills are passed. At Malthouse Broad the Malthouse Public House can be seen. There are high angle shots of fields and of broads possibly taken from the tower of St. Helens Church, Ranworth. There are general river scenes from 1947. The films from 1948 show Wroxham as well as river scenes. Janet swims in the river in 1949. Thurne Mill is filmed in 1950. In 1951, Barry Faulks' father is filmed sailing at Horning. H.C. Banham's boatyard can be seen in the background. (14 mins 21 secs.) Part 2. Covers holidays taken during the years 1957 and 1960. This section of the film is more of a travelogue than the first part, concentrating on the villages and building of the Broads. Many of the shots are taken from a moving boat. The opening scenes show their car and sailing boats on the river. The film of Horstead Mill shows the mill and the village from the river. There are scenes of the sailing at Barton Regatta. Hunset Mill is also filmed from a moving boat. There are river scenes from the Upper Ant near Honing. these show a swan following the boat and there is a shot of Tonnage Bridge as the boat moves away.In 1958 there is a shot of a man checking over the boat and then scenes taken looking back from the boat of the white dead reeds at Hickling Broad. A shot of Potter Heigham from 1959 and river scenes from thereabouts. At Ranworth both the Church and its vicar and his wife are filmed, followed by the boats and further river scenes at Ranworth Quay. The film-maker shows his bungalow and launch at Potter Heigham and shows a house boat on the river. The film records local, everyday scenes in Ludham. This shows St. Catherine's Church and shops in the village as well as lanes and houses. The villagers go about their daily business. The is a shot of the Seaman's hospital at Yarmouth, of the yacht station and of Breydon Bridge. The harbour at Lowestoft features and then the film moves back into the Broads showing Hickling, Sutton Staithe, Stalham Hall and the Knox's. After further country scenes there are shots taken at Thorpe St. Andrew, showing the Church and the river. A goods train passes over the railway bridge. There are shots of the Reedham Ferry and of the Staithe at Reedham shot from the river. There is a shot of the Berney Arms Mill, also shot from the river and then of the yacht station at St. Olaves. Beccles is shot from the river with St. Michael's Church looming over the town. (14 mins 42 secs.) Part 3, covering the years 1961 - 1963, begins with a brief shot of Wroxham Broad and then shots of Salhouse Broad shot from a moving boat. These shots show various types of river craft and an old mill. At Stokesby, a long shot from the boat shows shots of the village including the Ferry Inn and St. Andrew's Church. There are river scenes at Womack and then along the river Ant to Wayford Bridge. There are further scenes of Horning from the river and then of sailing at Barton Broad. After exploring an old boat found at Catfield, the film maker offers shots of Honing lock and of Thurne Mill. Boats are filmed moored at Hickling Staithe and there is a shot of the Pleasure Boat Inn. At Horsey, the film maker meets Mr. Dove of Horsey Mill. In October 1963 there is a brief shot of Wymondham abbey. At Hickling, the film makers meet the artist Roland Green. The sailing boat 'Hustler' is filmed. A fairly long sequence shows the Forsyth family aboard the boat. There is a shot of the film maker moored at Catfield Woods End and a brief shot of the two churches of St. Mary and St. Lawrence at South Walsham. This is followed by river scenes showing mainly motor cruisers. There are shots of Geldeston and of the Railway Bridge at Somerleyton, followed by Cantley Beet Factory. (The rest of the section is untitled and the film quality is poor. Shots may include Coldham Hall, Oulton Broad and Reedham). (14 mins 57 secs.) Part 4. This is untitled and covers 1966. There are general river and sailing scenes at Horning, showing the Staithe and St. Benedict's Church, Horning. After further river scenes there is a shot of Horsey windmill and aerial shot of the area taken from the mill. The camera pans a broad after further river scenes. These show Grebe and fishermen. Other broads scenes show Thurne Mill, a pleasure boat and swans. There is a sequence shot in Norwich. This shows Augustine Steward's House, Elm Hill, Norwich Cathedral, Pulls Ferry and the yacht station. There are further river scenes including interior and exterior shots of a bungalow. Blue tits feed in the garden. The film ends with further river scenes. (16 mins 24 secs.)

