Colliers Launches are starting to set sail again on July 4th - but it has been a tough time for the business.

A family run business, Colliers hire out their boats as venues for wedding receptions, corporate events and other kinds of special occasions.

Owner Danny Collier has told Nub News of the difficulties that his business has faced.

He said: "We do most of our business between April and September so this has been really difficult.

"I was bluntly told I could not go to work - I did not know what to do.

"The running costs of taking a crew on could have been financial suicide."

Danny ran a 40 day crowdfunding campaign back in April that effectively saved the business in the short term.

The company usually runs a variety of routes up and down the Thames however will be starting on Saturday with just the one - between Richmond and Teddington.

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The round trip will take 45 minutes and there will be one boat every hour starting from 11am.

Colliers Launches have been running since 1976 and have never faced a challenge of this kind.

The boats will be running at around 40 percent capacity to comply with social distancing rules.

Danny added: "It will be down to whether people will be adverse to risk.

"A lot of this is just suck it and see."

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