Sammo
New member
Woke on Wednesday and decided to do the boat show for the first time since it moved from Earls court… so as I had a weather window I phoned in my apologies to the company HQ and after waiting the obligatory 2 hours for swmbo to chose the right outfit and put a face on we set off down the M1 in bright sunshine and a F2.
I knew there wasn’t many there when the nice man on the gate took my £9 off me and said in perfect pigin English “take your car up to the main entrance and park next to the other one”. Arriving at the pay point we had the usual performance from swmbo insisting that I should get the OAP discount which I always find a bit disconcerting as I have a few years left before I retire, even more disconcerting is the way the staff on the check in desks always take one look at me and immediately give it without question.
So once inside and surrounded by all sorts of goodies she immediately demands a seat and a cup of coffee, so we head straight for the nearest café, then she spends 10 minutes trying to explain to the nice Romanian girl from Romford that she NEEDs three spoonfuls of coffee in her cup.
Feeling better after her caffeine fix we set off in search of some exhibits and drawn by the smell of rope and fresh uncured fibreglass we wander by mistake into yottiland. I knew there was something wrong when I noted a lot of weird looking characters (some in shorts) carrying plastic bags laden with brochures and pamphlets and the odd underarm radar reflector…. So leaving swmbo to the huge hot tub that had caught her eye I joined the sailerboys on the nautical book stand and pored over the charts, all the time trying to look like an ole shellback, then I SAW IT, up on the top shelf was a book I had been after for a while, the definitive works of that old rouge Billy Tillman and all put together in a very thick hardbound, bit dear mind at £20 but well worth it.
Dragging swmbo away from the hot tub stand (by this time she was choosing types of diving boards) we went off in search of new lifebelts to replace the bulky ones we had had for years. “What lifejackets do you have at the moment” said the salesman, to my horror swmbo looked him straight in the eye and in her best telephone voice said, “we have a full set of BEA ones”…. luckily he thought she was joking so I came in quick with “can she try some on,” then beat a retreat to the Jimmy Green stand, leaving them to it.
Earlier part of last year I had a lot of trouble matching up new anchor chain to my S/L winch and had ended up down at Beer in Jimmy Greens stockroom, the place resembled a boat jumble but with new stock and is certainly the place to go for rope fenders, chain and stuff. I got fixed up and was well pleased.
Next on a stand showing piloting videos I found myself bouncing around off Start Point, “not to much use to me on the Thames” I said, “we do the Thames as well” said the salesman and so I ended up buying the video guide from Shepperton down through Teddington to Tower bridge… £40 but worth it for a wealth of information all on a 3 hour video with interviews with lockkeepers and many others on the way.
“Well, did you get any lifejackets?”… “no” she says “they didn`t have any changing rooms and worse, they only came in red or blue”.
Steering her into the MoBo hall we were confronted with many millions of £ worth of gleaming GRP quite breathtaking.
“How much?” said swmbo to the girl at the Fairline desk, “for which boat” came the reply, “Oh not the boat,” says swmbo, “the chandelier, it would go lovely in my dinning room.”
Creeping away leaving them to discuss the merits of dining room furniture I peered through the side window of the biggest and best,
“Come on we`re going aboard” said swmbo coming up behind me with her new found friend and with that we spent a very happy hour or so getting a conducted tour of the Fairlines.
Next was the Broom stand and although the sign said `by appointment only` they were pleased to show us round the 38` which was a first class fit out, as we have come to expect from Brooms, the open plan saloon as featured on the sports cruiser type boats might be difficult at sea as there were few places to wedge yourself in but that’s the way designs have gone, the boat was Harlyford Marine and I would like to thank the staff for making us so welcome.
Coming away from the stand with a big smile on my face I mentioned to swmbo how everyone was friendly and obliging this year and wondered if that could be down to the impending tax on red diesel.
“Na”…she smiled “ it’s more likely because I told them all you were the captain off the St Albans.
…….
On the way back up the M1 with swmbo asleep my thoughts were on the show and what I had seen, a lot of which I found new and varied and with the sunshine it had been a good day.
