Taken over

ANYONE attempting to find chandlers along the eastern part of the Trent & Mersey Canal can but wonder at their scarcity.

The one at Barton Marina has gone, turned into something similar to a farm shop, even the big one at Sawley Marina, recently extensively improved is now little more than a general store.

Chandlers

Perhaps it is all because at last there is a real chandlers in the shape of Midland Chandlers, now established at Mercia Marina. The company has been long established—over 30 years, with its headquarters at Penkridge on the Staffs & Worcs Canal, and other branches at Braunston and Preston Brook. In the above picture can be seen propellers, stern tubes and the like as well as many types of cooker, with hundreds of fittings in the green boxes, to our mind making it a real chandlery, where you can obtain everything if you are building/fitting-out a boat.

At one time it had a branch at Venetian Marina on the Middlewich Branch (where we in fact obtained fit-out equipment for our first boat!) but this was closed.

Stock everything

The company stock everything for the fitting-out of a boat, with an exceptionally wide choice in store, literally thousands of items for sale over the counter.  A further advantage for anyone fitting-out is that a discount of 15% is given once a certain amount is reached, with the discount in force for six months.

The picture below shows the vast stock of electrical fittings, giving the boater a vast choice.

In addition to the over the counter sales at its branches, it now  operates a quick web-based service, attempting to despatch within 48 hours, something we are told is extremely popular as it enables customers to order their goods without having to visit the store.

Easy system

A spokesman told us that their web system is like that of the very well known Screwfix company, and taking a look at its website, it is, with the items sensibly catalogued and illustrated—you can see exactly what you are getting—with a easy ordering system.

Perhaps Midland Chandlers have taken over, but at least they stock everything a chandlers should, which means no more wasted journeys chasing something that others do not stock.