Both the dollar and the Euro gained against the pound while Brent crude closed at $81.61 per barrel.

CHOUGHS HAVE RETURNED TO PENWITH THEIR SPIRITUAL HOME.

Saturday was a glorious day following a fine week when spring well and truly sprang, to have actually had two definitive seasons in their due time since last years appalling summer seems to have reset the  growth clocks of plants, so that for the first time in many years they actuallly know where they are. A couple of weeks ago much of the countryside was brown and dreary blasted by wind and frost during the long harsh winter months we are now emerging from.

Suddenly the long period of enforced dormancy has exploded into a riot of growth with at least forty shades of green systematically snuffing out the drab uniform beige of winter. Have the incredible magnolias or camelias or for that matter gorse and celandines that thrive in our part of the world ever looked better?

What a great pity that humanity cannot experience a similar rapid change of  season allowing new growth to displace the incredible amount of deadwood our often vexatious species seems to accumulate. This  is particularly relevant in the political spectrum given the impending election which, tragically, singularly fails to inspire any great degree of confidence or indeed optimism. Its more a matter of  holding ones nose while trying to decide who willl be the least bad choice to deal with the immense problems that have manifested themselves in the recent past.

Enough of that, this is timeless Cornwall, its spring and a time for optimsm, however bad things are or might get its all been seen before, we are still hanging in there albeit in reduced numbers as inward migration swells Cornwalls overall population in tune with Government imposed targets and housing quotas.

I had a particularly rewarding mission pencilled in to keep a promise made on St Pirans day to my Father in Law who at eighty five on that auspicious day is not as well as he was until recently. He wanted to see, possibly for the final time, the Cot Valley at St Just where in the 1920’s his Father, the renowned Captain John Gribbin, managed the small Wheal Hermon mine at the foot of the valley close by Porth Nanvan which is famous for its distinctive rounded granite boulders. Incidentally Capn John also managed the much larger Killifreth mine at Chacewater, of which Hawkes Shaft is considered the queen of engine houses on account of its graceful tall and slender chimney. As well as this he worked in India and Ashanti in Ghana, now the biggest gold mine in the world with in excess of 120 shafts of which he was involved in the sinking of the first.

HAWKES SHAFT ENGINE HOUSE AT KILLIFRETH WITH ITS GRACEFUL TALL STACK.

We got there by the scenic route from Marazion to Newlyn where even though frail he managed a portion of Jewells lemon sole and chips along with a tub of Jelberts ice cream topped with proper cream as we watched the world go by from the end of Newlyn’s New Pier. On through Mousehole to Lamorna by the backroad through Castallack to rejoin the main road at Lamorna Gate and on to Penberth Valley. There are always roadside flower stalls in the valley, that  in spring, sell the most amazing varieties of daffodil, of the type rarely seen in supermarkets, they are picked later in fuller bud so that they last longer in the vase. Having purchased a few bunches payment was made into the honesty box which is now securely fastened down to deter potential tea leaves who would have the lot away otherwise (what a sad reflection on current times).

A quick detour to the Minack at Porthcurno to look at the beautiful bay in the warm spring sunshine lifted our spirits even further for the final leg to St Just via Lands End and Sennen. I love entering St Just which can at first sight seem grey and dismal but which in reality is vibrant and surprisingly large, a real town rather than a village that boasts a mighty mining legacy which is now part of the World Heritage site.

At the top of Cot Valley, freshly turned out, up to their guts in lush new grass we passed the younger part of a beautiful herd of ruby red Devon cattle owned by the Thomas Family whose stock usually sweep the board at agricultural shows and produce the finest traditional beef from an amazing landscape on the ridge that straddles the Cot and Kenidjack Valleys. Next port of call was Botallack to take the unmade coastal by-way past the Crowns to Levant. In a  verysmall bare field between the track and the cliff I spotted a “crow” probing the soil with its beak, closer approach revealed this to be no ordinary crow, for the first time in my life I was face to face with a wild Chough, Cornwalls fabled National Bird. It eventually flew inland flapping its wings and undulating in the manner of a large butterfly, then suddenly from the opposite direction a flock of five or six appeared flying in front of us towards the fearsome drop at the cliff edge. To say that this made our day was an understatement, it was something I was not expecting, a real symbol of renewal perhaps an omen of better things to come?

