HMRC v Lt Cmdr Colin Stone (The Kei)
HMRC has lost its appeal in the
High Court, against a Tribunal decision that a sea-going Vessel (a reproduction Dutch barge) qualified for zero-rating within the meaning of Schedule 8, Group 8, item 1 Value Added Tax Act 1994.
The appellant (Commander Stone) was applying to bring in a houseboat which was capable of self propulsion. However, he was intending to use it for a residential purpose. HMRC argued that VAT was payable but the High Court confirmed that it qualified for zero-rating.
Sunday, 31 August 2008
So wrong!
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Continuous Cruisers again
If you feel you have something to say on the topic I will gladly publish it here.Sympathies my a**e
Of course Gillian Stokes was 'Harrisioned' about her comments re Continuous Cruisers and Continuous Moorers.
There is a difference and she fails to see it.
Although in her last email she does leave out CCers when she says "That Di, is how I knew they were continuous moorers. I would have thought it obvious." If she wanted it to be obvious she should learn to differentiate.
A Continuous Cruiser pays the same licence fee as a marina moorer and as such has the same right to moor on a visitor mooring as a marina moorer which ever store they may be near.
She may come out of her secure mooring once in a blue moon and have problems mooring outside Sainsbury's but genuine CCers have the same problem irrespective of the colour of the lunar orb.
Being a CCer is not a 'privilege' as she says, it is a planned for life choice. It is also absolutely legal due to an Act of Parliament.
She needs to remember that if a CCer is charged a mooring fee they may well just stay put and ignore the limits.
She also needs to remember that a genuine CCer is not taking up space in a large pile of bricks that can be better utilised by a family.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
The Rag Doll (edited)
According to the site http://www.ragdoll.co.uk/ Rag Doll is not currently on air at this time. And if you ask if you can visit Rag Doll the answer is no 'The Rag Doll is not open to visitors a the moment'.
Addendum: I am told this is not 'THE' Rag Doll. B*ll*cks!
Monday, 25 August 2008
New visitors old friends
I have spoken on the phone a few times since and was very pleased when her now husband Steve Clarke called and said they would like to visit this weekend.
They arrived at 9 am with Jaynthie's sister Chandry in tow and after the usual pleasantries we set off up Abingdon Lock for water and a pump out. The queue was enormous and it took about two hours to get sorted. Following this we set off down stream heading for Clifton Hampden to go for lunch at the Plough, up the weir stream. On arrival there were three plastic boats moored up on the only available moorings and the kids were all playing around more plastic boats. They weren't eating at the pub just playing.
I turned around and made my way down to the bridge past the lock where we moored and went to the Barley Mow for our lunch. I was surprised to learn that both Jaynthie and Chandry remember my youngest daughter Kim, from photos, and the fact that she had graduated from Uni.
After lunch I had a call from Kim (funny that?) asking where I was and could she visit ....di da di da di da. We arranged that she and Jim would catch up with us at Culham Lock. Sure enough when we were in the lock K&J arrived. I checked out with the locky if it was alright to stop for half an hour. "Yes, but right on the far end." So we did.
It was a surprise that they should want to come down but not so much as the surprise I got when I discovered the reason. Introductions were made, I think J&C were quite pleased to meet Kim.
Kim and Jim have been together for ten years. They lived in my house while I was away globe-trotting and eventually bought it. This weekend they decided to make it official and Kim was toting an antique engagement ring. I am so happy for them both. And glad I was the first one they wanted to tell. Woooo Hoooooo!
K&J left after about half an hour and we continued on our way to Abingdon. Arriving about 6:15 and mooring up in the same place I had left 9 hours ago. It was great to see them all again. Steve seemed more relaxed after a day on the boat, and the girls were happy that they had seen this old buzzard once again.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Weekend
We stayed over in Wolverhampton so we were close to the airport for Bones' trip to Holland. Funny hotel, there seemed to be no staff on over night. We got up very early, well early for us anyway, and left by the back door ( which locked behind us) to get the car in the carpark, only to find the carpark was locked and we had to wait over half an hour for some one to come and let us out. So we wasted that time getting wet.
We wont stop there again!
Bones is now in Holland drinking coffee in the local café.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Some are just unprepared
They are all out today!!!
Krash again!
He is not new to boating and not new to the river. At the very least I think he needs his eyes testing if he couldn't see his proximity to the island. He was relying on his 12yo son on the front to tell him where his bow was in relation to the island, who of course couldnt hear and might not of appreciated the stream of the river.
