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The summer of love – politicalbetting.com

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  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 63,457

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    Louisiana Passes Bill to Ban 'Chemtrails'

    https://www.newsweek.com/louisiana-pill-ban-chemtrails-2079764

    These people are so stupid.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,794
    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    Try the Caesar in Paddington. Both the wife and I use it when in London. Often c.£150 if prebooked. Upgrade for about £20 - the newly done rooms are a delight, the breakfasts are superb, the staff very professional. Very quiet, rarely hear sirens going past. About a 7 minute walk from Paddington, about the same to Lancaster Gate to get on the Central Line.

    https://www.thecaesarhotel.com/en
    Thanks, had a look, still £370 a night for 2nd most basic room, with breakfast.

    (Most basic room was 14m2 😲)

    My sympathies. Hotel rooms in all great western cities are now insanely expensive. Paris is possibly worse than London

    No one in the industry - that I’ve met - has a simple explanation for why

    Quite regular rooms in good london hotels are now costing four figures
    Immediately post-COVID I would understand it, everybody locked up, didn't spend much money etc. But now, I can't work out how people are affording it. Same with things like concert and sports tickets (although we are seeing cricket struggling to shift tickets these days for internationals). Are they sticking it all on their flexible friend and paying via Klarna, with a massive crash to hit in a couple of years?
    Yes it was assumed it was a post pando phenomenon. But it’s just continued

    Almost like a cartelisation of the market….
    Holidays nowadays are prohibitively expensive. My assumption is that hoidays are, at a high level, fungible - and worldwide, the number of people in the market for a nice holiday has increased. So my week in Cornwall is more expensive because there are more rich Asians going to Italy (though rumour has it that there are far fewer Chinese than was previously thought...)
    That’s actually one of the better theories I’ve heard. Surely something in that

    You can still find amazing places that are cheap. You just gotta be imaginative, daring and flexible

    This is not easy for families with young kids, unfortunately
    Actually, a friend of mine has suggested tbat your best bet for a good quality family holiday at prices as they were 15 years ago is Germany. Which does appeal to me. Though I'm not sure how it would appeal to my teen- and pre-teen girls.
    It’s boring. And the food is shit

    Try Eastern Europe
    Recently I found even big-city prices in Sofia and Bucharest were more than reasonable. I still haven't "done" Transylvania (apart from a long weekend in Cluj),must get round to it
    I am a bit spoiled by having a Transylvanian deli within walking distance. Lots of very nice treats to be had. And great sausages for Autumn/Winter slow-cooked stews.
    Victoria Rd? Always been intrigued when walking by but not enough to try it. Will give it a go next time…
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,858
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment


    France? Italy? Japan?
    Eastern France: shit food. Industrial Italy - the worst food in the country. Japan - a total exception, as it always is
    So you're saying the food in Lyon is shit?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,066

    Dopermean said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Bit of a shit analogy, Johnson and Frost's deal is what the UK is using currently except for the bits that are being renegotiated.
    As predicted the UK totally shat it's own bed with Brexit, also as predicted those responsible for the shat had no cogent plan for post-Brexit and it's the people who wanted to stay in who are having to make the best of it.
    If the UK 'shat the bed' then how come since 2010 "despite Brexit" and despite "shitting the bed" the UK has grown faster than Europe?

    Just how much faster than them would we have grown had we not "shat the bed" or Brexited in your eyes?

    Its a load of crap. There's been no meaningful economic change, just whining of some vested interests and some people who can't get over losing.
    I think it’s the gates. Really. The one noticeable effect for the vast hoards of Guardian reading remoaners is having to queue a bit longer at the airport in Bruges. And boy do they complain.
    Fix that and we may finally never need to hear about Brexit again.
  • AramintaMoonbeamQCAramintaMoonbeamQC Posts: 3,900
    edited June 2
    ohnotnow said:

    HYUFD said:

    C4 news just had a report from the Hamilton by election and found a voter who had voted Reform on the basis that Sarwar represented 'the Pakistani community not Scots.' Somewhat concerning about the message that could come from a strong Reform result on Thursday if they do indeed beat Labour or even take the seat from the SNP, Swinney was warning about Farage and Reform 'racism' when interviewed

    I'm sure Swinney is delighted to have Reform as an us-vs-them Piñata. Splits the Labour and Tory vote.

    I do wish Reform would just go after Sarwar on the clear grounds that he's posh and rubbish though. It'd be a lot less polarising.

    One factor in this by election is that part of the seat is Larkhall, the home of Scottish staunch unionism.

    Calling people who spend their Saturdays singing about killing Catholics, racist, isn't really going to bother them that much.

    This scene is supposed to be satire, but... 😂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQCpQbUrzI&t=1s
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 63,457
    Dopermean said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Bit of a shit analogy, Johnson and Frost's deal is what the UK is using currently except for the bits that are being renegotiated.
    As predicted the UK totally shat it's own bed with Brexit, also as predicted those responsible for the shat had no cogent plan for post-Brexit and it's the people who wanted to stay in who are having to make the best of it.
    This is just rhetoric though: the deal was absolutely fine. Starmer has just bent over and offered to be rodgered for free with no vaseline.

    His side will absolutely lap it up, of course, regardless of what he signs because Remainerism.
  • eekeek Posts: 30,212

    Just read the SDR.

    I must say, whilst good on strategy it's very light on detail and anything that might smack of a real spending commitment. What little there is are mainly rehashes or the odd billion here or billion there, which are nothing in the context of a 50-60bn annual budget over 10 years.

    It seems the Government might have taken quite a bit out to avoid being boxed in from a budgetary perspective.

    I'm wondering if it's also to avoid being boxed in to big commitments on XYZ from BAe given how much Ukraine's use of drones has changed the viability of some products which previously would have been obvious choices.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,858

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    Try the Caesar in Paddington. Both the wife and I use it when in London. Often c.£150 if prebooked. Upgrade for about £20 - the newly done rooms are a delight, the breakfasts are superb, the staff very professional. Very quiet, rarely hear sirens going past. About a 7 minute walk from Paddington, about the same to Lancaster Gate to get on the Central Line.

    https://www.thecaesarhotel.com/en
    Thanks, had a look, still £370 a night for 2nd most basic room, with breakfast.

    (Most basic room was 14m2 😲)

    My sympathies. Hotel rooms in all great western cities are now insanely expensive. Paris is possibly worse than London

    No one in the industry - that I’ve met - has a simple explanation for why

    Quite regular rooms in good london hotels are now costing four figures
    Immediately post-COVID I would understand it, everybody locked up, didn't spend much money etc. But now, I can't work out how people are affording it. Same with things like concert and sports tickets (although we are seeing cricket struggling to shift tickets these days for internationals). Are they sticking it all on their flexible friend and paying via Klarna, with a massive crash to hit in a couple of years?
    Yes it was assumed it was a post pando phenomenon. But it’s just continued

    Almost like a cartelisation of the market….
    Holidays nowadays are prohibitively expensive. My assumption is that hoidays are, at a high level, fungible - and worldwide, the number of people in the market for a nice holiday has increased. So my week in Cornwall is more expensive because there are more rich Asians going to Italy (though rumour has it that there are far fewer Chinese than was previously thought...)
    That’s actually one of the better theories I’ve heard. Surely something in that

    You can still find amazing places that are cheap. You just gotta be imaginative, daring and flexible

    This is not easy for families with young kids, unfortunately
    Actually, a friend of mine has suggested tbat your best bet for a good quality family holiday at prices as they were 15 years ago is Germany. Which does appeal to me. Though I'm not sure how it would appeal to my teen- and pre-teen girls.
    It’s boring. And the food is shit

    Try Eastern Europe
    Recently I found even big-city prices in Sofia and Bucharest were more than reasonable. I still haven't "done" Transylvania (apart from a long weekend in Cluj),must get round to it
    I am a bit spoiled by having a Transylvanian deli within walking distance. Lots of very nice treats to be had. And great sausages for Autumn/Winter slow-cooked stews.
    Victoria Rd? Always been intrigued when walking by but not enough to try it. Will give it a go next time…
    Yup - Vicky Road. Some nice stuff for sure. Their various paprika sausages are a great addition to my winter months eating. And not too much of a walk from there - the Deanston Bakery in Shawlands is a Ukrainian run place - lots of nice sourdoughs, bagels, sandwiches and fresh pastries.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    I have inherited an inheritance in the US. I need to employ someone who can do US/UK tax stuff. I don’t suppose anyone has any recommendations? @rcs1000 maybe?
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 4,858

    ohnotnow said:

    HYUFD said:

    C4 news just had a report from the Hamilton by election and found a voter who had voted Reform on the basis that Sarwar represented 'the Pakistani community not Scots.' Somewhat concerning about the message that could come from a strong Reform result on Thursday if they do indeed beat Labour or even take the seat from the SNP, Swinney was warning about Farage and Reform 'racism' when interviewed

    I'm sure Swinney is delighted to have Reform as an us-vs-them Piñata. Splits the Labour and Tory vote.

