Hoddy Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 I know it's not in the same league as the exalted courses you're used to Miki, but I thought Dom D'Orgeval looked very impressive on Saturday at Uttoxeter. He might be worth watching.Finding the courage would be my problem, not making the weight.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 [quote user="Hoddy"]I know it's not in the same league as the exaltedcourses you're used to Miki, but I thought Dom D'Orgeval looked veryimpressive on Saturday at Uttoxeter. He might be worth watching.Finding the courage would be my problem, not making the weight.Hoddy[/quote]Hi Hoddy,Believe me, as a jump enthusiast (although as seen Lester, is my alltime favourite jockey) and as an aficianado of the sport, althoughloving both forms of horse racing, I would put always the jumps abovethe Flat. Thus, I was therefore more likely to be seen at Plumpton,Towcester and Fontwell etc than at an Epsom or Ascot flatmeeting.........In the race you mention, I fancied Martin Pipes horse, Nous Voila (third I think) but as you said, the winner run rather well.I have ridden horses, a hundred years ago now, normally when one of thekids was learning to ride at a local centre, (it was not expensive, Ihasten to add) none of us really took to it. I would sometimes(rarely) have a little ride out whilst on holiday but was amongst the slower riders !! As for jumping and at speed, they must be either brave or bonkers or, both ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 Jumping on horseback - now that's really for the foolhardy. To think we used to go on holiday to Ireland just to do some of that. Always scared me s***less I'm afraid, never managed more than 3ft 6in and that was on a horse I got on with pretty well, not the maniac we owned, and certainly not the even more brain-damaged Lippizaner that the stables often used to put me on (sadists). And I had to lie about my weight as well. Mind you, Polocrosse in Ireland was something else (lacrosse on horses), not for the faint hearted either. And I thought Goodwood was where you went motor racing, Fontwell was the place where you had Sunday markets and boot sales, and Plumpton was were my first wife should have lived (you can tell where I come from).Back to the topic - myths about France.1. The ferry trip over there turns you into an expert builder2. You can buy a habitable house for £20,000 and a chateau for £50,0003. If you are British and live in France you don't need to join the French social security system, and neither does the French tax office need to know about your earnings4. And who needs a French accountant anyway?I agree with just about all the other shattered myths too. Aren't stereotypes brilliant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le bouffon Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 So true,but you missed the one about all the brits over here being friendly and will do other brits "favours"for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgina Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="le bouffon"]So true,but you missed the one about all the brits over here being friendly and will do other brits "favours"for nothing.[/quote]Quite, but most of the French are, and you have a job stopping them from doing you favours - and they won't take no for an answer.[:D]So hopefully some of this rubs off on us. I find it works a bit like driving, you let someone out of a junction, then that person lets someone out, and so on, and so on, until you are really late for work .[:D][:)]Georgina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="Georgina"]So hopefully some of this rubs off on us. I find it works a bit like driving, you let someone out of a junction, then that person lets someone out, and so on, and so on, until you are really late for work .[:D][:)][/quote]Do you really find the filtering thing happening in France? I never do. In the UK, especially if you make eye contact, some kind person will let you in... I find that once a French person is inside his car, no one else is of relevance. Ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opalienne Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 You should try driving in Belgium if you think France is bad! I used to wonder why so many Belgian cars had dents in their offside wings, but soon found out. Almost all roads are priority a droite and if you hesitate you lose your priority, so people just shoot straight out from minor into major roads and hit whatever happens to be in their way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgina Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="catalpa"][quote user="Georgina"] So hopefully some of this rubs off on us. I find it works a bit like driving, you let someone out of a junction, then that person lets someone out, and so on, and so on, until you are really late for work .