Towpath Talk Topics

[Mac of Cygnet]

I opened up the bundle of new (June) Towpath Talk in the Mucky Duck at Fradley last night and found a couple of items relevant to recent topics here.

 

The first, on the front page, seems to indicate that Whilton Marina regard themselves as estate agents now:

 

"We have noticed a trend in the past 18 months of young people purchasing narrowboats from us with the intention of cruising to London and living on the canal system in the city. This alternative living accommodation is allowing young people to get their foot on the property ladder, and have an investment in their future".

 

The second was an advertisement on page 5 for a new toilet fluid from Elsan, which describes itself as both antibacterial and formaldehyde-free. What caught my eye, however, is that it is "perfectly safe for the aquatic environment". So we can empty into the cut, then?

 

Mods please feel free to separate these if they get too mixed!

[Rod a mod from Tod]

Great Haywood boat sales have been advertising the boats for sale with the tag "own your own home for £*****" for yonks now. I have no idea why but it sits uneasy with me somehow.

[Troyboy]

I opened up the bundle of new (June) Towpath Talk in the Mucky Duck at Fradley last night and found a couple of items relevant to recent topics here.

 

The first, on the front page, seems to indicate that Whilton Marina regard themselves as estate agents now:

 

"We have noticed a trend in the past 18 months of young people purchasing narrowboats from us with the intention of cruising to London and living on the canal system in the city. This alternative living accommodation is allowing young people to get their foot on the property ladder, and have an investment in their future".

 

The second was an advertisement on page 5 for a new toilet fluid from Elsan, which describes itself as both antibacterial and formaldehyde-free. What caught my eye, however, is that it is "perfectly safe for the aquatic environment". So we can empty into the cut, then?

 

Mods please feel free to separate these if they get too mixed!

I've commented before on this forum that my dictionary defines the word invest as 'to lay out money with the expectation of

profit ' .I don't think many people make a profit when they sell on a narrowboat but I accept a few are lucky enough manage it .

[Clifford]

Does anyone think that Whilton really believe that buying a boat (a depreciating asset) puts someone on the "Property Ladder" ?

[bottle]

Probably not but it catches the gullible.

[Alan de Enfield]

Does anyone think that Whilton really believe that buying a boat (a depreciating asset) puts someone on the "Property Ladder" ?

 

Having been there a time or two the answer is 'probably'

 

(The cafe does a good breakfast tho')

[Erie Canal]

When I was out travelling the cut in the summer I overheard 2 blokes tell a younger bloke about how easy it would be if he bought a boat took it down to London and just keep moving around. The inference was don't worry about a licence, safety etc .

Really sad to hear,

[Neil2]

There was a program on the radio a while ago which illustrated the depths to which some young people have sunk to in order to live in the capital, and there's no pun intended there. Some of the descriptions of the so called house boats where they pay £400 a month just for a tiny space on a shared boat with dodgy electrics, gas appliances and leaks galore, are beyond belief. By comparison it sounds to me like Whilton etc are at the luxury end of the market, and you can see the appeal for those lucky enough to have a bit of capital.

 

 

[Ricco1]

To suggest that buying a boat puts someone on the property ladder is ridiculous.

 

But what is true, is that living on a boat is affordable in London, even for someone on low wages. The other options are far more expensive.

[Rufford]

I think it can give people a chance to get on the property ladder - by living on a boat for the last four years I have saved approx 20k in rent etc. My original idea was to live on a boat, save up and buy a house. After 2 years I had managed to pay for the boat and save a reasonable deposit. So I did the only sensible thing.

 

I brought another boat. :-)

 

Boats (usually funded by small unsecured loans) are pretty much the only way young people can avoid a life of paying 90% of their income on paying someone else's mortgage, sure no one tells them that they will now be spending 90% of their income on their boat in one way or another - but the crucial thing is - it's their boat. Not someone else's house.

[mango]

 

The second was an advertisement on page 5 for a new toilet fluid from Elsan, which describes itself as both antibacterial and formaldehyde-free. What caught my eye, however, is that it is "perfectly safe for the aquatic environment". So we can empty into the cut, then?

