corydoras

'Industry' is what pays your wages or your dole money mate, and no your fags and beer are not going to get any cheaper, but those who run over to the otherside of the channel for their fags and kerry-oot may find that it is not worth thir time because the French are going to really crank up their tobacco taxes.

Most Spanish people don't give a hoot about what happens to Gibraltar and would be happy to let the Gibraltarians live what ever live they want to live. The Spanish GOVERNMENT however has different ideas.I agree with you 100% here. If Gibraltarians want to stay British then the should be allowed to and the UK government should be behind them 100%

I was not really thinking about you really. I was just sort of passing a comment. You need money I'm afraid and finding work at your age is not easy in France (right at this moment in time finding ANY kind of work in France is hard) because most Froggies of your age will still be at school. At least you speak French so you would have that as an advantage. What do you do as a job here?

That is cr@p. I think you can travel on the cross-channel ferries on your own at 16, but I am not sure.

I too have a job in England where I unfortunately receive my money in pounds too. When I was your age I joined the Merchant Navy. This is not really an option for you as what Merchant Navy we once had was sold down the river by succesive British governments (both Labour and Tory). We could not get ourselves involved in a Falklands style conflict these days because we do not have the necessary Merchant Fleet. We would have to lease merchant ships from other countries. So unless you fancy joining the Armed Forces I am not sure how you can 'see the world for free' like I could when I was your age. By the way, how old do you have to be to travel on your tod on an airliner these days? I flew from Heathrow to Tokyo on my own and I was less than 17 at the time. About this Euro thing. I used to be just as anti as any other poster on Anglersnet but I had the good fortune to be in France on 'changeover day'. Everyone was predicting disasters and fiascos but apart from some cockups at one of the big motorway tollbooths (they ran out of change and had to lift the barriers). It is true that the Euro has been inflationary in some countries, especially in Germany, Holland and Italy but we can learn from their mistakes and be tough on unscrupulous retailers ripping people off by 'rounding up' too much. It is true that it will cost a lot of money to join and it is us the consumer that will pay, but at the end of the day we pay for EVERYTHING. It has always been that way and always will be because there is nobody else to pay. There will never be a 'perfect' time to join, but while we are out we have no influence on the rules that are being created. We have always had this problem with Europe. We stubbornly refuse to get involved in new projects from day one and then complain when we do'nt like the rules that have been decided in our absence. I believe that it is the interests of my children and my grandchildren that we join the Euro. We will join one day so in the words of the bard 'If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly' In other words lets get this thing over and done with so that we can get on with the important things for our country. Health, Education, Transport and Housing and stop all this silly angst about the name we call the beer tokens in our pocket. You know, some folks in France thought that having the name 'euro' was daft because we (the British) would have difficulties with it. They wanted to call the single currency the Pound but they were overruled. Shame that. I also dont get this stuff about "if we 'give up' or 'ditch' the pound then we will lose our national identity". Is that all you have that gives you your national identity? A bit of brass with the queen's head on one side and the coat-of-arms on the other? Do you think that after having the Euro for a couple of years a Frenchman feels less French or a German less German? Of course they don't. So why would you lose yours? I'm sorry but I just don't get it.

Get a life kid! I had left home at your age and was on my way round the world. Statements like 'I would miss Blighty if I moved there for good' makes you sound like 60 not 16 or 17. There is a great big world out there, just waiting for you to go and grab your share. Go for it, and remember 'Impossible n'est pas un mot français, ou un mot anglais'

