Richardson's boat hiring operation began in 1944 alongside Robert Richardson's father, Robert Richardson Snr with the purchase of the MacNab for the princely sum of £175.
This year also saw Mr Richardson Snr and his son (left) buy their first boatyard, Old Mill House Boatyard, in Oulton Broad.
June 6 Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings begin as the 150,000-strong Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy.
After Mr Richardson Jnr's mother, Dora, saw an advert for an auction - the Brightside Guest House in Stalham - and Richardson's Boating Holidays is purchased. In 1957-58, Mr Richardson began the task of moving the entire business, including the fleet of hire cruisers, to Stalham where the hire fleet would be let in the spring of 1958.
The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool, scene of The Beatles' first appearance.
Britain becomes the third nation to explode a nuclear bomb.
Aquafibre is created, with Mr Richardson owning a 30% share of the company, which build fibreglass boats for the Stalham fleet.
First Test flight of the supersonic Concorde.
Investiture of Price Charles
as Prince of
Wales.
Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to step on the Moon.
Mr Richardson sells the entire Stalham yard, including the fleet of 244 cruisers, to the Rank Organisation. Horizon Craft move to building boats at catfield.
Muhmmad Ali kocks out George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire.
Horizon Craft at Acle Bridge (rented) and commencement of letting boats.
Mr Richardson buys back the Stalham boatyard. The cruisers have deteriorated both structurally and mechanically and, as a result, of the original 244 cruisers, only 54 cruisers are of acceptable standard to hire that Easter.
Horning boatyard is bought from the Rank Organisation, formerly known as "Caribbean Cruisers" and now Horning Marina.
Between 1986 and 1992 the Richardson fleet increases to some 750 boats after thr purchase of the boatyards' hire fleets and individual boats.
Richardson's buy Hemsby Beach Holiday Village - know today as Hemsby Beach Holiday Park.
The Spice Girls release their debut single "Wannabe" in the UK.
Richardson's buys the Pontins site adjacent to Hemsby Beach Holiday Village, Seacroft Holiday Village.
The company makes a further purchase - Summerfields Holiday Village in Scratby, formerly owned by Haven holidays, and in 1999, South Downs Holiday Village, a former Pontin's site.
Elton John is knighted.
Google is formally incorporated by two students at Stanford University.
Richardson's take ownership of Lowestoft Family Bowl, now known as Richardson's Family Entertainment Centre.
Richardson's Boating Holidays launch our brand-new fleet of next generation luxury cruisers available to hire on the Norfolk Broads from our marina at Stalham.
Richardson's Combines Hemsby Beach Holiday Village and Seacroft Holiday Village into one site to create Hemsby Beach Holiday Park.
With more than £10 million invested in the Hemsby site since 2016 - as well as brand-new accommodation, facilities and activities on-site - Richardson's continues to invest in the park to create a family-friendly experience that guests will never forget.
The opening of Rockland Lodge our exclusive development of eight lodges with hot tubs.
We expand our range of wellbeing activities on the park with the opening of The Retreat, offering beauty treatments, massages and yoga in a yurt.
We also add a new 200-space public car park, rebrand Caesars amusement arcade to Richardson's Family Entertainment Centre and create a new outdoor plaza at the Yacht Club.
Our new Coastal café opens on Beach Road providing a real sense of arrival for visitors to Hemsby. Serving Cameroon Boyo coffee which can be traced back to the person who picked the bean and with a focus on promoting local sourced ice cream, cake and cookies. The café has 50 covers and space for another 50 in the outside area it's the perfect place to pick up a coffee and cookie for the beach or grab one on the way back.
We proudly open Loke Lodge, a stunning and exclusive 12-plot development of luxury holiday homes with hot tubs located in a private and secluded part of our Holiday Park.
