It's not been the easiest of years,
he may have struggled,
he may have lost income
but Mark, the landlord of the Folly Inn at Napton will know it was all worth it just to win
The Herbie Canal Pub of the Year Award.
for providing a safe, welcoming service during a Covid stricken year
(Deep Joy - a well deserved and popular win)
We'd also like to give a "Highly Commended" to the ever friendly Olive Bush pub at Flecknoe.
Lots of business have struggled this year and lots of them have gone the extra mile to provide a service to their customers, which brings us to our second Herbie Award for 2020.
Best Canal Business.
Who has gone out of their way to help Herbie this year? In chronological order, all, as it happens, in the same 48 hour period as the first Covid lockdown loomed during our planned trip to Kings Bromely. Help in a stressful time.:
1. Calcutt Boats who as well as arranging a firm booking for a repair whilst we were en-route from Cropredy to Kings Bromley, gave us safe harbour in strong winds overnight before fitting us a new engine mount and giving the engine a service the next day, performing a job in a morning for which another boat yard had quoted us two days(and a lot more money).
2. Midland Chandlers - who reserved two stoves for us so that we could choose the better fitting one on our arrival with Herbie and allowing the fitting to be done on their customer mooring so that other items such as a new flue could be obtained at the time as needed. We should also mention their recommended fitter Colin Rowe who was prompt, professional and quick working as well as being cheerful and tidy. The whole job was a lot faster and cheaper than when we last had a stove fitted. All this on the very day that lockdown was announced.
3. Later the same day, while we were still on the mooring at Midland Chandlers we reacted to the news of the lockdown by deciding to abandon our move to Kings Bromley marina and hastily contacted Wigrams Turn marina to see if they could accommodate us at short notice. Two hours later we were safely moored up on a new(to us) berth at Wigrams Turn with nothing to pay as Wigrams and Kings Bromley are all part of the Castle Marinas group. When the dust settled the moneys were transferred within the group without any palaver involving us. Kings Bromley still held a place for us pending the lifting of lockdown, only letting it go when we once again abandoned the move in September fearing (rightly) further lockdowns. Despite us messing them about, both marinas have been accommodating and understanding and the £500 deposit that Kings Bromley were holding was knocked of our bill at Wigrams.
We are grateful to them all for making a complex set of problems easy for us at a stressful time. Who would you give the award to? The Herbie Award Academy (me and Kath) will meet later today to make our choice.
Meanwhile dear reader, ponder our next award Best Boaters Toy - we used to call this Best Boaters gadget, but let's face it, gadgets are all fun aren't the and this years short list are fun to use.
4 comments:
A well deserved win for The Folly.
I think our award for Best Canal Business would be split this year between Clems Veg Boxes in Nantwich for their deliveries to a bridge thorough out lockdown 1 and Venetian Marina Chandlery for being supportive and very helpful to many in the area.
Edited as even I didn't know who May was!
Always good to hear that businesses have been so helpful. Personal service means so much nowadays!
Well done Mark and Caroline at The Folly. Always happy to converse and mix with the punters as well as being very well organised during the period between lockdowns. I understand they have a new beer on offer called "Substantial Meal".
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