Devon

After losses of 70 million euros (I believe) in the 3 years before the strike and the current recession I think BF face a huge task to stay afloat (forgive the pun). As I stated in my original post, I have found the company wanting in my 3 crossings since September last year. Times are tough and pricing will be important to people as this recession goes on. I am glad to see some are still pleased with the service BF provides and have had better experiences than myself because BF will not last if they provide poor value and poor service.

I have used Brittanny Ferries for the last 30 years and they have always provided good service if a little more expensive than rivals but since the strike last autumn they seem to be falling to pieces. I was left in the lurch by the strike and spent a lot of time and money travelling from Devon to the tunnel to cross. I have used their services twice since then and many of the staff on the boats seem useless and have faces like slapped bottoms. After missing an 11.30am St Malo to Plymouth crossing on Tuesday I was charged £38 to be transferred to a later Cherbourg to Poole crossing which seemed a bit much but hey ho, that's life: I guess the company needs all the money it can get. The biggest downer was how dirty parts of the boat were and how incompetent some of the staff were including a chef serving food like a frustrated child and garnishing his incompetence with a few French swear words. I have never considered using any other company before now but if Brittany Ferries doesn't get its act together I will happily take my custom to other ferry companies. I am not totally alone in my opinion judging from some comments from one or two other passengers on Tuesday's crossing. Have I just been unlucky are have others noticed a drop in standards?

I haven't been before but it is a morning/afternoon out now I have finished most of my building work :) When is everyone hoping to visit the show?

Anyone going?

A beelated update to what beecame of the bees: Complete with SWMBO phone recording the bees in front of me :-) http://youtu.be/yUbE-G_utUk

If you want coloured cement you need to add pigment to the mix. End of. It isn't that expensive if you shop around. Gauge the mixes so you don't end up with dark or light patches. It pays to mix a couple of small mixes in a bucket and lay them somewhere to cure  to check you are happy with the strenghth of the colour, bear in mind it will fade rapidly in the first few months.

I'll try to get over sometime next spring which will probably when I get to spend time a bit of leisure in France again. I stopped at a music festival in Confolens in the summer: very good it was too :-)

The main rally is 4th -7th October.   It is for M/Cs made before 1980 but it's well worth a look if you are into classic bikes and near Santander.   Link here: http://www.mcpiston.com/ingles/icolombres.htm

Anyone else going over to the Classic M/C Rally?

 I have posted this in the regional section and have reposted here for maximum coverage. Free to a good home [:)] Any bee keepers in Charente Maritime near Saint Savienien? My sister was at my house last week and discovered a nest between the window and shutter of a first floor window. Access to the nest is good. I am at the house from Monday 23rd July.

Free to a good home [:)] Any bee keepers in Charente Maritime near Saint Savienien? My sister was at my house last week and discovered a nest between the window and shutter of a first floor window. Access to the nest is good. I am at the house from Monday 23rd July.

At least you stayed upright and managed to continue your holiday. Punctures are never good on a M/C, hopefully it will be another 40 yrs before another one [:)]

Shame I missed this post as I would have joined you. I have just returned from a week working on my place in France and it's only 20 min from Surgeres [:(]

Love the GS, I have a R80GS Basic and R100GSPD. Check out the UK GS Forum if you haven't already. It is a mine of information and there are some really helpful (as well as some not so helpful) people on there. Enjoy Your new M/C Bugsy [:)]

[quote user="Devon"] I know there have been doom mongers since its birth but it is looking like 2011 will be the real test for the euro. What are the chances of  a 2 tier euro by the end of 2011 with poorer/bankrupt countries like Ireland and Greece being expelled by the stronger countries like Germany? [/quote] Well it's been a pretty traumatic year for the euro. I think it is fair to state that the euro has crashed but it is too early to judge how serious the consequences are, as it is ongoing: the euro is in the financial equivalent of intensive care with the ECB flooding Europe's banks with money, preventing a catastrophic collapse in the financial sector and buying time for the politicians and their dream. It would be interesting to know where the ECB got its euro 500 billion from to prop up the European banks? However I do not believe the time that has been given to the politicians can be used to prevent the poorer countries exiting the euro. The people of Greece and Italy have had their democratically elected leaders removed by Germany and France and placed under surveillance. Not good. The Populations of the PIIGS countries in particular have been forced to endure the hardships of austerity and higher taxes by the very people who caused all the problems: the politicians and financial sector. Quite why the politicians think it is their job to protect the banks at the expense of the electorate they are supposed to be representing is a mystery: surely politicians should be protecting the people from the banks? The problem appears to be the euro zone needs to turn itself into the equivalent of the USA and that is politically impossible. My best guess now is a rockier ride in 2012 with the politicians continuing to hold monthly 'last chance' summits and mouth platitudes until the summer when massive riots by the disaffected populations in Greece, Spain and probably France (who have the best rioters in Europe, second only to London) will cause the break up of the present union. Hopefully, the Countries that are left in the remaining Northern Union will learn from events to evolve a smaller, fairer and democratic Europe. Anyone got a better guess?