The rest was an anticlimax after that show, the coastroad to St Ives via Zennor is never dreary but we were homeward bound, in St Day I drove the Old Man into the graveyard so he could watch me putting the flowers on the graves of his Wife who passed away recently and two Sons who died in tragic circumstances over twenty years ago. This was a fitting end to a memorable day made up of all the right ingredients to bring some little pleasure to the Old Mans restricted life since he was forced to give up his car.

LONG MAY OUR ICONIC NATIONAL BIRD SOAR ABOVE THE CORNISH CLIFFS.

It is a well known fact that demand invariably increases in the run up to Bank Holidays we are well aware of this and allow for it, however even we are incapable of responding positively to the disorganised schmuck s  who call after mid-day the day before a Bank Holiday expecting, or in one  or two instances, demanding a delivery by teatime.  When the situation was carefully explained they then proceeded to berate us for not working on  Good Friday, it is a measure of the way things have gone that to many Good Friday is just another day in the diary of rampant consumerism rather than a day of peace and quiet contemplation.

In the past year we have invested heavily in new truck capacity to increase service levels and overall efficiency but even so we are unable and increasingly unwilling to handle the demands of a small sector of  business that appears to hold us in utter contempt  judging by the attitude displayed towards hard pressed staff several times yesterday. This numerically tiny but incrediblydisruptive element impinges disproportionately on our ability to concentrate on getting on with the job of servicing the vast majority of  genuine customers who actually ordered in plenty of time.

As Consols Oils has evolved and matured over the years we have increasingly focussed on customer service which has cemented our customer base and enabled us to grow and prosper in the manner we have, that is why it has become easier to make a stand against that small element of disruptive often abusive customers who, if allowed to do so,would disrupt operations to the serious detriment of all.

We are constrained by the European Working Time Directive which quite rightly places strict limits on the hours our drivers can work in an incredibly pressurised environment which dictates our working days are pre planned around grouped orders designed to reduce truck miles. We usually manage to keep one small truck in reserve for GENUINE emergencies (FAILURE TO ORDER IN GOOD TIME IS NOT AN EMERGENCY IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES) but all other orders are placed in a queue for delivery. In most cases we aim to deliver in two to four working days this excludes weekends and Bank Holidays when we are always closed. Our normal hours of  operation are 07:00 to 17:30 monday to friday which complies with the working time directive and ensures our hard working staff have a family life.

ITS BEEN A LONG HAUL SINCE CHRISTMAS COPING WITH FREQUENT VERY DIFFICULT SPELLS OF WEATHER  AND UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND LEVELS-EVERYONE HAS EARNED A BREAK- WE WILL REOPEN 07:00 ON TUESDAY 6th APRIL.

YOU CAN ALWAYS PLACE YOUR ORDERS ONLINE 24/7 FOR DELIVERY IN TWO TO FOUR WORKING DAYS GUARANTEED.

One such claim made by Boilerjuice (BJ) was “the cheapest heating oil in Cornwall” which was guaranteed to grab everybody’s attention including mine. At the time in question without trying we were frequently up to 5ppl cheaper than BJ. Subsequently this claim was amended from “cheapest” to “cheaper” a subtle play on words to make the claim legally acceptable. However by what yardsick do BJ claim to be cheaper than any other operator, given that red herrings often abound in the oil distribution trade as part of the cut and thrust of genuine competition, there still appears to be a lack of genuine transparency designed to grab consumers attention by offering potentiallly misleading information.

Part of any online offer actually involves the physical delivery of the product, this is where the whole thing can so easily unravel if lack of resources dictates that service levels are not of the highest calibre. Boilerjuice in their latest blurb offer a standard 10 working day delivery (in reality 2 weeks) but then move on to trumpet that they now offer “EXPRESS” deliveries of  “5, 3 or 2 working days” they do not state on the blurb whether this involves a premium. Then there is the “EMERGENCY NEXT WORKING DAY DELIVERY FOR WHEN YOU NEED OIL EVEN FASTER” again no mention of a premium upfront. In fairness when the actual quote page comes up it does clearly state the premium levels, which in the case of an “EMERGENCY” delivery is 3ppl by normal size tanker plus, where applicable, a small tanker surcharge, by this stage an anxious customer who is shivering is already on the slippery slope, a couple of mouse clicks from commitment.

