No more Ledgard Bridge

[cheshire~rose]

Very sad to hear the news Gary.

 

I wish you all the very best in whatever exciting new path the future has in store for you. I have been in a similar situation myself and I have some idea of how you must feel but you really can hold you head up high and know that you will always be remembered as a true professional

[T.A]

Well I never met Gary either but have always found his knowledge and advice a major plus on this forum. It is sad the way the boating industry is going something which I find more than a little interesting. Customers spend vast amounts of money worrying if the builder will stay in business and then are relieved when they get their boat just prior to the builder going out of business, much better than problem experienced by pav, but then having spent all this money then find themselves on their own with no warranty. There has got to be a better way than this of buying a boat!

[keble]

Adding to the previous posts - sorry to hear that; I've always enjoyed your posts Gary and I hope they continue.

Good luck

[Postcode]

Sorry to hear it Gary. We have never met but I have enjoyed your posts over the years. All the best for the future.

[andywatson]

Well I might as well break the news Ledgard Bridge Boats are no more with the last boats completed and a seemingly unfillable gap in the order book before any further potential build start dates the writing was on the wall.

 

In the current market no one was willing to invest further funds to bridge the gap in orders so a administrator was appointed last week the staff were laid off and the business in real terms ended.

 

There weren't any unfinished boats or customers with lost deposits but obviously there will be creditors which hopefully compared to many other business failures will be fairly minimal.

 

So there you have it for the first time in about 180 years there isn't a boatbuilder on the Calder & Hebble in Mirfield.

 

People keep asking me when "they" will start up again or why I didn't buy it back again? In simple terms my view is that the days of boatbuilding in the UK are numbered so trying to do a Phoenix resurrection although perfectly possible doesn't make any sense and it is better left well alone.

 

One small part will remain in that canalboatbits in the name sense was bought by the lass in the office that used to administrate it and she is working towards being back online and trading with her own new business in a few weeks time.

 

So that's the facts before the towpath telegraph version of events is broadcast.

 

Although largely being involved only at arms length in recent months it's still a bit gutting seeing it go from turning business away to having none in the space of 12 months after all those years trading.

 

Sorry to hear that.

Gordo might breath a sigh of relief so stay in touch.

[sueb]

I hope you don't leave here as well. Good luck

Sue

[DHutch]

Sorry to hear it also.

- After two visits to the site i was very impressed with the work that was going on as well as the final product.

- As say, good luck to yourself, the others that worked there, and canalboatbits.

 

 

Daniel

[NBMike]

I dealt with canalboatbits and am looking forward to dealing with them again as my boat fit-out progresses. best of luck, Gary.

Mike

[DaveR]

Gary and the crew,

 

Having visited a number of times and picked up the odd part I can only say thank you for a fantastic service and we wish you well for the future.

 

Will be sadly missed as genuine, helpful, caring folk on the canal side are becoming few and far between..

 

Dave R

[ChrisPy]

Sorry to hear this. Ledgard produced a very individual product.

 

Gary, you have helped many on this forum including myself. I hope you stick around.

[Speedwheel]

there will be creditors which hopefully compared to many other business failures will be fairly minimal.

 

I'm sure that will make them feel much better!

 

If the writing was on the wall then why keep on running up credit?

[Natalie Graham]

I'm sure that will make them feel much better!

 

If the writing was on the wall then why keep on running up credit?

Alternatively, if the writing was on the wall, well done for reducing the outstanding credit as much as possible before calling the administrator. Unless of course, you have access to Ledgard Bridge's accounts.

[Speedwheel]

Unless of course, you have access to Ledgard Bridge's accounts.

 

Well funnily enough ...... I do have some considerable knowledge.

 

I shall not comment any further on this thread.

Edited April 21, 2009 by Satellite

[Malarky]

Despite all the economic downturn 'n stuff I don't think canal boats are progressing much anyway... so now enjoy the freedom do do so!

All the best for the future

[T.A]

In fairness it is extremely difficult to close a business without debts of some order, if you do then some might say the business had a future. The blame lies with politicians and the greed of the city if the climate is wrong there then it becomes increasingly difficult in the general business sector. We need honest government, honest bankers and decent company law oh well dream on

Edited April 22, 2009 by T.A

[Grace and Favour]

Gary - -

 

I'm gutted for you . . .

 

I know how professionally you and your team built boats

I was impressed with the way you dealt with people

I was extremely impressed with the quality of your output.

