G.A.W. Associates Ltd

Day in Clacton

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:14:00 +0000

We spent most of the day in Clacton. The sea-front is looking quite smart these days. There's now an ASK and a PIZZA EXPRESS. Ate in ASK then a walk to the end of the pier and drive back home.

Quick visit to the shipyard to see how Tuffle Bird is getting along with her refit. She's looking very sad. Most of the deck fittings have now been removed ready for a repaint.

The (Tuffle) Bird has flown

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:24:00 +0000

Tuffle was moved to the quay yesterday to have her crusty bottom grit blasted (see photos.)

Today I applied 5 coats of silver primer to all the below water-line metalwork (keel, rudder, bow protector and various other bits and pieces). Got home, filthy, needed a complete scub down.

Went shopping and on the way home Dee came aboard for her first look around. Slightly impressed I think (but not enough to commit to sailing with me).

BEFORE

DURING

(AFTER SHOTS WILL COME LATER)

Fathers Day

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:44:00 +0000

So I treated myself to a new (additional) boat as above (TUFFLE BIRD). She is an IP 25 Motor Sailer with a 30 hp Yanmar engine and three berths.

The hull was made by Island Plastics. The designers were Bill Waite and Fred Parker and it was built by Halls Boatyard in 1977 (re-engineered in 1996). She is a Bermudan sloop with a masthead rig and should be a good seagoing safe boat which is easy for me to manage on my own or with one crew.

Dimensions LOA: 23 ft 9"; LWL: 20 ft 9"; Beam: 9 ft 1"; Displacement: 2545 kg; Draft: 3 ft 3".

Halls Boatyard are about to clean and re anti-foul the hull before dropping her in the water near the end of the Twizzle for what's left of the season. I'll use MABEL as her tender.

Kids days

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:53:00 +0000

Morning at the pier and then to the playground this afternoon.

Bob has set the mast on MABEL (shrouds still need to be made and spliced) but he has now gone home to sort a few things out - he may be back by the weekend.

Mud Larks

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:22:00 +0000

Cycled to the yacht club. Spent a few hours helping Bob recover some old anchor / mooring points for AMY which had dragged a little over the winter.

He has already dropped a new load of steel into the oggin and will adjust his long-term mooring point for the future.

You might just be able to see him in his dinghy alongside AMY.

Got covered in mud, washed it off /down with a couple of pints then home.

Meg rang to say that she thought she had seen me driving through Chrishall (wasn't me). Looking forward to seeing them all with their Mums next week.

More boatie stuff

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:50:00 +0000

Came to Walton last night to be with Gaz, Richard and Ian who were here for a MUSTO photo shoot. MABEL went in the water at about 10:30 whilst I watched other boats being craned and moved including this one.

Motored MABEL round to the Titchmarsh marina and took this couple of long range shots of the photo session.

Here's one of Ian.
MABEL is still leaking both water and loads of oil. A guy at the yacht club took a look at the oil leak for me but after doing it he couldn't get her to start again (some kind of electrical fault).

Staying here tonight.

Beach Maintenance

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:55:00 +0000

The previously reported beach errosion is being fixed - pictures of big boys toys for the kids.

Still busy

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:28:00 +0000

Came back from the beach yesterday, lunch in Prezzo then admin work until close of play.

Today, looking after Felix in the morning, lunch, then to Adams to deliver his birthday present, then (hopefully) back to the beach for the weekend before back here on Monday to babysit Gus and Felix (their Dad is off to a client meeting I think).

MABEL should have been anti-fouled yesterday and dropped (not literally I hope) back in the water today. Wonder what I'll find when I get to the Yacht Club moorings?

Just before I left the beach house earlier in the week I helped deliver John Thorpes boat out to its mooring at the end of the Twizzle. Lovely boat, (SCORCHER.) Just been repainted brilliant white and red. Loads of Nav gear and plenty of space to walk around the decks. Should have got a picture, will get one and update this blog entry when I get a chance.

Here they are.

Moving Miss MABEL

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:44:00 +0000

Went up to Wisbech yesterday evening to be in the right place to pick up MABEL from Bobs workshop where he's been making a new teak floor for her.

Stayed at the Rose & Crown Hotel in the town centre. I know that it takes a massive amount of money to keep old buildings looking smart but it also seems criminal to let one deteriorate to this extent. Still, just staying for B&B was no real hardship.

Trailered MABEL back to Walton and left her in Halls Boatyard to be cleaned and anti-fouled ready for launching next week (hopefully).

