OVERSE REMOVA WITHIN THE UK
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INEMMEiniaiMi by John Durant
SINCE MARCH 11 Lomath Brothers Ltd, of Mitcham, which specializes in removals to the Channel Islands, has been charged an additional 4 per cent on its sea freight rate from Portsmouth. But when 1 visited the firm recently Mr R. V. Miles, a director, told me: "We've absorbed this price increase and we'll hold prices as long as possible: I don't think they'll go up any more for a while, but of course we can't hold our own for ever if they keep going up."
However, many customers for Channel Islands removals are wealthy. Jersey, for instance, stipulates that anyone moving home from the mainland must be backed by an income of some £50,000 a year — providing the Island Government with £10,000 a year tax.
Lomaths, who celebrated their centenary in 1972 and moved to Surrey from Westminster last August, have been in Channel Islands removals for 60 years. The company also specializes in office removals in the UK, but doesn't carry general goods and perishables.
Within 10 days
The average household removal to the Channel Islands takes seven to 10 days and the goods are carried in 20ft and 10ft ISO containers — at the other end, particularly in Guernsey, some very narrow lanes may have to be traversed. For the journey to Portsmouth outside transport is used. "We have no flats at present but will probably get one next year," said Mr Miles. "We have a crane here and a gantry inside the warehouse."
The cost of transporting the contents of a small three-bedroom house from southern England, put into a lift van — a 20ft container — is about £350 to £400 door to door to the Channel Islands. 1111111.11111111111111111.111111.111111111111.11111111111 When antiques are carried the cost goes Lomaths' agent in Guernsey is CS up because of extra packing.
Often the customers have had considerable experience of moving. "In fact it is amazing just how much some of our customers know about removing," the two directors, Mr Miles and Mr R. P. Banfield, told me. "But they want the best and are willing to pay for it," added Mr Miles.
After one day has been spent wrapping, packing, listing and securing, containers are stowed below deck in a vessel at Portsmouth where the Commodore Shipping Co Ltd runs a daily service.
With antiques and expensive china Lomaths have to go to town on double wrapping and complete listing. A foreman accompanies large or quality loads. Removals Ltd and in Jersey F. I Gallais and Sons —and they know the areas intimately. When Lomaths t( them where a consignment is going tilt often say something along the lines of: ' know that house: it's in so-and-so strei and we'll have to unload in the street Proof of delivery is always given tt customer by signed receipt.
At Guernsey and Jersey the boxes al craned off, but in Sark they have to t unloaded at the quay and a farm tract( with suitable trailer — or sometimes horse and cart — is pressed into servic, "Our traffic is never left on any doc and we've never had anything lost ( pilfered from a container," the tw directors told me.
Antiques must be declared separate] for insurance and a specific value state r each item — full cover is effected ith a Lloyds Marine Policy. And if a istomer should want to insure, say, his odern furniture at original value this ,o can be arranged. Lomaths are embers of the British Association of emovers (BAR) and use the overseas )nditions of contract since an overseas -ossing is involved. • British Rail's roll-on/ roll-off service .om Weymouth to Jersey, introduced ist year, will be used on at least one ccasion and for the first time this year, nd this will enable Lomaths and their gents to get a more complete picture of /hat this has to offer. At the moment hey don't recommend it not for their ype of trade. They think it's very ebatable whether it will be worth it. he service runs only twice a week, a hip is of course restricted in the number if vehicles it can carry, and the vehicle is ;oing to be in the Channel Islands for hree days. Another factor will be how ár any job is from Weymouth, besides he reduced (and reducing?) drivers' lours requirements. Which leaves air .ransport. This can be arranged — but Narks out at twice the usual cost, with ;afety regulations requiring the employment of aircraft loaders.
So for the moment it's boxes. And costing for them is quite an art — based, of course, on practical science: time, mileage, freight, packing etc.
Often, the removals crews have no idea of what they'll be doing next when they return from a job. It's a trade which is like that. Which perhaps is why Britain's 700-odd removers tend to be family businesses, where the men stay a long time, are not very union-minded but knock up a good bit of overtime. Lomaths have 18 removal staff, half a dozen office employees, a warehouseman and an estimator who is an ex driver.
Mainland removals
However, 1 must not give the impression that all Lomaths' trade is in the Channel Islands for they have a fleet for mainland removals, of two Bedfords, a Leyland Boxer and a Dennis Pax. But in future they will standardize on Bedfords. "We find them very reliable for this type of trade, with no spares or maintenance problems," said Mr Ban field. A fifth vehicle on order is a Bedford pantechnicon with bodywork by Vanplan Ltd, of Warrington. It will have a full cab for seven to eight men plus driver, with two doors on each side, and a tongue and groove timber double floor with 18mm plywood overlay. Lomaths have given up using steel sheeting for floors because metal stretches under the stress of heavy weights and screws loosen or even come out.
In 1958 the company investigated the possibilities of glass or reinforced plastics vehicle construction, including the roof, which proved so successful that all subsequent vehicles have been built to similar standards. The panels are finished in impregnated high-gloss colours and another advantage over wood panelling is that their resilience gives resistance to damage — especially important in negotiating narrow lanes with overhanging tree branches.