Report on the Broads Green Boat Show 2010The 2010 Green Boat Show was due to be the biggest yet. In our fifth year we have quite a following with repeat visitors arriving in good time to make the most of what the show had to offer. The day dawned to a windy start with light drizzle which came and went and then really came just as we were packing up, although this was not an issue for the Hunter's Fleet stalwarts who holed up aboard Lucent, dinner on the stove and a handy glass of brandy warming from within. I could not refuse their kind offer. Back to the day in question: whilst keeping all the fundamental values that the Silent Sensation had started with twenty years ago, the fifth Broads Green Boat Show was starting to expand in order to include local produce and children's entertainment, providing a fun and enlightening day for all the family. At intervals throughout the day the excellent Nutmeg Puppets performed 'Pip's Wildlife Garden' encouraging children (and adults too!) to think about homegrown vegetables and where their food comes from. Norfolk Treasure Trails provided a bespoke trail for the Show, taking children on a journey around the Broad via different checkpoints and stands. The show was kindly opened by Adrian Ramsey of the Green Party and the opening ceremony was followed by a Green Boat Procession where exhibiting boats took to the water displaying their eco-friendly propulsion in a trip around Salhouse Broad. Various companies were offering taster trips on their boats: Hunter's Fleet took participants out on Sundew, The Helen of Ranworth silently drifted around the Broad, those wishing to flex their muscles were able to try out canoes with the Broads Canoe Hire Association, the Nancy Oldfield Trust took people out on their electric and disabled access boat The White Admiral. One of the first Broads yachts converted to electric propulsion, The George Thetford, was open to visitors as was the Broads Authority’s Charles Collier. These however were not the only ways to get out on the water in a cleaner and greener way. The Green Boat Show was also running an Electric Water Taxi service from Granary Staithe in Hoveton. Using large electric day boats provided by Broads Tours, a service running every 45 minutes offered a reasonably priced return boat trip (including entry to the show) down the River Bure with qualified skippers provided by the Broads Authority’s Auxiliary Navigation Ranger team. In our local produce tent Blofield Farm Shop were offering tastings of their own sausages and there were also apple samplings from the Apple and Pear People. The Vendablenda Smoothie Maker, an invigorating way of making your own smoothie by pedalling a bicycle, was available for trial. The cycle was connected to the blender via ingenious technology, and showed the amount of energy used to make a splendid and refreshing smoothie - much needed after a brisk pedal. The main marquee hosted a variety of stalls: Blastgreen exhibited a novel way of antifoul removal and containment. Broadland Cycle Hire, BeWILDerwood, Three Rivers Way, North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust, Broads Spirituality, and Wroxham Barns were all displaying their wares. Out on the hill (and in the drizzle) were a variety of charity stands and businesses: RNLI, RSPB, The Brushman, The Canoe Man, The Broads Authority, The Electric Boat Association and Pb Batteries. Most importantly: the food. Again this year we were ably fed and watered by Broad House Hotel and Salhouse Bell. The Norfolk Dixieland Street Band provided a suitable musical accompaniment to the day. ********************************************** On behalf of the Green Boat Show Organisational Team, I would like to thank all the exhibitors who braved the miserable weather, to all the visitors who likewise came out on a day that was more suited to a hot chocolate, a warm duvet and a good book and to the volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly. Finally, I would like to thank Mr H. G. Cator OBE, DL for kindly donating the land for the show and surrounding fields for parking. Tobi Baker, Salhouse Broad Countryside Ranger The 2011 Broads Green Boat Show will be held on Sunday 25th September. For those interested in exhibiting please fill out the form on the Exhibitor Information page, or contact Tobi Baker by email or phone: Exhibitors 2010AB Sailing CanoesAnglia Boatbuilders Association Bike Hire Association Blastgreen Blofield Farm Shop Boathouse Broad House Hotel Broadland District Council The Broads Canoe Hire Association The Canal Shop The Canoe Man Effective Initiatives The Electric Boat Association (EBA) promotes electric boating throughout the UK and is represented at discussions involving legislation for inland waterways. The EBA is the voice for electric boat owners’ interests with the inland waterway authorities and government regarding such issues as increased charging facilities, reduced licence fees and the Boat Safety Scheme. Fayre Maiden Green East The Green Party Green Story Telling Hunter's Yard Kernowrat N J Cross Norfolk Dixieland Street Band North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust Nutmeg Puppet People Pat Southwood - Potter Patterson Boatworks Pb BatteriesPb Batteries is a long and established company supplying batteries for electric boats. With a friendly and knowledgeable team willing to answer any questions you may have regarding your existing boat or perhaps thing of going electric for the first time. Royal National Lifeboat Institution Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Seal and Bird Rescue Trust The Three Rivers Way Association Torqeedo Electric Outboard Motors Treasure Trails Norfolk Return to the home page of The Green Boat Show. |