Bobs workshop is wonderful, all the old-fashioned but professional tools you could wish for (a lot handmade) together with a radio, leather easy chair and a bottle of Pussers rum handy.

Drove home picked up Dee then straight round to Alex & Tim's for tea.

Busy busy day

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:29:00 +0000

Felix joined us for the forenoon.

Did some laundry sorting.

Did lunch.

Started to doze a little.

Then home.

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:40:00 +0000

A Few High Street Garden Shots

Weekend at home

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:29:00 +0000

Stayed at home today because we're babysitting August & Felix tonight.

Tim, Meg, Adam & Owen came round before lunch and had a snack. It was supposedly the hottest day of the year so far. Lunch in the garden then a walk to the common where there is a fair.

Market square was busy.

Fair is just beyond the car park.

Loads of rides and stuff.

Here's one of the trains for Adam.

Coastal Drift

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:55:00 +0000

We walked along the beach before breakfast this morning and were surprised to see just how much sand had been scoured away from the sea wall exposing the old ?Victorian? wall (since covered with concrete).

There is a whole row of new beach huts up at Sunny Point.

Crane in The Square

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:58:00 +0000

Great excitement this Sunday as a huge mobile crane arrived to do some construction work on a shop in the town square. Loads of folk standing watching and taking pics.

Visit to Southwold

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:26:00 +0000

Went for a drive to Southwold today.

Lunch at the SWAN.

Too cold to walk far (still snow on the ground).

Still some beach huts available at between £40 and £60,000 each.

Snow at the seaside

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:17:00 +0000

Came to the beach yesterday via Frankie & Benny's and Gus's (to drop off his eggs).

We knew that the weather wasn't going to be great but had already booked lunch today at the Yacht Club and, what the hell, the surf was going to be terrific, big waves, strong winds, just right for a walk on the beach (going with the wind not against it of course).

Woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow which looks as if it could get worse and may even stick for a day or two.

Staying here till Wednesday morning (new mirrors arriving).

Banks, Housing, Foreign Properties, Buy-To-Let, Reposessions etc.

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:46:00 +0000

Everyone under the sun seems to be having their say on the “Banking Crisis” and its subsequent knock-on in housing. I know that I have been saying it (it’ll all end in tears) for a couple of years now but if you say it for long enough it’s bound to happen eventually. What is the root cause? GREED, GREED and MORE GREED writ large and SHOUTED from the highest point. Lets look at a few more subtle underlying causes. Me, subtle, you might think that, I couldn’t possibly comment.

1. IRRESPONSIBLE LENDERS

At one time not so long ago the market was awash with money to lend and lenders were fighting amongst themselves to take on new customers.

It ain’t rocket science, but if you pay anyone commission for selling ‘products’ they will sell them come hell or high water to keep their jobs even if they are inappropriate to the needs of the buyer (as with higher mortgages than can be afforded).

Where do you think the TV adverts got their idea for prattish bankers promoting foregn call centres and free bubble lights from? Real people in the financial services sector unfortunately. I've met some of them.

Bring back the old style bank managers and staff (without sales targets) I say.
Let them handle all a customers accounts (private and company) so that they get the full picture and don't risk their investors money

Maybe introducing a strict Risk Assessment processes would help? But would some of these executives (who pick up massive bonuses for failing) know what Risk Assessment is?

Time was (when you got tax relief on the interest) you had to justify what you wanted loan money for (and some extensions didn’t always qualify).

Now it seems that some folk are extending their mortgages for additional houses, new cars (4X4’s), replacing perfectly good kitchens and bathrooms, multiple holidays, school fees, designer handbags and Jimmy Choo shoes. The world’s gone mad.

A house should primarily be a home and not an investment. If it makes money and allows you to buy bigger and better then fine, but that should be a secondary consideration. Chances are however that any increase in equity on the one you want to sell (after you’ve extended) is matched or outstripped by the cost of the one you want to buy (especially after paying stamp duty etc.)

2. BLAME IT ON MAGGIE
Maggie’s ‘right-to-buy’ and the sell-off of council houses gave everyone (even those not equipped to handle ownership of a major asset) the delusion that they were just “as good” as everyone else even if they were broke, unemployed, poorly educated, without ambition or lacking any determination to succeed. YES I agree that even these individuals MUST have the same rights and MUST be given the same respect as everyone else but sorry NO everyone isn’t equal and, at times, the unable MUST be protected from themselves.

3. BUY TO LET
The buy-to-let market was always a potential house of cards, it didn’t need a genius to see that but programmes such as the housing ladder and homes under the hammer fuelled the belief that anyone could become a property developer and make loadsa money overnight. Sorry, it doesn’t happen that way except for the very few visionaries who got in before the masses and then got out quick. Everyone else should stop thinking about get-rich-quick ideas, get a proper job and pay income tax instead of picking up benefit handouts.

