Mayton Bridge

I have an old mantel clock that was passed to me 24 years ago when an Aunt of mine died.  Although it still worked after a fashion, the glass covering the face was detached and it desperately needed a clean and general TLC which I never got round to giving it.  It was a wedding present to my grandparents when they got married; I don’t know the year but my father was the youngest of four children and born in 1915, so I’m guessing the clock dates from around 1900-1905.  Having probably watched too many episodes of ‘The Repair Shop’ we decided it was time to get it restored so today we took it to someone who had been recommended to us by an antique dealers.  On the way back we stopped at this bridge; it crosses the Aylsham Navigation which was built in 1779 to allow freight carried by Norfolk Wherries to travel up to Aylsham Mill.  It was extensively used until 1880 when the railways arrived and took over a lot of the freight from the boats.  Until 2006 it might have been a bit noisy here as it is pretty close to the end of the runway at RAF Coltishall but since the closure of the base it is now a very tranquil spot.

While at the clock restorer’s house I was admiring his motor bike which I think was a 2003 Harley Davidson XL1200C Sportster.  Not a massive bike, but a beautiful one; even W said what a lovely machine it was.  It was a special edition to mark 100 years of Harley Davidson and was in superb condition, having been well looked after and restored, and with very low mileage.  He told me he might sell it at some point in the future to buy another bike and I have to say I would be interested in buying it!  He said he would let me know if he decided to sell.