Craig Slawson

I have never net Craig.

Actually, I know very little about Craig.

To me, Craig is just the name of a man who devised and managed an online database for Broads registered boats and that, Craig is a bit of a household name on the Norfolk Broads.

There are many people who are "household names" in these parts that I have never met. I tend to keep myself to myself, being rather shy in gatherings (avoiding them if I can), anxious around groups of people and, despite having run a boatyard for 12 years now, I am still very-much the new-boy around these parts.

To me, Craig is just the name of someone who had spent his own time devising, populating and managing an on-line database of Broads boats. His creation provides genuinely useful information about the history of Broads boat without getting into data protection issues. For instance, you can look at any boat and find out, roughly or accurately, when it moved between hire fleets, into private hands (though clearly not who owns it) and so on.

The database helps boat buyers check out some of the history of their new vessel, find out what previous names it may have been known by and maybe even be a source of photos going back over the years. The database has been useful too for the Broads Authority to check boat's history and the Tolls office, I understand, were also keen to help keep the database populated with accurate details; all without stepping into the realms of the Data Protection laws.

I logged on to the Norfolk Broads Network forum today for the first time in a month or so and stumbled upon a thread from the beginning of February. Entitled, Sad News, the thread delivers the news that Craig has passed away.

I say to Craig, thank you for all of your efforts to build and maintain this valuable resource. Your time in this endeavour has been hugely useful to thousands of people. A true Broadsman.

My thoughts are with your family and friends.

To a man who I never knew but perhaps should have, Rest in Peace. Your contribution to the wonderful Norfolk Broads deserves to live on.

You can access the database here: http://www.horning.org.uk/