Brexit, for once some facts.

[Danidl]

Like most things in life reality often shows stark contrast to our dreams. I, ve lived on yachts and barges for fairly extended periods.
Emptying toilets, worrying about weather, cold, leeshores, breakdowns (especially catostraphic ones on modern yachts, Google "Cheeky Rafiki") , locking off/onto tidal/River flows, navigation, finding moorings, berths, stupid pricing, MoB routines, shipping lanes, insurance, stupid crew members and incompetent boat users.(I have lost count of number of Yachts returned with Water tanks full of diesel and vice versa by experienced, qualified sailors(and seen my fair share of boats moored up tight in emptying locks), corrupt marine surveyors (yes, they exist),biased, racist officials (yes, they also exist).
King Charles once said, and its so true. There are two days you enjoy Yachts. The day you buy it and the day you sell it. If you want to sail and experience best sailing experience there is. Go windsurfing and stick it in garage when not in use. Yachting freedom is an illusion,an expensive dangerous one. Barges only marginally better.
My most intimidating experience was aboard a barge, locking off river Trent. You must approach lock entrance from down stream. We, d had a delay on river (not our fault), by which time there was a 3kt flow. Our top speed was about 6..River was choppy, we had inches of freeboard. I actually thought we would sink. Doesn't sound so bad but that's the thing with boats. It never does.

Water tanks full of diesel and vice versa by experienced, qualified sailors(... A real thing and not just weekend saiors. . Brittany Ferries had taken delivery of their new flag ship on the Ireland France, Spain GB route after a huge delay, about 20 years ago. Within the first week of delivery, they did exactly that. I fully remember, because we were scheduled to sail home from Roscoff the next day. It was then out of commission for I think about three weeks at the end of the tourist season.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

There are no suitable rivers/canals round here! Doesn't matter what the mooring or boat costs.

I don't fancy being stuck amidst a criss-cross of access pontoons/decks. And with other boats within inches.

true, but since we're trapped in a token economy ("trapped" being the word, am typing this in a costa in central London away from the overpriced marina with its rabid chihuahua of a manager that make truss look personable - trust me pontoons and decks are the least of one's worries) 60k makes it a choice between a narrowboat, entry level ovni/alubat (aluminum go anywhere yacht that really haven't been banged together in a shed) and a small farm on a beach in sicily.

 

[oldgroaner]

Years ago we did the caravanning thing and it was fine. The best part was one carried ones ecosystem around. One of my sons had and still has a life limiting condition, and with the caravan we were assured of a safe location each night,with facilities to keep all his meds together, including those which needed refrigeration . The warmer dryer weather in France , where the pollen counts were different ensured at least less coughing for 10% of the year.

Pat and I spent much of our summers away in our caravan, alas after covid and her decline due to dementia this is no longer possible.

 

[oldgroaner]

Time to smile

 

[flecc]

What's quite puzzling is the price, without meaning to offend anyone, for a simple structure that look as if it was mig welded in a big shed over a weekend circa £60k seem a lot

The reason is simple, canal and river barges are tightly linked to the housing market since so many live in them, so are stupidly overpriced accordingly.
.

 

[Danidl]

Pat and I spent much of our summers away in our caravan, alas after covid and her decline due to dementia this is no longer possible.

I hope you were more adventurous then than the family we met decades ago in a very nice campsite in I think Devon. There were two older people with a spick and span outfit ,with a table cloth held down on matching clamps ,and then matching high quality melamine dinner services, and we in our grubby 10 ft caravan and our two equally grubby boys .
They were extremely nice, in the reserved correct Home Counties, British manner. The conversation went something like this ". Isn't this a lovely campsite, we come here every year ... Oh I thats not true, , once we camped over there" ..pointing at a different pitch

 

[oyster]

"They won't notice if we sneak it out late on Tuesday night..."

Power giants to face windfall tax after all as Liz Truss delivers U-turn
Prime minister accused of ‘another screeching U-turn’ having previously rejected calls to impose levy

 

[oyster]

Indian trade deal in peril after Suella Braverman migrant comments

The Times & The Sunday Times

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times

www.thetimes.co.uk

Any suggestions who might have overstayed her welcome as a minister, as an MP?

