MrCanary

Not all the UK is nice - it's a bit chilly here in Norfolk with a cold north wind coming off the sea... In fact, this morning we have had the heating on in the house!

But I guess at the end of the day, you get what you pay for... And I doubt that any of us who presumably come on this website because we have a love for France, would rather be in any of the cheaper places.

She'll probably be late getting there!

Tony F... I based my post on an interview I watched on BBC TV news this morning with the chap referred to in this article... http://www.insurancedaily.co.uk/2010/06/11/rsa-chairman-sets-president-obama-straight-over-bp-oil-spill/

Clarkkent - that is interesting... And perhaps I might lift a quote from another thread on here... This is from 'nomoss' - "It seems to be forgotten (or maybe not even known in the case of this Forum) that the well was being drilled under contract to BP by a US company under US regulation with US equipment, cementing done by a US contractor (Halliburton, not unconnected with Dick Cheyney). But I don't think the boy from Michigan is about to mess with the good ol' boys from Texas..."

It is so sad that the words of President Obama are now causing many people in the UK to feel anti-American. He really needs to choose his words more carefully (as does the chief exec of BP). The way Obama is speaking, it sounds like he is blaming the whole of Great Britain and not just a single company. And does he think that anybody at BP or anywhere else in the world actually wanted this disaster to happen? And whilst BP are taking the blame and paying out the likes of $1000 a day compensation to fishermen who normally take a month to earn that kind of money, it is very important to remember that the oil leak was caused by American men working for an American company on an American owned rig. BP’s big mistake was employing these people to work for them!

France has come out top in a new survey, but it is not good news I'm afraid... http://uk.travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-3312296

Thanks Anton...

I am having a memory block. I can't remember the real name, posting name on here or the website details of a chap from Norfolk who is now based in France (or was last I heard) and used to post on here a lot. He is a chainsaw carver and makes totem poles, garden furniture etc etc... Anyone remember his details please?

I have been using Transmanche and LD Lines regularly for a few years now and have no real complaints about their service. In fact, they have been very good to me on more than one occasion. BUT although not their staff, they are let down by the port staff at Newhaven which I find to be a totally amateurish set-up staffed by real jobsworths! Having said that, the port staff at Dieppe, Boulogne and Dover are absolutely fine. I have never had a problem with their ferries or the onboard staff who are always very friendly and helpful. Similarly, I have never been on a dirty LD/Transmanche ferry, albeit I notice they have swapped the Dover/Boulogne ship to an older one which I will be travelling on for the first time in a few weeks time. When the price is right, my route of choice is Newhaven/Dieppe, but I am always pleased when we are leaving Dieppe! My only whinge is that the food onboard, whilst OK, is very overpriced.

I am sure I have read in a thread on here that the over 60's can get a discount on ferry travel... I have a feeling it is Newhaven to Dieppe, but not sure. Can anybody confirm please?

Sir Mick still owns a chateau in the Loire Valley...

Strewth, Théière - and there was me thinking mine was unique!

Did you see the interview with Milliband and the other top dogs of the Labour Party outside their HQ yesterday? I kid you not, they looked just like the Addams family!!

Careful about the 'foot passenger' option... Recently, to add an extra passenger to a previously booked crossing with LD Lines (Newhaven to Dieppe) would have cost the extra fare (just £15 return) + a £10 admin fee - making £25 in total. For him to have travelled as a foot passenger would have been £92 return. And I will take this opportunity of saying how very helpful and very fair the LD Lines staff are whenever I have any problems.

Quillan - regarding the UK propping up the Euro... Yes, darling did say we would not be putting money directly into doing that... But commentators pointed out it could still cost the UK up to £8billion to help via the less direct route of the IMF. Whichever label they stick on it, lots of UK money will be used to help the Euro!

LOL - I agree with that too Jimmy... And yes, sweet, I will try to email them, but I guess they probably will not be reading anything right now...

I voted Conservative and I wish they had won a clear majority in Parliament... Other people voted Labour and would also wish they had won a clear majority... Others would have wanted the same for Lib/Dem... But that hasn't happened and it now seems that an alliance between two of the main three parties is the only temporary way out of this mess... And as the Conservatives won the most seats, it is right they should be trying to come to an agreement with the Lib/Dems in order to move forward... And yes, we all guessed that electoral reform might be the stumbling block to this (and I am sure that eventually we ALL want a tidying-up of our antiquated system)... But for goodness sake, can't that be put on the back burner for now and come up with an agreement to enable some form of government to get to grips with sorting out the financial mess the UK is in? Then, once that is done, they can all fall out again some time in the future!

Is it just me - or is anybody else already fed-up with the election hype on TV and in the newspapers?

And on a lighter note... The title of this thread is the same subject that my Chinese surgeon regularly questions me on following my prostate operation 18 months ago... (true!)

PS To be honest, if one of them could say something to cause a strengthening of the pound, that is who I would vote for. But yes, I accept this is probably in cloud cuckooland!

If you judge Clegg by his surface presentation, he was good. If you look deeper and analyse what he said, he was less good. Having said that, he was probably the best of a poor bunch with brown the worst (in my opinion).

For fuel, you will find a Leclerc or Intermarche close to most ports of arrival and they all have 24-hour pumps that accept UK cards. If you use a TomTom or similar, they are pre-programmed to find those fuel stations for you. Whenever I arrive at Dieppe, my first stop is always at the local Leclerc to top my tank up before I go onto the autoroutes...

I believe the best thing for the pound would be a clear Tory majority, but before anyone jumps down my throat, I am not an expert. One thing is for sure, any thoughts I had about voting LibDem were cancelled out by the live debate. I thought Clegg was a sychophantic little nerd. All he did was copy the other two and dress the comments up as his own. Yeuk!

Err, yes Polly...