mercuryg

1 hour ago, threegee said:

Thanks for the compliment Merk, even if it was a tad backhanded!

You're welcome.

It would have sparked mass civil disobedience.

To cut a long story short but, what? Are you actually seriously suggesting that had the government overturned or ignored the results of a referendum in which barley half those with the right to vote bothered to do we would have seen 'mass civil disobedience'? Really? That does appear to be what you're saying, and then that 'there's a good chance' the military would have got involved? Who, other than you, says so? 

Have you actually taken the time to talk to people - to, not at - other than those on here, in the UK, about what their main concerns are? Do you truly think Brexit even figures in the top ten of Mr and Mrs Average, with their couple of kids, income that gets them by and a nice little house with a mortgage in suburbia? Here's the thing: that category makes up the vast, vast majority of my friends - and I have many, in various different parts of the UK - and not one of them, not one single person among them, would have even thought twice about resorting to mass civil disobedience had the government taken a different task: they would have said - had their been a second referendum - 'boring, here we go again' or, had the government done nothing, 'well, what did we vote for?' and then got up the next morning, and packed Johnny and Mary off to school, and then the next, day, and the next, and the next...as life goes on. Or, were you somehow expecting Mr and Mrs Average to go out at night, or at weekend, or take time off work, to go out and be civilly disobedient? If you were, you'd be very disappointed. Here's a thing - I lost count of the number of Mr and Mrs Averages who asked me, in the days following the vote, what it was all about (that's following, i.e after); but it didn't surprise me because, in the grand scheme of things, it's not important. I never, ever hear people talk about it anymore - it was a hot topic before the vote, mainly because the news on TV and the papers carried nothing else - because, quite simply, it's long forgotten, and not of interest.

So, a challenge for you: go to a pub, bar, cafe, restaurant - in the UK - and ask people, at random, what their biggest concerns in life are at the moment. Don't bother taking a pencil to mark down those who say 'Brexit' or any other allusion to the UK leaving Europe, because their won't be any. 

As for the rest of your post, Spain is Spain, let them do what they want, but don;t be at all surprised if - if it does turn to civil war - UK forces become involved, whether we are in the EU or not bt then.

You really do think this issue is far more important to the average Joe than it actually is.

 

 

9 hours ago, threegee said:

This post is one of your best yet, so here's my take: 

what we've always been careful to avoid in the UK.  It's also what could easily have happened if there had been an EU-style attempt to ignore or overturn the referendum result.

What, civil war? Between whom? What are you on about? Are you suggesting all the 'leave' brigade would have picked up their pitchforks and waged war against the rest? I venture they's have stayed at their keyboards and ranted incessantly, like the rest of us, and nothing else would have happened.

The Catalans seem to be going about it in the right way in launching their own currency.

Good for them; will it be accepted in exchange, though? What can they back it up with? Not as simple as 'letting the printing presses roll'; because a piece of paper says its worth something, doesn't mean it is - a bit more too it than that. (Good for the Catalans, though; if they want and feel they deserve independence, why shouldn't they go for it?)

 The Leave campaign said we needed to be clear of the EU as soon as possible to avoid getting dragged into the looming mess with British forces becoming involved - we are not clear yet!

Indeed, and unless your Brexit vote included us leaving or the dissolution of NATO, we never will be. You seriously don't think that leaving Europe would mean us washing our hands of all this, do you? I mean, really, you don't? The EU Peacekeeping force, for example, works hand in hand with NATO to do it's job. 

On 25/10/2017 at 22:52, John Fox (foxy) said:

I'm wondering if you two haven't already opened a pub, and It looks like threegee is barred, not been seen or heard of since Monday ! 

All are welcome in the Tumby Stable Bar, Foxy (including that lovely daughter of yours) but I doubt 3G would like it. There's likely to be people who either disagree with him, or couldn't care less and carry on plucking their banjos (oo-er missus!)

45 minutes ago, Canny lass said:

Will he have time to run a pub when he's PM and if so, will it be allowed?

I have no intention of running a pub, just a bar that would open every, say, fortnight on a saturday evening in the (soon to be) glorious surroundings of Tumby Lawn's Old Stable Courtyard, where people can come along, bring their musical instruments and play, or recite poetry or tell stories, or even dance - any performance art in fact. (This is, in fact, a serious plan!) One would make a 'contribution to the cost' on the door and be given a few 'free' bottles of beer, so as to bypass the actual sale of alcohol on the premises, and a good night shall be had by all. Believe it or not, we have a list of people who are waiting for it to happen! My brewery kit is all here, just need to sort the cellar out and get brewing! As for being PM, don't think I could be bothered!

That's not bad detective work Eggy! I've never been in the Malcolm Arms but am told it is very nice. The Leagate Inn, the oldest pub in the county, is the nearest but I can never find it open, so I trot along to Coningsby for a pint these days - until the cellar is ready, and the Stinky Whippet Brewery is in full swing!

41 minutes ago, Eggy1948 said:

 outside a pub near Tumby - The Malcolm Arms ? 

Alas, there are no pubs near Tumby! The nearest is a colossal two miles away, hence my building a brewery in the cellar...and the old stables look perfect for a bar...