Now there is a glut of properties and repossessions (especially flats) in what used to be areas where no one with realistically achievable aspirations for a better life would choose to live (like London Docklands, Ipswich Waterfront, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds). Gun and drug culture is rife in all these places and no amount of trendy cafes and bars will make them ideal for fnormal' families.

However, wherever someone looses money someone else spots an opportunity to make it. There may be bargains to be had in a few months time especially if you don’t have anything to sell, have money available and can move quickly based on solid research and due diligence.

4. FOREIGN PROPERTY

The Spanish property boom is, in my opinion (and that’s worth as much as anyone elses) well and truly over. There’s a glut of new ones let alone older ones. Not much appears to be selling even at supposedly knock down prices. I am told by those suffering that service charges are increasing at a rate of knots (but the standard of service received doesn’t seem to keep pace.)

Why did / do folk want to go there?

The booze used to be cheaper (not any longer.)
Fags were cheap (especially if you went over the border into Gib).
Villas and apartments were cheaper than a similar property (if you could find one) near a beach in the UK.

Yes I appreciate that the weather can be wonderful.
Yes air travel was cheap (but for how much longer?)

Air travel, even if you go first or club class, (which isn’t cheap) is an even bigger hassle than it used to be with all the extra security and restrictions on baggage. I’ve seen cows and pigs transported with more care and consideration than I’ve had in Easyjet and Ryannair Cattle class.

Let’s face it, most of the folks who bought with the objective of renting out their villas and apartments for part of the year couldn’t really afford them in the first place. Some even took out foreign mortgages without reckoning on exchange rate costs and fluctuations (proving that a little knowledge is still a dangerous thing.)

Having seen some of the properties, the build quality was less than one might expect in the UK.
Some even look like they were thrown up by amateurs (probably failed IT consultants?.) Do you get an equivalent to an NHBC guarantee (for what little good they are) in the rest of the EU?. What’s a guarantee worth anyway if the builder, developer, agent has gone bust or simply disappeared? Even the old saying of ‘Buyer beware’ isn’t good enough in these times.
Gone is the principle of; “My word is my bond”. You just can’t trust anyone today (see recent examples of UK solicitors involved in worthless share selling boiler rooms). Land grabs and town hall corruption are another story altogether. You’d be a fool to trust UK Local Government officials. Trust the foreign Johnnys and you may be certifyable.

My rant (if that's the way you prefer to see it) is now over but I reserve the right to come back to it if Barclays, Nationwide etc. go down the tubes (is the recent bad publicity all just a traders hype and scam?).

Result

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:32:00 +0000

One the way to lunch yesterday we (Dee & Me) browsed a couple of charity shops (Walden is full of them). After compaining that Dee was about to buy even more junk when we still have a shed full to get rid of following our move, I found this.

Almost new MUSTO sailing salopettes. A few bob off £10. GREAT. Just the thing to stop the wind whistling up your estuary. They are also useful for cleaning the car (wearing them not using them as a wet rag), fishing, walking anywhere (but especially on the beach) and just generally slobbing about in. Bargain of the year I say.

West Herts NHS Trust and Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:44:00 +0000

Long drive to Hemel Hempstead today for a client meeting. Took the M11 and M25 WRONG. Next time I'll use the back roads via Hatfield. Spent most of the evening and this morning preparing a draft proposal and strategy update. 'Spoke' to JohnC who is currently in Singers but should be back in time to start the project (if it goes ahead). All this morning - working on P11D stuff (that I shouldn't need to be doing). Into every life a little rain must fall but I'm not happy about monsoons. Off to lunch at The Cricketers (Jamie's Dad's place) then meeting up with the aircon enginner to see if the basement needs improving.

Beware the relentless bureaucrats

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:01:00 +0000

This is a cautionary tale for anyone buying a new or replacement vehicle at a motor trader's (garage to you and me). YOU ARE AT RISK OF RECEIVING A FINE OF £80 or even (perhaps) a visit from debt collectors or, in the extreme, a prison sentence if you allow the garage to do any paperwork on your behalf (i.e. provide an administration service that you might reasonably expect).

I recently (October '07) bought a new car from a local garage who took my old one in part exchange. I left completion of the paperwork (sending off the old and new change of ownership details (Form V53/C) to the DVLA (Driver Vehicle & Licensing Authority)) to the garage staff.