During the recent cold weather service levels were absolutely crucial to customer well being, Consols standard lead time for non urgent deliveries is normally 2 to 4 working days, during this intense spell they extended out to 5 to 7 working days, which I feel was unacceptable, but in reality unavoidable. There was  non-the-less considerable comfort to be gained from the fact that at this time some other firms were quoting up to 15 working days (three weeks) for any delivery urgent or not.

During this time Consols still managed to fit in GENUINE emergency deliveries the same day or next day at no premium on the agreed standard price. In normal times it is a  rare ocurrence, given our resources, not to be able to effect a same day emergency delivery, again without premium on the standard price.

The final element is price quoted versus delivered price as a lot can happen between the taking of an order and delivery 10 days later, given current price turbulence on the wholesale fuel markets. At Consols the price quoted is what you will actually pay as stock at that price is allocated when the contract is established. Other suppliers may operate a different policy which will be price on day of delivery. What we will not do is give quotes for orders where  the delivery is required by the customer more than 5 working days ahead, an order of this nature would be strictly on the basis of the price on the day of delivery.

Our pledge to online buyers is 2 to 4 working days delivery at the price quoted on order, if there is a GENUINE emegency and it is in the TR postcode area, email us the details and we will do our utmost to get your delivery to you the same day or next day without a surcharge of 3ppl.

POTENTIAL ONLINE OIL BUYERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THESE ANOMALIES EXIST AND CAREFULLY WEIGH UP THE FACTS BEFORE COMMITTING TO ANY PARTICULAR SUPPLIER.

AERIAL VIEW OF THE HARBOUR WHERE PASSIONS HAVE BEEN RUNNING SO HIGH BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL VIEWS AS TO WHAT IS BEST FOR PENZANCE.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would warm to or indeed appreciate the, to me, previously irritating phenomenon of “tweeting”. However after previously suffering from a “Meldrewesque” sense of outrage that Cornwall Councillors were tweeting in the Council Chamber during meetings, this afternoons real time reporting via a series of tweets  relating to the meeting of the Cornwall Council Strategic Planning Committee forced me to revise my opinion of Twitter.

Unable to make the crucial planning meeting, I saw on the excellent “This is Cornwall” website that twitter was being used to disseminate the latest titbits from the fast moving hard hitting debate as the drama unfolded, I took a look and was soon hooked by the constant bite size updates that were flashing up on my screen.

The fractious, convoluted and needlessly costly, long delayed, process to build a ferry terminal to serve the Isles of Scilly has finally been approved by Cornwall Councils Srategic Planning Committee marking a significant victory for commonsense, laying bare, in the process, the flawed arguments of a collection of vociferous granite hugging recidivists who came so close to blighting the future of Penzance as a living breathing constantly evolving  commercial Port.

The “Friends of Penzance Harbour’s hollow victory at the previous Planning meeting in December was the final straw for the sensible silent majority who suddenly realised that they needed to nail their colurs to the mast and urgently get their case across. Subsequently a lot of latent support has emerged for option A while Mr Maggs and his cohorts have rehashed the same tired arguments ad nauseum.

It increasingly appears to have been a good strategy to have let Mr Maggs have his say for so long as most right minded people soon saw through the very flawed arguments that he peddled with such evangelical fervour, eventually, as is always the case, he became yesterdays news, by having nothing new to say the Gentleman simply became tedious.

Hopefully todays good news will become the catalyst needed to kickstart Mounts Bay’s long awaited, desperately needed renaissence, being the first step towards realising its stunning marine based economic potential. 

At the very least the bruising process thus far has been a rip roaring, rollicking example of democracy in the raw, neither side have any room to complain that their arguments were not fully and frankly aired, in the end, quite simply the best argument carried the day but it was close. It certainly reinforces the fact that the silent majority must never be complacent while organisations like the “Friends of Penzance Harbour” take it upon themselves to speak for us, ignore the likes of them at your peril. 