    I do wish Reform would just go after Sarwar on the clear grounds that he's posh and rubbish though. It'd be a lot less polarising.

    One factor in this by election is that part of the seat is Larkhall, the home of Scottish staunch unionism.

    Calling people who spend their Saturdays singing about killing Catholics, racist, isn't really going to bother them that much.

    This scene is supposed to be satire, but... 😂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQCpQbUrzI&t=1s
    It is quite an odd seat - class/culture wise. Which makes it quite hard to draw conclusions from - whatever the result.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,161

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
    Nonsense. The Windsor framework was better than Johnson's deal, but it retained much of Johnson's old shite. Starmer's deal improves Windsor, however that too remains disappointing.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 14,519
    Leon said:

    I can report - as this is my third dinner on my third day - that Luxembourg food is really quite Germanic. As in: crap

    How and why do they eat this flavourless slop? And it’s not cheap

    Bad choice of place to eat nine dinners in three days. Is there a Greggs round the corner?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 63,457

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
    Nonsense. The Windsor framework was better than Johnson's deal, but it retained much of Johnson's old shite. Starmer's deal improves Windsor, however that too remains disappointing.
    No, it wasn't and no it doesn't.

    Apart from that, spot on.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216

    I have inherited an inheritance in the US. I need to employ someone who can do US/UK tax stuff. I don’t suppose anyone has any recommendations? @rcs1000 maybe?

    I have no recommendation, but it seemed interesting, so I did some Googling. Some stuff here:

    https://wise.com/gb/blog/uk-resident-receiving-inheritance-from-usa

    It does say take advice though :-)
  • AramintaMoonbeamQCAramintaMoonbeamQC Posts: 3,900
    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    HYUFD said:

    C4 news just had a report from the Hamilton by election and found a voter who had voted Reform on the basis that Sarwar represented 'the Pakistani community not Scots.' Somewhat concerning about the message that could come from a strong Reform result on Thursday if they do indeed beat Labour or even take the seat from the SNP, Swinney was warning about Farage and Reform 'racism' when interviewed

    I'm sure Swinney is delighted to have Reform as an us-vs-them Piñata. Splits the Labour and Tory vote.

    I do wish Reform would just go after Sarwar on the clear grounds that he's posh and rubbish though. It'd be a lot less polarising.

    One factor in this by election is that part of the seat is Larkhall, the home of Scottish staunch unionism.

    Calling people who spend their Saturdays singing about killing Catholics, racist, isn't really going to bother them that much.

    This scene is supposed to be satire, but... 😂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQCpQbUrzI&t=1s
    It is quite an odd seat - class/culture wise. Which makes it quite hard to draw conclusions from - whatever the result.
    I think it's one of the most unpredictable in the whole parliament. It will be a fascinating result for Prof Sir John (pbuh) to pick over but I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if you get 4 parties on 18-20% each.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 10,871

    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    John Rentoul isn’t happy with Sadiq Khan branding Robert Jenrick ‘Mr Ozempic’

    Responding to legitimate & indirect criticism with personal insult is low

    https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1929554758815175001?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Rentoul is very anti any sort of low blow, he hates anyone using 'liar'
    I have to say, Oi Fatty is a bit pathetic even by Khan's standard
    Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, the London mayor said: “What I find ironic, and it’s an example of the chutzpah of Mr Ozempic, is that he was in government when the government cut more than a billion pounds from their police budget.

    “He was in government when the government removed Transport for London’s [TfL] operating grant, and now he’s criticising the consequences of the cuts in policing and TfL made by his government.

    “What was he in 2010, 2024 when those cuts were being made in our policing? Where was he in 2015 when the government cut their operating grant to TfL?”

    Jenrick has been in parliament since 2014, when he was first elected to be the MP for Newark.

    He was a minister under Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

    Khan said that while “fare evasion is an issue” – and has been for some time – he has overseen investment in enforcement officers, body-worn videos, CCTV and in the police.

    https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/khan-dubs-jenrick-mr-ozempic-in-spat-over-tube-fare-dodgers_uk_683d9707e4b095a13840fbd4
    Valid points.
    Valid points but I don't think Khan should be using the term "Mr Ozempic".

    If Jenrick has taken weight-loss medication I assume it's for health reasons. Would Khan brand someone Mr Nicorette Patch? Or Mr Anti-statin?

    It's not as if there's a shortage of genuine issues with Jenrick to go after.
    I agree - I don't think anything health related is acceptable in politics except when we might cautiously ponder whether someone is fit to make decisions (Biden, Trump etc).

    Having said that, the pearl-clutching about Khan's comments is wryly amusing. He must be about the most abused man in the UK, and we've seen some of that vitriol on PB.
  • DopermeanDopermean Posts: 1,128

    kinabalu said:

    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Taz said:

    Political colossus Jacinda Ardern interviewed by two fawning centrists.

    The Rest is Politics.

    Enjoy, the many fans of here we have here.

    https://x.com/restispolitics/status/1929518998288240902?s=61

    What could you of all people, one of this site's greatest centrists, have against the wonderful Jacinda?

    She has a book coming out - I'm sure you'll be purchasing...
    I shall rejoin audible just to get it !!

    With Jacinda, I think it's a case of "love the sinner, hate the sin". I don't understand the personal animus some have towards her.
    Misogyny.
    Its no more misogynistic to criticise Ardern than it is to criticise Truss.
    Truss generally attracts criticism for her the speed at which she collapsed the UK economy, while Jacinda Arden was praised for handling of Christchurch attacks and, initially, COVID.
    One was predictably incompetent at breathtaking speed while the other was generally considered very competent, NZ had a low death rate, but the overly strict lockdown and anti-vax.lobby killed her popularity.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,088
    edited June 2

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
    Nonsense. The Windsor framework was better than Johnson's deal, but it retained much of Johnson's old shite. Starmer's deal improves Windsor, however that too remains disappointing.
    Starmer can probably only make the status quo worse if he doesn't get the energy trading deal renewed.(He's working on an improved version). Otherwise it will be an improvement of some kind. That's not to say Starmer is a master negotiator but he is at least realistic about where Britain stands, and the previous deal was particularly bad.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 10,871

    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    Try the Caesar in Paddington. Both the wife and I use it when in London. Often c.£150 if prebooked. Upgrade for about £20 - the newly done rooms are a delight, the breakfasts are superb, the staff very professional. Very quiet, rarely hear sirens going past. About a 7 minute walk from Paddington, about the same to Lancaster Gate to get on the Central Line.

    https://www.thecaesarhotel.com/en
    Thanks, had a look, still £370 a night for 2nd most basic room, with breakfast.