quote: Originally posted by Jim Roper: It was annouced this week that our exports to the EU block have dropped. How come, when the Euro has risen in value against the Pound recently? The same reason it has risen against the dollar. Because banks and other finacial institutions are selling pounds and dollars and buying Euros. Hence the Euro's rise against both GBP and USD in recent months. As for housing, go and ask your local planning department if you could build yourself a house on a 10 acre plot you have seen for sale. You'll be laughed out of the office. Undoubtably, but in France you might not. Everybody, with a few exceptions, involved in the planning process, has a vested interest in keeping house prices up, ie their only asset is their home. I must admit that I have never understood the British housing market. In most other markets supply and demand is the rule. If demand for BMW's goes up then they build more. When housing demand goes up they don't build more. This is the main reason I am going to leave the UK. I don't want to play in this daft game any more. Homebuyers are paying half of what they end up paying for all the extras like infrastructure payments that the planners ask developers to come up with in exchange for planning permission. That is if you don't buy the planning officer a holiday abroad of fill his holiday home with furniture. I hope that you are not suggestion that some local council officials are corrupt are you? At least we have SOMETHING in common with the French I believe Blair would be willing to get into the Euro and lose the next election because he knows that it is irrersible and the old guard establishment, and with it our independance, will be neutered. ASAP I don't believe that someone who represents people who are allowed to live, and are satisfied with living, in a concrete block shed in southern Europe, will care about the interest rate that someone buying a house built to our regulations has to pay. I do not know where exactly you are alluding to. I can only speak for what I have seen in France and I can assure you that the construction standards and techniques there are way ahead of ours in most respects. NO Suspended wooden floors on wooden joists in France. EVERY wall socket and light fitting has its own isolation switch in the distribution board. My roof is not one of the crappy trussed things that they nail on here but a proper oak roof with rafters and purlins. All held together with big bolts and oak dowels like broom handles. The Soviet block had massive farms where decisions were made for millions of acres at once. They only people to do any good from them were the managers in their leather-bound office chairs. The peasants had to feed the people. They did indeed, but I can't see what its got to do with the Euro. This is the EU we are talking about not the USSR. Having lots of people making small decisions to suit themselves might be seen as 'muddling through', but it works. It does too. That is how France runs. France is a Federal system with as much as possible being done at town hall level. That is why just about EVERY town and village in France has an elected mayor!

Stop living in the 1940's. This is the 21st Century for crying out loud.

I work with a Polish girl who has told me that the Germans are buying any property that comes up for sale in poland because they can afford it and the polish people cannot. They then rent it out to the polish at high prices. I don't see what that has to do with the Euro. I wish I had thought of it myself. As there is a housing shortage already where will the local councils house these people as their council houses are already full of immigrants and scroungers. Second on my list of reasons for leaving the UK amigo. As far as I am concerned there are four things any civilised country should provide for its citizens. They are 1 Affordable housing for ALL. 2 First class health care for ALL. 3 Clean usable public transport. 4 A first class education ALL children. This country falls over on all four counts! Its no wonder the National Front and British national party is gaining more support across the country day by day. There are some who say the BNP should be made illegal or banned. These people forget we live in a democratic country with freedom of speech and it is a peoples right to vote for this party, the communist party or the raving looney party if they so wish. I agree The EURO thing should be decided by a national referendam as it should be the peoples choice not the goverments. I disagree, most of the great unwashed do not understand the issues or seem to be willing to vote on emotions and hazy recollections of the Raj Generations of British servicemen and civilians have fought and died in various wars and conflicts around the globe and in Europe to keep Britain a free country as it is today and to maintain our values on/and our way of life. My Grandparents amongst them. A free country, our values and way of life have got b*gger all to do with what we name we give to the beer tokens in our pockets though. If we need to change currancy why not change to the USD which is the main currancy used for trading across the world and has the biggest gold reserve in the world to protect it????????? Get real, the Americans would'nt have us. Gold reserves have not been much good for propping up currencies since the 1930's. What do you want to 'protect' it against pray tell? If we join the Euro it will open the flood gates which are already slightly ajar for every immigrant coming into the European community to march straight into the United Kingdom for a free handout. Once Poland joins the Eu there will be tens of thousands of them fleeing Poland to live in the UK. But we NEED immigrants, or who is going to pay our pensions in years to come? If it's so good here why are we not already down at the head with all the French, Spanish, Portuguease, Greeks, Germans, Italians etc who can already move here if they want? Also if we join the euro the Germans and French will be setting our interest rates for our mortages and loans. As you all know these are at their lowest for years making them affordable to most UK citizens. House prices in Germany and France are half of what they are in the UK. You can buy a four bedroomed house with 10 acres of land and a two acre lake for about seventy thousand pounds in France!!!!!!!! In the Uk you will get a one or if you are lucky two bedroomed starter home in most locations in the UK. I am not sure what point you are trying to make. Property andf interest rates have been lower in France and Germany than in the UK for ages. I don't see what this has got to do with the Euro And this is BAD. The interest rate on my loan to buy my flat in France is at just under 4% and is fixed for the term. It is not even a mortgage for Pete's sake. If I can't keep up the payments they can't even reposess the property. AS SOON AS WE JOIN THE EURO INTEREST RATES WILL RISE BY TWO TO THREE PERCENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our housing market will crash and there will be hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes as they cannot make the monthly payments on their mortgages and loans!!!!!!! I don't get your logic here. Interest rates in Euroland are much lower than here, so why do you think our rates would RISE here after we join the Euro Sorry Rudd I could (often do) go on and on but your arguments do'nt really stack up and I need to get back to work.

