Whatever happened to Blakes?

[trambo]

Kris Cruiser last appeared in the Blakes brochure in 2010.

Herbert Woods parent company, the Mowat Group launched Pennant Holidays in 1991 as agent for their fleets (Ernest Collins, Hearts Cruisers, Jack Powles, Southgates, Herbert Woods)  and Swancraft. When the Mowat Group got into  financial difficulties, Herbert Woods was rescued by Len Funnell and it returned to the Blakes brochure until 2010 when the present owners bought the yard and went independent.

I think time  will show Blakes to have been the main agent for Broads boating and its promotion. They certainly did more for the Broads boater and environment in its Harry Blake and later cooperative days than any other company. Hoseasons although very professional was in hindsight all about selling the product. Thinking of "The Sun" promotion, perhaps selling it just a bit too much! It's a little hard to imagine now just how small Hoseasons were in the 50s being much the same size as Bradbeer's but the combination of a larger holiday type portfolio, colourful use of language (sound-bites), gimmicks and a professional customer interaction brought them to the fore. I think Blakes still had more boats for hire though, up until the Richardson family bought back the Stalham yard, using Hoseasons as their agent.

Fred

[Bikertov]

When my family hired on the Broads in the late 70's early 80's, my memory was of thumbing through the Blakes and Hoseasons brochures. But we always seemed to go for Blakes, and actually mostly hired from Richardsons in Stalham.

My impression was that Blakes was more upmarket than Hoseasons - but then I was a young smelly teenager back then, so what did I know ...

Nowadays ? Who looks at brochures anymore, it is all on the Interweb now !

[DAVIDH]

i think booking agencies (of any holiday type) are regarded as a necessary evil by the principles (the boatyards in this case). They would rather not have them and not pay the commissions, but really cannot do without them in general. Yes, Herbert Woods and Ferry Marina survive without them, but Richardsons with all their clout, Barnes Brinkcraft and Norfolk Broads (not only) Direct see the need to continue their association with a booking agency. There will always be a need to connect with the masses who don't know anything about a Norfolk Broads holiday and the first place they will look is on the internet. Try searching for norfolk broads boat hire (the most searched term) and you will see this advert come up first. It's very expensive - costing in excess of £1 per click through to Hoseasons. (perhaps 1 in 100 clicks turn into sales) The bookings made flow through to Hoseasons' partner boatyards. This is where the value of an booking agent comes in. 

 

[YnysMon]

When we hired we always booked direct. I may have looked at Hoseasons, but only to make a comparison and look at reviews.

Mind you, I can only a handful of holidays over the years that we booked through an agent, and I suppose that's because I had become accustomed to my Mam doing all our holiday arrangements and bookings herself.