marshman

I don't think banks generally are considered "soft" targets - Which continues to be a thorn in the flesh of these institutions and have been for years!!! I am not sure who can and cannot report in this manner - I doubt individuals can. I doubt it reflects ease or otherwise but as a "guardian of consumer" rights" I am pleased they do look after consumer interests. Don't rely on your MP to!!!!

I may have have missed this on here but I see Hoseasons , along with some other cottage holiday companies, have been reported by Which to the Regulator at the Competitions and Markets Authority for not allowing refunds - it is based on the fact that that they believe contracts contain unfair terms contrary to the Consumer Rights Act. Whilst I appreciate that elsewhere I promised not to comment further on refunds, I was interested to see that some even quite large travel companies ARE processing refunds promptly, simply because monies received had been placed in ring fenced accounts and in one case even a trust, to ensure that this could be done in the events that have transpired.

Not quite sure why the BA should really get involved - this was all brought up however many years ago and it is not for the BA to check who is, or who is not, authorised by the FCA. You may also be in breach of contract with your mooring if you are moored in a boatyard, as they may have similar requirements. I just don't understand how people never seem to learn to make enquiries about companies they have never heard of - especially based offshore! Their "office" in Horning has been shut for a long time as well and I find it hard to understand how anyone was ever involved with these people - you have only to make the minimum of searches on the internet about them to have seen it was wise to steer away from them - doubts were raised as long ago as 2005 as far as i can see!

Depends on the boats! Quality broads boats held their value very well following the 2007/8 crash and that is evident that these boats have never hung around for long on the brokers books - I doubt if it will be very different from last time to be honest. Cannot really comment on other boats but I woudn't hold your breath!!!

And then there is the other side - those people who have it, or who have had it, with little or no symptoms. Enough scary stories around without providing a little balance!!!!!!!

Their boats clearly did not conform to what people wanted and they were too slow in responding?

Sailing caravans they may have been but as Chris said, roomy and practical boats - had a Pentland and sailed that around the Thames Estuary for years. As Chris said at least they sat upright, a key factor especially where the water often shallower than the Broads! We actually bought the last shell out of that mould - Westerley put in the bulkheads, the engine and joined the two bits and we kitted out the inside using the brochure as our plan in my mates front garden - and very nice it was too!! Almost immediately after delivery that Westerley went bust and reemerged building stuff like the Konsort!!! Solid boats and you realised that by seeing the thickness of the hull when drilling holes in the bottom!!!!! Good old days!!!

You could say the same thing about Brooms too - solid appeal and their own slot, but that side at Brooms has similarly been let go entirely and is worth pretty much zippo! Sadly even before these last events, such virtues have long lost their appeal, except possibly to a declining and very small sector of the marketplace. Good boats in their day but so were Westerlys and look how many times in differing guises they went down the pan and finally into oblivion

I don't think there is much connection anymore Pete - Oyster are built now in an entirely different operation on the site off Tunstead Road? I might be wrong but the greater connection is that Len now owns all that land in Wroxham now. I am afraid the closing of Hardy has long been fairly inevitable.

MM - the thread did indeed lead us into this and as I said I have no axe whatsoever to grind with Andy and I apologise for causing him to comment further and perhaps even add to his existing angst. I will comment no further and hope any issues are resolved although I am not so much of a push over all of the time!!!!

Andy - no one is trying to argue with you but you have to admit that time and time again over the last decades, we have seen holiday companies collapse and people lose their money - you must therefore accede that if that is happening time and time again then something is wrong? With respect, your analogy too is wrong saying so much is in the preparation prior to your arrival - thats precisely the same in almost every consumer product you can think of from carmakers to the farmer growing asparagus or breeding pigs - the latter has to add feed and processing costs out of his pocket way before the customer pays for it - and they have to cope too. Its not you I am having a poke at at all and believe me, I understand the point you are making, but the model you are operating fails time and time again and yet nothing is done to protect the consumer and your customer from losing his money. ATOL helps some but is specific to part of one sector and there seems little appetite to set up similar schemes to help the guy losing his money time and time again when holiday operators fail to deliver. And that includes offering RCN's for next year which not everyone wants - its not a choice for some people who want the certainty back of what they have paid out . Lets just assume next year there is another lockdown, what then - oh just wait another year??? ( Andy - this is not a crusade against you , the industry or anyone in particular nor am I trying to argue for the sake of it, but I really believe if the vendor of the "product" cannot deliver then there is a valid case for a refund.

Oh and Pete, don't forget there are loads of services you have paid for and not receiving in the short term, that you can poke a stick at, other than the BA. Do you want help in formulating a list?