QUOTE chesters1: we have had the largest empire the world has seen ... we were once the world leaders in technology... we were once the most powerfull navy... the industrial revolution started here ... we invented almost everything ... But in the words of the song mate "But 'used to be's' don't count anymore They just lay on the floor 'Til we sweep them away" That was then, and it's not coming back real soon now. Your patriotism is admirable, but alas misplaced. All the time we are NOT in the Euro we cannot participate in its future. We could be leaders in Europe, most of the smaller countries are counting on us for our lead, but we and they are denied this because you and your ilk cannot get your head out of the 1950s and into the 21st century. Your backward looking stance is damaging to your countrys long term prosperity. Shame on you all, and will the last person to leave the UK please switch off the lights.

When my wife and I split up she asked me if I would mind if she took the kids to France with her. I agreed immediately. They are much better off in France. Proper schools, a first rate health system, public transport that works and affordable housing swung it for me. As soon as I can get my flat sorted and a job I will be off to sunny Normandy too

Yeah right, using technology that they ripped off from Land Rover. The only reason that BMW bought Land Rover and then punted it again was to get at Land Rover's 4WD technology. Best 'off road' is a short wheel base defender, next is a UNIMOG but they are a tad OTT and more than a little expensive. Talking about expensive, I saw an interesting article on the news this morning. Apparently someone is now importing the Hummer H2. That should really be something for the school run. I am not sure what this would be like in a real 'off-road' situation but it should be at least as good as a Land Rover. All other (sweeping statement) 4x4's just pay lip service to getting down and dirty IMHO.

We are all Citizens of the EU. We can go and live and work ANYWHERE in the EU. All you need to do is get up off your @ss, learn a language and go. I am sure that you will not regret it. Pretty soon Cyprus will be coming on board. Nice and warm too. Do they get mullet in Cyprus?

We are quitting in our droves. Normandy and Brittany are full of economic refugees from the UK. Personally I complete my contract to buy my flat in Luc Sur Mer, Calvados, Normandy on the 4th of July and cannot wait! Lots of us are fed up living in the overpriced hell hole that they UK has become and want to live somewhere where we can at least SEE WHAT WE ARE GETTING for the taxes we pay. A better idea would be to set up a camp on the Isle of Wight where all those who would eschew the Euro can go and live with their pound and leave the rest of us to get on with the 21st century.

cygnet

Blair

lice

Check this out and prepare to have your mind changed. Pity it only has 4 wheels.

Dix sur dix

So if the average German can do it (on mostly two lane motorways) why can't we?

In my youth they sold a beer in Scottish pubs called "wee heavy". It is pretty much like barley wine and was sold in bottles about the size of a mixers bottle. We used to buy a wee heavy and a pint of Guinness. After taking a couple of gulps from the Guinness one would pour in the wee heavy. We used to call the resulting concotion 'Electric Soup'. Very drinkable, very lethal. In my Merchant Navy days I used to work on bulk carriers. We used to carry iron ore from Murmansk to Ming-ming (Immingham). In Murmansk you could buy a jug of 'Moscow Fire'. This was served in pitchers about the size of an average water jug. Created by pouring about quarter of a litre of Stolichnaya into the jug and topping up with cheap Georgian champagne. Tasted foul until you had a couple down your neck, but warmed the soul when it was -38 (Celcius)outside. Another lethal drink was stuff called Arak. Used to buy this in Jordan (great place BTW). Tastes a bit like very dry Pernod or Ricard :cool: and really must be diluted with water. Makes you very drunk very quickly but gives you real bad DTs.

I believe that theoretically you can still be sentenced to death in Scotland for stealing a sheep!

Q. What's the difference between a magician's wand and a policeman's baton? A. Well one is for cunning stunts and the other you will need to work out for yourselves!

Little Onions and Tinca61 are both correct on this one. The most foul hangover I ever had was from drinking whisky with scrumpy chasers in a pub called the Portland Roads in Portland, Dorset when I was in the RFA. I really did think that death was not too far away. It took me about 3 days to recover properly. I have never touched cider since! Calvados can give you a nasty hangover too. My favourite way to get p!ssed is to have a large Ricard on an emty stomach, just before lunch time. Bliss!

I beg to differ, real men prefer ALL wheel drive.