The UK is great .....

All you "doom and gloom" merchants who keep on saying that the UK has gone down the pan should have a read of this .....

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It's a great place to live and we should be thankful. :Happy:

I forecast just six more months of recession and then life will get even better for us.

God Save The Queen.

I don't think it's the standard of living people are concerned about

Technically we have been out of recession for the last 18 months yet our standard of living has fallen and unemployment has risen even higher.

Would anybody in their right mind believe a word they tell you, How many times have they caught Blair lying ?. More neck than Thrill seeker,

I agree the UK is great looking forward to Christmas with family then back to the sun for New Year.

MICH wrote:I agree the UK is great looking forward to Christmas with family then back to the sun for New Year.

That's the game Mich, best of both worlds!

Very true have to say its nice to go back but also nice to come home.Nice choice of music again thankyou.

I think UK for visiting is the best option, as opposed to Tenerife for Holiday.
Live on the rock , just visit UK when you have to, lovely.

Six Euro countries are about to have their credit rating downgraded I hear. Spain and Ireland amonst them Dermot.

Yeah Vince you're right. Makes no difference to us though as we are frozen out of the markets anyway but we're not too far away now from being able to borrow again. Our 5th "bad" budget in a row was passed a week ago and we have another 3 bad ones to come. I'd sell the house and move to Tenerife if I could but there's no one here in a position to buy at the moment . The UK doesn't seem to be in too bad shape. I'm going to visit my brother in law across the border in the north next week and he's busier than ever ( plumber). How are things in your neck of the woods ( Norfolk??)

Its about the same here mate, my sales have dropped about 50% over the last 2 years. No bugger wants to spend money if they dont know next months wages/salary is gonna be there. I am quite lucky in a way cos Patsy has a fairly secure Government job but if it werent for that Im sure we would be in the mire. Added to that we have problems with our place in Tenerife its like a cash drain. I just drink more beer...........Winner I am I keep telling myself. By the way I live on the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border, in the fens. Jim tells me we will be submerged in 10 years, my money is on Jim being 6 ft under by then......... ........Sorry Jim,

Sink or swim both ways then Vince. Don't bank on that with Jimbo, he has loads of identities so you kill him off too easy.

I'm going to be around for a lot longer than that mate.

Still got so many things to do and see before I kick the bucket.

I still can't quite work out where you are Vince. 11 miles from Wisbech, Cambs / Norfolk border ? Must be Denver area I reckon - is the Spread Eagle still going. I used to drink there when stationed at RAF Marham.

We spoke about The Eagle before I believe....know it well.

Jimandsi wrote:
I'm going to be around for a lot longer than that mate.

Still got so many things to do and see before I kick the bucket.

I still can't quite work out where you are Vince. 11 miles from Wisbech, Cambs / Norfolk border ? Must be Denver area I reckon - is the Spread Eagle still going. I used to drink there when stationed at RAF Marham.

Named after a local lass was it?

I was watching that "Grand Designs" programme. This guy built a hand made oak frame house on stilts in the fens. He was futureproofing it against flooding.

Going back on subject ( Gypsy, see what I did there!), both the UK and Irish governments seem hell bent on these austerity budgets to satisfy the markets. We've had 5 of them now and while we're now the "poster boys" for the bailout enthusiasts, there is real hardship here. Our last budget tried to cut the disabled allowance for under 18's from 188 euro to 71euro a week. This meant a huge reduction in money for those families with down syndrome, disability etc. There was uproar and the gov eventually backed down. Cameron seems to be going along the same lines. In the 18 months since he has been in power, unemployment has got worse, living standards have slipped. These budgets aren't helping the ordinary joe soap and the governments were elected to do just that.

Topdog wrote:We spoke about The Eagle before I believe....know it well.

Have we ? :what: I can't remember, it's my age you know.

The one I'm on about is The Spread Eagle at Barton Bendish. But there was also the Jenyns Arms at Denver Sluice.

Maybe not with you then Jim. This one near Kings Lynn, I did a job in Kings Lynn and we stayed near by using this most nights for about 3 weeks.

Jimandsi wrote:
I'm going to be around for a lot longer than that mate.

Still got so many things to do and see before I kick the bucket.

I still can't quite work out where you are Vince. 11 miles from Wisbech, Cambs / Norfolk border ? Must be Denver area I reckon - is the Spread Eagle still going. I used to drink there when stationed at RAF Marham.

I live in Christchurch village, about 6 miles from March and 6 miles from Downham Market. My house is 10ft above sea level but we never get floods due to the efficient drainage system built by the Dutch a couple of centuries ago. They used windmills to pump the water. We now have loads of new windmills which most people hate but I think they look quite nice. A fair bit of land round here is in fact below sea level. Wisbech has been flooded in the past but not in the 21 years I have been here.