THE HOTLY DISPUTED FERRY TERMINAL LOCATION IS NOT ACTUALLY VISIBLE FROM THE TOWN.

A SURE SIGN THAT SPRING IS ON THE WAY DESPITE THE BITING EASTERLY WINDS.

Its finally dried up as the wind has backed into the east and the pent up agricultural demand for gas oil has exploded as farmers crack on with delayed planting and tillage operations at a prodigious rate. Modern sophisticated machinery can soon catch up any backlogs when conditions are right, as with everything else these days investment is the only way forward.

Out walking yesterday it was bitingly cold and everywhere the grass is burned off and brown with the cold, walking along an east facing lane sloping down towards the sea the difference between the two hedges was remarkable, the north side that was catching the sunlight was showing signs of good growth, celandines, primroses and snowdrops were in bloom and everything was dark green. The other south side being in permanent shade still had evidence of the hard overnight frost and little sign of growth at all,  true examples of microclimates about eight feet apart.

This morning the phones are again ringing off the wall reminiscent of earlier panic mondays workload appears to be 50/50 gas oil and kerosene. Prices have firmed recently and seem to be staying there, demand is a factor only to a degree, fear of a Labour Government being re-elected seems to be making investors jittery enough to bolt into oil futures as a safe haven. We all know that this is madness but the way the international oil market works is akin to the “Mad Hatters Tea Party” beyond tne wit of mere mortals to control.

At least the days are opening out as we head towards the equinox hoping for a better summer than last year. On friday the £ was worth $1.51 and the euro 90.25 pence, Brent crude closed at $79.32 per barrel.

THE BEN LOYAL – A CLASSIC SCOTTISH BUILT SEINE NETTER BASED IN NEWLYN AS A TANGLE NETTER FOR MANY YEARS NOW HEADING BACK TO NEWLYN TO FISH ALBACORE TUNA IN BISCAY.

In my former career I was a fisherman, after 24 successful years ashore I have taken the decision to invest in a company to fish albacore tuna in the Bay of Biscay, this is a seasonal fishery which takes place during the summer and early autumn from north of the Azores to west of Ireland following the albacore’s annual northerly migration along the edge of the European continental shelf.

This decision has not been taken in haste, there has been a lot of research involved into this exciting fishery which the Spanish or more particularly Basque fishermen have prosecuted in the same manner for around three centurys. There is so much gloom and doom around currently but I am convinced that things are at or very near rock bottom, to affirm my conviction that there is a future it is necessary to put my money where my mouth is and wholeheartedly back a fledgling enterprise that dares to be different. A fishery that is fuel efficient, does not create any discards or harm other sea life in any way must be encouraged to move forward.

LINE CAUGHT ALBACORE STRAIGHT FROM THE OCEAN, THE QUARRY FOR THE BEN LOYAL.

Newlyn boats have been involved in this fishery for several years with varying degrees of success, originally using drift nets which were banned on environmental grounds by the EU. After a break when no British vessels took part  a small albacore trolling fishery has evolved out of Newlyn mirroring the methods of a substantial Spanish fleet which continues to fish albacore very sucessfully.

The search for a suitable vessel was not straightforward as certain hull characteristics are necessary which are not a feature of modern boats, generally built with trawling in mind, to conform with EU dictated size constraints. The number of suitable older vessels was decimated by various decommissioning schemes designed to reduce the fleet, this actually led to the huge ongoing problem with so called rule beaters, many of which were built with the money from decommissioned larger vessels.

To sucessfully troll for albacore a vessel needs to move through the water while creating the absolute minimum underwater noise signature which means fine hull lines and a quiet engine and propellor, in this respect the Ben Loyal ticks every box apart from age as she was built in 1960. She is powered by a legendary Gardner 8L3B engine which is very fuel efficient and utterly reliable, the fishroom is modern with superb refrigeration to ensure catch freshness in warm summer conditions and the wheelhouse and accomodation are are of a high standard to ensure crew comfort on long trips.

Another plus in the Ben Loyals favour was the fact that she already has a track record albacore trolling  in  her previous ownership which could be significant if licensing or quota rules change. It is fully understood that she will only work during the trolling season however this period will hopefully be intensive unlike the  netters who effectively only work for half the year anyway due to tidal constraints.

