Thibault

And he didn't go on to say how Britain was "....best placed....." to cope with a global downturn?  Seems to be changing his tune then [:)]

[quote user="woolybanana"] I have made a slight modification: When they came for the Palestinians, there was no one left to speak out. Adapted from Martin Niemöller [/quote]   Well, judging by the various posts on this thread, your last statement is not true.

As this is an EU initiative, I expect there will be protests all across the EU  [;-)]

I think that A Darling increased excise duty on petrol etc at the time of the VAT reduction recently.  This has meant a problem for commercial hauliers as previously they could claim back the VAT, but cannot on excise duty.  The govt also did something similar on wines. I gather there will be a further tax rise on petrol etc in April - unless things get much worse than currently expected, perhaps. 

Perhaps LD Lines will re-think moving the Norman Spirit  (a big ship with many facilities) to Dover-Boulogne from the Portsmouth-Le Havre route in July, leaving only small ships (with few facilities) on this much longer sea route. 

[quote user="Cendrillon"]Swings and roundabouts then[:)] [/quote]   No, it's actually worse for businesses which use fuel for transport etc.  Previously, they could reclaim the VAT but can't reclaim the increase in excise duty - so they have been hit with a double whammy.   And when you think how much of the stuff we buy comes by road - will the costs be passed on?  If not, the firms will have to absorb them, putting further pressure on their businesses - and possibly jobs.

A report in The Times yesterday said that the UK "big four" supermarkets were actually cheaper over a range of products than Aldi and Lidl.  Although the discounters had one or two very cheap products, in fact a lot of their stock was dearer. This is interesting because there has been a lot of publicity in UK about people deserting the main supermarkets for the perceived cheaper discounters.  Aldi has seen a 20% rise in demand in the past three or four months.  The rash of money off and other promo offers make it quite difficult for people to work out who or what is cheaper where.   A good marketing strategy, perhaps.[:)]

[quote user="Cathy"] What were the story lines on the Onedin Line?  It's the opening music that endures for me. What can happen on a boat?  (I speak as someone who sails on the high seas. [/quote] Basically it is all about business - how a struggling captain gets a wife with a sailing ship and builds up a thriving shipping business.  It encompasses the arrival of steam ships etc.  Along side are a number of "human interest" stories. I loved it and find it has stood the test of time well.  Still, I have always been a sucker for sailing ships.  The opening sequence of the series always makes shivers down my spine.[8-|]

I recently managed to get several series of the Onedin Line on DVD.  Not all of them are currently on sale in the UK.  However,   the BBC sold the series to Holland and the DVDs are with Dutch subtitles.  Just toggle the subtitles off, and Bob's your uncle! Recently there was a programme about The Brothers on one of the digital channels.  It brought back a lot of memories!  I used to like Howards' Way, too.   Should I be worried?[8-)]

[quote user="Ninthace"]You can buy tins of deterrent from hunting supplies shops.  It is napthalene in solution.  Pour some on a rag and leave it in the offending area.  I use it in our vide sanitaire, it keeps the beast at bay but since our fire draws air from the vide, there is a down side.  To steal from a well known movie - I love the smell of mothballs in the morning![/quote] We would be very interested in this product.  What is it called?  I am not sure I have seen a "hunting supplies shop" either! Last winter, I managed to find some old-fashioned moth balls with the napthalene smell and chucked them all over the grenier.  Result - no fouines over-wintering. When I tried to buy some more this autumn, I drew a blank everywhere.  The shop-keepers told me they had been banned because they were toxic and all the "new" moth balls either smelt of flowers or did not smell at all!  

[quote user="Hoddy"]Ron wrote "Why ever not? If he has paid 30 years NI he will get a normal OAP. " I can only be sure about teachers Ron, but you're wrong. Teachers don't pay the full pension element of the National Insurance contribution and so receive a reduced old age pension. Hoddy[/quote]   Sorry Hoddy, but this is not correct - I am a teacher.  I paid in to the teachers' pension fund.  I receive a full state pension.  I am still teaching - I find it does wonders for the old grey cells!  [:)]   Perhaps the rules have changed?

Strictly has audience figures each week other programmes can only dream of.  It raises money for Children in Need.  The format of the series has been sold all round the world.  Since it started, large numbers of people have signed up for dancing activities.  The public are encouraged to "....vote for your favourites....." each week by the presenters.  In a democratic vote, the outcome cannot be controlled.  So what's the problem? If you don't like it - don't watch!  If you don't think certain people should be voted in each week, organise your friends and vote, vote, vote.  That's how JS kept being saved.  [:)]

In our "local" Castorama (about 20kms away in a largeish town), it is sometimes amusing to watch the assistants scatter if it looks as if you are going to ask a question. If you do manage to pin one down, the usual shrug follows with the answer that it is not his or her department and we must speak to another ( usually vanished by this time) assistant .[:@]

We had the same problem - only one shelf in the oven - so the OH ordered one from Scotts of Stow.  It cost around £16, so not cheap.  However, it is sturdy and doesn't bend or move when putting a cocotte on it. 

