Ostend Of An Era?

Effortlessly piloting my graceful Bentley Continental Flying Toss back to the Millionaires' Playground this afternoon, following a week at my Chelsea pad for the funeral of the century and a recording of the new series of Celebrity Nipples for Dave, I couldn't help but notice that our lovely TransEuropa Ferries in our lovely Royal Harbour/Port had been replaced by a floating hotel!

It got me to pondering what was going on with TransEuropa Ferries (TEF), as I rarely see the old tubs wending their way across to Belgium from my captain's lookout here at the cliff top mansion these days. So I emailed my old chums with the anoraks and binoculars on the other side of the briny, and this is their response:

You may well have noticed that Ramsgate port is 'ferryless' at the moment. Yesterday the Ostend Spirit (formerly the Pride of Calais) returned to their owners P&O for lay up at Tilbury. Strange that the Thanet press didn't pick up the story.

In short Transeuropa have some problems, and it seems that the owners the Dias brothers are wrapping up the company their father left them. They have sold two ferries that operated in the Med to Russian interests. The two ferries were moneymakers as they were chartered to the biggest Spanish ferry operator TRASMED for service between Spain and Morroco.

If TEF goes then at least 10 jobs will go directly with some indirectly such as security, cleaning and jobs at Orbit import-export, based at Ramsgate ferry port.

Blimey! Now, following a little, er, misunderstanding with Euroferries (Where are they now?! - Ed.) a few years back, I hasten to add that no-one is saying that TransEuropa have sunk. Let's be absolutely clear on that. But it does seem a little fishy! (Geddit??!!!!!???!!!??!!!!!!!!)

Especially as a visit to TEF's website is currently resulting in a big, fat empty load of white space.

Meanwhile I suppose we must welcome C-Bed to the Cannes of Kent. They provide floating hotels for windfarm workers, enabling them to be on the job 24/7. According to C-Bed's website, they use 'leather and other luxurious materials' to make sure their floatels 'are a place to unwind, sit back and get ready for the next day without worrying about cleaning, cooking, or getting to or from work'.

Fit for a millionaire, I'd say!

Click here for more on the current state of TEF in the Belgian newspaper De Tijd.
Update: The Gazunder has finally caught up with this story. Click here for more.

Ash Thursday

After losing all our billions in their dodgy banks, those pesky Icelanders have now closed our airspace with their grotty volcano! The above was the picture a few moments ago on Flightradar24.com - click on the pic to go to the site and see for yourself.

Still, at least it meant my beauty sleep wasn't disturbed this morning by some old crate flying dodgy yams into Chas 'n' Dave Margate International. I need all the rest I can get these days, what with the night job an' all!

Muddy Waters

Regular readers will know that I often tool around our lovely Royal Harbour in my captain's cap, deck shoes and brass buttoned blazer, cheerily waving my Rolex at all the salty seamen in our naval basin.

On one such occasion earlier this week, I was shocked by the amount of water in the harbour. Er, there wasn't any! I know the tides have been particularly low recently, but there was so little of the beautiful briny in the outer reaches that I'm sure it would be preferable for any craft entering the harbour to be equipped with brakes rather than an anchor.

Now I know El Presidente and his jurassic junta have initiated a costly dredging programme in the port in preparation for the arrival of LD Lines' giant superduperferry Ostend Spirit later in the month. But what about the harbour and marina? Are they preparing to turn it into yet another car park? Or has some local developer chum of theirs put down a brarn envelope deposit on planning permission for a block of luxury flats on the land that's accumulating there? Deputy Rodge is on the record as saying: 'The council is undertaking a major investment programme in the Port and the Marina, the future regeneration initiatives will create jobs and facilitate future investment. This is good news for Ramsgate which, we are convinced, has a very exciting future ahead.' So when do the harbour and marina get the half a mill dredging treatment, eh Rodge? And, um, where's the dosh coming from?

Let's hope some water arrives before Ramsgate becomes the new Davos on 17 March. Yep, that's right, top City firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance is coming to the Millionaires' Playground in a couple of weeks as part of its third annual summit, described as 'the new Davos' (the Swiss resort where I and the rest of the world's economic elite club together once a year). 400 guests and 75 speakers will descend on the Saatchi Gallery, the Science Museum, the London Olympic Park and, er, Thanet Offshore Wind.

As well as some water in the harbour, hopefully there'll also be some businesses left in the harbour arches for the bigwigs to browse in. A bird tells me the Duffers have stopped renewing their leases. Why?

Click here to read more about the dredging in Dredging News
Click here to read more about Ramsgate - the new Davos!