Hoseasons Boating Holidays brochure 1984

[John Brightley]

Hi again. Here's another brochure which I hope you will enjoy looking at. This is the first batch of pages from the English and Welsh canals section and I'll post the rest over the next few days.

 

 

[Athy]

Interesting to see L&L Cruisers of Heath Charnock in there. 'Myfanwry', late of that fleet, has been moored for years on the Cropredy long-term moorings. Its fleet name was still visible, but it was probably the scruffiest-looking boat for miles. I heard that the owner, John, who had not been well for some time.passed away some time last year, and last autumn a young man was renovating it. He appeared to be doing a quite big job, as he and a friend carried a large amount of timber along the towpath from the road to the boat. Whether this boat was in the fleet at the time of this brochure I don't know.

[BilgePump]

A 45' boat for seven days from the 29th April, under £200 from Constellation on the Macc. I'll take it. They were decent boats, we used to cruise past their base regularly at weekends on a New Mills-Bollington and back jaunt. Anyone got a DeLorean so I can go back and have a week's cheap corona-free cruising?

[Chris Lowe]

21 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

Anyone got a DeLorean so I can go back and have a week's cheap corona-free cruising?

Just give the Doctor a call

[John Brightley]

10 hours ago, Athy said:

Interesting to see L&L Cruisers of Heath Charnock in there. 

Thanks Athy. You may be interested to know that some of L&L's first boats, such as Pendle illustrated here, were built by Rugby Boatbuilders - you'll see the distinctive bow on the photo.

Here is the next batch of pages.

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by John Brightley

[Chris Lowe]

Now your taking me back I hired Swan Lines white swan class quite a few times, I'll have to dig out my pictures and cine film 

[Rob-M]

I remember seeing the Corsair Cruisers on the Severn as my parents moored in Tewkesbury for a number of years.

[Captain Pegg]

I reckon I know where that Swan Line boat pictured at the top of their section is right now.

 

JP

[Ianws]

Was Heath Charnock based out of the current White Bear marina?

[Chris Lowe]

9 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I reckon I know where that Swan Line boat pictured at the top of their section is right now.

 

JP

They where nice boats

[Pluto]

11 hours ago, Ianws said:

Was Heath Charnock based out of the current White Bear marina?

No, I think it was at Rawlinson's Bridge.

[BEngo]

These brochures demonstrate clearly how hard the hire industry has been hammered over the years.  Lots of well known and well established names, gone.  Share boating, package holidays to Spain et al,  easy long haul travel have all played their part.

 

N

[Machpoint005]

...and hire boats these days are much less basic, all adding to ownership costs for the hire firms.

[John Brightley]

3 hours ago, Pluto said:

No, I think it was at Rawlinson's Bridge.

Seems to be - the recent history of the site is explained here: https://www.ellerbecknarrowboats.co.uk/aboutus/

[Simon Pooley]

Very interesting to see that catalogue - thank you for scannng & posting.

 

We had Windsor Castle from Peak Forest Cruisers at Macclesfield for a week in 1986 for a spin round the Cheshire Ring.

 

I think that was the occasion when the original, smaller, boat we'd hired for the three of us broke down with an unknown engine fault just as we were leaving the yard.

Rather than delay us for a repair, the boatyard transferred us to the - rather larger - Windsor Castle for our week.

 

Over the years, we've also hired from several of the other boatyards mentioned: Swan Line, Shire, L&L, Andersen, Severn Valley...

[John Brightley]

6 hours ago, BEngo said:

These brochures demonstrate clearly how hard the hire industry has been hammered over the years.  Lots of well known and well established names, gone.  Share boating, package holidays to Spain et al,  easy long haul travel have all played their part.

 

N

In my experience, the problem is that over the last 30 years, very gradually, the cost of hiring a boat has increased much more than other comparable holidays, such as cottages (still in this country, not abroad), and effectively the hire companies have priced themselves out of the market. Of course, hire companies need to make a profit, but has the cost of running their boats increased so much more than the cost of running a rental cottage ? No doubt a controversial question ! 

 

Here is today's batch of pages. 

[Chris Lowe]

John have you got any old Anglo Welsh brochures from this time I hired from them a few times mostly from Great Haywood?

[Keeping Up]

48 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

John have you got any old Anglo Welsh brochures from this time I hired from them a few times mostly from Great Haywood?

How long ago was that? I've got one from 1973 which I was thinking of posting in possibly a new thread.

[John Brightley]

44 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

How long ago was that? I've got one from 1973 which I was thinking of posting in possibly a new thread.

Thanks. I've got some AngloWelsh brochures from the '80's but they are in a seperate box which I will have to search for.