    (Most basic room was 14m2 😲)

    My sympathies. Hotel rooms in all great western cities are now insanely expensive. Paris is possibly worse than London

    No one in the industry - that I’ve met - has a simple explanation for why

    Quite regular rooms in good london hotels are now costing four figures
    Immediately post-COVID I would understand it, everybody locked up, didn't spend much money etc. But now, I can't work out how people are affording it. Same with things like concert and sports tickets (although we are seeing cricket struggling to shift tickets these days for internationals). Are they sticking it all on their flexible friend and paying via Klarna, with a massive crash to hit in a couple of years?
    Yes it was assumed it was a post pando phenomenon. But it’s just continued

    Almost like a cartelisation of the market….
    Holidays nowadays are prohibitively expensive. My assumption is that hoidays are, at a high level, fungible - and worldwide, the number of people in the market for a nice holiday has increased. So my week in Cornwall is more expensive because there are more rich Asians going to Italy (though rumour has it that there are far fewer Chinese than was previously thought...)
    That’s actually one of the better theories I’ve heard. Surely something in that

    You can still find amazing places that are cheap. You just gotta be imaginative, daring and flexible

    This is not easy for families with young kids, unfortunately
    Actually, a friend of mine has suggested tbat your best bet for a good quality family holiday at prices as they were 15 years ago is Germany. Which does appeal to me. Though I'm not sure how it would appeal to my teen- and pre-teen girls.
    It’s boring. And the food is shit

    Try Eastern Europe
    Recently I found even big-city prices in Sofia and Bucharest were more than reasonable. I still haven't "done" Transylvania (apart from a long weekend in Cluj),must get round to it
    I am a bit spoiled by having a Transylvanian deli within walking distance. Lots of very nice treats to be had. And great sausages for Autumn/Winter slow-cooked stews.
    Victoria Rd? Always been intrigued when walking by but not enough to try it. Will give it a go next time…
    Me too - I use the cycle lane that runs right past it when I'm staying with friends in Glasgow.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509
    Phil said:

    Leon said:

    This is the future for the west. Authoritarian populist hard right democracy

    Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has 85.2% approval rating after 6 years in office. By slamming all the bad people in jail for a long long time, and ignoring the bleating of the liberals and the Economist


    https://x.com/cguanacas/status/1929548983422071202?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    https://x.com/prensagrafica/status/1929538497913725359?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    I predict that the first major western leader to do a Bukele will be similarly popular

    Putin has 85% approval ratings too.

    Authoritarian leaders are good at suppressing dissent, in any form: What else is new?
    The poll is legit and commissioned by Bukele-skeptics, apparently

    He is genuinely very very popular. As you would be if you took a country from crime ridden toilet to safest place in the hemisphere in 6 years
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509

    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    John Rentoul isn’t happy with Sadiq Khan branding Robert Jenrick ‘Mr Ozempic’

    Responding to legitimate & indirect criticism with personal insult is low

    https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1929554758815175001?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Rentoul is very anti any sort of low blow, he hates anyone using 'liar'
    I have to say, Oi Fatty is a bit pathetic even by Khan's standard
    Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, the London mayor said: “What I find ironic, and it’s an example of the chutzpah of Mr Ozempic, is that he was in government when the government cut more than a billion pounds from their police budget.

    “He was in government when the government removed Transport for London’s [TfL] operating grant, and now he’s criticising the consequences of the cuts in policing and TfL made by his government.

    “What was he in 2010, 2024 when those cuts were being made in our policing? Where was he in 2015 when the government cut their operating grant to TfL?”

    Jenrick has been in parliament since 2014, when he was first elected to be the MP for Newark.

    He was a minister under Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

    Khan said that while “fare evasion is an issue” – and has been for some time – he has overseen investment in enforcement officers, body-worn videos, CCTV and in the police.

    https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/khan-dubs-jenrick-mr-ozempic-in-spat-over-tube-fare-dodgers_uk_683d9707e4b095a13840fbd4
    Valid points.
    Valid points but I don't think Khan should be using the term "Mr Ozempic".

    If Jenrick has taken weight-loss medication I assume it's for health reasons. Would Khan brand someone Mr Nicorette Patch? Or Mr Anti-statin?

    It's not as if there's a shortage of genuine issues with Jenrick to go after.
    It may not be health reasons other than to lose weight, but so what if he has? Weight seems one of the last remaining things that can be used as insults. Overweight people are lazy, greedy, etc. If they just ate less and moved more all would be well. Except of course it’s not quite that simple. So for some using ozempic to lose weight is cheating.
    Yes it’s offensive stupid and ridiculous

    We’ve found a wonderful drug that cures a massive human health problem

    Are we actually going to shame people into not using it??
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    carnforth said:

    I have inherited an inheritance in the US. I need to employ someone who can do US/UK tax stuff. I don’t suppose anyone has any recommendations? @rcs1000 maybe?

    I have no recommendation, but it seemed interesting, so I did some Googling. Some stuff here:

    https://wise.com/gb/blog/uk-resident-receiving-inheritance-from-usa

    It does say take advice though :-)
    There are also IRAs involved. There are different sorts of IRAs with different rules (traditional, Roth, Continuity). That’s the more complicated bit. The US people can’t decide whether we need ITINs or W-8BENs.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 30,347

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
    We didn’t fix it, we just made it less broken. We continue to have separate trade zones for GB and NI with regulations and controls between the one and the other.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,376
    edited June 2

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    I usually stay at the premier inn heathrow t4 which is often between 50 and 70. 5 min walk to the Elizabeth Line and then 30 mins to Paddington.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509
    ohnotnow said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment


    France? Italy? Japan?
    Eastern France: shit food. Industrial Italy - the worst food in the country. Japan - a total exception, as it always is
    So you're saying the food in Lyon is shit?
    I’m saying it’s massively overrated. And I’m saying that as someone who has literally done gastronomic press trips there, endless Michelin over ambitious foamy rubbish, ugh, also that pike dish: puke
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,794

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    HYUFD said:

    C4 news just had a report from the Hamilton by election and found a voter who had voted Reform on the basis that Sarwar represented 'the Pakistani community not Scots.' Somewhat concerning about the message that could come from a strong Reform result on Thursday if they do indeed beat Labour or even take the seat from the SNP, Swinney was warning about Farage and Reform 'racism' when interviewed

    I'm sure Swinney is delighted to have Reform as an us-vs-them Piñata. Splits the Labour and Tory vote.

    I do wish Reform would just go after Sarwar on the clear grounds that he's posh and rubbish though. It'd be a lot less polarising.

    One factor in this by election is that part of the seat is Larkhall, the home of Scottish staunch unionism.

    Calling people who spend their Saturdays singing about killing Catholics, racist, isn't really going to bother them that much.

    This scene is supposed to be satire, but... 😂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQCpQbUrzI&t=1s
    It is quite an odd seat - class/culture wise. Which makes it quite hard to draw conclusions from - whatever the result.
    I think it's one of the most unpredictable in the whole parliament. It will be a fascinating result for Prof Sir John (pbuh) to pick over but I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if you get 4 parties on 18-20% each.
    What would be the 4th party (after SNP, SLab & Reform) on 20%ish? Can’t see SCons managing it with the parasitic Reform sucking the guts out of them.

    Even with my jaundiced view of SLab I can’t quite believe they chose such a terrible candidate for what should be quite an important by election for them.

    https://x.com/scotlandtonight/status/1929582793819844680?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,088

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
    Sure. Do we deal with the cartel or not, on its terms? That's the question in front of us in this post-Brexit world. Bearing in mind the countries in the cartel are probably happy enough in it and so wouldn't engage very deeply with an outsider. It shouldn't be an automatic "Yes", but absent great alternatives I'm not seeing strong reasons to say "No". I suppose Japan but it's not particularly strategic for us geographically.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216
    Andy_JS said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    I usually stay at the premier inn heathrow t4 which is often between 50 and 70. 5 min walk to the Elizabeth Line and then 30 mins to Paddington.
    I lived at that Premier Inn for a month during the pandemic!