Knowing how well the vessels hull was maintained by previous owners indicated that despite her age she was worth a further look, yesterday she was slipped at Tom’s Yard at Polruan for a full survey to be carried out. This afternoon the surveyor reported that the survey, for insurance purposes, was very satisfactory so the money changed hands and the Ben Loyal passed into the ownership of Cornish Tuna. com Ltd of which I am a director along with Quentin Knights who has been a major player in the development of the fledgling Cornish albacore trolling fishery.

This encouraging news initiates the next piece of the jigsaw as  the planned pre season refit proceeds over the next eight or nine weeks so that fishing can commence during the first week of May. We will be paying a visit to Bermeo later in March to collect the specialised Basque style equipment which has worked well on the other two vessels Nova Spero and Charisma. The Ben Loyals previous owner had been using American style gear which Quentin never rated highly, given Quentins proven track record in this job I am happy to accept his judgement on preferred gear types and methodology. Hopefully it will also be possible at the same time to catch up with the local fishermen who have been so helpful to us in the past.

Quentin has establshed that albacore can be successfully caught by Cornish boats prepared to learn the Basque methods, great credit is due to the Basque fishermen from Bermeo who have offered Quentin and his colleagues every assistance to learn the methods they so successfully employ.

BERMEO, SIMILAR IN SIZE TO NEWLYN, IS THE TUNA CAPITAL OF BISCAY, BERMEO FISHERMEN HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO ASSIST THE CORNISH SUCCESSFULLY CATCH ALBACORE BY TROLLING.

The biggest obstacle to the long term viability of this highly sustainable single species fishery has been marketing, early on Newlyn merchants seemed unable or unwilling to create outlets prepared to pay a realistic price for the high quality line (sustainably) caught produce from this wonerful niche fishery, this I feel will prove to be their loss in the long term. Plymouth Trawler Agents saved the day at that time but despite a lot of effort were still unable to place the large quantities of fish on an ongoing basis while the merchants continued to treat the fish as an occasional windfall that they were unwilling to pay a decent price for.

The situation was salvaged by one forward thinking firm of merchants, who recognising the considerable potential for a unique niche premium product, offered a viable fixed price for all the albacore landed. Unfortunately the appalling 2009 summer ensured that, for Cornish boats, the season ended early as the boats switched back to tangle netting. This year is highly unlikely to be as bad as last summer which broke so many records for its sheer awfulness which, apparently, was due to a rare shift of the high altitude jetstream. During August and September 2009 a long Indian summer saw heavy albacore catches west of Ireland for those Basque, French and Irish boats that had persevered which, unfortunately, the Cornish boats missed. High pressure is the key factor in albacore behaviour, warm sunny conditions bring them to the surface where they are caught by the trolling boats.

2010 will be a make or break year for Cornwall with regard to this fishery, the Ben Loyal is effectively a “one trick pony” she has a category C licence which effectively only allows her to fish albacore tuna. Given the real possibility of a normal summer weather pattern this is a viable option, the more so with sufficient quota available and a fixed price agreed for the catch.

MODERN BASQUE ALBACORE TROLLERS IN BERMEO HARBOUR - PURPOSE DESIGNED TO FISH IN A HIGHLY SUSTAINABLE ECO FRIENDLY MANNER - A FAR CRY FROM THE TYPICAL BRITISH PERCEPTION OF SPANISH FISHERMEN WHO, IN REALITY, ARE IN SO MANY RESPECTS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF US.

My carefully considered investment will not as a sleeping partner, fishing a long way from home dictates that boats engaged in this exciting fishery in clear blue deep Biscay waters must carry two tickets or certificates of competency, due to the upheavals experienced by the industry in recent years tickets are in short supply as so many have left the industry and few youngsters are bothering to qualify. My ticket has been dormant for too long given the brain twanging involved in getting it, so for better or worse I will be playing an active role in the venture at sea.

I regard it as a last great adventure before I get too old, I am sure we can catch the fish given reasonable summer weather. We intend focusing on the marketing angle which is the key element to real long term success, telling the story of this adventure will hopefully encourage potential customers to sample this superb fish caught sustainably in an eco friendly manner without harm to other fish, dolphins or birds.