[:D][:)][/quote]Do you really find the filtering thing happening in France? I never do. In the UK, especially if you make eye contact, some kind person will let you in... I find that once a French person is inside his car, no one else is of relevance. Ever![/quote] Yes although most of the french will do anything for you, I find it is not in their car. In their car they turn into someone else. Especially the men, sorry men. I have had them so severally up my rear end (excuse the phrase) that I have come to a complete halt to stop them and I do not drive slowly normally. I think maybe that is illegal here for me to do that, but hey I'm English. I was actually recalling the experience of letting people out at junctions, in England. This is because we believe in fairness in queues but not anywhere else around Europe have I found that. .Georgina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="Opalienne"]You should try driving in Belgium if you thinkFrance is bad! I used to wonder why so many Belgian carshad dents in their offside wings, but soon found out. Almost all roads are priority a droite and if you hesitate you loseyour priority, so people just shoot straight out from minor into majorroads and hit whatever happens to be in their way.[/quote]I'd agree with this. The most agressive, thoughtless driving I haveever seen in Europe has been in Belgium, particularly around Antwerp,where about 70% of those behind the wheel should be certified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="jond"][quote user="Opalienne"]You should try driving in Belgium if you thinkFrance is bad! I used to wonder why so many Belgian carshad dents in their offside wings, but soon found out. Almost all roads are priority a droite and if you hesitate you loseyour priority, so people just shoot straight out from minor into majorroads and hit whatever happens to be in their way.[/quote]I'd agree with this. The most agressive, thoughtless driving I haveever seen in Europe has been in Belgium, particularly around Antwerp,where about 70% of those behind the wheel should be certified.[/quote]What and put Portugal in to European 2nd place.....no way, they are worthy winners and by a few km's as well !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 oups, sorry Miki, forgot I posted here.Quote Miki:Hedgehunter has a big lumpo (11st10lb) to carry this year in the National. I'm a bit ambivalent about the National. I have been several times - but back in Red Rum days in the (late?) 70s – I was only a child [:)] - and the course has been ‘made easier’ since then. It's a spectacle but I can't wholeheartedly enjoy it because the likelihood of horses being seriously or terminally damaged is too high for me.Quote Miki: Kempton (once my very local race track) is, I am told, getting on very well with it's all weather track and facilites (saw it at Xmas and it looked very good) good course but Sandown has alway been my favourite, due really to the excellent viewing facilities. < snip> Don't like Cheltenham and Goodwood from a "being there" point of view anymore... We regularly used to go to to the King George meeting at Kempton - till Boxing day turned into a "how soon can we leave for the ferryport?" sort of day. Parking used to be a nightmare and we ended up parking 15 minutes walk outside the course as we couldn't face the scrum if we got parked in the middle of the track.Quote Miki: Don't like Cheltenham and Goodwood from a "being there" point of view anymore, too busy and too difficult to have a bet plus getting a drink can be a nightmare and I am not a picnic punter ! Nor a ladies day, sorry to you ladies who like and understand the nags but too many are there just for the fashion stakes …I've only been to GGoodwood once and I thought it was boring. I'm just not as interested in flat racing. Hence I’ve not been to Royal Airscut either. I like to get to know my horses over several seasons - and really build a relationship… with the animals I’m going to lose money on. Cheltenham I love – even God Cup day but I agree, it is a scrum now but I partly blame that on the level of corporate entertaining that takes place. Most of the people being hosted couldn’t give a stuff about the sport but are happy to get totally drunk, loud and abusive. The other meetings are civilised though – even Countryside Day which has become incredibly popular. We are picnic punters – if you mean a four-course hot meal out of the back of the car before racing, while going through the racecard and listening to Festival Radio! and one year, when it was particularly cold and there were about a dozen of us, we took a microwave and little generator too. We take our picnics seriously. I think that was The Thinker year – snow.We were about an hour from Cheltenham - the two other courses I liked which were close to us being Chepstow and Wincanton. Nice courses.Hoddy / Will-le-CFor sheer equine insanity, eventing cannot be bettered. Event riders make jump jockeys look risk averse. The competitors of 15-ish years ago... simply barking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="Opalienne"]You should try driving in Belgium if you think France is bad! [/quote]The first time I ever drove in mainland Europe was a hire car from Brussels airport to Liege. So not only was it the wrong side of the road, but the gear stick was on the wrong side and it was, as you say, Belgian drivers... [:P] Oh, and as additional stress, I had my boss with me too. I am sure I remember that Neil Kinnock did start a campaign to get the priority right rule abandoned - quite a few years ago - after his wife got side-swiped by a car coming out of a side road. He failed, of course. [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 How about :-CommunismSexismRacismnever mind all that free and equal brotherhood nonsense ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 [quote user="Miki"][quote user="jond"][quote user="Opalienne"]You should try driving in Belgium if you thinkFrance is bad! I used to wonder why so many Belgian carshad dents in their offside wings, but soon found out. Almost all roads are priority a droite and if you hesitate you loseyour priority, so people just shoot straight out from minor into majorroads and hit whatever happens to be in their way.