    If you're alone the Chilworth Paddington, London's cheapest five star hotel, has single rooms for as low as £79 -- dates dependent. Excellent Indian restaurant on the ground floor too, and next to a street full of other reasonably priced restaurants.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 35,564
    edited June 2
    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,743
    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,122
    J D Vance: "What you shouldn't have is a dictatorial government that tells certain industries they're not allowed to do what they need to do."
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    That is a lot of parsnips... But, sure, you can't put too much faith in the TripAdvisor reviews. After all, fine words butter no parsnips.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    TACO
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    Yeah, that’s quite disgusting

    The gastropub is one of THE great saviours of British food. Which has rescued us from Germanic yuk

    The other two are empire - India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore - which transformed our taste buds; plus TV cooking - masterchef to Jamie Oliver

    The last in particular is, I think, the main reason you will probably get fed better in a middle class British house than in the equivalent anywhere in mainland Europe
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 35,564

    Louisiana Passes Bill to Ban 'Chemtrails'

    https://www.newsweek.com/louisiana-pill-ban-chemtrails-2079764

    These people are so stupid.

    Plus ça change:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_pi_bill
  • AramintaMoonbeamQCAramintaMoonbeamQC Posts: 3,900

    ohnotnow said:

    ohnotnow said:

    HYUFD said:

    C4 news just had a report from the Hamilton by election and found a voter who had voted Reform on the basis that Sarwar represented 'the Pakistani community not Scots.' Somewhat concerning about the message that could come from a strong Reform result on Thursday if they do indeed beat Labour or even take the seat from the SNP, Swinney was warning about Farage and Reform 'racism' when interviewed

    I'm sure Swinney is delighted to have Reform as an us-vs-them Piñata. Splits the Labour and Tory vote.

    I do wish Reform would just go after Sarwar on the clear grounds that he's posh and rubbish though. It'd be a lot less polarising.

    One factor in this by election is that part of the seat is Larkhall, the home of Scottish staunch unionism.

    Calling people who spend their Saturdays singing about killing Catholics, racist, isn't really going to bother them that much.

    This scene is supposed to be satire, but... 😂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQCpQbUrzI&t=1s
    It is quite an odd seat - class/culture wise. Which makes it quite hard to draw conclusions from - whatever the result.
    I think it's one of the most unpredictable in the whole parliament. It will be a fascinating result for Prof Sir John (pbuh) to pick over but I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if you get 4 parties on 18-20% each.
    What would be the 4th party (after SNP, SLab & Reform) on 20%ish? Can’t see SCons managing it with the parasitic Reform sucking the guts out of them.

    Even with my jaundiced view of SLab I can’t quite believe they chose such a terrible candidate for what should be quite an important by election for them.

    https://x.com/scotlandtonight/status/1929582793819844680?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
    STV have tried to set up a debate but only SNP and Reform have agreed to it.

    The SLab candidate agreed to a short interview, but the still released by STV looks like one of those anonymised interviews where you can only see the back of someone's head and its voiced by an actor. Monica Lennon would have been the obvious candidate to move over from a list seat, but the seat doesn't look winnable for SLab.

    As ever with a by-election, low turnout will be a factor so the Tories might not need that much to get 15%.

    These seats haven't been contested since 2021, which feels like a lifetime ago in terms of Scot Pol, the results should be insane.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,122

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,066
    Dopermean said:

    kinabalu said:

    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Taz said:

    Political colossus Jacinda Ardern interviewed by two fawning centrists.

    The Rest is Politics.

    Enjoy, the many fans of here we have here.

    https://x.com/restispolitics/status/1929518998288240902?s=61

    What could you of all people, one of this site's greatest centrists, have against the wonderful Jacinda?

    She has a book coming out - I'm sure you'll be purchasing...
    I shall rejoin audible just to get it !!

    With Jacinda, I think it's a case of "love the sinner, hate the sin". I don't understand the personal animus some have towards her.
    Misogyny.
    Its no more misogynistic to criticise Ardern than it is to criticise Truss.
    Truss generally attracts criticism for her the speed at which she collapsed the UK economy, while Jacinda Arden was praised for handling of Christchurch attacks and, initially, COVID.
    One was predictably incompetent at breathtaking speed while the other was generally considered very competent, NZ had a low death rate, but the overly strict lockdown and anti-vax.lobby killed her popularity.
    The other issue with the plan of keeping NZ covid free is that the rest of the world wasnt eradicating it, so eventually you would have to open up. And it also meant a lot of people were stranded overseas for a very long time.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly? Cranberry jelly?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,066
    Leon said:

    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    John Rentoul isn’t happy with Sadiq Khan branding Robert Jenrick ‘Mr Ozempic’

    Responding to legitimate & indirect criticism with personal insult is low

    https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1929554758815175001?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Rentoul is very anti any sort of low blow, he hates anyone using 'liar'
    I have to say, Oi Fatty is a bit pathetic even by Khan's standard
    Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, the London mayor said: “What I find ironic, and it’s an example of the chutzpah of Mr Ozempic, is that he was in government when the government cut more than a billion pounds from their police budget.

    “He was in government when the government removed Transport for London’s [TfL] operating grant, and now he’s criticising the consequences of the cuts in policing and TfL made by his government.

    “What was he in 2010, 2024 when those cuts were being made in our policing? Where was he in 2015 when the government cut their operating grant to TfL?”

    Jenrick has been in parliament since 2014, when he was first elected to be the MP for Newark.

    He was a minister under Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

    Khan said that while “fare evasion is an issue” – and has been for some time – he has overseen investment in enforcement officers, body-worn videos, CCTV and in the police.

    https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/khan-dubs-jenrick-mr-ozempic-in-spat-over-tube-fare-dodgers_uk_683d9707e4b095a13840fbd4
    Valid points.
    Valid points but I don't think Khan should be using the term "Mr Ozempic".

    If Jenrick has taken weight-loss medication I assume it's for health reasons. Would Khan brand someone Mr Nicorette Patch? Or Mr Anti-statin?

    It's not as if there's a shortage of genuine issues with Jenrick to go after.
    It may not be health reasons other than to lose weight, but so what if he has? Weight seems one of the last remaining things that can be used as insults. Overweight people are lazy, greedy, etc. If they just ate less and moved more all would be well. Except of course it’s not quite that simple. So for some using ozempic to lose weight is cheating.
    Yes it’s offensive stupid and ridiculous

    We’ve found a wonderful drug that cures a massive human health problem

    Are we actually going to shame people into not using it??
    But, but it means they don’t have to suffer to lose weight… That’s not right, fatties need to suffer.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 35,564

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    I'll let you know next week. Sunday night in rural Shropshire, our options are severely limited.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 18,842
    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    And come August, the trading fundamentals still won't have changed much, so the same dance will presumably happen then as well.

    Trump Always Chickens Out, because the alternative is getting run over. At some point, he may realise that this is a really dumb game to play.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,066

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    My company has just sent an internal memo around that's utterly scathing of the UK-EU defence pact.

    It says it's celebrated by the Government as a triumph but a closer examination of its provisions reveals troubling compromises that may undermine
    British sovereignty and military autonomy while offering only marginal economic benefits.

    Remember the Golden Rule of Starmer-Reeves, everything this Labour government does - sooner or later it turns out to be damaging for the UK

    EVERY. SINGLE. THING
    Key points:

    1) Agreement’s provisions represent a shift toward reintegration with EU military structures, bypassing parliament. While HMG touts access to the EU’s €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF) as a win, enabling UK firms like BAE Systems to bid for collaborative projects in drone tech and cybersecurity, the fine print reveals heavy constraints. British companies must partner with EU-led consortia, often as juniors, with 60% of project work required to occur in EU states, limiting UK roles to niche tasks. Worse, Britain gains no voting rights in the European Defence Agency (EDA), locking it into a “rule-taker” status reminiscent of Norway’s associate membership.

    2) Agreement prioritises EU defence coordination mechanisms, potentially constraining Britain’s freedom to leverage global partnerships. By aligning with the EDA, the UK risks gradual entanglement in EU regulatory frameworks for AI and emissions standards. These standards are set without British input, which could erode autonomy in emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons. Britain has traded long-term strategic flexibility for short-term export gains estimated at a modest £150–200 million annually.