We had a similar problem in August when we found three kittens about 3-4 weeks old which had been abandoned under a bush in our garden.  We were lucky in that our Mairie has an arrangement with SPA, so we were able to take them in to the office and they were collected the same day. I had only been feeding them with a bottle (they couldn't lap) for a couple of days - they were quite a handful. [:D] There are lots of feral cats in the fields around our house and I suppose it was only a matter of time before they decided our outhouses were a good place to have a family.  We had not been in August before, so it is hard to say how many times this has happened before.  We think that the noise of our arrival and general comings and goings frightened the mother cat away.  I think that she brought the kittens out of the buildings and put them under the bush for us to find as there was no indication that they had been there long.    

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"][quote user="Thibault"] Has anyone noticed that Andy Murray has unusual fluctuations in his approach to some matches?  For example, he was injured and couldn't play for GB in the Davis Cup, but was able to win matches really well the following week.  Then he didn't do very well in the Olympics - out in round two, I think.  Yet only a couple of weeks later, is doing so well in a grand slam. A cynic might say that money was a particularly good motivator in tennis matches  [;-)] [/quote] Can't really blame him. [/quote] Well....the LTA paid a very large sum of money to get him a coach - can't think of his name but he was a US ex-player - who was brought over to work specifically with Murray.  Presumably this was done not only that Murray could improve his game and make money, but also represent his country at the few events the UK take part in, ie Davis Cup and Olympics. His attitude, particularly with regard to the Davis Cup, contrasts rather poorly against the efforts of Henman and Greg R over the past few years.  However - a good match against Nadal [:)],  It is good to see a UK player in a final.  I am quite torn re the outcome of the final - I want a UK player to win, but I prefer Roger Federer and would like him to win, especially after his poor year.  [8-)]  

[quote user="Russethouse"]When was the last time GB had someone in the final of the USA open - come on folks, credit where its due......[/quote]   Greg (can't spell it) R........ski - not that very long ago [:)]

Has anyone noticed that Andy Murray has unusual fluctuations in his approach to some matches?  For example, he was injured and couldn't play for GB in the Davis Cup, but was able to win matches really well the following week.  Then he didn't do very well in the Olympics - out in round two, I think.  Yet only a couple of weeks later, is doing so well in a grand slam. A cynic might say that money was a particularly good motivator in tennis matches  [;-)]

My OH met the actor in a London shop the other day and reports he seems just like Gene!  The OH said how much we enjoyed the series and PG seemed very pleased........

This has been a problem at Portsmouth for some time.  A BF ferry and a LD Lines ferry get in at roughly the same time and the queues for passport control can be terrible, especially at non-summer times when they don't have many staff on duty!

To be fair to the academic in question, I don't think she was saying that everything written in a book is correct.  She was putting forward the view that (in her experience) students were more willing to believe information which appeared on the web and their ability to take a critical perspective was suspended.   I can't remember who she was, but she wanted universities to curtail the use of internet sources for student research.  I don't think she got anywhere!  [:)]

The problem with history is that it is constantly being re-written - by the victors, by the victims, by the politically correct, by those with an axe to grind and by those hoping for recognition and/or wealth.  Interestingly a few months ago, an academic criticised the extensive use of the internet by students.  She said that this approach took away their ability to critically examine sources - because it was on the internet, it was accepted as "truth",  This is a problem with Wikipedia especially because of the ability to edit stuff.

I have this book and can thoroughly recommend it.  It is full of fascinating information and written in a very readable style.

Wimbledon is on for 2 weeks out of the year.  Occasionally, a particularly important or exciting match over-runs and people jump up in the air and complain.[:)] What about having one's viewing disrupted because of a football tournament (in which none of the home teams played) or for other European matches which may or may not include a home team? What about hours devoted to obscure Olympic sports or horse-racing or darts or rugby? I agree about the studio interviews, though.  Thank goodness for digital - there's always another match to watch instead.[:D]       

I have oftened wondered the same thing [:)]  It seems a long way south when we arrive at Le Havre and then have to drive for several hours to reach our second home in the Brionnais (which is in 71 and the SW of Burgundy).