Pier pressure to get it right

THE masses will no doubt converge on Cleethorpes this weekend as the forecast promises sun, and plenty of it.
And no doubt joining the crowds will be Kash Pungi, having bought the resort's icon, Cleethorpes Pier, this week.
It is another major leap towards his goal of creating a regional leisure empire, and it now joins neighbouring fun pub Legends and Q56 and Club Marina in Louth as part of his portfolio.
But this is not just any club with a 4am licence.
This legacy of Victorian exuberance is a treasured part of Cleethorpes that needs regular loving attention to keep in pristine condition - and a helping hand soon to get it there.
Battered by North Sea winds, sand and salt for too many months of the year it will be a challenge.
But done right, the very fact that it stands out there where estuary meets sea, will make it more of an attraction.
Promises of a refurbishment both inside and out, working with the authorities in Cleethorpes to make sure the best result for all is achieved, is music to the ears.
With so much new development in the resort it needs to be good, because the bar has risen considerably of late.

Interest in borrowing...

Today we hear that mortgage lending has broken through the £1-trillion barrier for the first time.
Britons now collectively owe £1,006,796,000,000 through home loans, after increasing their borrowing by a record £9.3-billion during May, the Bank of England said.
Staggering figures, and isn't just new mortgages pushing up the total for Britain's finest bean counters to consider..
With levels of debt at an all time high - ironically as 40 years of credit cards are being 'celebrated' this month, a lot of equity generated from rising house prices is being taken out by the removal van load to pay off debts elsewhere. Our inability to grasp the concept of the flexible friend (or plural for many, which is worrying), means that so many are paying off interest only, and watching as the debt fails to disappear, or worse, increases.
A quick solution is to re-mortgage. Up goes the nation's borrowing again, but at far better interest rates.
It is easy to see why this is a decision made, but is it a wise one? Unless you are one of the few people who play the property market then you bought a house at a price (hopefully) affordable to you, to serve yout living needs.
Now they have become rather inflated piggy banks - it is not usunusual for people to have seen the worth of their property double in the Grimsby-area. Recently the average house price passed the £100,000 milestone here, it is a tiny per cent of the population that paid anywhere near that much 10 years ago.
The catch - moving on. Rises are across the board, and taking equity out just increases that gap in the ladder, making it a larger step to take when the time comes.
The credit culture is in need of addressing. The realisation is there now, but legislation is required too. The number of credit cards, the level of credit, the way it is means tested - all these need addressing.

Awarding night for all.

The Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards was a real celebration of all that is good in the Grimsby-area when it comes to industry and commerce.
A staggering 480 people packed the venue for what was an excellent event, enjoyed by all.
For me the strength of the companies who were recognised as well worthy runners-up showed exactly how well those taking the gongs home had done.
A great mix of small, large, new and well established firms made it an all-encompassing event and one that both the newspaper as sponsors and the hosts Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce should be rightly proud of.
The motivational speech by former British Olympic coach Frank Dick went down a storm too, with many there no doubt trying to remember on Monday morning exactly what had been said after a bottle of wine at 10pm on the Friday.
But it was the awards that really made people sit up and listen. And the elation felt by the winners as they went on stage before their peers was the clearest guide to what this meant to them.
I was thrilled to see Karen Webb-Meek take business personality of the year, she is a real character and a joy to be around. I don't think Mr Dick could have told her much about motivation!
Young's Bluecrest receiving the award for business excellence after putting Grimsby on the map in the best possible way with the amazing television commercial was the very least the company deserved.
Congratulations to all the winners, and those who put the event together. Anne Tate and Megan Hicks at the chamber did a super job.

Blogging for Grimsby business

Hi, welcome to my blog.

Updated daily, it will feature my take on what is happening, has happened and maybe should happen when it comes to commerce and industry in the Grimsby-area, and further afield.
I'm by no means an expert, but I've got a view, and there's no stopping you. Please post your comments and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Dave