Monday 9 March 2015

Off To The Pub

From his mid teens and through his twenties my father enjoyed renting a boat to row himself to Geldeston Locks on the River Waveney. There is now a small boat which takes paying customers along the same route. We signed up as a treat for Dad, who being "90 next birthday", hasn't taken the river route for several decades.

the ferry


off we go







the lock up ahead
The lock was a private one, part of a series of three, owned throughout the 16th to 18th centuries by a series of merchants in coal, grain and malt, in use until 1934.



Far out on the marshes of the river valley, remote from all mains services, the Locks Inn began life as a mill-keeper’s cottage, later being used by the lock keeper. Said to have been built in the 1560’s, and modernised in 1666, it was granted a public house license in the 17th Century.


Time for lunch. It took a while to put in the order as Dad made the one and only server guess how old he was. We each had ploughmans'. Huge plates crammed with rustic bread, three kinds of rich, crumbly cheese, fragrant tomatoes, thick slices of gammon, chutney and pickled onions. The men both had a dark ale and I had a strong cider. Cider in England has a high alcohol content and I was ready for a nap under a nearby tree. Dad, however, thought a ramble was in order.


In his youth, Dad would stop at this spot and swim
Just as we turned back a group of young people came down for a swim. Nice to know these simple pleasures are still enjoyed.

Time to catch the boat back. Took a little while to get started as Dad had the young man guessing how old he was.

almost home
Dad thought we hadn't had enough exercise so we strolled along the mostly Georgian streets


and admired the influence of Dutch merchants who began to settle here in the 16th century.


Dutch gable
Dad, or Skippy as I was now calling him, marched on ahead. He called us over to this building, now the museum. "You children should really go in, it's very interesting"  This "child" was desperate for a rest but my pleas were ignored.


There was an exhibition on WW1 due to the centenary. I recognised many familiar names and it brought back some fond memories. I started my career at the War Memorial Hospital which was built entirely from subscriptions, in memory of the fallen from the town. Dad made all the docents guess how old he was.

Finally we were allowed to drive back to his bungalow in a nearby village. Dad's neighbour took our picture. He also told us a little story about Dad getting lost on a coach trip and the police looking for him. I'm sure Dad was hoping we wouldn't find out. Turns out he handled the incident just fine so I'm not too worried.


It was a lovely day. I could tell Dad enjoyed every minute of it. As Dad is almost ninety I have to consider how much time is left for days like these. I hope there are more but if not it was good.

21 comments:

  1. I would have never guessed 90.

    What a lovely day that must have been for him (and you).

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    1. I think, every now and again we get perfect moments and this was one of them

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  2. Nice trip for all of you. Family is so important. - Margy

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    1. My family is far flung so getting together is always an event.

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  3. I do admire those rich terracotta Norfolk pan-tile roofs - your father is a very fit and active man for his age and it was lovely that you were able to share a memorable day with him on the river.

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    1. It was enjoyable being a tourist in my old neighbourhood even if the tour guide was a little inflexible.

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  4. What a perfect day...my kind of trip and lunch! I would never guess 90!

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    1. I find it difficult to quiet my brain but floating down the river works every time.

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  5. I wouldn't have guessed 90, either. He looks much younger. What a great surprise for your dad! He seemed to completely enjoy it.

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    1. Hi Laurie, I'm so glad I thought of doing it. We all had a lovely time.

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  6. He looks MARVELOUS for almost ninety! Good genes must run in the family... :) What a lovely day trip - and very thoughtful. My dad, who is 93 this year and looks every year of it - yet is rather sprightly, loves to remember 'the old days'.

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    1. We get lots of wonderful stories from times past but recent events are a bit of a struggle for him. Living independently is becoming more problematic. Of course his children worry about it more than he does. Interesting we should both post about elderly parents.

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  7. What a lovely day out you had.. I would never have guessed your dad was nearly 90.. :o)

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    1. He is going to love all these comments about his age!

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  8. This post so touched my heart! How fantastic to be able to experience this with your dad!!! And how awesome were the times when you could just boat places and take a swim!!! Such a magical post Susan!! Loved everything about this! Nicolexo

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    1. Thanks Nicole. I'm glad I got the magic across, there was something truly special about the day.

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  9. what a fantastic thing to do for him. He obviously loved every moment. And he's quite the character keeping everyone guessing his age!

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    1. You've hit the nail on the head there, Diane. He is interested in everyone and everything and likes nothing more than a conversation with a stranger. I've had to rescue more than a few people who've become overwhelmed by him.

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  10. that is one of our favourite kayaking routes! We often pass The Big Dog Ferry on our way to lunch at the Geldeston Locks - a fantastic birthday treat at any age!

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    1. We have just purchased new kayaks. Such a peaceful way to get around.

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  11. Looks like a lovely and very interesting part of the country. Bet it took a lon long time for people to guess your dad's age accurately! he looks fantastic! It sounds like a memorable day

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