luddites
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 14 Sep 2004
- Messages
- 181
- Location
- Me river Blackwater boat river Deben
OK, now I know I am dinosaur, i've reached that age where I am starting to find change difficult. BUT.........
visited Aldeburgh on the carnival monday. Dropped the hook just downstream of the moorings on one of the few decent afternoons in August. However this was immediately spoilt by 3 young morons roaring about in ribs from the Aldeburgh yacht Club pontoons. Noise and wash everywhere, compounded by a similar moron using a speed boat as a tender from a huge AWB on the visitors moorings back and forth to the AYC pontoon.
We saw the procession and went ashore again in the evening to be confronted by hoards of drunken yobs shouting with a huge plums in their mouths. All the pubs using plastic glasses and a mobile police incident room already set up. Part of the (public) beach was cordoned off for a private bbq and some burk was busking with the most beautiful (and expensive) clarinet I have ever seen and an equally top of the range music stand. needless to say he couldn't play. The place was knee deep in bottles, cans and general litter. We decided against staying and went back to the boat.
Next morning I went ashore for a paper and a huge army of street cleaners were clearing up at the general tax payers expense of course. We needed paraffin but couldnt but it anywhere, (incluidng the boatyard) plenty of Bollingers though.
We left for Iken as soon as we could but coming back downriver the next day we encountered the AYC regatta fleets, a lovely sight. Now i've done a fair bit of racing in the past, I know the rules and I keep out of the way of racing fleets. Our boat is 36' and weighs 10 tons, we cant turn on a sixpence etc but at great inconvenience to our course we managed to get through the entire fleet without impeding anybody, including crossing their finishing line motoring into the wind with boats coming in from both sides on port and stb, with no chance of turning around due to the sheer numbers. We also went into very shallow water at times. There were well over 100 boats racing and we received one, yes one, wave of acknowlewdgement, plus dozens of arrogant stares.
Some of the modern boats with asymetrics were the worst, tacking downwind right under our bows with no warning, not even looking first, necessating violent changes of course to avoid collision.
Perhaps AYC could introduce manners into their extensive training programme.
We have been visiting Aldeburgh by boat for 30 plus years and have witnessed the changes as the place became an expensive resort of second homes but why are these people so arrogant?
Ok well at least the Coop is still going strong.
The final straw happened last night. Watching Anglia news we discover that the "local?" people want to cull the seagulls, one of the reasons given by the mayor is "they make a lot of noise early in the morning".
Now I know these kind of communities have to evolve and that second homes/tourism are vital, but this is not the way. No I havent any answers but then I am a simple soul not a professional planner/politician/whatever.
visited Aldeburgh on the carnival monday. Dropped the hook just downstream of the moorings on one of the few decent afternoons in August. However this was immediately spoilt by 3 young morons roaring about in ribs from the Aldeburgh yacht Club pontoons. Noise and wash everywhere, compounded by a similar moron using a speed boat as a tender from a huge AWB on the visitors moorings back and forth to the AYC pontoon.
We saw the procession and went ashore again in the evening to be confronted by hoards of drunken yobs shouting with a huge plums in their mouths. All the pubs using plastic glasses and a mobile police incident room already set up. Part of the (public) beach was cordoned off for a private bbq and some burk was busking with the most beautiful (and expensive) clarinet I have ever seen and an equally top of the range music stand. needless to say he couldn't play. The place was knee deep in bottles, cans and general litter. We decided against staying and went back to the boat.
Next morning I went ashore for a paper and a huge army of street cleaners were clearing up at the general tax payers expense of course. We needed paraffin but couldnt but it anywhere, (incluidng the boatyard) plenty of Bollingers though.
We left for Iken as soon as we could but coming back downriver the next day we encountered the AYC regatta fleets, a lovely sight. Now i've done a fair bit of racing in the past, I know the rules and I keep out of the way of racing fleets. Our boat is 36' and weighs 10 tons, we cant turn on a sixpence etc but at great inconvenience to our course we managed to get through the entire fleet without impeding anybody, including crossing their finishing line motoring into the wind with boats coming in from both sides on port and stb, with no chance of turning around due to the sheer numbers. We also went into very shallow water at times. There were well over 100 boats racing and we received one, yes one, wave of acknowlewdgement, plus dozens of arrogant stares.
Some of the modern boats with asymetrics were the worst, tacking downwind right under our bows with no warning, not even looking first, necessating violent changes of course to avoid collision.
Perhaps AYC could introduce manners into their extensive training programme.
We have been visiting Aldeburgh by boat for 30 plus years and have witnessed the changes as the place became an expensive resort of second homes but why are these people so arrogant?
Ok well at least the Coop is still going strong.
The final straw happened last night. Watching Anglia news we discover that the "local?" people want to cull the seagulls, one of the reasons given by the mayor is "they make a lot of noise early in the morning".
Now I know these kind of communities have to evolve and that second homes/tourism are vital, but this is not the way. No I havent any answers but then I am a simple soul not a professional planner/politician/whatever.