 

I know just how hard it is to run a small business at the moment

 

I sincerely hope that your team all find suitable employ in the very near future

 

 

 

I'm also gutted on a personal basis - - we really did want to buy a boat from you, - if only I could have controlled the timing of events.

[bramley]

Gary,

 

Not read the rest of the replys, But WOW.

 

When there were boat builders going down a few years ago and you was most helpfull to everybody, i did think that where you worked was a gem with some top quality boats being put out. Sadly in life most things come to a end one day, and what a shame it is.

 

 

All the best for the future of redundant staff and anybody who as connected with the buiness

 

Ross

[magpie patrick]

Gary,

 

I was one of the first to read this, and am one of the last to reply. I am saddened and shocked.

 

Those of us (and I mean us, even though I am in a different line of business) who believe that quality will win out get some rude awakenings. I thought LB had a product that would win through, obviously not. In my own company, I am fighting people who will not admit that our mainstream product won't sell at the moment.

 

Your company has had the grace to go under minimising their debts. As someone who was once a creditor, it has me sickened how banks will lend recklessly and then claim precedence over those who did nothing wrong except order a product at the wrong time. LB have gone down with honour intact.

 

All the best whatever you do, and please keep posting

 

Patrick

[colin stone]

Gary,

 

Very saddened to hear this. It seemed that you were pretty busy, so really quite shocking. All the best for the future.

[Arnot]

I just wanted to add my regards Gary and I hope that it all gets sorted out with as little stress as possible under the circumstances.

 

I have always valued and enjoyed your posts, often learned something of interest and had my thinking challenged. Please keep posting!

 

It is a rather sad aspect of recession that it is always the decent people trying to do a good job for a reasonable amount of money who go under. Sometime if we meet, get me to explain the "tits" principle of business...

 

Kind regards

 

Arnot

[mikevye]

Only found this topic through one recently posted, if you've had to give up Gary gaud help some of the "we'll have a go at boatbuilding" companies that jumped on the bandwagon during the good times. I can't believe whats happened but best wishes for the future.

[chris w]

It is a rather sad aspect of recession that it is always the decent people trying to do a good job for a reasonable amount of money who go under.

Arnot

I too wish Gary all the best and am sorry that his business has gone this way.

 

However, I can't agree with your statement above about it's always the decent people etc who go bust. With all due respect to Gary, if you allow the business to run out of cash, either through bad cash management or no sales then it's going to go bust whether you are a decent bloke or a tosser.

 

Businesses have to adapt to a recession. I saw one enterprising company on the TV the other day who, faced with closure because they made car seat coverings for car companies and had a huge reduction in their order book, started making leather and cloth bags of all descriptions and all the staff have been kept on as the orders start rolling in again.

 

I guess in a recession one cannot just be a boat builder but instead a skilled fabricator of metal goods?

 

The car seat covering company's mistake was to be totally reliant on car companies rather than spreading the risk somehow. I appreciate this is easy to say and harder to do, but hopefully the principle is clear.

 

Chris

[Canal Shop Man]

As a fellow small business owner and an interested reader of many of Gary's posts, which were always informative, I too am sorry to see that he, like many other small boatbuilders, has closed down. I assume that there are not likely to be any takers to continue the business. Does anyone know how many staff are affected?

 

Almost as upsetting to me is to watch uninformed members of the public buying poor quality foreign built boats and thinking they have got a bargain. I'm sure there will be a gap in the market in a year or two for a business wanting to rebuild some of these to correct the problems which are bound to manifest themselves.

 

Regarding the comments about Gary's creditors, I would say most retail businesses operate with a running line of creditors. If you have enough cash to pay them all you don't need to call in Administrators. It is only when you don't have enough cash that you need to fold. The rogues are the ones who continue to trade when it is obvious they are building debt they won't be able to pay - especially if they then form a new company which buys these assets dirt cheap and then close the old company to clear the debts.

[chris w]

Regarding the comments about Gary's creditors, I would say most retail businesses operate with a running line of creditors. If you have enough cash to pay them all you don't need to call in Administrators. It is only when you don't have enough cash that you need to fold. The rogues are the ones who continue to trade when it is obvious they are building debt they won't be able to pay - especially if they then form a new company which buys these assets dirt cheap and then close the old company to clear the debts.

 

The definition of whether a business can legally carry on trading is whether "it can meet its debts when they fall due".

 

Even a limited liability company (and its directors) will have NO protection, under the laws of limited liability, against personal law suits from creditors if the comapny cannot meet its debts as they fall due AND the company carries on trading.

 

You can sue the directors of any company if this does happen and they will be jointly and severally personally liable for the company's debts.

 

Chris