I don't have any as early as 1973 so it would be interesting to see your brochure -yes, it would be neatest to put it in a new thread.

[Paddle]

3 hours ago, John Brightley said:

In my experience, the problem is that over the last 30 years, very gradually, the cost of hiring a boat has increased much more than other comparable holidays, such as cottages (still in this country, not abroad), and effectively the hire companies have priced themselves out of the market. Of course, hire companies need to make a profit, but has the cost of running their boats increased so much more than the cost of running a rental cottage ? No doubt a controversial question ! 

Is this true? I seem to recall hiring a boat twenty-five years ago was significantly more expensive than a holiday cottage. And if it will cost you £1600 for a narrowboat in August for four for a week, that's comparable with a nice cottage for the same period.

 

A quick peek at Airbnb shows a *TENT* outside Llangollen will set you back £600-700 for a week in August. An extra £1,000 for a *boat* has got to be worth it, surely?

[John Brightley]

26 minutes ago, Paddle said:

Is this true? I seem to recall hiring a boat twenty-five years ago was significantly more expensive than a holiday cottage. And if it will cost you £1600 for a narrowboat in August for four for a week, that's comparable with a nice cottage for the same period.

 

A quick peek at Airbnb shows a *TENT* outside Llangollen will set you back £600-700 for a week in August. An extra £1,000 for a *boat* has got to be worth it, surely?

I've just done a quick random search- yes, your £1600 for a boat seems about right -but the average price for a good quality cottage (with English Country Cottages) seems to be about £900.

Edited April 29, 2020 by John Brightley

[Paddle]

14 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

I've just done a quick random search- yes, your £1600 for a boat seems about right -but the average price for a good quality cottage (with English Country Cottages) seems to be about £900.

I was looking on Airbnb at the sort of place that I'd want to stay. Miners' cottages in Llangollen, £800. Tents, £600. Nice place, £2000. And I concede that a Black Prince boat is a long way from a 'nice place' but you do get to move on the following day!

 

Edited to add, I expect to pay £300 for a two-night weekend away for two in February in a half-nice place somewhere within a couple of hours' drive of London. I don't do it often...

 

Edited again to add, having had a look at English County Cottages, my impression is that you won't get much for under £1,000 (so long as you ignore the across-the-board 20%ish discounts that are currently available, no doubt due to Covid or because August is now close), and there's plenty above £2,000 or more. With just beds for four.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Paddle

[Derek R.]

Last time I camped, and it was just me in a two man tent, I paid £5 a night. This was forty years ago.

The Caravan Club website shows pitches at £12 per night plus per capita for which the individual sites need to be accessed.

Callow Top charge between £164 (seven nights) low season to £241 high season. Price includes for two people and one car for caravan, motor home or trailer tent.

Tent pitch: £18.50 per night low season £29.50 high season - £129.50 seven nights low, £206.50 high.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/useful-information/price-guide/

http://www.callowtop.co.uk/tariff/

 

Where's £600 coming from?

 

Last time we hired, it was a log cabin with full amenities in the Scottish Highlands sleeping 8, logs, coal and electric included for £650 per week  just 12 yrs ago. Large parking area, secluded, views across fields to a lake. 2020 prices range from £530 to £910 for New Year's week.

https://balbeag.co.uk/

 

Compare: https://rose-narrowboats.co.uk/hire-prices-2020.htm

Edited April 30, 2020 by Derek R.

[Athy]

14 hours ago, John Brightley said:

In my experience, the problem is that over the last 30 years, very gradually, the cost of hiring a boat has increased much more than other comparable holidays, such as cottages (still in this country, not abroad), and effectively the hire companies have priced themselves out of the market. Of course, hire companies need to make a profit, but has the cost of running their boats increased so much more than the cost of running a rental cottage ? No doubt a controversial question ! 

 

Here is today's batch of pages. 

It could be because the cost of the raw material - the boats - has risen steeply. In 2000 we paid well under £1,000 per foot for a fully fitted narrowboat. For years, that figure was thought of as the industry standard. Now, you'd struggle to get a comparable craft for under £1,500 per foot and, as many hire companies replace their boats every few years, they have to pass the expense of their purchase on to the customer.

    Some firms seem to soldier on with elderly fleets - which reminds me that, of the ones in your advert, Calcutt are still going strong and the boats even look the same now as they did 30 - odd years ago; indeed, I wonder if some of them ARE the same boats.

[Keeping Up]

19 hours ago, John Brightley said:

Thanks. I've got some AngloWelsh brochures from the '80's but they are in a seperate box which I will have to search for.

I don't have any as early as 1973 so it would be interesting to see your brochure -yes, it would be neatest to put it in a new thread.

I've added the new thread here