Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

Great Haywood Marina

Some Backgound Information

When I received a contract from Great Haywood Marina at the begining of October 2007 I was in the middle of moving from Peterborough to Birmingham and my document scanner was already packed, otherwise I would probably have copied the terms and conditions on the back of the contract before signing and returning it. That's no problem I thought, in the unlikely event of any dispute arising the Marina will have to produce the contract to enforce any terms and conditions. How wrong I was.

At the beginning of 2009, when I was in the process of selling my boat, the marina informed be that I could not sell it privately but would have to sell it through the marina brokerage. I asked to see the contract terms and conditions but they offered me a separate set of terms and conditions that were not a copy of those on the back of the contract. It was not until I turned up at the marina office and demanded to see the contract I had signed that they told me they did not have it.

I thought that the "loss" of the contract would would make the marina's case weaker but they now claim that there never were any contracts with the terms and conditions on the back so that even if they had the contract it would not show what the terms and conditions were at the time. This assertion is very difficult to disprove in the absence of a copy or some supporting evidence from elsewhere.

This is why I am trying to contact as many Great Haywood Marina moorers as I can. Obviously it is difficult for me to visit the marina after this dispute caused me to leave. If you know anyone who was a moorer there in 2007 please let them know about my appeal for information.

Supporting Websites

I must thank the other waterway sites that have been willing to assist me in publicising my appeal for information.

Canal Cuttings Canal Cuttings at www.canalcuttings.co.uk have kindly put the appeal on their Home page. Many thanks to Jean andGraham Beven for this.

Narrowboat World Narrowboat World at www.narrowboatworld.com have kindly added a new page with a link from their Home page. Many thanks to Tom Crossley, Editor narrowboatworld for this.

Just Canals Just Canals at justcanals.co.uk/forum/ is another site where this subject is being aired on their forum. You will find it under General boating chat discussion as the topic Great Haywood Marina or this link should take you to the right place.

UK Canals Network UK Canals Network at www.ukcanals.net has also highlighted appeal on their home page.

Granny Buttons Granny Buttons at www.grannybuttons.com featured my appeal for information on the blog entry for Monday 4th January.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.