Featured Buildings

Berney Arms Mill; Pleasure Boat Inn, Hickling Staithe; Breydon Bridge, Yarmouth; Seaman's Hospital, Yarmouth; British Sugar Beet Factory, Cantley; Stalham Hall; Ferry Inn, Stokesby; St. Benet's Abbey; Honing Lock; St. Helens Church, Ranworth; St. Benedict's Church, Horning; St. Lawrence's Church, South Walsham; Horsey Mill St. Mary's Church, South Walsham; Horstead Mill; St. Michael's Church, Beccles; Hunset Mill; St. Andrew's Church, Stokesby; St. Catherine's Church, Ludham; Thorpe St. Andrew Church; Malthouse Public House, Thurne Mill; Norwich Cathedral; Tonnage Bridge; Augustine Steward's House, Norwich; Wymondham Abbey ; Pulls Ferry, Norwich

Keywords

Holidays; Sailing

Intertitles

Part 1.1946. 'Golden Dawn' with...Brenda, Joan and John. 2nd week. John + Barry on 'Clipper III'. 1947. With Neville on 'Clipper'. 1948. A rainy first fortnight. Weekend in August with the Soutars on 'Prairie Star'.Yet again in 1948 - an Oct. week with Neville on...A MOTOR CRUISER!!! 'Sangster' - our first betrayal of sail!! 1949. With Janet on 'Hustler'. 1950. With Janet on 'Sheerline'. Our second stray from sail!! 1951. What next, a houseboat?? Yes. 'Sunny Days' for a week...With father followed by 'Sheerline' for the next week with Janet.Part Two.On 'Gay Lady' with HNM - In Colour. Horstead Mill. Barton Regatta. Hunset Mill - An artist's dream. The Upper Ant near Honing.Tonnage Bridge.1958 Broads. A march weekend with Peter on Sheerline. Scotty looks her over. Hickling and white dead reeds. Potter Heigham. 1959. Lovely May week. St Helens, Ranworth. Rev. & Mrs. Everard.At Ranworth Quay. My bungalow at Potter Heigham.-and launch. A flat afloat. Broads Holidays. Some local Ludham Scenes. Yarmouth - The seaman's Hospital. Yarmouth - The Yacht Station. Breydon Swingbridge. A day at Lowestoft Harbour. Hickling. En route to Stalham. Sutton Staithe. The Knoxs. Country Scenes.1960. A weekend in Oct. on 'Gay Musketeers 3.2 Thorpe.Reedham Ferry.The last of such ferries in Norfolk. Reedham. Berney Arms & Mill - a National Trust Property.St. Olaves. Beccles and Geldeston.End of part two.Broads Holidays Part 3.1961. Another October weekend - on 'August Dawn'. Salhouse - Then on to Horning and South Walsham Broad. Stokesby - Ferry Inn and Old Church - also a heron. Womack - then on to Wayford Bridge & above. Horning again and a peep at Wroxham Rac(?) May 1962 - with 'pop' on 'October Dawn'. Barton Racing. A very old boat - maybe 100 years. Honing Lock. Thurne. Hickling Staithe.Horsey - and a visit from Mr. Dove, the famous milkman. October 1963 ---- On 'August Dawn' again with Janet - her first visit for 12 years. En route to the broads we pause at Wymondham. At Hickling we have a reunion with Roland Green. Cat and swan. Hustler. Major Forsythe & family join us for an afternoon cruise. An unspoilt spot - Catfield Woods End. South Walsham's two churches.

Other Places

Barton; Honing; Potter Heigham; St. Olaves; Beccles; Horning; Ranworth; Sutton Staithe; Cantley; Horsey Mere; Reedham; Thorpe St. Andrew; Catfield Woods End; Horstead; Salhouse Broad; Wayford Bridge; Geldeston; Lowestoft; Somerleyton; Womack; Hickling; Ludham; South Walsham; Wroxham; Hickling Broad; Malthouse Broad; Stalham; Wymondham; Hickling Staithe; Norwich; Stokesby; Great Yarmouth

Background Information

Horsey Wind pump was struck by lightning in 1943. It was purchased by the National Trust in 1948 and restored. The Berney Arms Windmill is not a National Trust Property. The twin Churches at South Walsham are St. Mary's (complete) and St. Lawrence's (ruined). The latter originally had a thatched roof and burned down during the 19th century.