A Mansfield woman who first started going on holiday to Potter Heigham when she was eight is still regularly returning to the Norfolk Broads 70 years later — taking her holiday with the same company.

Mavis Bonser and her husband, John, hire either a cottage or a boat from Herbert Woods at Potter Heigham.
To mark the occasion, the company presented them with a cake and flowers.

Mrs Bonser said: “When I first came it was about £50 a week to hire a boat, which was a considerable sum of money then. My parents saved all year so we could have our holiday.

“My parents loved the Norfolk Broads and we used to come as a big family with uncles and aunts.

“The boats were all made of wood and were a lot narrower. You had to push the top of the taps to make them work.

“All around the marina at Potter Heigham were piles of wood that were used to make the boats. There were a lot more yachts about than today.

“The Norfolk Broads are lovely, so peaceful and relaxing and the people are always friendly.”

Mrs Bonser did have a short break from the Broads when her husband bought a touring caravan, but she soon persuaded him to head east and back to Norfolk.

“There is so much to see and do. We love going to the coast at Sea Palling and Walcott and enjoy visiting Wroxham and villages like Coltishall.

“We are both hooked on the place and would not consider going anywhere else on holiday.

“We have our three holidays in Potter Heigham already booked for 2015 and when we get back to Mansfield I will start counting the weeks until our next one,” she said.

Amanda Walker, marketing director at Herbert Woods, said: “When you meet people like Mavis and John, it does make you feel good knowing all the hard work the team here at Herbert Woods does is appreciated.”