Re: Hi hello how are ya folks, and a question
Hi there folks yyyyyup it's lil ol me again.
There appear to be a few skeptics among you as to the prices I quoted for items in the UK. Mr Philster, you say that you're well traveled and have worked with a lot of Brits. Well I AM a Brit, born n bred in Birmingham, the original one, we even predate the Romans, hell we even predate Jesus. The prices I quoted are true as of a few years ago, when I took my American wife back to my home town to show her a taste of English life, moving on I was talking about a TELEVISION license NOT a FISHING license. The fee for a Television license I know about, the fee for a fishing license I have no clue about.
Yes you can get jeans and jackets at lower prices that the ones I quoted, we'd all be walking around in rags or starkers if those prices were true across the board. The difference being the store at which you purchase them. We have a Mall in Birmingham called the "Bull Ring", in that mall is a store called "Selfridges", THAT is the store that charges the outrageous prices. However, if you go down to the outdoor market across the road, you can get almost identical items, at a fraction of the cost, provided that is you have no objection to dealing with a very sweaty Indian smelling strongly of curry.
As for tax, EVERYTHING, and I do mean EVERYTHING is taxed across the board at 17.5% this is called V A T or Value Added Tax, BUT the big difference is that this store ticket price is the price you pay, the tax has already been added, there's no adding tax on at the till. For foreign visitors however, there is a facility to redeem the tax when you depart, on CERTAIN items, BUT PLEASE remember to SAVE EVERY RECEIPT. One missing one can screw up your whole tax redemption, as a friend of mine found out to his cost.
As for the price of petrol (gas), these prices were true when we came back from the UK a few years ago, so I have no reason to doubt their validity. Granted, there is a variance in the rate of exchange, but there is also the BUDGET, and every year without fail smokers drinkers and drivers are CLOBBERED by tax hikes. So the prices I quoted were an educated guess, but a VERY educated one, so they are likely to be a lot closer to the mark that Mr Philster would have you believe. At least in Birmingham.
I am certain that Mr Philster was genuine in his statement regarding prices etc, however, I fear that the information given to him was a tad erroneous.
As for the recession over here, I am all to well aware of that my friends, it's hitting just about everyone I know here, and hitting them HARD, just as I suspect it's hitting you folks too, I'm sad to say.
With regard to the terminology, I am going by the terms used by "Yachtworld.com", if THEY call it a houseboat, I call it a houseboat, what you folks would call it I have no idea.
As for my common sense, well I do know well enough NOT to sail up to the dock under full power and expect ANY boat to stop on a dime, that just ain't going to happen, and it's a sure way to get the front of your boat rearranged, and quite possibly a good proportion of the dock too. I also know that the boat steers from the center, not from either end, I am thinking this could well contribute to the cause of a good many prangs amongst other less knowledgeable novices. I USED to know quite a few knots, but lack of use has caused this knowledge to slip into the dormant section of the old noggin so it may take a good deal of dredging to retrieve them.
More than that class me as a duffus with the rest of 'em. A willing to learn duffus, but a duffus nevertheless. And as evinced by my questions here, I am prepared to ask the questions to find the answers. Oh 'n by the way no I am NOT a captain, YET, give me time, and hopefully I won't turn into a "Captain Sensible" this is a British term meaning a person who is anything but sensible.
Well folks I THINK that about covers it, if you still have questions, as before, please feel free to ask.
Take care and enjoy life
Hi there folks yyyyyup it's lil ol me again.
There appear to be a few skeptics among you as to the prices I quoted for items in the UK. Mr Philster, you say that you're well traveled and have worked with a lot of Brits. Well I AM a Brit, born n bred in Birmingham, the original one, we even predate the Romans, hell we even predate Jesus. The prices I quoted are true as of a few years ago, when I took my American wife back to my home town to show her a taste of English life, moving on I was talking about a TELEVISION license NOT a FISHING license. The fee for a Television license I know about, the fee for a fishing license I have no clue about.
Yes you can get jeans and jackets at lower prices that the ones I quoted, we'd all be walking around in rags or starkers if those prices were true across the board. The difference being the store at which you purchase them. We have a Mall in Birmingham called the "Bull Ring", in that mall is a store called "Selfridges", THAT is the store that charges the outrageous prices. However, if you go down to the outdoor market across the road, you can get almost identical items, at a fraction of the cost, provided that is you have no objection to dealing with a very sweaty Indian smelling strongly of curry.
As for tax, EVERYTHING, and I do mean EVERYTHING is taxed across the board at 17.5% this is called V A T or Value Added Tax, BUT the big difference is that this store ticket price is the price you pay, the tax has already been added, there's no adding tax on at the till. For foreign visitors however, there is a facility to redeem the tax when you depart, on CERTAIN items, BUT PLEASE remember to SAVE EVERY RECEIPT. One missing one can screw up your whole tax redemption, as a friend of mine found out to his cost.
As for the price of petrol (gas), these prices were true when we came back from the UK a few years ago, so I have no reason to doubt their validity. Granted, there is a variance in the rate of exchange, but there is also the BUDGET, and every year without fail smokers drinkers and drivers are CLOBBERED by tax hikes. So the prices I quoted were an educated guess, but a VERY educated one, so they are likely to be a lot closer to the mark that Mr Philster would have you believe. At least in Birmingham.
I am certain that Mr Philster was genuine in his statement regarding prices etc, however, I fear that the information given to him was a tad erroneous.
As for the recession over here, I am all to well aware of that my friends, it's hitting just about everyone I know here, and hitting them HARD, just as I suspect it's hitting you folks too, I'm sad to say.
With regard to the terminology, I am going by the terms used by "Yachtworld.com", if THEY call it a houseboat, I call it a houseboat, what you folks would call it I have no idea.
As for my common sense, well I do know well enough NOT to sail up to the dock under full power and expect ANY boat to stop on a dime, that just ain't going to happen, and it's a sure way to get the front of your boat rearranged, and quite possibly a good proportion of the dock too. I also know that the boat steers from the center, not from either end, I am thinking this could well contribute to the cause of a good many prangs amongst other less knowledgeable novices. I USED to know quite a few knots, but lack of use has caused this knowledge to slip into the dormant section of the old noggin so it may take a good deal of dredging to retrieve them.
More than that class me as a duffus with the rest of 'em. A willing to learn duffus, but a duffus nevertheless. And as evinced by my questions here, I am prepared to ask the questions to find the answers. Oh 'n by the way no I am NOT a captain, YET, give me time, and hopefully I won't turn into a "Captain Sensible" this is a British term meaning a person who is anything but sensible.
Well folks I THINK that about covers it, if you still have questions, as before, please feel free to ask.
Take care and enjoy life
