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Thursday 20 December 2012

A sell-out at the Farmers' Market



THINK "Farmers' Markets" and you probably think of smallholders selling their cabbages next to farmers flogging a bit of beef. Those guys are there of course. But next door you'll find all manner of hobbyists too. People who just love baking bread. The hospital consultant brewing beer in his garage. And yes, me with my books, getting as evangelical about canoeing the Broads as every other stallholder is about their thing.

So I was actually a bit gutted when the publishers called to say that they've sold out of "The Wherryman's Way". There are probably a few copies still available at Jarrolds in Norwich and perhaps Waterstones. But no more for me. And unlike the brewer and the baker I'm in the hands of someone else when it comes to a second edition. (Halsgrove don't order a reprint until they're convinced that enough people would buy it. Feel free to email them via this link if you're in that category.)

If it did go to a second edition what should I change? Langley Abbey has opened up to the public, that's a must. And I want to include the Humpty Dumpty Brewery which for some reason I completely ignored in the Reedham chapter. Various pubs have had makeovers so I'll need to get the camera out in Rockland and Loddon. Conversely there's still no progress on The Ferry Boat in Norwich despite grand plans for a backpackers' hostel. The big casualty has been Steve "Tug" Wilson - skipper of The Southern Belle whose cruises up the Yare from Great Yarmouth have now come to an end. What should fill the gap in that chapter do you think?

And where did I get wrong. If you've winced at some howler now's your chance. Email me at sanddsilk@btinternet.com. In the meantime give Loddon Farmers' Market a go this Saturday. Even if the guy with the books won't be there for a while.