Your chance to make a fortune(smallish) and help the EA.:)

[oldgit]

Fancy running a small business.
The EA are offering for rent a small building at Allington Lock.
Would be ideal for a kiosk selling ice creams and the like.
The lock is a bit of a magnet during summer months with lot of passing trade.

 

[TrueBlue]

Methinks the EA will want more than their pound of flesh.

There was a shop / café at Goring (just as well it's not there now) but EA tried to setup a tricycle ice cream pitch - but nothing's happened.

If it works it'll be great 'cos it should attract more folks to the Rivers. There's one at Hurley and seems to be busy most of the summer.

 

[CJL]

The one at Molesey/Hampton seems to be doing a roaring trade!

CJL

 

[Wavey]

Weather dependant of course but the one at Shepperton does a roaring trade although their opening hours are a bit odd.

 

[ianc1200]

Always wondered about these. I followed a Salter steamer down towards a lock (not any of those already named and about 10 years ago) & somehow they just closed the gates so the steamer was moored closest to the lock. The steamer then emptied it's numerous passengers who went into the cafe which sold other things like gifts/flowers etc. The lock seemed remarkably slow in operation. Of course I couldn't prove anything, but isn't there a conflict of interests?

 

[daveyw]

Always wondered about these. I followed a Salter steamer down towards a lock (not any of those already named and about 10 years ago) & somehow they just closed the gates so the steamer was moored closest to the lock. The steamer then emptied it's numerous passengers who went into the cafe which sold other things like gifts/flowers etc. The lock seemed remarkably slow in operation. Of course I couldn't prove anything, but isn't there a conflict of interests?

Captive market?!!

 

[Andy Soper]

Fear not - the Environment Agency is not a commercial body. All the existing cafe / shops are private enterprises set up and run by lock-keepers and their families as a public service -I doubt anyone makes even a small fortune from them.

The Molesley cafe is an EA conversion and run as a concession but EA are remarkably coy about the revenue gained - probably because it is a very small amount of money.