Black Sailed Traders.

26/03/2024

24/03/2024

This was my last trip as a skipper Wednesday 13th Sept. 2023 , after serving 32 years at her helm. Skipper Dave ' Frosty ' played his Melodeon. Ian Cates on the tiller, he is great Grandson of Jack Cates Albion's Skipper back in 1949 . Also onboard was ex-skipper David Bray who I had the privilege to sail with as mate in 1986. On that Wednesday had a great day sailing. We moored at Cockshoot for lunch. Now I am land based, acting manager of the wherry base at Ludham. I will carry on doing Albions rigging, and doing my job as the trusts Archivist a position I have held since 1986

24/03/2024

Mike's Black Sailed Traders.

24/03/2024

This is me in life jacket taking out Albion crew on a training day in 1996. Only Skipper and mate had jackets in those days, rest of crew had buoyancy jacket. The mate Tim Brown looking very young😀👍, brought his own blue buoyancy jacket that day.

24/01/2023

After over 30 years of studying wherry photographs, I still come across unusual features I had not seen before! This photo is of a trading wherry being quanted through Acle Bridge, heading up stream on the River Bure. What is unusual is the two chain boxes on the foredeck either side of the mast! Wherries usually have the chains stored on metal chain plates, so to see the chain stored in boxes is rare. The chains are known as dropping chains where a mud weights is attached to one end of the chain, the other end is attached to the wherry. The dropping chains are used for mooring in open water, turning the wherry in a tide and for slowing the wherry ( basically they are the brakes?). This wherry is the only one I have seen with chain boxes, certainly a great photograph and what clarity 👍

22/08/2022

The skipper Mike sitting down on the job, sail looks good, the sun is pleasant not to hot. I have Just had a cup of coffee all on board are happy 👍

22/08/2022

Mike the skipper on Albion last Saturday 20-8-22. We sailed from our base at Ludham, to Cockshoot Broad Staithe where we stopped for lunch before returning to Ludham. The skilled mate was Steve Hiscox, photograph taken by the new Trainee Mate Alex Savage . A great day was had by all aboard.

11/02/2022

This is wonderful shot of Albion taken from a drone, showing her sailing down the River Bure on September 14th 2021. Myself and my crew were out with the film crew filming for the ' World's Most Scenic River Journey's ' for Channel 5. The day was very breezy, with 20mph gusts so we put in 3 reefs just to be safe. The forecast was for rain later so we needed to get Albion ready at pace, thankfully the film crew managed to finish the filming in the dry, the rain came as we approached our base on the return journey. The film was a great success with some wonderful shots of the River Bure.

13/10/2021

Mike the skipper sailing Albion in October 1998 at Oulton Broad, during her Centenary Aniversary. That day we took Albion through Mutford Lock and sailed down to Lowestoft Bridge where we turned her, we then tacked back using the motor on the dinghy as Lake Lothing was far to deep to use the 26 foot quants poles. We moored next to the Boatbuilding College on the northern shore, this was where Albion was built one hundred years ago in an old Ice House by master boat builder William Brighton. That day in the college, we had a celebration of drinks and food and where the speeches were made. Martin Parry Grt Grandson to W. D. Walker made a speech, Albion was built for the Walkers of Bungay. The other brother in the patnership was A. E. Walker. Albion cost the Walkers £455 to have her built.
Filmed by the BBC. Film now held in the Norfolk Wherry Trust Archive.
Mike Sparkes. Archivist Norfolk Wherry Trust.

Albion can be seen leaving Oulton Broad, moving through Mutford Lock to Lake Lothing for the ceremony.This video was extracted from two tapes given to the No...

08/08/2021

Harrison's Warf King Street ; Norwich. by James stark 1794 – 1859.
This is the River Wensum in Norwich, Stark has given us a view of the river in the early 1800s. A small Keel is transporting logs down river, and on the right bank two small wherries are moored with their sail peaks dowsed. This is Harrisons Warf, Kings Street which at that time was call Conisford.
Conisford is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon streets in the country.