Off Topic Other Stuff (anything you want to share)

Good comment about Gibralter....although 99% of them still want to be British.

You could say the same about Ireland....and they only just have a majority to stay British at the last election....now if they left that would solve one of May's problems.

 

Exactly right, it was always obvious that opening the Pandora's box that is Brexit would threaten the Union and leave us prey to this sort of issue. I said as much myself.

Do not try now to blame the Goverment for what was crystal clear and public knowledge before we started down this Road to Ruin.

May has done the best she could given the suicide mission she was given.

Nevertheless, it is, as was inevitable, a bad deal for the UK which is going to cost the UK economy something of the order of £100 billion p.a. by 2030.

As Leavers are fond of saying, "it's what we voted for, get over it."

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

That's a fair old calculator you've got there notDistant.

 

As the gateway to the med Gibraltar is still strategically very important to the Royal Navy.

 

We are all in NATO lyndhurst. We are not going to send a fleet into the Med anytime soon without the rest of NATO being on the same side. It is no more than sentiment that keeps it "ours" from a British perspective, From a Gibraltarian perspective we are a cash cow that keeps on giving. My daughter was born there so is actually registered in their Registrar's Office. She has a Gibraltarian birth certificate as well as a British one. However the sentimentality of her birth doesn't do anything for a change of my mind over the big stone in the Ogin. I would also point out that one missile in the right place and the strategic outpost would cease to exist these days.

 

Doesn't Gibraltar employ thousands of Spaniards who depend on the UK being there.

 

I haven't been there since I left the RN so last was in 1978. The border was closed with Spain then so no Spanish worked there. I have no idea how many or if any work there now but I would be surprised if they didn't. The border is open now so the tourism industry is going to be much greater than it used to be. I suspect they don't have enough Gibraltarians to man all of the bars and Hotels so it is inevitible that they employ "foreigners". How long the border remains open after withdrawal will be the question asked I suspect. The people who live in the town across the border which is La Linea will no doubt suffer for the decision once more. When the border was open way back the Sailors used to go ashore and go into that town for "a night out". It died when they closed the border with nothing to keep people there employment wise. Think it might just die a death again so if you are looking for a home in Spain it might be quite cheap in that region.

 

I do remember some form of dispute awhile back.....and Spanish workers couldn't get over the border because Spain was in a huff over something.

 

The Gibraltar economy is I believe booming compared to the nearby areas of Spain, from which it draws in thousands of Spanish workers.

Am I not right in thinking Gibralter fulfils a social service for the UK? It hosts all those online gambling outfits we love so much.

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

It is a tax haven place I believe. My view is if you want to be part of the UK then be it in full and pay the same as the rest of us have to. It's probably convenient financially for all the upper tier to keep it in our care. Would want them to have to pay taxes as well would we.

The Spanish make life as difficult as they can for tooing and froing from the place. They can't invade it being part of NATO and the EU so it wouldn't be another Falklands. So they make everyone who crosses the border wait for as long as is possible without actually closing the border again. Sort of stamping of the feet kind of thing. I still maintain that it costs us far more than it is worth stategically or otherwise and there isn't much of an argument for it staying "British". One thing I do remember well is the language spoken when you went into a shop. They make such a deal of being British and if they come to the UK for a holiday talk of "coming home". Yet, if you went into a shop to buy something they nearly always reverted to speaking Spanish bit like the Welsh do to exclude the foreigners in certain parts.

 

Theresa May has agreed to a BBC Brexit debate on the 8th Dec.

Corbyn hasn't yet said if he will participate.

I wonder who the Conservatives will put up?

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

Neither May or Corbyn are Brexit...you need someone on the opposite side of the debate surely.

We'll have May on the BBC...following, Strictly...... and Corbyn will be on ITV following, I'm a celebrity.

I would probably fall asleep watching those two......both in there own way are killing this country.

 

I think Rees-Mogg should do it. I'm sure those watching "I'm an X Factor" will be impressed with the Honourable Member for the 19th Century and his desire to reinstate the Corn Laws post Brexit.

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

I'm not sure where he rustled up his kids names from.....and not a Lancelot among them yet....maybe that'll be number seven (if it's a boy of course).

He does know his facts....and was quite scathing about our Canadian Bank of England boss....called him a second rate failed politician.