Now, forgive me for saying this, and with apologies to Andy especially, but can anyone explain how the holiday industry as a whole continues to operate on such a flawed business model that they cannot pay back to customers (less a deposit even) monies that were paid to them a few weeks in ago? Did they never listen to those who said you should never rob Peter to pay Paul, or pay another debt with someone elses money? It isn't good enough IMHO to just say "oh dear, we have spent that money - can you wait until next year?" Neither is it ok to say, oh that is how its done, is it? Why? There is still a lot I clearly fail to understand but you should be able to repay someone who has given money in advance for a service and you are not providing it ? I am not sure either it is the Governments responsibility to "give you credit" and cover your backside? Ok its not really an analogy but would you pay for a car up front or at least more than a few days? Do you buy a house and give the money to a builder to build it? Do you pay a tradesman in advance for doing a job - as I have described it, its like giving your money to a builder and then he uses that money to build a house for someone else, without you having any recourse to getting your money back other than when it suits him? I have clearly missed something - or perhaps the holiday companies have, especially as this trend of holiday companies pulling a fast one continues over and over! When fuel goes up they demand a "fuel surcharge" but when it goes down, they trouser the difference without batting an eyelid? It all seems to me to be a disaster waiting to happen. So going back to the boat scenario, why cannot I pay a deposit, and lose it if I don't keep my side of the bargain, but pay as I take the boat over? Seems a good way to go - plenty of others follow that model - hire car companies for example! If the argument is that you need any agency to do the booking, so be it, but sort that out directly with them and find a way, but don't refuse to pay back the punter who has entrusted you with his money. Sadly on that logic I just would not accept a RCN credit note or similar under any circumstances - I want back what they have "borrowed" from me now.

Come on MM - you must get out more even if it means flouting incredibly sensible rules!!!!!

Hi Chris - not sure that "weed growth" will necessarily be true! Whilst it has been sunny, in overall terms , I doubt the water temperature has been that out of the norm. Certainly here in Norfolk, we have been subject as always, to the cold winds and that i suspect has kept the water temps down a bit! That has definitely been the case in my garden pond. Not that any of that makes much difference - are we actually going to be able to moor in those bays this year? Sadly, I doubt it!!!

Yes - I believe the premium refund was £25! Big of them!!

Don't forget to claim some of your premium back from your insurance company too - you are probably driving less and with less cars on the road, the risks of an accident will have lessened! Similarly your boat insurance...!

The ones at Bath are a little more advanced - look like they have 4. Also check out the Barn owl cam and there is also a Tawny Owl one too, although the latter seem to have stopped laying at one and are not sitting at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I do have a great deal of sympathy with the situation but you cannot change the rules after you have decided the rules do not suit you. Does anyone for example, expect the UK government, to bail out Richard Branson given the lengths he has gone to distance himself from the UK and the tax system? I think the Banks will become a bit cautious in acceding to S 75 payments unless they see evidence that the refunds are not available through the company direct

Whilst it might be splitting hairs, the population of Norwich last time I checked was around 150K, so in fact its around 8%. It depends on refunds what the t& c's say. Its quite clear as far as travel companies and the law, and just as people on here say we must stay at home, if the law , put in place to protect consumers like you and me are concerned, is not being adhered to, then they must pay up, if asked. Quite clear but if thats what it says, thats tough - well thats what people tell me if I want to visit my boat!

There are lots of travel companies issuing Refund Credit Notes instead of returning cash as they are required to by law - be mindful that these RCN's , at the moment, are not ATOL protected.

Mark - I accept that but would they have done that without you asking - thats the issue! My suspicion is not!!

I sadly do not really trust my marina to keep their eye on my boat, as I would wish, to protect my investment - despite reassuring words offered by some here. I know for a fact most marinas never check the boats and I would prefer not to rely on my insurance policy!!! Insurance companies always find wriggle room as I have learnt to my cost only recently for an electrical fire and with that in mind, I will always keep an eye on mine! This winter I know that no one checked mooring lines to allow for very high levels and I also know they never check inside, even a cursory glance! With most Broads boats draining from the aft well into the bilge , it is essential periodically or don't auto bilge pumps ever fail? It is also not unknown for skin fittings to fail - but to be fair no cursory inspection is going to sort that one! I try to take care of my boat and to suggest I should rely totally on someone else is not acceptable to me i am afraid, unless a yard owner is prepared to indemnify me in the case of an insurance company operating within its wriggle boundaries, finds another excuse!

Sadly I don't think the BA will not do anything or at least until the NP's take a lead and they, I suspect, will cling on to the"essential travel" peg as long as they can - but what about those who live within them? I suspect they haven't "closed" the footpaths either but are just "discouraging" people from using them!!

If you have anything Wherry related at all, the Wherry Trust have a very active archive side which is free to access - if you have photos etc they would be pleased I suspect, to add them to the site. If you have a collection please get in touch with them. What concerns me more is the large quantity of pictures and slides around never digitalised ( PW - have you done yours yet? ) and these will be lost, as people get to a stage in life when this sort of thing is left to chance - they just hope they will be found a good home! And they do - the bin!!!!!! At the Trust they know of collections, but without help, these will probably just be lost forever - sadly!