YACHTING DURING THE PAST 261 



Until the sixties it was customary for the Mayor and 

 Corporation of the Borough of Great Yarmouth to attend the 

 meeting in state, and a special wherry was chartered some 

 weeks beforehand, in order that it might be repainted and 

 decorated in honour of the occasion. Sitting in the midst 

 of a profusion of bunting and gaudy colours, the Borough 

 fathers contemplated the aquatic contests, imbibing the 

 while choice wines and consuming other delicacies which 

 were provided at the expense of the Mayor for the time 

 being. 



Of course a band of music was in attendance, and they too 

 were allotted a special craft, generally one of the roomy boats 

 which were used for ferrying fish from the fishing-smacks in 

 the roadsteads to the beach all fish used to be landed on the 

 beach in those days. This boat was also painted in many 

 colours and highly decorated. 



After a few hours spent watching the races, the dignified 

 councillors, with the Corporation officials at their head, pro- 

 ceeded in state to the " Burgh Cage " (a meadow upon which 

 the cement works now stand), under the shadow of the walls of 

 the ancient Roman fortress, there to partake of a generous 

 lunch, from which the majority of those who sat down returned 

 in a less dignified manner than they went. 



No wonder that the country folks, the town folks, and 

 everybody who owned, or could borrow, a boat made their 

 way to Burgh Water Frolic when it received such patronage ; 

 and the attendance was favoured, in that the town and 

 neighbourhood made the date a general holiday, giving their 

 employes a day's leave of grace sometimes with a day's pay 

 to boot. 



After lunch, which, as might be expected, was usually 

 somewhat prolonged, the whole flotilla of boats made their 

 way as best they could to Cobholm Island, and moored along 

 the shores just below the Knole Point, in order to witness 

 aquatic sports, followed in the evening by a grand display 

 of fireworks, at which all Yarmouth was present. 



A curious coincidence happened to the author's father in 



