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Midland Chandlers


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13 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

Braunston was open today.

Limited hours and limited to 3 people in the store.

Well organised and safe practices.

Im sure they need the money.

Finally now it’s raining I have the paint for the roof.

I have had the paint for my roof on the boat for three weeks now. Thnkfuly its been too hot to do it for weeks and now its too windy and rainy ?

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2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

We've had brilliant service from Midland Chandlers during the lockdown, next day delivery on anything we have ordered.

I second that, and their courier (Fedex) has managed to deliver four separate orders to two different random towpath moorings without any drama. Flawless service.

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3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I have had the paint for my roof on the boat for three weeks now. Thnkfuly its been too hot to do it for weeks and now its too windy and rainy ?

I was in full flow two weeks ago and most of my boat is now in primer, but work called me back in, so it's on hold for now.?

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  • 2 weeks later...

We have just been discussing the same point and although the Penkridge store is the biggest (I think it might be bigger than Braunston) it is on a fairly quiet canal. Braunston is at the hub of the universe and the one at Preston Brook has boaters at the top of the T & M and the Bridgewater as its customers. They also have a store in Mercia marina and that seems to be a busy place any time we have been in. 

 

haggis

 

Edited by haggis
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A double 'end of an era' - for us anyway. We started boating when Teddesley Boat Co. started and MC were in a shed next door. Over the years both companies expanded  and both ended up in smart buildings. Times change TBC closed down and now MC as well...

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On 22/06/2020 at 13:16, OldGoat said:

A double 'end of an era' - for us anyway. We started boating when Teddesley Boat Co. started and MC were in a shed next door. Over the years both companies expanded  and both ended up in smart buildings. Times change TBC closed down and now MC as well...

Seems TBC are opening up for business again.. https://teddesleyboathire.com/

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Aquafax in Middlewich has gone too, Midland took it over not so long ago.

 

If it carries on like this we will be left with B&Q and Wickes only, all the decent stores for hardware and boaty stuff are disappearing.

TD'

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27 minutes ago, 1agos said:

Seems TBC are opening up for business again.. https://teddesleyboathire.com/

Mebe on the same site (which had very good facilities) but in no way connected with the original Teddesley Boat Company who were excellent and much missed.

The new site owners will have to up their game....

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44 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Aquafax in Middlewich has gone too, Midland took it over not so long ago.

 

If it carries on like this we will be left with B&Q and Wickes only, all the decent stores for hardware and boaty stuff are disappearing.

TD'

 

I called Aquafax to try and order something a couple of months ago and they told me it was now trade only and they no longer dealt with the public so I would have to order through one of their distributors - Is Midland a distributor or have they actually taken over Aquafax?

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41 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

There are dozens of 'decent' (or even superb) stores for boaty bits, unfortunately they are not on the canals and you need to either travel or order on-line.

Agreed Alan, but it is great to pull up at a canal based chandlers for good advise as well as goods. Two of my favourite for this were Stone Boat Building & Chandlery in Stone and Bottom Lock Chandlery in Braunston both closed last year.

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2 minutes ago, 1agos said:

Agreed Alan, but it is great to pull up at a canal based chandlers for good advise as well as goods. Two of my favourite for this were Stone Boat Building & Chandlery in Stone and Bottom Lock Chandlery in Braunston both closed last year.

 

Ideal to be able to pull up and browse and buy something you don't need.

When working in Manchester (10 years) I was running along the M56 / A55 every day back to N Wales, I'd often call in at Midland Chandlers, even bought a bath once because it was 'on sale', it took years before I found a NB to fit it into.

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45 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

There are dozens of 'decent' (or even superb) stores for boaty bits, unfortunately they are not on the canals and you need to either travel or order on-line.

I agree but narrow boats use odd bits that aren't on a normal boat, so not stocked. You don't see many yachts with chimneys. 

I have witnessed the demise of many local chandlers, there used to be 6 in a 10 mile radius, now only 1. One of the demised just wanted to retire, the stock was valued at over 500,000 and the premises at 750,000 and with a profit of 40,000 it was not producing enough to fund the required loan and a family. The guy had set it up in the 1960's property cost a few thousand and the stock required then was minute compared with today. He lived over the shop, and had a car park, he sold the site for a cool million after a fire sale of stock. This was 10 years ago, the same applies to plant nurseries the land value far exceeds income from them.

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9 minutes ago, 1agos said:

Agreed Alan, but it is great to pull up at a canal based chandlers for good advise as well as goods. Two of my favourite for this were Stone Boat Building & Chandlery in Stone and Bottom Lock Chandlery in Braunston both closed last year.

 

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1 minute ago, Detling said:

I agree but narrow boats use odd bits that aren't on a normal boat, so not stocked. You don't see many yachts with chimneys. 

I have witnessed the demise of many local chandlers, there used to be 6 in a 10 mile radius, now only 1. One of the demised just wanted to retire, the stock was valued at over 500,000 and the premises at 750,000 and with a profit of 40,000 it was not producing enough to fund the required loan and a family. The guy had set it up in the 1960's property cost a few thousand and the stock required then was minute compared with today. He lived over the shop, and had a car park, he sold the site for a cool million after a fire sale of stock. This was 10 years ago, the same applies to plant nurseries the land value far exceeds income from them.

I wasn't specifically referring to 'Lumpy-Water' chandleries, and your example is a good one.

There are a number of boat chimney manufactures on line from Ebay, to Smokie-Joes, to Black Country metalworks.

 

It is sad when a long established 'family' business close down when future generations don't want to take it on, but unfortunately many f the younger generation seem to think that the only "work" is that which can be done sat at a desk and clicking computer buttons.

We have lost much of the fabulous 'workshop of the world' philosophy that we had in previous generations.

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26 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Ideal to be able to pull up and browse and buy something you don't need.

When working in Manchester (10 years) I was running along the M56 / A55 every day back to N Wales, I'd often call in at Midland Chandlers, even bought a bath once because it was 'on sale', it took years before I found a NB to fit it into.

Yes I fall into this category,  popping in to look if there is something there I had forgotten I was desperate for.  I do just the same with online stores too.

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7 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I think I've only used them once and they seemed fine, but if Midland Chandlers are so great why do some people on this forum refer to them as "Midland Swindlers"?

You 'pay' for the convenience - a bit like using your local village Co-Op rather than driving into town and going to Tesco / Aldi etc.

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1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

I called Aquafax to try and order something a couple of months ago and they told me it was now trade only and they no longer dealt with the public so I would have to order through one of their distributors - Is Midland a distributor or have they actually taken over Aquafax?

We will be looking to maximise synergies between Arleigh's current well established marine businesses (Midland Chandlers and ASAP Supplies) and Aquafax ...
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3 hours ago, OldGoat said:

Mebe on the same site (which had very good facilities) but in no way connected with the original Teddesley Boat Company who were excellent and much missed.

The new site owners will have to up their game....

 

Indeed, we hired from Peter and Linda Milward a couple of times and once after Peter had sadly passed away.

 

Wonderful company with well specced, comfortable and characterful boats.

 

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