Now, just in case you're thinking the garage was an 'Arthur Dailey' type dodgy deals place,.... It wasn't. It was a main dealership with a high turnover of vehicles (about 10 per week so they tell me).

The first I knew that something might be amiss was back in December '07 when I received a form from DVLA asking me why I hadn't re-registered the car. I filled out the details, told them I had sold it in October and gave the garage details.

Then, on the 4th of February '08 I received a letter (dated 31st January) acknowledging my previous response but saying that I had been issued with a Late Licensing Penalty of £80.

I rang them and spoke to Stephanie. Went through all the details. Could they have lost the form? "Don't think so but even if we did you are still responsible". Was told "Form V53/C is a legal document. You should have read the instructions on the back of section 9 (the yellow part). If you hadn't received an acknowledgement from us within 4 weeks you should have chased us. You are responsible for making sure that we are efficient".

I couldn't believe that, not only are the DVLA refusing to accept that they might make mistakes but they also make the 'customer' responsible for their failures. A typical case of 'Heads I win, tails you loose' thinking.

(Incidentally, the instruction to chase them for an acknowledgement is on the reverse of the yellow part - (remember? that has to be sent to them) - so having sent it you have nothing to put in your 'pending' tray to remind you. Poor form design or what?) Wonder what would have happened if I had died in the interim period? Who would be responsible for either chasing them or paying the fine then? Would they have crushed the car anyway?

I decided to check more facts and rang the garage.

They have a system, all forms go to the DVLA each Friday. The form (yellow part) had not been left in their file accidentally and the form for the new car must have been sent off at the same time because DVLA returned the updated Registration Certificate to me. The garage decided to plead my/their case by letter and faxed the Customer Services Dept of DVLA.

I documented the whole issue and sent an e-mail to the address on the DVLA website. After a day it came back to me saying.........

"Thank you for your email. I am sorry, but DVLA Swansea do not deal with matters of enforcement". (No joined up thinking there then.) "In order to address this issue, please write to the office that has sent the correspondence to you".

I decided that if I wrote, then I might also be responsible for chasing them for a response so I decided to try email again. I was determined to get my thoughts (and anger) in front of someone in authority ASAP so I rang them (at least their phones seem to be fairly well manned).

A very helpful lady told me that 'Enforcement' don't have an email address of their own but you can email 'csm.dvla@gtnet.gov.uk' (Customer Services Manager) I did. Mr Broom, DVLA Customer Services Manager came back with an almost instant response telling me that my 'complaint' had been forwarded to the relevant department and that they would "reply to me within 10 working days".

Great. That conveniently takes us past the early payment deadline of 16th of February when I might still get away with paying £40 instead of £80. (I stress that my paying anything will be under extreme duress. I am currently of the opinion that I would rather go to prison for a few days than pay something which is patently unfair).

It used to be that laws were made to potentially punish the ungodly and dissuade them from transgression. These days it seems to be all about generating revenue and upsetting normally law-abiding citizens.

The morals of the story (if there can be one in this crazy immoral environment)

a)
Don't trust anyone to do anything on your behalf which you may be responsible for;

b)
Get a lawyer to read everything (and accept responsibility for any poor advice) before you sign it then hand deliver it and get a receipt;

c)
Don't assume that having been compliant to the best of your ability that some faceless bureaucrat won't still want to charge you something for a minor infringement (it's almost as if they are on commission for the number of people they upset).

and finally.....

Nil carborundum illegitimii.

7/2/08 am.

Received an email from the DVLA Brand Management Team Central Marketing and Market Research asking me to remove the DVLA logo from the top of this blog entry - have done. Seems that policing things like this are given a higher priority than answering real issues.

7/2/08 pm.

Ever been made to feel that what you have said might be strictly correct but could also be a bit blunt? I have now had several electronic conversaions with a very nice lady (I sincerely hope) from the above dept (Lynne Joseph). Her words, stance and attitude calmed me down considerably. She was reason and logic personified. A great PR spokesperson. Any bosses at the DVLA listening? She deserves either promotion or a raise. Obviously she can't fix the main issue (not her job) but her sympathy was so appreciated.

13/2/08

An acknowledgement for a change of ownership arrived in the post this morning. Great I thought, until I looked at the date - 4/2/08 (it had been forwarded from our old address). So I rang DVLA. No joy. Seems that the acknowledgement has to be BEFORE the original fine letter date to count. The original letter from them was January. I still wait to hear their decision.

19/2/08

Two things happened today in this continuing saga.

First, I opened the post to find yet another letter from Swansea dated 11/2/08 thanking me for advising them of a change of ownership.