Follow the adventure here and at www.cornishtuna.com or www.newlyn.info we hope we keep you all informed and entertained in the coming months.

THE BEN LOYALS CLASSIC LINES DEFINE A SUPERB SEA BOAT MORE THAN CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE POOR WEATHER THAT WILL INEVITABLY BE ENCOUNTERED FROM TIME TO TIME, THE OLD MAXIM “IF IT LOOKS RIGHT IT PROBABLY IS RIGHT” COULD HAVE BEEN COINED WITH HER IN MIND.

CHEAPER THAN WHO? IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION IF THIS PRICE COMPARISON IS ANY GUIDE.

AT 15:00 ON 09/02/2010 BOILERJUICE WERE QUOTING 47.09PPL FOR 500 LITRES OF KEROSENE IN THE TR POSTCODE AREA =£235.45 + VAT @ 5% £11.77 TOTAL = £247.22.

AT 15:00ON 09/02/2010 CONSOLS WERE QUOTING 44.60PPL FOR 500 LITRES OF KEROSENE IN THE TR POSTCODE AREA= £223.00 +VAT @ 5% £11.15 TOTAL = £235.15

CONSOLS OILS ARE CURRENTLY £13.07 CHEAPER FOR 500 LITRES OF KEROSENE, WE WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO DELIVER OUTSTANDING VALUE TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS.

ON FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 2009 BOILERJUICE WERE QUOTING 47.09 PPL FOR 500 LITRES OF KEROSENE WITH 1/10 WORKING DAYS DELIVERY.

AT THE SAME TIME CONSOLS OILS WERE OFFERING 44.6PPL FOR 500 LITRES OF KEROSENE WITH 2/4 WORKING DAYS DELIVERY. 

WE ALSO SELL OIL ONLINE BUT ONLY IN THE TR POSTCODE AREA SO ON THIS SMALL PATCH THE ACTIVITIES OF POTENTIAL COMPETITORS IS OF SIGNIFICANT INTEREST TO US. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED WE UNLIKE BOILERJUICE DO NOT CLAIM TO BE CHEAPEST WHICH IN REALITY IS A DIFFICULT CLAIM TO SUBSTANTIATE.

WHAT WE AT CONSOLS OFFER IS GREAT SERVICE AND GOOD VALUE THAT IS WHAT ANY POTENTIAL PURCHASER OUGHT TO EXPECT FROM A LONG  ESTABLISHED LOCAL SUPPLIER WITH THE RESOURCES TO COPE WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH..

YOU PAYS YER MONEY AND TAKES YER CHOICE.

US refinery utilisation is at its lowest in real terms for decades, there are large stocks of all petroleum products and jobless numbers continue to grow giving credence to the fact that whatever froth the politicians try to generate to convince us mugs in the real world that the recession is over stark facts dictate otherwise. The news from British Airways is grim, the Greek, Spanish and Irish economies are in freefall seriously damaging the euro in the process. These disturbing fundamentals are inescapable we are bumping along the bottom and its going to be that way for a while yet whatever Mr Brown and Co say or do to boost their electoral fortunes.

We all need a period of stability, the fuel price is a good example with daily prices yawing around like they have this week how can any business budget or plan effectively? earlier this week Nigeria was wheeled out yet again as a reason for the price surge because a local pipeline in the Niger Delta had been attacked by insurgents, about 20,000 barrels a day of production was temporarily lost but it helped put three bucks on a barrel for a short while.

Supply locally has been iffy Plymouth has been dogged by jetty congestion preventing heating oil cargoes being offloaded in time to prevent allocations and stockouts which had a knockon effect in Falmouth as the usual suspects descended on the terminal causing lengthy queues. Some of the product lifted from Falmouth was being trucked to Yelland and Barnstaple which strikes me as an highly cost effective operation smacking of desperation. Thank the Lord for our storage which is curently brimming over with kerosene as we face allocations in Falmouth due to these raids by opportunistic non regulars.

Workload is currently heavy but manageable the milder weather has not markedly dampened kerosene demand but gas oil is quiet until it dries up enough to get on the land when demand from agriculture will explode.