I presume that the product is Elsan Boatkem. The website says it poses no harm if accidentally spilt into the aquatic environment.

 

Elsan are a bit naughty because they have not published the MSDS for Boatkem, so we cannot see what nasties it contains.

[Athy]

Great Haywood boat sales have been advertising the boats for sale with the tag "own your own home for £*****" for yonks now. I have no idea why but it sits uneasy with me somehow.

I too have seen such adverts but I can't see a problem with them. If you buy a boat from them and live on it, then you do indeed own your home. A "home" does not need to be bricks and mortar or even concrete, it could be for example a caravan or a camper van.

[John V]

Great Haywood boat sales have been advertising the boats for sale with the tag "own your own home for £*****" for yonks now. I have no idea why but it sits uneasy with me somehow.

 

 

I too have seen such adverts but I can't see a problem with them. If you buy a boat from them and live on it, then you do indeed own your home. A "home" does not need to be bricks and mortar or even concrete, it could be for example a caravan or a camper van.

 

I feel I must agree with Rod, although Athy might be technically correct, I get a feeling of hopes being manipulated for a company's gain

[Lady Muck]

There was a program on the radio a while ago which illustrated the depths to which some young people have sunk to in order to live in the capital, and there's no pun intended there. Some of the descriptions of the so called house boats where they pay £400 a month just for a tiny space on a shared boat with dodgy electrics, gas appliances and leaks galore, are beyond belief. By comparison it sounds to me like Whilton etc are at the luxury end of the market, and you can see the appeal for those lucky enough to have a bit of capital.

 

Its not just boats, we live near the warehouse district in Tottenham/Manor house My friend lived in the first warehouse conversion in that area, in the 8 years since then, its gone from less than 20 occupants to almost 2000.

She originally paid £400 a month, all bills included each occupant (9 in her place) has their own huge room with a mezzanine level and a shared warehouse space that was so vast, they had a stage in there. Shes a piano restorer and her housmates range from artists to set builders.

My other friend went to view a 'warehouse conversion' round the corner from there, last week. Obviously someone jumping on the bandwagon, it was a ten room place, in the space above a garage, the 'rooms' were actually made of plywood, not painted or insulated and narrowboat width, yes they all had 'mezzanines' which was actually a bunk the size of the mattress. One tiny bathroom and kitchen to share, kitchen wasnt even fitted, just cheap workshop type shelves from B&Q with a large plastic box for each occupants food. £1000 a month for a plywood box! And I bet they don't have planning permission. A fire in that place and you've had it. London is screwed when it comes to housing, not surprised that people get boats.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Lady Muck

[Athy]

I feel I must agree with Rod, although Athy might be technically correct, I get a feeling of hopes being manipulated for a company's gain

Would you feel the same if such a claim were made for a static caravan? Where do we draw the line between what is a home and what is not.

 

Got some nice big cardboard boxes in the garage, own your own entry* level home for £5. Would suit person with negative equity.

 

 

*Effected by opening the lid.

[Rufford]

I dont think rents are such a rip off - £450/650 a month is suitable for the amount of capital tied up in a house - the problem is that house prices are too high, because demand is too high. More houses need to be built and more empty houses need to be converted.

[Lady Muck]

Whoops big apologies to JohnV. I meant to quote, not edit your post. Now deleted.

[John V]

 

 

 

I feel I must agree with Rod, although Athy might be technically correct, I get a feeling of hopes being manipulated for a company's gain

 

 

Would you feel the same if such a claim were made for a static caravan? Where do we draw the line between what is a home and what is not.

 

Got some nice big cardboard boxes in the garage, own your own entry* level home for £5. Would suit person with negative equity.

 

 

*Effected by opening the lid.

 

If the claim was for an unsited caravan I would feel the same both, IMO, smack of exploitation of vulnerable/gullible people by a company. It might be legal but I feel the morality is questionable.

 

(Thanks to LadyMuck, I was able to take time to make a more lucid post)