Did I learn anything?.. yup sure did.
Next time I go on my own.
…..
I knew there wasn’t many there when the nice man on the gate took my £9 off me and said in perfect pigin English “take your car up to the main entrance and park next to the other one”. Arriving at the pay point we had the usual performance from swmbo insisting that I should get the OAP discount which I always find a bit disconcerting as I have a few years left before I retire, even more disconcerting is the way the staff on the check in desks always take one look at me and immediately give it without question.
So once inside and surrounded by all sorts of goodies she immediately demands a seat and a cup of coffee, so we head straight for the nearest café, then she spends 10 minutes trying to explain to the nice Romanian girl from Romford that she NEEDs three spoonfuls of coffee in her cup.
Feeling better after her caffeine fix we set off in search of some exhibits and drawn by the smell of rope and fresh uncured fibreglass we wander by mistake into yottiland. I knew there was something wrong when I noted a lot of weird looking characters (some in shorts) carrying plastic bags laden with brochures and pamphlets and the odd underarm radar reflector…. So leaving swmbo to the huge hot tub that had caught her eye I joined the sailerboys on the nautical book stand and pored over the charts, all the time trying to look like an ole shellback, then I SAW IT, up on the top shelf was a book I had been after for a while, the definitive works of that old rouge Billy Tillman and all put together in a very thick hardbound, bit dear mind at £20 but well worth it.
Dragging swmbo away from the hot tub stand (by this time she was choosing types of diving boards) we went off in search of new lifebelts to replace the bulky ones we had had for years. “What lifejackets do you have at the moment” said the salesman, to my horror swmbo looked him straight in the eye and in her best telephone voice said, “we have a full set of BEA ones”…. luckily he thought she was joking so I came in quick with “can she try some on,” then beat a retreat to the Jimmy Green stand, leaving them to it.
Earlier part of last year I had a lot of trouble matching up new anchor chain to my S/L winch and had ended up down at Beer in Jimmy Greens stockroom, the place resembled a boat jumble but with new stock and is certainly the place to go for rope fenders, chain and stuff. I got fixed up and was well pleased.
Next on a stand showing piloting videos I found myself bouncing around off Start Point, “not to much use to me on the Thames” I said, “we do the Thames as well” said the salesman and so I ended up buying the video guide from Shepperton down through Teddington to Tower bridge… £40 but worth it for a wealth of information all on a 3 hour video with interviews with lockkeepers and many others on the way.
“Well, did you get any lifejackets?”… “no” she says “they didn`t have any changing rooms and worse, they only came in red or blue”.
Steering her into the MoBo hall we were confronted with many millions of £ worth of gleaming GRP quite breathtaking.
“How much?” said swmbo to the girl at the Fairline desk, “for which boat” came the reply, “Oh not the boat,” says swmbo, “the chandelier, it would go lovely in my dinning room.”
Creeping away leaving them to discuss the merits of dining room furniture I peered through the side window of the biggest and best,
“Come on we`re going aboard” said swmbo coming up behind me with her new found friend and with that we spent a very happy hour or so getting a conducted tour of the Fairlines.
Next was the Broom stand and although the sign said `by appointment only` they were pleased to show us round the 38` which was a first class fit out, as we have come to expect from Brooms, the open plan saloon as featured on the sports cruiser type boats might be difficult at sea as there were few places to wedge yourself in but that’s the way designs have gone, the boat was Harlyford Marine and I would like to thank the staff for making us so welcome.
Coming away from the stand with a big smile on my face I mentioned to swmbo how everyone was friendly and obliging this year and wondered if that could be down to the impending tax on red diesel.
“Na”…she smiled “ it’s more likely because I told them all you were the captain off the St Albans.
…….
On the way back up the M1 with swmbo asleep my thoughts were on the show and what I had seen, a lot of which I found new and varied and with the sunshine it had been a good day.
Did I learn anything?.. yup sure did.
Next time I go on my own.
…..
