Thursday, March 12, 2009

Ferry Story

Holy hulls! BBC South East's Glenn Campbell has been investigating the ferry industry! The roving, rhinestone-clad reporter appears to have drawn a blank whilst trying to track down Euroferries, the new fast service that purports to be running from Ramsgate to Boulogne at the end of the month.

By the time he got to the Millionaires' Playground he'd certainly lost that loving feeling for the company, and the whole situation was far from gentle on his mind, given that there's no sign down at our lovely port of any new buildings or infrastructure. He then decamped to a sheltered accommodation flat in Kingston upon Thames which is apparently the registered office of Euroferries, before reminding us that they'd tried to set up once before in 2006 from Dover. That particular nautical venture came to nought.

Funniest of all was GC's interview with deputy duffer Rodge down at the port. Blustering his way past our intrepid's questions, his last word on the subject was that he didn't think Euroferries would be starting in March after all!

Click here to watch Inside Out on BBC iPlayer
Click here for Euroferries website
Click here for Euroferries story in Kent Messenger

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats "Due Diligence" out of the window then, eh Richard.

Too many people driving desks at TDC instead of getting their hands dirty.

If this scheme goes ahead in six months time we will see that yet another company will owe thousands due to a lack of the DD.

Why is it, that Thanet can only attract the lesser developer.

Michael Child said...

Fraid chaps I am coming right down on the side of TDC and “Duffer Rodge” on this one, after all even if they wind up owing money what have we got to lose.

The short-term benefits to Ramsgate are very large providing we get some signing and a linked free bus service into the town.

I just hope the program hasn’t scuppered our chances.

I will draw your attention to the book by Nevil Shute [Norway] “Ruined City” b****r due diligence, as long as we keep a firm eye on the safety aspects, just how much money will the port make with no fast ferry service.

Richard Eastcliff said...

I quite agree Michael. After all, I doubt if TDC have spent a penny on it so far and I can't see a downside if it goes nipples up, only an upside if it, er, goes nipples down. Um.

If it goes ahead, what they need to do is reopen Military Road to light traffic and put some proper signage up so we can get some tourists toddling around Thanet's premier town!

Anonymous said...

I heard Transeuropa were going to put the kybosh on the fast service as they have grown too fond of their monopoly position at Ramsgate apparently.

Anonymous said...

I'm always quite pessimistic but I am happy to have the chance that this may happen especially as it has cost us taxpayers virtually nothing so far.

If we were being asked to subsidise this etc then it would be a completely different story.

Anonymous said...

Hey, so long as they don't want to fly over my roof every 9 minutes I'm for it!

It would be a ferry welcome addition to our town.

Anonymous said...

One of many stories so favourably reported by the local press!

Having only lived here a year or so I have noticed that the local press here appear to be either one of two things:

1/ A propaganda tool for the local council. As they seem to put positive spins on all things that the council favour without questioning anything stated.

2/ The papers here employ bone-dle fops as journalists who are incapable of any sort of research and therefore create easy copy from council spin.

Any ideas which is correct?

Confused and Ever so Slightly Bewildered of Broadstairs

Anonymous said...

Dear Confused of Broadstairs,

You are right on both counts.

Yours,

Cynical of Ramsgate

Anonymous said...

All the local papers rely on Council advertising either directly or indirectly so run scared of any negative copy on council affairs .
The council have their mediocre freebee and of course the lovely Cheryl in their press section to propagate their backslapping ,without the help of the local press.
When I moved down here I thought it was the jellyfish that lacked spines but it seems to apply all the local hacks.

Anonymous said...

HOW TO DO A THANET NEWSPAPER
FRONT PAGE
1} Plucky child fights something dreadful raises money for charity
2} Thanet Council see economic future in anything Ken Wills has shares in.

MIDDLE PAGE
3} Cat up a tree, possibly heralding thousands of new jobs for Thanet

ARTS SECTION
The St Peters Fushia Society are to stage the Vagina Monologues at Hilderstone arts centre book early

SPORTS PAGE
Thanet Wanderers narrowly lose 94-0
Margate manager sacked creating possibly hundreds of new jobs

Thanet Observer said...

Here's hoping the ferries do eventually start, but not on the same terms that the Sally Line fleeced TDC for money. The Golden Goose surely can't lay any more money full eggs for businesses that promise the earth, take our taxpayers cash, then disappear.

Anonymous said...

I seem to remember Hoverlloyd pulled out of Pegwell Bay because TDC wanted to double their rent in the middle of a recession. Leaving a hoverport (built on coal slag in a SSSI) to rot to the extent they then had to pay for it to be demolished.

Yet another example of our far-sighted council's deft hand at business dealings and job creation, eh?

Anonymous said...

Well Said Thanet Observer,

Now lets see if you have any balls to go against the Council cross-party mafia and two-bob developers who think that they can ride rough-shod over the toothless doleites of Thanet!

Go and be a hack and not a printer of press-releases!

Anonymous said...

Or you could measure your own 'nadability', Anonymous of 9:09pm, and do that for yourself, rather than request it of someone else!

Anonymous said...

The port have cocked up because they've got an entire berth taken up for a year by the wind farm which means there's not enough room for Transeuropa and Euroferries.

Anonymous said...

Not a chance of it happening - Bonanza laid up in port somwhere in the sun, no timetable, prices, terminal, advertising, nowhere to book, emails to EF asking specific questions answered with a propoganda statement 10 days later! The public will have made their Easter and aummer holiday reservations with reputable cross channel companies, not Mr Mickey (Invisile)Mouse. Pity our local reporters couldn't have found out what the BBC did. Lets get real!