What a year 2007 was, eh? National Boat Shows (NBS) and the British Marine Federation (BMF) must wonder what they did to deserve James Brooke and John Vincent.

It was all a bit up and down, really. The one up was (is) the Earls Court Boat Show, which has shaken the establishment.

Personally, I think the establishment has handled the ECBS badly.

Just when a clear lead for the industry was needed, they said: ‘We prefer not to give the show the oxygen of publicity’. What kind of a lead is that for the troops out there in the trenches?

The heads went into the sand and stayed there until the ECBS was up and running. Only then did we see any action from NBS. And then it was, perhaps, not very well sold to the very same troops.

And I also feel very sorry for NBS. Because they were roundly criticised for trying to protect the industry they serve.

A bit unfair, I reckon. But I understand why.

As for the one going down, who would have thought Peters Plc would go for the crash? To Those In The Know the writing had been on the wall for a while. So when the lenders decided enough was enough, it all went pear shaped.

After an appalling summer, we basked in the sunshine of an excellent SBS, then find the - courtesy of the American banks - the UK financial scene was sent reeling. We had a run on a bank.

What!

Then after Northern Rock, we’re told the world is about to plunge into depression. The major banks throw billions into the markets to stave off the US dust-bowl economy of the 1930s. Finally, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank decided they had to lend money more cheaply (sounds A Good Plan to me) to ease the crisis.

The central banks say they are taking action after an agreement between themselves, the Bank of Canada and the Swiss National Bank. They’ve pledged to inject $100bn (£49.5bn) into the money markets to try and reduce the interbank lending rate.

However there are fears that the $100bn may not be enough to stem the crisis.

There may be trouble ahead...