The Broads Green Boat Show 2011
This year, we were trying to focus on the roots of the show with a variety of ‘green’ boats for people to view and to take trips on. In total, there were about a dozen boats ranging from Hunter’s Yard’s Lustre and Rebel Reveller to the Fair Princess, a hybrid diesel electric hire cruiser from Norfolk Broads Direct. David Williams was again present with his Mock Turtle and pedal boat (I finally managed to have a go in this after 5 years, and it was great fun!), as well as privately owned electric converted sailing boats: George Thetford, Blue Marlin and Demoiselle. The Broads Authority’s Charles Collier, an electric-diesel Navigation Ranger’s launch was demonstrating her fine engine, whilst the Damselfly courtesy of The Norfolk Wildlife Trust was busy all day running trips around Salhouse Broad.
Sailing trips with Hunter’s Yard were also popular with over 70 people booking onto the Rebel Reveller throughout the course of the day. At 2.15pm, all the boats took to the water for a ‘green boat procession’, completing several laps of the Broad before returning to the quay heading. With marquee and gazebos erected on Saturday afternoon, we had our first exhibiting arrivals appearing on site at 7.30am, getting ready for the gates to open at 10am. For our 2011 show we were encouraging visitors to think about how they arrived at Salhouse Broad for the show.
Those arriving by car were asked to pay £2.50 each (compared to the £1 fee for arrival by other forms of transport), as well as a £2 car park charge. In this way, overall entrance was cheaper if more people arrived in one car promoting car sharing. Entrance for children under 12 remained free, lots on offer for them to do. Once again the Electric Water Taxi with electric day boats from Broads Tours, manned by volunteers from the Broads Authority, shuttled back and forth carrying passengers for £7- a great value way of seeing a lovely stretch of the river Bure and gaining entrance to a wonderful show!
Despite the focus on boats, there was a whole lot more to this show than water based exhibitors: Robert Paul (Boathouse, Ludham) was selling a variety of boating accessories as well as electric outboards, Stafish Installations were exhibiting solar PV systems, Ecover and Delphis Eco were providing deals and samples of ecological cleaning products (perfect for boaters whose effluent from sinks runs straight into the rivers), present also were Pb Batteries with their industrial marine batteries and chargers. I I Refreshments were provided by the Salhouse Bell: fine burgers and chunky vegetable soup, Ole Slewfoot Brewery with a selection of real ales and Express Coffee Cars supplying fair-trade drinks from their Smart coffee car. The Vendablenda Bike powered smoothie maker created over 40 smoothies for willing pedalling enthusiasts. We recognise that a show like ours can quite easily become a technical show, purely exhibiting companies with solar panels, electric engines etc. However, our aim is to promote ‘green thinking’ in all areas, for all ages. With this in mind, we have expanded the show in the last few years to include families in our target audience. This year we had the Nutmeg Puppets presenting their show, ‘Apple Pip’, followed by a workshop using rustic materials, BeWILDerwood provided a trail competition and the Broads Authority were constantly entertaining youngsters making boats out of recycled materials and racing them in a paddling pool. The day itself passed with a buzz of people humming around the stalls, taking part in the extensive range of free trips on offer and finding out more on the subject of greener boating, and tips on how to lead a greener life.
Exhibitors 2011Anglia Boatbuilders AssociationEstablished in 1997, the Association acts as a forum for the boat builders of Norfolk & Suffolk and is a nationally recognised body. The Norfolk and Suffolk area hosts a major concentration of boatbuilding skills - possibly the highest in the United Kingdom - and between them our members can offer the boatowner, or potential owner, a complete range of services for boats of all types. Members range from small specialist wooden boatbuilders to internationally recognised production builders, and their supporting trades of GRP moulders, stainless steel fabricators, sail makers, and designers. Bank Boats Boathouse Broadland Bike Hire Association Broadland District Council The Broads Canoe Hire Association Classic Canoes and Kayaks Delphis Eco Hunter's Yard Pb Batteries Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Sailnorfolk Starfish Installations The Three Rivers Way Association Whitlingham Boathouses |
After a couple of years of dismal weather, we struck lucky in 2011 with a glorious day - perfect for our show. There was just enough wind for the sailing boats without being too much to cause a nuisance to the canoeists. 
In addition to these boats, there were a variety of canoes on display: beautifully crafted classic wooden canoes, modern canoes for sale from Bank Boats and canoes for hire with the Broads Canoe Hire Association. Free canoeing sessions were offered with over 90 people taking advantage of this- at least one kingfisher was spotted down the Old Wherry Cut by canoeists proving that this silent pastime is one of the best ways of exploring the nooks and crannies of the Norfolk Broads. 
Being fairly close to the city, our public transport system is comprehensive: trains run regularly on the Bittern Line from Norwich to Sheringham via Salhouse offering a worthwhile 45 minute walk from the station to the Broad, buses run regularly with the Anglian 123 service operating every hour from Norwich to Wroxham via Salhouse. 12 visitors arrived by bus. Discounts on the entrance fee were offered for those walking and arriving by bus, train or bike. 
Thirty people used the Taxi service to get to the Show. The visitor moorings were full all day with over one hundred people arriving by private or hire boat.
n addition to these exhibitors were a variety of local companies and charities: Pat Southwood-Cossey Ceramics, whose pottery workshop is adjacent to the Salhouse Broad car park and uses local reed in her glazes, North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust, Broadland District Council’s Local Food Directory, Three Rivers Way, Broadland Cycle Hire, Broads Society, RSPB, RNLI, GreenBlue, and new for this year, our ‘Green Tourist’ Information stand, supported by Salhouse Broad and Hoveton Tourist Information Centre (Broads Authority).
The Norfolk Broads Concert Band entertained us with a mix of tunes during the day, including a particular welcome favourite, a rendition of the Indiana Jones theme tune, which sounded wonderful, wafting its way across the water.
All money raised from the show goes back into the running costs of the show and into promoting greener boating and environmentally friendly practices. Many thanks to Peter Howe for leading the organisational team for the show, and for Alex Howe with her support. Thanks to Mr. H. G. Cator and Salhouse Broad for hosting the show and to the Broads Authority for their guidance and assistance with publicity. Thank you to all those who exhibited and to those who attended!The date for next year’s show is under discussion. Please watch the websites of