[/quote]I'd agree with this. The most agressive, thoughtless driving I haveever seen in Europe has been in Belgium, particularly around Antwerp,where about 70% of those behind the wheel should be certified.[/quote]What and put Portugal in to European 2nd place.....no way, they are worthy winners and by a few km's as well !![/quote]Ah, now I would not disagree that the Portuguese are doughty slayers oftheir fellow countrymen on the open road (I think they score highest inEurope, do they not, in road-kill per head of population?), but theyhave a happy-go-lucky attitude to the carnage that is a stark contrastto the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the Belgians. I realise that I ammaking some sweeping generalisations here ([6]), but, what the hell,it's the overall idea that is important, and it is clear from theseobservations that the myth about the French being the "worst" driversin Europe is just that - a myth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opalienne Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I drive from Northern France to Brussels each week and am now used to the driving 'manners'. I am quite a confident driver, but the first few times I really thought that I wouldn't be able to continue to do this. Only a few`weeks ago on the autoroute near Antwerp someone cut across me from the outside lane at practically 90 degrees in order to save a few seconds before turning into an exit road. In Brussels recently someone hit the back of my car really hard and then proceeded to tell me that it was minor and there was no damage. The garage quoted €850 for repairs........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Isn't this being a bit unfair to the belgians. I can't say I have noticed particularly that the driving is any worse there, than I have ever found it, say in France.Now the urban myth in our bit of France at one time was that belgians didn't have to pass a driving test. I have wondered that about some people here too, but there you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opalienne Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 It's not an urban myth - they didn't have to pass a test until fairly recently (in the 1970s, I think). So at risk of being accused of ageism, I am always extra careful when I see a grey-haired one driving. And I don't think it's being unfair at all - I drive there a lot and they really are terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I am always extra careful when I see a grey-haired one driving. And I don't think it's being unfair at all - I drive there a lot and they really are terrible. [:)] LOL, so am I, careful about grey haired ones driving and that is just about everywhere. We drive in Belgium a couple of times a year usually. Not a place I dread driving at all though. There are places I dread, just not there. The routes we use are variable too, but often around the ring roads in Brussels or via Liege, where we try and avoid going through the centre but often do never the less. In fact all in all we are both rather fond of Belgium. We had very good belgian neighbours when we first moved to this village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I've seen some driving in Belgium that would turn your hair grey.Until the 70s it was perfectly legal to turn up at a car dealership withut ever having driven a mile in your life, buy a high-powered car and drive it away on minimal insurance, and it still shows...[edit] - but I do like Belgium beer - is that also something to do with driving standards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I've always felt quite at home on the Antwerp ring road (when the traffic is moving, that is). But perhaps that says more about my driving standards than the Belgians'.As we are on to matters wheeled, I have another myth about France.English people do not need road tax, valid insurance, MoT etc for their British-resistered vehicles, that they are of course permitted to use indefinitely on French roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I have just been speaking to a Belgian friend, apparently Belgiansthink the French are appalling drivers. He didn't comment on what theythink of Brit drivers !!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 [quote user="jond"][quote user="Miki"][quote user="jond"][quote user="Opalienne"]You should try driving in Belgium if you think France is bad! I used to wonder why so many Belgian cars had dents in their offside wings, but soon found out. Almost all roads are priority a droite and if you hesitate you lose your priority, so people just shoot straight out from minor into major roads and hit whatever happens to be in their way.