    3) While HMG highlights EDF access as a lifeline for SMEs, the reality is participation risks tech transfer demands, where EU partners may require sharing proprietary UK intellectual property. Certification alignment, though streamlining exports for firms, tacitly surrenders regulatory autonomy. The defence industrial collaboration appears one-sided: British firms gain limited project slots but must adhere to EU procurement rules, stifling innovation and relegating them to peripheral roles in flagship initiatives like FCAS.

    4) Agreement emphasises cooperation with EU structures like PESCO,
    creating overlap with NATO without concrete safeguards. Critics argue tailored bilateral deals with France or Germany could have delivered similar benefits without institutional entanglements. Instead, the UK faces a paradox: modest commercial opportunities offset by gradual absorption into Europe’s regulatory orbit, diminishing its independence.

    Conclusion: a series of concessions - while deeper security cooperation has merit, this prioritises short term diplomacy over long term strategy. The EDF’s limited revenue streams pale against the risks of sovereignty erosion and regulatory subordination. For a nation that once championed “Global Britain,” this feels less like a rebirth and more like a retreat into Europe’s shadow.
    Another Brexit benefit. Of course.
    Your boy signed up to a bucket of shit.

    It was all fine before.
    Starmer isn't clearing up Johnson and Frost's enormous pile of excrement at a swift enough rate.
    Yeah, except he isn't, is he? He's found a small skidmark on an old pair of undies no-one uses anymore, and had chucked away, and has instead decided to muckspread an entire tanker full of manure all over his house and say THERE.. WE HOLD ALL THE CARDS!
    Oh dear! Have you forgotten Johnson and Frost's "oven ready for the microwave" deal. You remember, the one that put a customs demarcation in the Irish Sea.

    Starmer may have achieved the square root of SFA but in terms of trade and defence arrangements with Europe, they may be disappointing, but they are still head and shoulders better than Johnson's dog's breakfast.
    I've got news for you: Johnson left office in 2022 and Rishi fixed that with the Windsor Agreement.

    There was no reason to touch this. The way to go was to increase dialogue through the EPU and do bilateral defence treaties with other European countries.

    It's still very clear, as ever, that the EU views security and defence only as a lever to operate as a cartel and further cement its aspirations of statehood.
    We didn’t fix it, we just made it less broken. We continue to have separate trade zones for GB and NI with regulations and controls between the one and the other.
    Because fundamentally there isn’t an easy way round it. Honour what the British public voted for and keep free trade flowing with no barriers couldn’t be squared. Compromise it is.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 35,564
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
    The picture is attached to a review from April and the menu says:

    Sunday Carvery £16.95
    Roast beef, roast pork or roast turkey

    Every Sunday is Christmas!
  • AramintaMoonbeamQCAramintaMoonbeamQC Posts: 3,900
    Just seen Ben McPherson's tweet - 'interesting chats on the doorstep', they must be getting absolutely rinsed at the front doors.

    https://x.com/BenMacpherson/status/1929634899872698387
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
    Bloody big redcurrants. Unless the camera is tricking us. Cranberries I reckon.
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 4,659

    I have inherited an inheritance in the US. I need to employ someone who can do US/UK tax stuff. I don’t suppose anyone has any recommendations? @rcs1000 maybe?

    Rudy Giuliani is free atm.
  • RattersRatters Posts: 1,344
    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    TACO again.

    'Trump always chickens out' for those unfamiliar. Coined by an FT columnist and seems to the defining feature of his trade war so far.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,743

    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    TACO
    As predicted by Bart a few hours ago !
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216
    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    TACO
    As predicted by Bart a few hours ago !
    @BartholomewRoberts is a wise man (sometimes). On which note, I've just bought an air fryer.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,743

    I have inherited an inheritance in the US. I need to employ someone who can do US/UK tax stuff. I don’t suppose anyone has any recommendations? @rcs1000 maybe?

    Rudy Giuliani is free atm.
    I read that as Ruud Gullit for a moment !
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    I'll let you know next week. Sunday night in rural Shropshire, our options are severely limited.
    My idiot stalker did a Shropshire/herefordshire food piece for the Spectator. Might help…

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-welsh-marches-englands-foodie-frontier/
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 55,014

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    Try the Caesar in Paddington. Both the wife and I use it when in London. Often c.£150 if prebooked. Upgrade for about £20 - the newly done rooms are a delight, the breakfasts are superb, the staff very professional. Very quiet, rarely hear sirens going past. About a 7 minute walk from Paddington, about the same to Lancaster Gate to get on the Central Line.

    https://www.thecaesarhotel.com/en
    Thanks, had a look, still £370 a night for 2nd most basic room, with breakfast.

    (Most basic room was 14m2 😲)
    Hmmm.... I've never paid more than £170 (including an upgrade). Is it Fashion Week when you are going?
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 24,264
    Dopermean said:

    kinabalu said:

    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Taz said:

    Political colossus Jacinda Ardern interviewed by two fawning centrists.

    The Rest is Politics.

    Enjoy, the many fans of here we have here.

    https://x.com/restispolitics/status/1929518998288240902?s=61

    What could you of all people, one of this site's greatest centrists, have against the wonderful Jacinda?

    She has a book coming out - I'm sure you'll be purchasing...
    I shall rejoin audible just to get it !!

    With Jacinda, I think it's a case of "love the sinner, hate the sin". I don't understand the personal animus some have towards her.
    Misogyny.
    Its no more misogynistic to criticise Ardern than it is to criticise Truss.
    Truss generally attracts criticism for her the speed at which she collapsed the UK economy, while Jacinda Arden was praised for handling of Christchurch attacks and, initially, COVID.
    One was predictably incompetent at breathtaking speed while the other was generally considered very competent, NZ had a low death rate, but the overly strict lockdown and anti-vax.lobby killed her popularity.
    She wasn't "competent", she was illiberal and draconian, keeping an authoritarian "zero Covid" policy locking down New Zealand long after the UK and other countries had successfully opened up.

    For people for whom "death rate" was the only thing that mattered, they might think that Ardern was competent.

    For people for whom civil liberties matter, she was not at all.

    Criticising a politician who implements policies you oppose is not misogynistic.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,743

    Dopermean said:

    kinabalu said:

    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Taz said:

    Political colossus Jacinda Ardern interviewed by two fawning centrists.

    The Rest is Politics.

    Enjoy, the many fans of here we have here.

    https://x.com/restispolitics/status/1929518998288240902?s=61

    What could you of all people, one of this site's greatest centrists, have against the wonderful Jacinda?

    She has a book coming out - I'm sure you'll be purchasing...
    I shall rejoin audible just to get it !!

    With Jacinda, I think it's a case of "love the sinner, hate the sin". I don't understand the personal animus some have towards her.
    Misogyny.
    Its no more misogynistic to criticise Ardern than it is to criticise Truss.
    Truss generally attracts criticism for her the speed at which she collapsed the UK economy, while Jacinda Arden was praised for handling of Christchurch attacks and, initially, COVID.
    One was predictably incompetent at breathtaking speed while the other was generally considered very competent, NZ had a low death rate, but the overly strict lockdown and anti-vax.lobby killed her popularity.
    The other issue with the plan of keeping NZ covid free is that the rest of the world wasnt eradicating it, so eventually you would have to open up. And it also meant a lot of people were stranded overseas for a very long time.
    She also failed on housing, it seems a recurrent theme globally.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509
    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
    Bloody big redcurrants. Unless the camera is tricking us. Cranberries I reckon.
    True

    If not Christmas that is the unashamed plate of a big greedy bastard

    I’ve never understood the desire for “nine types of vegetable” on one plate. As the Italians say, you need three flavours on a plate

    For me it’s the same way you need three colours on a flag. Two is too simple, four too complicated. THREE
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 55,449

    I have inherited an inheritance in the US. I need to employ someone who can do US/UK tax stuff. I don’t suppose anyone has any recommendations? @rcs1000 maybe?