Second I received an email dated as today from Poole telling me that due to data protection restrictions they aren't allowed to send a detailed response to my query / complaint via email and that a full written response is in the overland post. Doesn't sound too hopeful otherwise they could just have said "let's forget it". I wait to be surprised. Think I'll send the whole of this diary back to them just in case they don't know in the left hand of Poole what the right hand of Swansea is doing. Will also send an email to Ruth Kelly at Dept for Transport. Don't expect a positive response but you never know.

21/2/08

The jury's decision (their letter dated 19th) arrived today. Someone appears to have gone to a lot of trouble to produce this (it's 3 pages long) but they may have boilerplate text already prepared (if there are a lot of peoople like me). I rang and asked them to fully explain (in a letter) the consequences of my failure to pay this highway robbery and await their advice.

22/2/08

The SAAB garage (Cambridge SAAB for those of you looking for someone who gives REAL customer service) have agreed to pay the fine for me. Great news but slighly diappointing as I was quite looking forward to being someone's 'cell-bitch' for a week or two. No experience is ever wasted and we should take every opportunity to expand our outlook. So, seems like an end to this story (I was becoming VERY bored of it anyway). Onwards and upwards.

John Barleycorn Duxford

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:25:00 +0000

Since we (Dee and I) haven't been working full-time we have had more time to enjoy ourselves. One of the trips we make on a regular basis is to Scotsdales's Garden Centre near Cambridge. On the way there we have started to revisit (used to do it when the kids were small) a pub (John Barleycorn) in Duxford. Great food, busy most of the time and reasonable prices for efficient service. As you can see it is old, traditional and the toilets are clean.

Loadsa Birthdays

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:45:00 +0000

It was Felix's birthday on the 17th and Meg's on the 18th.

We have another artist in the family.

Going Dutch in East Anglia

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:26:00 +0000

The tolerance that had previously existed between the native English and Dutch communities in East Anglia exploded last night. Tulips were pulled from window boxes. Waxy cheese was taken from shops and violently thrown into the road where it failed to break or squash or change shape in any way, further enraging the Anti-Dutch feeling among the rioters.

The Dutch community has been criticized for its failure to integrate with English society; ‘They insist on wearing their clogs to schools and offices, as if the rest of us should make an exception for them just because they are from the Netherlands" said one elderly English resident. "I mean I’m not racialist, but these Dutchies come over here, buy up our traditional English semis, and turn them into windmills. Then another they move in next door, and before you know it, the whole street is full of em, riding bicycles, and reclaiming large areas of land from the sea with a complex network of dykes, canals and pumping stations."

Although resentment against windmills and land reclamation is rampant, no actual evidence of recent projects have been identified within England’s East Anglian Dutch ghettoes.

The government has hinted that it may soon become a statutory offence to incite anti-Dutch hatred, with a possible prison sentence for anyone making weak jokes about ‘fingers in the dyke’ or 'the Amsterdam Cannabis bar that kicked someone out for smoking a cigarette'.

However, some politicians have angered Dutch community leaders by saying that if people from the Netherlands want to come and settle in the United Kingdom, they will have to integrate and learn to speak the language like everyone else. "At the moment they insist on speaking impeccable English" claimed the Home Secretary, "failing to make a single grammatical mistake, double negative or clumsy malapropism." "It's just not good enough."

The big clean up had begun this morning, but the mood remains anxious. A spokesperson or the National Geographic magazine said ...."All it would take is for some drunken English lads to turn up here tonight saying that ‘Holland’ and ‘The Netherlands’ are completely synonymous, and it’ll all kick off again."

Christmas at Home, New Year at the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Whole family joined us for New Year's Eve at the beach.

Late Night Shopping in S/Walden

noreply@blogger.com (GlynWild) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 06:13:00 +0000

Don't think there was much shopping done. More of a charity event everyone comes to town for. Pubs were full though. Great little band.

Experienced (from the sidelines) what seemed to me needlessly aggressive policing (around under age booze purchasing.) Verbatim conversation......

Local mini-mart around 8pm.
One of two policemen........"How old are you?" (to a young woman who was obviously in her twenties.) "21 aren't I Mother?" "Yes she is" (said Mother). "Born on xxxx"

Constable turns to shopkeeper. "You just sold a yoof some alcohol"
Shopkeeper "He showed me his passport."
Constable "No he didn't" What did he look like?"

I came away thinking that the short, unshaven guardian of the local peace needed to learn a few interpersonal skills. His performance was unlikely to endear him to the community at large. I've seen more politeness from SWAT team members in Eastern Europe.