[/quote]I'd agree with this. The most agressive, thoughtless driving I have ever seen in Europe has been in Belgium, particularly around Antwerp, where about 70% of those behind the wheel should be certified.[/quote]What and put Portugal in to European 2nd place.....no way, they are worthy winners and by a few km's as well !![/quote]Ah, now I would not disagree that the Portuguese are doughty slayers of their fellow countrymen on the open road (I think they score highest in Europe, do they not, in road-kill per head of population?), but they have a happy-go-lucky attitude to the carnage that is a stark contrast to the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the Belgians. I realise that I am making some sweeping generalisations here ([6]), but, what the hell, it's the overall idea that is important, and it is clear from these observations that the myth about the French being the "worst" drivers in Europe is just that - a myth.[/quote]These are the latest available figures for road fatalities in Europe, taken from the Europa European Commission for Transport's CARE database. It looks like Latvia and Lithuania are to be avoided! http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/care/statistics/series/fatal1991_rate/index_en.htmRATE BY MILLION POPULATIONRate by million population 19911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004Belgium188167165168143134134147137144145131--Czech Republic128152148158154151155132141145130139141135Denmark118112108105112989394979381868069Germany14213212312111610710495959185838071Estonia312184210242223144192195160149146163120124Greece207210209216231206201208201193178151147153Spain227201163143146139142150144143135129128113France18417317215715414714515314513813812910293Ireland126117121113121125130124111111108978789Italy14314212612412311611711011511511611710497Cyprus150189161184162174155149150147129129128154Latvia346274257279242220212255248247219221210220Lithuania314223256205181180196224202173203201204216Luxembourg216177197162172172143135135174159140119110Hungary204203162151154133135133127117121140130127Malta4531391638514845113941414133Netherlands8583818586767568696862616450Austria200178161167151128137119133120118117114108Poland207181165175179165189183174163143151146148Portugal326310271251271272250210200184163160150125Slovenia231247247254209195180156169157140135121137Slovakia116128110119123115146152120116114116120113Finland126120969586798578847784807372Sweden8788736765616160666766635954United Kingdom8276686564646461606060606256AVERAGE16215013813413212412612312011611110910395Fatalities are all persons killed within 30 days from the day of the accident.For Member States not using this definition corrective factors were appliedFigures in green come from the national statistical publicationsFigures in red are estimations- Data not available Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Myth -how about you need a 10% contingency for any renovation work you plan. More like 150% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcr Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I was very worried about what to wear for a very posh wedding in August last year. It was 40 degrees and the women were sweating it out in Chiffon.Who on earth wears chiffon these days.I looked rather chic in my cool cotton traders pants and crisp cotton blouse and I didnt have rivulets of sweat pouring off me .The men had full 3 piece suits on with wet backed shirts when they eventually shed the jackets and waistcoats ugh.I am at a loss as to why France is so set on polyester and why it is obligitory for older women to wear blue knee length floral frocks at 35 euro a go-not cheap. I hope they dont discover crimplene or maybe they alredy haveFi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 [quote user="Opalienne"]Aren't you shocked by the rampant sexism of French males, though? Maybe it's because we live in the country, but I am still amazed by the way they talk about women as though they are farm animals. I used to protest all the time, but have now decided it's not worth the bother....... And their wives just giggle![/quote]Tell me about it. I recently sat in a french mtg with architects, project managers (I am one too), directors etc and all my questions and statements were completely ignored. The only other female present (another architect) was treated the same way. Similar mtg took place with a french bank - I was perceived as the brainless bird. This has happened several times and not at all isolated. My boss was completely amazed, he doesnt speak french either and doesnt understand french culture at all. I complained alot to my husband and could you believe it - he gave me the gallic shrug (he is not french btw) and said yes it is true, women are given a rough deal and not taken seriously at Cadre levels, if the fairer sex does attain Cadre then it is generally perceived she has shagged someone somewhere!! Battle away he said or just accept it! It really does annoy me as I have done my trailblazing, so come on french fillies burn your bra for goodness sake!! Now I will get off my soapbox!Deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.