Why is it so hard to buy diesel?

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Indeed. 

What does his company make/sell these days? I can't think of a single thing. In fact is it still called Amstrad?

He is still a director of 15 companies:

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/1fox8G7xzfgdlmkfSG5a24fprbM/appointments

[nicknorman]

9 hours ago, Ex Brummie said:

It's good to see how Mr.  Grumpy's original post has reverted to pleasant conversation.

Until your post.

[Rose Narrowboats]

17 hours ago, dmr said:

I do fear that the entire inland waterways economy is a bit of a sitting duck for newcomers to move in and wreck but I don't know what we can do to protect it

.................Dave

The problem has been there for years, but so far the industry as a whole has survived.

[Rose Narrowboats]

18 hours ago, Athy said:

Perhaps not writing off every new businessman on the cut as a hopeless, doomed dreamer might help.

I certainly wouldn't do that - but I would be fascinated to know how the failure rate of new startups/business takeovers in this sector compared to other industries.

We share a problem with farming in that the start up costs are very high so it is difficult for people who have started off by working in the industry to progress to running their own business.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Rose Narrowboats

[peterboat]

On 9/1/2017 at 10:44, bizzard said:

I've run out of petrol in all the best places. In the Mersey tunnel in a Minivan where the Mersey tunnel police turned up in their red Land Rover with a gallon which cost me more than all the petrol I'd used to get from London to Liverpool, I couldn't afford to stop for a few pints after that.   A sudden squall snapped our mast off whilst sailing an old home built Lysander sailing cruiser in the Thames estuary off Southend pier. Talk about wreck of the Hesperous, the whole rig had blown over the side, managed to cut it all free in true Charlton Heston style.  Powerful wind against tide conditions, no maroons no life jackets, whiskey all gone, half drowned with salt spray, fags kept getting extinguished, matches sopping wet, even the gulls were flying backwards in the fury of the gale. We needed to get back under the lee of Canvey Island where the mud berth mooring was, or under the lee of something to escape the raging elements. After a big struggle we managed to coax the old Seagull outboard into life as we were broaching too badly, very dangerous in the very short mountainous wind against tide conditions off the pier on which we could see folk drinking and pointing at us.  We struggled on westwards looking longingly at land and safety on our starboard side, especially longingly at the green roofed Halfway House pub on the Esplanade, we kept looking thirstily back at that pub for a long time until it faded away into the gloom. And then the Seagull coughed and spluttered as it was also getting thirsty. We had about a quart of petrol in a can so proceeded to top it up whilst under way, spilling most overboard. Then the Peterboat pub loomed up to starboard at Leigh-On-Sea and we knew we were almost safe under the lee of Canvey point. Good old Canvey, trouble is they only sell lager there. With the tide still ebbing we were popping merrily along approaching the mooring trots when the Seagull spluttered and finally expired for want of more petrol, which we didn't have. With the boat hook I reached out full stretch and just managed to hook onto the stern rail of a moored boat, which we clung onto for dear life until the tide turned when we paddled up to our mud berth mooring. I hasten to add that we'd left the anchor at home which would have been useful for that last bit.  We spent the rest of the day in the Hoy and Helm in Benfleet where they sold decent beer. 

They have named a pub after me

[bizzard]

22 minutes ago, peterboat said:

They have named a pub after me

Perhaps you were named after the pub!