webcams showing Ransome country


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Posted by Ed Kiser on April 10, 2013 at 07:46:06 user Kisered.

For those of us that happen to live quite far away from Ransome Country, such as myself
as I live in Kentucky of USA, to see the sights of those stories is not always that easy.

I have come across several WEBCAM presentations that help to bring those sights to
us so far away.

Here is one that is mounted on the roof of a cruiser giving tours to visitors as it traverses
the waterways of the Broads.

http://www.norfolklive.org/camera/broads-tours.html

There are quite a few twists and turns, and other openings that could cause a stranger
to go the wrong way. I find that much of the waterway is bounded by trees, now bare
in this last moments of Winter. Long stretches do not show any buildings at all. Some
of the trees along the edge are leaning over the water, branches dipped into the surface,
as if the bank is slowly giving way inundating the trees along the shore.

Most days, when following along watching this webcam, there are no sails seen at all,
but other motor cruisers sharing the waterway. Occasionally, a sail is seen, but rarely.
It strikes me that these relatively narrow waterways could make sailing rather a challenge
with following the twists and turns, not all of which are easily managed with the current
direction of the wind. The nearness of the trees would also seem to be a bother, as they
can cause irregular changes to the direction of the flow of air making rather tricky the
proper position of rudder and mainsheet with frequent alterations being needed.

In the bit of sailing I did, back when I was young enough to manage it, that was done
on a large lake, but when I got near the shore, the strange changing currents of the
wind became a problem, as well as those trees seemed to cut off the wind, so
near the shore was a relative calm. On those narrow waterways of the Broads,
with trees lining both sides of the river, that could greatly bother the use of sails,
or at least, it would seem so to me, but then, I'm not there, so what do I know.

Then the webcam boat suddenly comes upon civilization with seawalls at the waters
edge supporting the lawn, with occasional mooring inlets dipping into the lawns where
a cruiser could be kept.

In these civilized areas, it is somewhat amazing how MANY motor cruisers are seen
and some are quite large. There seems to be an awful lot of money spent on these
boats. So many are just moored, with so few actually seen on the waterways. That
is a lot of money just sitting there, used so infrequently.

I have seen no rowboats. They all have motors.

I am grateful for this webcam giving me a glimpse of what the conditions are there on
those twisting waterways. It has inhanced my mental image that Ransome drew for
me in words in BS and CC. Those places he described become even more real.

The website also points you to other webcams, mostly stationary, located in other
nearby areas of the Broads.

---

There is another webcam that is at the LOW WOOD HOTEL overlooking the Lake
and marina, showing the activity of those boats, showing views of the surrounding
high country. Definitely a Ransome related view. This webcam can be turned by
the viewer to look at a selection of views all from one location.

http://englishlakes.co.uk/watersports/web_cam.aspx

---

There is anothe webcam at Bank Ground Farm (Holly Howe) that also brings the
Ransome World he drew in words to become even more real and more easily
appreciated, with the magnificence and beauty of that area now so easily available.

http://www.bankground.com/webcam.html

---

I am sure there are othe webcams that can bring a touch of reality to the world
of Ransome that is so near and dear to our hearts.

So, enjoy the views...

Ed Kiser, Kentucky, USA



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