    Rudy Giuliani is free atm.
    Not for long.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,088
    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,743

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    TACO
    As predicted by Bart a few hours ago !
    @BartholomewRoberts is a wise man (sometimes). On which note, I've just bought an air fryer.
    Mine was a Xmas present off my wife a few years ago. It’s ace.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 9,058
    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
    Bloody big redcurrants. Unless the camera is tricking us. Cranberries I reckon.
    True

    If not Christmas that is the unashamed plate of a big greedy bastard

    I’ve never understood the desire for “nine types of vegetable” on one plate. As the Italians say, you need three flavours on a plate

    For me it’s the same way you need three colours on a flag. Two is too simple, four too complicated. THREE
    I noticed some years ago that the Montalbano TV series had a very characteristic visual style which was that in every scene there were just three colours of various shades. The palette varied from scene to scene, but always three

  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Some people think there's a genetic difference whereby some people's urine smells after eating asparagus and some people's doesn't. This is not true. Rather, everyone's urine after eating asparagus is the same and the genetic difference is that some people can smell a chemical in the urine and some can't.
  • PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    Try the Caesar in Paddington. Both the wife and I use it when in London. Often c.£150 if prebooked. Upgrade for about £20 - the newly done rooms are a delight, the breakfasts are superb, the staff very professional. Very quiet, rarely hear sirens going past. About a 7 minute walk from Paddington, about the same to Lancaster Gate to get on the Central Line.

    https://www.thecaesarhotel.com/en
    Thanks, had a look, still £370 a night for 2nd most basic room, with breakfast.

    (Most basic room was 14m2 😲)
    Hmmm.... I've never paid more than £170 (including an upgrade). Is it Fashion Week when you are going?
    Dunno. There's something pushing prices up though. I'm looking at 10-12 June.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,794
    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Fish not bad, smoked trout and eel, also herring in a cream sauce I particularly enjoyed.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,702
    Ratters said:

    Taz said:

    This really is beyond a joke

    Tariff pause extended on some Chinese goods til end of August.

    What an effing shambles.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1929631454977229014?s=61

    TACO again.

    'Trump always chickens out' for those unfamiliar. Coined by an FT columnist and seems to the defining feature of his trade war so far.
    https://x.com/TruthWill_Reign/status/1928953266554945540
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,066

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Some people think there's a genetic difference whereby some people's urine smells after eating asparagus and some people's doesn't. This is not true. Rather, everyone's urine after eating asparagus is the same and the genetic difference is that some people can smell a chemical in the urine and some can't.
    I’m amazed how quickly it happens too. Have taken to peeing as soon as possible after eating asparagus to see.

    I probably need a better hobby.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Some people think there's a genetic difference whereby some people's urine smells after eating asparagus and some people's doesn't. This is not true. Rather, everyone's urine after eating asparagus is the same and the genetic difference is that some people can smell a chemical in the urine and some can't.
    That's a fun fact!
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,122

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Some people think there's a genetic difference whereby some people's urine smells after eating asparagus and some people's doesn't. This is not true. Rather, everyone's urine after eating asparagus is the same and the genetic difference is that some people can smell a chemical in the urine and some can't.
    Only on PB.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,376
    carnforth said:

    Andy_JS said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    I usually stay at the premier inn heathrow t4 which is often between 50 and 70. 5 min walk to the Elizabeth Line and then 30 mins to Paddington.
    I lived at that Premier Inn for a month during the pandemic!

    If you're alone the Chilworth Paddington, London's cheapest five star hotel, has single rooms for as low as £79 -- dates dependent. Excellent Indian restaurant on the ground floor too, and next to a street full of other reasonably priced restaurants.
    Thanks for the info. I'll look out for the Chilworth.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Some people think there's a genetic difference whereby some people's urine smells after eating asparagus and some people's doesn't. This is not true. Rather, everyone's urine after eating asparagus is the same and the genetic difference is that some people can smell a chemical in the urine and some can't.
    I’m amazed how quickly it happens too. Have taken to peeing as soon as possible after eating asparagus to see.

    I probably need a better hobby.
    You just made me genuinely chuckle in my dainty hotel room in little Berdorf, Luxembourg, so your hobby is not entirely insane
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,122
    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
    Bloody big redcurrants. Unless the camera is tricking us. Cranberries I reckon.
    True

    If not Christmas that is the unashamed plate of a big greedy bastard

    I’ve never understood the desire for “nine types of vegetable” on one plate. As the Italians say, you need three flavours on a plate

    For me it’s the same way you need three colours on a flag. Two is too simple, four too complicated. THREE
    It's a neat way of hiding how little meat is involved looking at that photo.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,376
    edited June 2

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
  • Dopermean said:

    kinabalu said:

    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Taz said:

    Political colossus Jacinda Ardern interviewed by two fawning centrists.

    The Rest is Politics.

    Enjoy, the many fans of here we have here.

    https://x.com/restispolitics/status/1929518998288240902?s=61

    What could you of all people, one of this site's greatest centrists, have against the wonderful Jacinda?

    She has a book coming out - I'm sure you'll be purchasing...
    I shall rejoin audible just to get it !!

    With Jacinda, I think it's a case of "love the sinner, hate the sin". I don't understand the personal animus some have towards her.
    Misogyny.
    Its no more misogynistic to criticise Ardern than it is to criticise Truss.
    Truss generally attracts criticism for her the speed at which she collapsed the UK economy, while Jacinda Arden was praised for handling of Christchurch attacks and, initially, COVID.
    One was predictably incompetent at breathtaking speed while the other was generally considered very competent, NZ had a low death rate, but the overly strict lockdown and anti-vax.lobby killed her popularity.
    She wasn't "competent", she was illiberal and draconian, keeping an authoritarian "zero Covid" policy locking down New Zealand long after the UK and other countries had successfully opened up.

    For people for whom "death rate" was the only thing that mattered, they might think that Ardern was competent.

    For people for whom civil liberties matter, she was not at all.

    Criticising a politician who implements policies you oppose is not misogynistic.
    But, to go back to my point... does your view of her policies mean you have a strong personal animosity towards her ? I disagreed with a lot of the things she did, but in her personal conduct and standards I think she represents a lot of what's best about NZ.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Fish not bad, smoked trout and eel, also herring in a cream sauce I particularly enjoyed.
    Are we just going to ignore currywurst?? Really??

    Besides being weirdly disgustingly delicious, it’s British
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,376
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    I'll let you know next week. Sunday night in rural Shropshire, our options are severely limited.
    My idiot stalker did a Shropshire/herefordshire food piece for the Spectator. Might help…

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-welsh-marches-englands-foodie-frontier/
    Thomas's next gastro tour can be in Notts and Derbyshire.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 9,058
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    Regrettably that is where my former colleagues choose to have our regular reunions. If the conversation flags the food doesn't help

  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,065
    carnforth said:

    Andy_JS said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    I usually stay at the premier inn heathrow t4 which is often between 50 and 70. 5 min walk to the Elizabeth Line and then 30 mins to Paddington.
    I lived at that Premier Inn for a month during the pandemic!

    If you're alone the Chilworth Paddington, London's cheapest five star hotel, has single rooms for as low as £79 -- dates dependent. Excellent Indian restaurant on the ground floor too, and next to a street full of other reasonably priced restaurants.
    Very convenient for the Heathrow Express! (Although the rise of the Elizabeth line makes that rather less useful than it was.)
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,376

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    PJH said:

    Taz said:

    PJH said:

    On cost of living - a couple of weeks ago I treated myself and my girlfriend to a night in a nice hotel - not super-expensive but more per night than I would usually pay. Nice and comfortable, dinner also a bit on the pricey side, the sort of occasional one-off I used to do for wedding anniversaries or milestone birthdays when I was married.

