The closer I got to Queensbury the more I got to like this lovely lady, and her owner        Al Legory as well. As our romance blossomed I learned more and more of the campaign waged by their competitors to put them both out of business.

After the happenings described in the previous chapter Al had gone ahead, with the assurance of Scarlington Council's approval, and bought Queensbury. He transported her to Whatby for refurbishment, Whatby being a port about 20 miles north of Scarlington and also administered by Billy Lair, a senior officer of Scarlington Council.

There was a group of men who ran business's at Scarlington harbour and to protect their interests had formed a clique known as "The Harbour Users Group of Scarlington", and was referred to by the acronym of THUGS. By purporting to represent different sectors of the harbour users, some members of THUGS were able to manipulate Scarlington Council to their advantage when making decisions.

The chairman of THUGS was Mr Chips, the owner of the local ice lolly factory, who like his product was a cool, smooth, slippery sort of guy. He had ensured that the local fisherman were addicted to his lollies, and had established himself as the only local dealer. The fishermen were so hooked (no pun intended) that they refused to sail without a plentiful supply of his lollies, without their fixes they broke into hot sweats.

Queensbury went on to tell me how some of THUGS had strong business connections, for example there was Mr Nozy the speedboat operator, who pretended to represent all passenger boat operators, and Ferdie Howling-Gale, a square dealer who was the self appointed representative of the fishermen. These two were branching into property development together, and were in fact buying a property from Scarlington Council.

Scarlinton Council, being strapped for cash, were keen to dispose of this property but found it nigh on impossible because it had a sitting tenant, who happened to be MrNozy!

It also appeared that MrNozy fixed the "engines and things" of the fishing fleet from the property and was the only one available to do so within 20 miles. Because of this he charged exorbitant prices or you didn't get fixed.
As Queensbury pointed out, MrNozy was in a strong negotiating position not only to screw Scarlington Council, but also to get rid of Al Legory in one fell swoop, and he did his worst.

He got THUGS to put so much pressure on Scarlington Council that Al Legory was told not to bring Queensbury to Scarlington because it would create competition to the speedboat operators!

Lil Cloud had jumped on the bandwagon too, and fired off a letter to the Council telling them that, as I have two propellers I was the only boat safe enough to operate at Gravelgate slipway, and that Jolly Roger who only had one propeller was only able to operate by compromising the safety of its passengers.

Queensbury told me how Big Oggy was livid on learning this. Lil Cloud and Big Wessy were duly confronted and as usual they backed down and gave Big Oggy a grovelling  apology.

"So how did you manage to get to Scarlington then?" I asked Queensbury,
"Well in the end Al Legory got a lawyer to show Scarlington Council that by preventing me operating on grounds of competition, to their other Licensees, the Council was in fact acting unlawfully" replied Queensbury. "The Council had little choice but to let me come to Scarlington, and Al set his stall out to show them what competition really meant!"
                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                      Billy Inkwell Ashtray