The 'Tim & Pru Effect'?

[lampini]

 

There's also a global trend in the West, towards having a life full of experiences rather than stuff. Books like Stuffocation and Marie Kondos decluttering book. The Tiny House movement which began in the USA. Nowadays the only thing I hoard is data.

 

 

^ This!

[Klanky]

Popular TV progs can certainly have a knock-on effect in the leisure sector.

 

At the more affordable end, sales of BMW GS1200 motorbikes went through the roof after Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman did their epic round -the-world-on-a-BMW TV series. You couldn't move for shiney new 'Adventure Riders' wobbling around on Touratech laden GS's in some Sainsbury car parks.....

 

Also, as some have already stated, the new pension release scheme suddenly makes narrowboats/caravans/opium dens a very attractive option for those approaching old-dufferage such as myself.

[lampini]

I'm glad the BBC have released pensions early for UK residents.

 

So are we Laurie.... It came as an absolute lifeline, enabling us to escape the rat race (at least a bit!), escape London and it's ever increasing costs, overcrowding, increasing insanity etc etc and have some life space for ourselves and each other.

All the time we've spent on canals and rivers (as hirers) over the past few years have been leading up to this - all those years Mr Lampini spent as a floor manager on Eastenders and TOTP almost seem worth it to him now!

[Alan de Enfield]

Walked from Tottenham Hale to Ponders End up the Lea recently. Passed two sunken boats, one narrow, one wide. Do they come to London to die?

No - they leave Whilton with all the best intentions - some dont even make it to London, dying (sinking) on the way, others make it but then die (sink) once they have arrived.

 

Its not planned - thats just 'the way it is'.

[mayalld]

and then there are those who just won't sell their stuff, they refuse to look after it but it's not for sale. Human nature is odd sometimes.

 

Yup, there was one moored 2 along from us. Nice boat, gradually deteriorating. Nobody ever there, other than a bloke who had come up to put the new licence in the window.

 

It was his dad's boat, and dad was too ill to use it, but refused to sell, despite numerous offers (all getting smaller as it deteriorated).

 

A month back the boat was gone. Dad had died, and the family had sold it PDQ.

[Horace42]

Walked from Tottenham Hale to Ponders End up the Lea recently. Passed two sunken boats, one narrow, one wide. Do they come to London to die?

Nah mate, they came ter london yesterdie'

[Laurie Booth]

 

So are we Laurie.... It came as an absolute lifeline, enabling us to escape the rat race (at least a bit!), escape London and it's ever increasing costs, overcrowding, increasing insanity etc etc and have some life space for ourselves and each other.

All the time we've spent on canals and rivers (as hirers) over the past few years have been leading up to this - all those years Mr Lampini spent as a floor manager on Eastenders and TOTP almost seem worth it to him now!

Better than my job when working for the BBC

[CDS]

I suspect most of these boat sales fall into two groups,people releasing pensions and couples getting

their foot on the property ladder.Last week I met a Bulgarian Accountant with his Polish Girlfriend,

I mention their race only as a way of stating how it now cuts across nationalities as much as age

groups,something unheard of a few years back.This couple had bought the boat from Stowe Hill,

he said and were making some changes to the interior and moving aboard permanently,he had finished

his degree at Cardiff University moved to Milton Keynes,hired a boat on the Broads and after realising he

was being exploited by a Private Landlord here he was.

[Athy]

.Last week I met a Bulgarian Accountant with his Polish Girlfriend,

I mention their race only as a way of stating how it now cuts across nationalities as much as age

groups,something unheard of a few years back.

Surely no need to apologise. Such increasing diversity of boaters makes the waterways far more interesting than if they were populated uniquely by W.A.S.P. Harold Shipman clones.

[Joe the plumber]

 

 

yeah I guess ,

 

Owner could be ill, or in prison, or working abroad, for example...

 

Or decomposing inside it? Seriously, it might be worth checking.

No - they leave Whilton with all the best intentions - some dont even make it to London, dying (sinking) on the way, others make it but then die (sink) once they have arrived.

 

Its not planned - thats just 'the way it is'.

 

Yet another dig at Whilton Alan.

 

So I'll point out yet again that we had a fantastic experience when we actually bought a boat from them last October, just to even things out.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Joe the plumber

[BruceinSanity]

Popular TV progs can certainly have a knock-on effect in the leisure sector.

 

Also, as some have already stated, the new pension release scheme suddenly makes narrowboats/caravans/opium dens a very attractive option for those approaching old-dufferage such as myself.

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that. Where can I buy an opium den?

[lampini]

Better than my job when working for the BBC

 

LMFAO!

[Jim Batty]

... There's also a global trend in the West, towards having a life full of experiences rather than stuff. Books like Stuffocation and Marie Kondos decluttering book. The Tiny House movement which began in the USA. Nowadays the only thing I hoard is data. There are plenty of young people out there who don't want to be tied into an enormous mortgage for 25 years, we have a few friends like that, they often have jobs which enable them to travel and work from anywhere.

 

Good to hear it! I never wanted (or had) a mortgage because it just seemed mad to tie yourself down for so long ... to one thing. You've got one shot at this thing called life.

 

There seems to be a certain British 'madness' regarding home ownership that simply isn't found in many other places, including the continent and North America, where renting is much more common. That said, rentals here, especially in London, are wildly over-priced, and since the late 80s rental law has been loaded in the favour of landlords. So you can see the attraction of boats ... and campervans ... and even tents ... and emigration to young people.