The Big Blue brand has gone, although I feel few will mourn the passing of this ill-conceived marketing ploy. I will have to find something else to target?. .

But the team at the British Marine Federation (BMF) is the best for many years. And it has the responsibility of taking the industry to ExCeL in 2004.

I have to nail my colours to the mast here and admit I am an ExCeL supporter.

I think it's a fantastic venue and a great opportunity for National Boat Shows (NBS) to give the industry a 21st century boat show.

And - hopefully - there will be no little administrative errors such as that perpetrated by the Earls Court management with the dates for the 2003 show. Looking on the bright side, at least there will be no overlap with Dusseldorf.

I will be making a few changes to BB as the issues pass. You will find features that get behind the products to tell you what's happening in that sector. You will find comment from industry movers and shakers.

But I would like to see comment from everyone in the industry.

I know there are some powerful opinions out there: let's get the letters page going again.

It is, after all, your soapbox.

And say hello to Portsmouth Poll. Once the generic name for ladies engaged in, let's say, a less than reputable - but usually very welcome - occupation, Portsmouth Poll is ideally placed to gather the gossip and scuttlebutt the industry enjoys so much.

You can pass your little gems to Poll via me or Andrea Honeybun.