Definitely a lot of over the top scaremongering going on by remainers....even Theresa May who is a remainer isn't thanking them at the moment, they haven't got a prediction right yet.

 

Right so what numbers are the Brexiteers going to hang their hats on? Better or worse off? By how much? No I thought not, just fact-free bollocks, waffle and lies.

The forecasts are right. Sterling through the floor. Growth around a third of the rest of the developed world from a top-of-the-pile position pre referendum. Low producrivity being made worse by plumetting investment. Where do you think that's going to take us?

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

All of these supposed intelligent people who are determined to throw this deal out have not offered one single alternative idea between them. They throw up all of the crap about being able to do this or that without one single agreement for any of it. I would suggest that nobody, that is not one single person, knows how things are going to pan out with the deal or without the deal. It is guess work and somebody will hit the jackpot and get it right. It's like our prediction league. The results should be how we see them (apart from the green tinted ones involving Argyle) due to form and league position and goals scored and let in etc etc. Well we don't ever get all of them right and seldom does anyone even get half of them right. It's a guess based on some fact which may or may not happen in reality. There are 2 offers on the table. One is the negotiated deal and the other is no deal at all. If you don't take the first then there is only the second. There isn't a third other than have another go at the vote and start again whilst remaining in the EU anyway. The leave campaigners are all heading for the last option which would probably suit the remain people in power anyway. They are determined to vote her down for their own ends of course but will be left with either no deal and the belief it will all be ok anyway or the re-vote. The thought that we are the British and can do what we like is a long gone ideoligy. There is no way Europe will just roll over for us and make a no deal an easy ride and anyone who thinks they will is deluded beyond belief. All the French have to do is seal it's ports and we are pretty much fecked. We do not have the shipping to do all of our trade outside road routes anymore.

 

The old Severn Bridge has been closed overnight.

Bad weather? An accident? Maintenance? No, the toll booths are being removed allowing free crossings and potentially saving regular commuters up to £1,400 per year.

I suppose the Tamar bridge will be next, after all, it's been paid for several times over and it's only a piece of road that happens to be suspended. We all pay taxes forcm roads don't we?


Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

That is both bridges...the Severn and Prince of Wales crossings....cars cost £5.60 and HGV's £16.70......transportation Companies will notice a difference, who pop to and fro between Wales and England dozens of times each week.

It's estimated that it could boost the Welsh economy by a £100 million a year.

 

Good day for travel related Other Stuff.

The Government is reportedly on the point of advising the population not to book holidays after March next year pending a Brexit deal of some sort. The resulting losses may well push travel companies into bankruptcy and the Government may be forced to pay compensation.

The highest paid Tube drivers now earn in excess of £100k despite the fact many trains now operate automatically and the only function controlled by the drivers is to open and close the doors. Most drivers earn between £60 And £70k, which makes Tube drivers better paid than airline pilots. More shockingly, Tube drivers have called a strike for next weekend. THIS IS IN SUPPORT OF A DRIVER DISMISSED FOR FAILING NOT ONE BUT THREE WORKPLACE DRUG TESTS.

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

We visited an old friend yesterday.....she had brought up her son and daughter mostly by herself after her marriage broke-up....we have known her for nearly 40 years...after she became a one parent family....our sons were school mates and at times we went on holidays together Ottery St Mary/Sidmouth....Swanage....Greece....etc....but in the last five years we had not really crossed paths for various reasons, she lived in Biggin Hill nearly 10 miles away.

No Christmas card from her last year....but we got a letter from her daughter saying that mum was in a home and suffering from dementia...we were quite shocked to hear that.... and popped along to see her....so yesterday we made time to go along to see her again with a card and a box of chocs and talked about the old days etc....but of course it meant nothing to her....one moment she knew us....but the next she was looking at us asking who we were.

A sobering moment really...there are different ways of losing people...death is obviously painful and saddening.....but I wonder if illness such as dementia can be even more cruel....it has robbed a son and a daughter of their mum.

When we first visited her in the home, we were told that she was in the lounge....but sad to say it took us awhile to recognize her....that was a surprise and a shock that this illness had changed her so and the look of distress in her eyes was something you don't forget quickly.

I'm just so thankful that as a family we have been spared anything like that to have experienced ourselves....you wonder why you ever moan about anything when you come across an old friend who spends their life being cared for 24/7 like that.