    When I used to spend a night like this before, perhaps 10+ years ago, the majority of people staying were the age I am now, 50s. This time, of the people at breakfast, we were clearly the only ones of working age, apart from two of a 3-generation family group who'd been staying for a party the night before. Pensioners have the money now, not working people. O/T that may reflect in some of the answers, e.g. Reform appear to be the travellers - they skew older than average.

    Was this a weekend or in the week ?

    We used to go to hotel/dinner stays at weekends a few years back. Now we go in the week as it’s cheaper and I no longer work. I’m 59 wife 57
    This was weekend. But it always was! The clue is that I'm still working....
    Counterpoint: looking to book a couple of nights in Central London with better half. Decent but not exotic hotels (e.g. Radissons / Park Plazas) £400 a night during the week, £200 a night at weekend.

    (No I'm not a particular fan of Radisson but got top status with them via a loyalty hack, so they work out good vfm)
    Try the Caesar in Paddington. Both the wife and I use it when in London. Often c.£150 if prebooked. Upgrade for about £20 - the newly done rooms are a delight, the breakfasts are superb, the staff very professional. Very quiet, rarely hear sirens going past. About a 7 minute walk from Paddington, about the same to Lancaster Gate to get on the Central Line.

    https://www.thecaesarhotel.com/en
    Thanks, had a look, still £370 a night for 2nd most basic room, with breakfast.

    (Most basic room was 14m2 😲)

    My sympathies. Hotel rooms in all great western cities are now insanely expensive. Paris is possibly worse than London

    No one in the industry - that I’ve met - has a simple explanation for why

    Quite regular rooms in good london hotels are now costing four figures
    Immediately post-COVID I would understand it, everybody locked up, didn't spend much money etc. But now, I can't work out how people are affording it. Same with things like concert and sports tickets (although we are seeing cricket struggling to shift tickets these days for internationals). Are they sticking it all on their flexible friend and paying via Klarna, with a massive crash to hit in a couple of years?
    Yes it was assumed it was a post pando phenomenon. But it’s just continued

    Almost like a cartelisation of the market….
    Holidays nowadays are prohibitively expensive. My assumption is that hoidays are, at a high level, fungible - and worldwide, the number of people in the market for a nice holiday has increased. So my week in Cornwall is more expensive because there are more rich Asians going to Italy (though rumour has it that there are far fewer Chinese than was previously thought...)
    That’s actually one of the better theories I’ve heard. Surely something in that

    You can still find amazing places that are cheap. You just gotta be imaginative, daring and flexible

    This is not easy for families with young kids, unfortunately
    Actually, a friend of mine has suggested tbat your best bet for a good quality family holiday at prices as they were 15 years ago is Germany. Which does appeal to me. Though I'm not sure how it would appeal to my teen- and pre-teen girls.
    It’s boring. And the food is shit

    Try Eastern Europe
    Recently I found even big-city prices in Sofia and Bucharest were more than reasonable. I still haven't "done" Transylvania (apart from a long weekend in Cluj),must get round to it
    True. I stayed in Porto recently in what was pretty much a 4 star hotel and it was £70 a night. Would have been £200 in London.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,243
    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    Massively.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216
    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    Toby Carvery is £11, all you can eat. Well, all you can eat vegetables. The meat is doled out.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,794
    Leon said:

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Fish not bad, smoked trout and eel, also herring in a cream sauce I particularly enjoyed.
    Are we just going to ignore currywurst?? Really??

    Besides being weirdly disgustingly delicious, it’s British
    Being Scottish I’m not entirely averse to sausage and chips with condiment, bur I can go a trip to Germany without having it.

    Like the resuscitation of Volkswagen, a good Anglo-German collab.

  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 35,564

    Leon said:

    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    Redcurrant jelly is my guess. As you would get with a Christmas dinner (and does actually cut thru the stodge and fat)

    Indeed that looks to me like a Christmas plate, so maybe unrepresentative
    Bloody big redcurrants. Unless the camera is tricking us. Cranberries I reckon.
    True

    If not Christmas that is the unashamed plate of a big greedy bastard

    I’ve never understood the desire for “nine types of vegetable” on one plate. As the Italians say, you need three flavours on a plate

    For me it’s the same way you need three colours on a flag. Two is too simple, four too complicated. THREE
    It's a neat way of hiding how little meat is involved looking at that photo.
    Not sure, if it weren't for the one pic per day limit I could post you some others that show plenty of meat - just not buried in a bucket load of veg.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 45,671

    AnneJGP said:

    Stereodog said:

    TOPPING said:

    Leon said:

    'Having a BBQ',
    Lol, reach for the fucking stars

    Simple pleasures of life. I love this time of year. Sitting outside, in the evening light at 9.00 pm. NINE PM! A cool glass of something in hand and taking in the roses first flush. Life is not all about thrill seeking.
    I agree with that. I love picnics - possibly my favourite thing about summer. Is that sad?

    No it’s simple. Fresh air, countryside, beautiful views, good friends and good chat, a nice glass of cold Mullerthal Pinot Blanc with dreamy creamy grassy Brie de meaux on fresh Borough sourdough


    That's just in your imagination. Picnics are never like that in reality. You haven't been on one for years, if at all.

    Where picnics do work, however, is at (sporting, social) events where the picnicking is curated (eg Glyndebourne, No.1 Car Park at the Royal Meeting, or a point to point).

    Then they are just marvellous. And some of the best such picnics I have had have been in the driving sleet and freezing cold with everyone clutching their glasses of whisky and the rosé still in the car untouched.
    They still get plagued by wasps.

    Or worse, some idiot who goes insane in the company of a wasp - and insists on swatting it into my face.
    The wasp averse (that don't have medical issues with them) are a comical lot - hysterical overreacters
    Could be childhood trauma. I'm swan adverse after being attacked by one whilst strapped in my pushchair. My completely loving parents had a terrible record of being somewhere else when bad things happened. They once lost me during an earthquake in Crete as they were sampling the delights of the hotel buffet when it hit.
    Being attacked by a Swan is a bit more serious than a wasp sting though. But trauma would, I guess, constitute a medical issue rather than just being a massive wasp cry baby
    A wasp sting on your tongue is quite a big deal.

    Don't eat them? Or at very least don't shriek and flap and give them access to your tongue
    When I was about eleven or twelve, I was cutting grass with a finger mower (*) on an old Fergie (**) tractor when a wasp got tangled in my long hair. I could feel it moving and buzzing around in my hair, and tried to sweep it out with my hand whilst maintaining an even mow. A big mistake; it ended up stinging me on the scalp, and we ended up with an area of grass that was somewhat unevenly shorn. You could almost trace my fight with the beast in the grass's cut.

    I've always wondered if that's why I've always preferred shorter haircuts. Either that, or my brother threatening to cut my hair with a finger mower... ;)

    (*) A blooming deadly-looking thing, which I've always thought would create a good scene from a horror movie. Perhaps on a vehicle somewhat faster than a Fergie though.
    (**) That tractor's still in the family, and has recently been restored. I want to drive it again. Hopefully without a wasp this time.
    Never heard of a finger mower so I looked it up. It appears to be a hedge trimmer for cutting grass. Weird. What’s wrong with normal mowers?
    A good question, and I don't know the answer.

    I don't think I've ever seen a similar modern design, so it's probably a forties/fifties/sixties thing (*) for use in very long grassland - which is where we'd use it. You can also cut quite high with it combined to a traditional mower, so it'd be good on rough ground or where you might have smaller plants underneath you want to preserve. P'haps.

    As for your hedge trimmer comment - they go vertical for easy transport. I've no idea if they can be used whilst vertical; I certainly never tried.

    (*) Although thinking about it, the cutting head on a combine harvester is essentially a finger bar - I think!
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 24,264

    Dopermean said:

    kinabalu said:

    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Taz said:

    Political colossus Jacinda Ardern interviewed by two fawning centrists.

    The Rest is Politics.