 

[oyster]

Pound falls sharply against dollar after Bank confirms bond-buying end date
Sterling falls more than a cent to below $1.10 after Andrew Bailey tells pension firms they have ‘got to get this done’

 

[Nev]

Although it’s a lot less than inflation Santander now have an instant access savings account paying 2.75% if your interested then don’t hang about because I think it will be sold out very soon.

 

[guerney]

Years ago we did the caravanning thing and it was fine. The best part was one carried ones ecosystem around. One of my sons had and still has a life limiting condition, and with the caravan we were assured of a safe location each night,with facilities to keep all his meds together, including those which needed refrigeration . The warmer dryer weather in France , where the pollen counts were different ensured at least less coughing for 10% of the year.

I know at least a couple of people who intend to live that life permanently. Due to our Tory diminished social housing stock, we may see many more people living in parked and road-taxed Transit vans soon.

House prices set to ‘plunge’ by up to 25%, high-profile City analyst warns - Property Industry Eye

House prices set to ‘plunge’ by up to 25%, high-profile City analyst warns - Breaking news for estate agents and the residential property industry. Independent, unbiased, and factual reporting. A forum for discussion and debate of topics of the day. Subscribe for our free daily newsletter.

propertyindustryeye.com

 

[guerney]

"They won't notice if we sneak it out late on Tuesday night..."

Power giants to face windfall tax after all as Liz Truss delivers U-turn
Prime minister accused of ‘another screeching U-turn’ having previously rejected calls to impose levy

She's a flip flopping airhead. Why are they taxing just renewables and nuclear?

 

[guerney]

No 10 reviews Kwarteng’s mini-Budget measures following market turmoil

Exclusive: Staffers told to undertake line-by-line scrutiny to see if changes are needed

No 10 reviews Kwarteng’s mini-Budget measures following market turmoil

Exclusive: Staffers told to undertake line-by-line scrutiny to see if changes are needed

www.independent.co.uk

 

[guerney]

aAARRRGG

Borrowing costs surge as Andrew Bailey sparks fresh market turmoil - live updates

Pound guaranteed to hit parity with dollar by end of November, warn analysts - live updates

The Bank of England has lashed out at fellow City regulators over the pension market fiasco after an intervention by Andrew Bailey triggered a surge in borrowing costs.

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[guerney]

Pat and I spent much of our summers away in our caravan, alas after covid and her decline due to dementia this is no longer possible.

Are you ever tempted to paint for her fantasy scenes and entertain with tall tales of places you've both never actually been?

 

[guerney]

Although it’s a lot less than inflation Santander now have an instant access savings account paying 2.75% if your interested then don’t hang about because I think it will be sold out very soon.

Smart move by Santander, which will make it easier for them to buy soon to fail financial institutions...

 

[guerney]

true, but since we're trapped in a token economy ("trapped" being the word, am typing this in a costa in central London away from the overpriced marina with its rabid chihuahua of a manager that make truss look personable - trust me pontoons and decks are the least of one's worries) 60k makes it a choice between a narrowboat, entry level ovni/alubat (aluminum go anywhere yacht that really haven't been banged together in a shed) and a small farm on a beach in sicily.

Costa's coffee always tastes burned to me - I much prefer independents

 

[guerney]

Years ago we did the caravanning thing and it was fine. The best part was one carried ones ecosystem around. One of my sons had and still has a life limiting condition, and with the caravan we were assured of a safe location each night,with facilities to keep all his meds together, including those which needed refrigeration . The warmer dryer weather in France , where the pollen counts were different ensured at least less coughing for 10% of the year.

As a student, I spent 7 months living in a caravan while working on a farm. The caravan was miles away from anywhere... free food (picking what was left at the corners of fields, after the harvesters had cropped the rest and left it to rot), free bicycle collected wood for cooking and warmth... it was a curiously comforting womblike space, and quiet, I was frequently prone to much silent and enjoyable reflection upon nothings. Then I sold the entirety of that existence to a South African who inexplicably appeared one day.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

Costa's coffee always tastes burned to me - I much prefer independents

I use it as a drug, mostly benign (slowish) speed

 

[oyster]

Costa's coffee always tastes burned to me - I much prefer independents

Better than Starbucks - but that isn't saying much. Seems to be mostly (or entirely?) Robusta.

Bearable when travelling but never a choice.

Coffee number 1 is one of the few chains I am happy to go to.