Salters Steamers do the same manoeuvre he was trying several times a day with out problem and with a damned bigger boat. Obviously not a man to be near on the river.
Always remember you can't turn a 60ft boat in a 59ft space.
Abigail: the report
“The conclusion of the report is that brickwork in the lock was not protruding or in such condition to have been the cause of the incident.
Using information from engineer reports, photographs and an eyewitness statement, it is considered the most likely cause of the incident was that the crew of the boat concerned, regrettably, did not manage the locking appropriately
“British Waterways is confident the lock remains in sound condition and is safe for boaters to continue using in accordance with good practice.”
I fully understand that it is possible that those locking through 'may' have been in attentive, but "Did not manage the locking appropriately", does not explain why this boat ended up. . . up ended. . . does it?
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Some people you just have to love
She then goes on to berate CCers 'who are multyplying by the day' and 'it's enough to make a person weep'.
'Another question', she says, 'why do these 'continuous cruisers' have to be so scruffy (lack of paint, wheelbarrow, logs, bike, their worldly goods and not forgetting the blue tarpaulin'.
I am not sure what CCers have to do with being 'Stoned at Wallingford'.
I assume that she has never been on a council estate. Though most residents are upstanding members of the comunity there are always those who 'appear' not to be. It doesn't make them bad people just people you would rather not live near. (I could tell you stories)In my time on the canal I have met many people. Some with smart boats, some not so smart, some in need of a good lick of paint. One thing that amazes me about positively 'mankey' boats, well those I have been on, is the outside isn't always a good indication of whats on the inside or the people that own them. I suppose it's all about priorities. When the choice is 'eat' or 'paint' I know which I would do.
Not everyone lives on a boat because they want to, some do so simply because its all they have.
You have to love her, but I think Yvonne Umpleby neads a reality check!
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Eyes!
Monday, 18 August 2008
Just a little change
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Friday, 15 August 2008
LUCKY DUCK (edit)
The Duck arriving late.

Pic stolen from their BLOG
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Yob attack on the Rochdale
Is it me or are BW trying to pull te wool over our eyes with this comment:-
A spokesman for British Waterways told the Observer that the incident was ‘regrettable’, and fortunately didn’t happen often.
"This kind of thing is pretty isolated and we do try to minimise it, but it does happen everywhere from time to time, not just on canals.
It seems to me that 'everywhere' is an awful lot of places so that tells me it 'does happen often', though I have never heard of a narrow boat being stoned on the M25.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Keeeeraaaaash
Clickable
Monday, 11 August 2008
The Festival
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Do me a favour!
Double standards
VOLUNTEER groups spend hours with British Waterways Health and Safety jobsworths who nit pick over every detail of their safety standards and method statements. Why do they not apply the same rigour to outside contractors?
Look at the picture of the three painters being employed by the contractor who is painting Tyrley Locks. No reflective jackets, only the one on dry land wearing his life jacket, no signs of either wet paint or of the presence of workmen, sorry, work persons. In addition boaters were saying that they were being dangerously obstructed when trying to work the locks.
What point is there in British Waterways making a set of complex rules if it has no mechanism to police them on the ground? It would also be interesting to know why it chose the first week of the school holidays to paint the locks.
Funding
I think many boaters could come up with ways of saving money, the bollard fiasco comes to mind. BW are never short of ways of wasting our licence fees on hare brained ideas that do nothing to improve the system but lots to induce anger in those of us that pay our licence in good faith.
£800,000 spent last year to encourage walkers to use the tow paths in the winter, a time of year when the towpaths do not need the extra wear and tear. Was it £600,000 spent on an outside agency to organise it's financial strategy?
However million of pounds could be bought back to the table if such incidents as the Mon and Brec breech (£16 million) were funded from elsewhere. Given the very limited budget that BW has such repairs should not, I believe, come from the normal BW budget. Such damage is catastrophic and should be funded from an emergency government fund. It is grossly unfair with a diminishing budget to expect BW to pick up the tab irrespective of what they waste on trivial 'bollard schemes'.
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
How Much?
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
A. Get out the BBQ and boil up some old bones.
I am sure her Zoology Professor will be proud of the tissue on which the bones are laid. Very professional with it's kite pattern.
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Banter at Osney
And of course the standard Maffi breakfast Egg Banjo. Now would you like Black current cheesecake with that?
No that is not green slime on the plate it's the pattern. I know I didnt believe it either.