    Enjoy, the many fans of here we have here.

    https://x.com/restispolitics/status/1929518998288240902?s=61

    What could you of all people, one of this site's greatest centrists, have against the wonderful Jacinda?

    She has a book coming out - I'm sure you'll be purchasing...
    I shall rejoin audible just to get it !!

    With Jacinda, I think it's a case of "love the sinner, hate the sin". I don't understand the personal animus some have towards her.
    Misogyny.
    Its no more misogynistic to criticise Ardern than it is to criticise Truss.
    Truss generally attracts criticism for her the speed at which she collapsed the UK economy, while Jacinda Arden was praised for handling of Christchurch attacks and, initially, COVID.
    One was predictably incompetent at breathtaking speed while the other was generally considered very competent, NZ had a low death rate, but the overly strict lockdown and anti-vax.lobby killed her popularity.
    She wasn't "competent", she was illiberal and draconian, keeping an authoritarian "zero Covid" policy locking down New Zealand long after the UK and other countries had successfully opened up.

    For people for whom "death rate" was the only thing that mattered, they might think that Ardern was competent.

    For people for whom civil liberties matter, she was not at all.

    Criticising a politician who implements policies you oppose is not misogynistic.
    But, to go back to my point... does your view of her policies mean you have a strong personal animosity towards her ? I disagreed with a lot of the things she did, but in her personal conduct and standards I think she represents a lot of what's best about NZ.
    Is criticising a politician "animosity" or just politics?

    I don't have a strong personal animosity towards her. I do towards what she did and what she stood for.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 14,519

    FF43 said:

    carnforth said:

    Redcurrants are actually something the Germans do well. They make sort of danish pastry things with icing and redcurrants and crumble. The tartness makes for a less flabby tasting danish.

    Other things Germans do really well are asparagus, served with best quality ham and an exquisite and remarkably affordable Riesling. Dishes with mushrooms in the autumn. As you mention, cakes and pastries with fruits.
    Some people think there's a genetic difference whereby some people's urine smells after eating asparagus and some people's doesn't. This is not true. Rather, everyone's urine after eating asparagus is the same and the genetic difference is that some people can smell a chemical in the urine and some can't.
    I’m amazed how quickly it happens too. Have taken to peeing as soon as possible after eating asparagus to see.

    I probably need a better hobby.
    Could Yougov tell us how this post-asparagus smelling ability relates to current voting intention so that we can discuss the Scottish sub-samples?
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,243
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    What the hell is the purple mess thing at the most southern end of that plate?
    I'll let you know next week. Sunday night in rural Shropshire, our options are severely limited.
    My idiot stalker did a Shropshire/herefordshire food piece for the Spectator. Might help…

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-welsh-marches-englands-foodie-frontier/
    Thomas's next gastro tour can be in Notts and Derbyshire.
    He ought to do one of the North West. Best restaurants in the country. Which I would argue punches well above its weight. Though Leon's point about heavy industry is valid; none of the really good foodie spots are in the industrial bits; they're all out in the countryside.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 35,564
    Anyway, off to the Square & Compass in Worth Matravers tomorrow, quite possibly the best pub in England.

    Here's the menu:

    "We only serve a selection of
    tasty, hot, home-made & locally-sourced
    pasties & pies with a variety of fillings."
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    Massively.
    I retreat from the debate, entirely defeated

    I’ve never been in a Toby’s Carvery and even the siren call of research will not change this. I thank PB for saving me the struggle
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,122
    Zia Yusuf

    @ZiaYusufUK
    ·
    1h
    Reform’s DOGE team will visit Lancashire and West Northamptonshire next!
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,243
    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    Toby Carvery is £11, all you can eat. Well, all you can eat vegetables. The meat is doled out.
    I get the price is attractive, but I've never understood the popularity of bad pub roast dinners. Tobys are awful, but it's not just Tobys; it's actually quite rare to get a better roast dinner in a pub than you could do at home. And surely getting something better than you could do yourself is part of the point of eating out?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,509
    Cookie said:

    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    Toby Carvery is £11, all you can eat. Well, all you can eat vegetables. The meat is doled out.
    I get the price is attractive, but I've never understood the popularity of bad pub roast dinners. Tobys are awful, but it's not just Tobys; it's actually quite rare to get a better roast dinner in a pub than you could do at home. And surely getting something better than you could do yourself is part of the point of eating out?
    But it saves on cooking and washing up. Which is actually quite a serious treat for many people (I may not understand working class prices these days, but I understand working class motivations)

    The food may be no better than Sunday grub at home. But somebody else fetches and carries, someone else cooks and cleans up
  • TimSTimS Posts: 15,535

    Anyway, off to the Square & Compass in Worth Matravers tomorrow, quite possibly the best pub in England.

    Here's the menu:

    "We only serve a selection of
    tasty, hot, home-made & locally-sourced
    pasties & pies with a variety of fillings."

    Last time I was there, a few years ago staying for a weekend in February, my son had just started learning the piano and spent his time bashing on the one in the bar.

    There are better pubs though, I think.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,702
    @jamiewh_

    i: British over-18s offered taste of military life with 'gap year' in Army, Navy and RAF

    https://x.com/jamiewh_/status/1929645436899369424
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 51,628
    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    There was one attached to a pub in the part of East London I used to represent. The pub was a handy place for meetings, as it was usually pretty quiet. A couple of times I ate at the carvery and was surprised that it wasn’t actually that bad.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216
    Cookie said:

    carnforth said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    New theory: anywhere with heavy industry or mining has shit food, even now - or they have only recently recovered (Britain) - because for decades or even centuries the emphasis was on producing the quickest and heaviest calories for really hungry people with not much time and no room for discernment

    I know I'll get slated for this but...

    We're staying in a pub in Shropshire for a couple of nights next week, arriving Sunday - it's not the North, I know, but heading there.

    The only option for food when we arrive is their Sunday roast carvery. Locals rave about it on Tripadvisor - lots of photos of plates piled improbably high* with parsnips stacked like Jenga. The only negative comments are those whinging at the cost (£16.95). It may be very good but FFS please let there be other choices too. Please?

    Meanwhile, on Friday we ate at our local pub in Dorset: tronçon of turbot - excellent.

    Of course 'gastropubs' get the piss taken out of them but give me gastropub over a pile-it-high, old-style, traditional British fare pub any day.

    From our experience when living in the North, most pubs there follow the latter model.

    *For those who doubt the pile-it-high pics, take a look:

    image
    The reason ordinary people eat at Toby Carvery and not gastropubs is because they can afford the former and not the latter except on special occasions.
    But I’m not sure that’s true

    It’s true in London sure (not that London has Toby Carvery’s) but in the - *shudders* - provinces, is that true? I know gastropubs where you can eat well for £30 a head including a beer, or even two. Is that massively pricier than a Carvery?

    Toby Carvery is £11, all you can eat. Well, all you can eat vegetables. The meat is doled out.
    I get the price is attractive, but I've never understood the popularity of bad pub roast dinners. Tobys are awful, but it's not just Tobys; it's actually quite rare to get a better roast dinner in a pub than you could do at home. And surely getting something better than you could do yourself is part of the point of eating out?
    No washing up. And I think children enjoy going up and choosing what they want from the canteen. And if you take the family, there's something for all the fussy eaters.

    But, having been to a Toby's once - no, it's not good. They do an all you can eat breakfast for £7 which looks tolerable though.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,554
    Scott_xP said:

    @jamiewh_

    i: British over-18s offered taste of military life with 'gap year' in Army, Navy and RAF

    https://x.com/jamiewh_/status/1929645436899369424

    And to think we all sneered at Sunak’s conscription plan!
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,216

    Anyway, off to the Square & Compass in Worth Matravers tomorrow, quite possibly the best pub in England.

    Here's the menu:

    "We only serve a selection of
    tasty, hot, home-made & locally-sourced
    pasties & pies with a variety of fillings."

    I was there a couple of months ago for the first time. Fantastic!
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