Here be dragons

I've just had an email from Carl Chapman, our intrepid wildlife explorer. He's asked me to be on the lookout for large dragonflies around the marina & hedgerows, because apparently it's that time.

Migrant Hawkers are Blue and Brown Dragonflies – easily recognised by the small golf tee mark on their upper thorax underscored with a thick blue line.

The large brown winged Dragonflies flying around at the moment are Brown Hawkers – our only Dragonfly with brown wings.

Seeing as I'm rooted to the spot in concrete boots, do you think any of you can give me a hand watching and let me know if you see any?

Love from David Bellameddie x

Fish wins Top Green Boating Award

Well will you look at that.

We've only gone and won a big national boating magazine award for extreme green-ness.

According to Sarah Norbury, Editor of Practical Boat Owner:

“Practical Boat Owner magazine’s Green Awards are a showcase for the innovative work being done by boating companies to reduce their impact on the environment.  Waveney River Centre show us that small changes in a workplace can add up to big results.”

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Radio Fish

Did you tune into Radio Norfolk today, readers?

David Clayton & Kirsteen Thorne spent 20 minutes talking about yours truly, the born-again conservationfish. I think Kirsteen's got a crush on me - and she looks uncannily like Shania Twain.

If you want to listen (and why wouldn't you?) - here's the link. I recommend the whole 2 hour programme, but if you need to jump to the fish-action, then it starts just after 1:37:00.

Who's been sleeping in my tent?

This spiny fellow clearly prefers tents to hedges, as one of our customers discovered yesterday when returning to their tent.

He was trying to establish squatter's rights but our guests didn't fancy sharing their sleeping bag with him.

We're a wildlife haven :-)

Eddie x

PS thanks to Steve M for the pic

Oops - don't try this yourself

That's no way to treat one of our luxury day cruisers!

Apparently it's the kind of thing that happens if you turn to smile for the camera instead of watching the river. Even at 5 mph!

The boat & crew survived intact, with only pride damaged this time.

Eddie x

Something fishy in Treasure Quest

Were you listening to Radio Norfolk on Sunday? Your fishy friend was the answer to Clue 1 on Treasure Quest!

This was the clue:

The gatekeeper owns a Norfolk castle.
Centre of an old terrace with a prison legend.
Sheffield might have made these 21 feet,
Of a name famously not to be told.

Hats off to the clever folk who figured out that this pointed to me, despite someone exaggerating my height! 21 feet tall? I wish.

Here I am pictured with the lovely Becky Betts, though I couldn't persuade her to sit on my tail. She must have heard the rumours.

"Don't tell them your name, Pike". I'm loving that.

xxx

I'll row - if you'll marry me

Those are the magical words which swam around Emma's head as she relaxed on the River Waveney with her boyfriend Khalil.

Little did she know that she would set foot in our rowing dinghy with her boyfriend - and step back on to dry land with her fiancé.

The Norwich couple, who've been together for a year, had been considering visiting Paris to celebrate their anniversary - but the chance of a few days' camping at Waveney River Centre instead was too hard to resist. With Khalil's careful planning, Emma had no idea that he meant to pop the question whilst afloat!

Congratulations to the happy couple from all of us at WRC!

And a big thank you to my intrepid after-hours reporting team - Carol & Steve M.