"good, substantial British knicker –elastic" - my turnip-picking friends, who are not being sent home when (or even if) we leave Europe much to the dissatisfaction of those who voted Leave, swear by it; all that get down, get up, chuck turnip in the trailer, get down...and so on routine really takes its toll on your waistline. It's no wonder the mile-long queue of locals at the Job Centre have every possible medical condition going the prevents them even entering a field (fielditis, or its close cousin fieldaphobia are the most commonly quoted). Poor souls. I'm pleased, now, that I voted remain, which is what all the Eastern Europeans around here will now do, as I did fear conscription into the upcoming beetroot season uprooting. Now THAT is a bind.

In all seriousness - well, a bit - there's really not a lot to worry about. Life will go on, the sun will still rise and set, and so on. UK businesses will continue to do business with Eurozone pals, and vice versa, and we will continue to be a little island, part of Europe, no matter what happens. That's what always has happened. 

Now, it's a lovely morning here at Tumby Lawn; the sun is out, the sky is clear, the partridges are merrily prancing around, safe in the knowledge they won't get shot on our land because it's not a Monday, and the miniature horses are a joy to watch munching away in the paddock; the limpy goat is still limping, the donkey still has wonderful, enormous ears, and the dogs go about their life merrily, farting with gay abandon, as only whippets can. I'm sure Mrs May would rather wake up to this...

I'll start with your last sentence, : it's not 'my' country, and nor is it yours; it never has been, and it never will be. I'm not sure why you find that so hard to understand. It has nothing to do with the meaning of the word 'my', and nor does it have anything to do with belonging or duty, and your rather insulting comment inferring that I'm somehow being disrespectful to past and future generations is rather laughable. Something you seem unable to get is that future generations - in this country and others - will not consist of white Christians only (as if they ever did) but of a mix of races, religions and beliefs; if you actually think there is something that can be done about that, I'll label you with one of your favourite words - deluded. 

"as an inveterate socialist" Who said I'm a socialist? I might have read, and enjoyed, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, but that doesn't define me. I prefer not to be pigeonholed, thanks, and it's one of the reasons I stopped replying to your posts - you are one-sided, and often extremely boring with it. And, I might add, living firmly in the past. 

As for the Brexit vote being advisory - it was; that was clear to anyone who bothered to look beyond your apparently authoritative rantings and read the cross-section of information elsewhere. Things move on and it now appears we are heading for a watered-down version of what was originally planned, which is no surprise whatsoever. So, my turnip picking friends won't get sent home, but then they were never going to.

The problem I have with you - and as I don't know you, the 'you' I refer to is that of your words on here - is that I find you innately annoying in your holier than thou tone; you believe - quite clearly from what you write - that you know best, and we should all follow. You don't; you are a stuck record, probably one of those spoken record 15RPM ones that nobody bothers with anymore. You are so worked up about the 'problem' with Islam that you fail to see the wood for the trees. Here's a simple fact that is worth thinking about: there's more than a billion Muslims in the world - what are you proposing we do about it? You want an 'us and them' scenario? Is that going to work out well? You want to define areas where they can live? That's really a 21st century approach, isn't it? I don't know whether Mohammed pissed in your cornflakes one morning, but frankly your ongoing assertion that Islam is the root of every problem is tiresome. That would be people, of all religions, of all races, of all ages and beliefs. 

I really hope that - as you do me - I've annoyed you enough for you to come back with some apparently intelligent retort, because I have quite a bit of time on my hands here at the moment - turnips are being picked, shot enough partridges for the week, guess I'll pop down the pub for a pint or two with those horrible Polish blokes who you and your ilk would like to send home, but who are actually just people, doing a job, getting on with life. The horses need feeding, back later.

Oh, before I go, I'll highlight this: "I leave the matter of whether you regularly attempt to diminish and deride your own country up to others to judge."

I fear your confidence in others siding with you may be somewhat flawed. No, I'll change that; I know your confidence in others siding with you IS flawed. 

"...wages + increased fraudulent benefits..."

This had me spilling my coffee this morning.

"You deride your own country"

What utter nonsense. Furthermore, it's not my country, I never owned it and never will, and it would be great to see others recognise this. 

"Glad it was you who raised the shocking increase in crime.  "

What, you, cherry-picking? I am amazed! The 'shocking' increase in crime is but one solitary figure in a broad and comprehensive report. I draw your attention to the comment from the spokesman for the Office for National Statistics, the body that released the report, who says:

""The recent increases in recorded crime need to be seen in the context of the overall decline in crime indicated by the Crime Survey for England and Wales,"

Decline means fall, by the way (and no, I make no apology about being factious towards someone who, in accusing me of deriding 'my' country - which isn't mine - is equally so towards me).

Like most, I can see both sides of the coin here: I see the pros and cons of Brexit - and have drawn the conclusion that there are equal measures of each (hence my sympathy with my turnip-picking friends) and also accept - along with Eggy - that I cast my vote, and it wasn't the result I wanted. That's life, it's how it goes. It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. Although, to be honest, I'm pretty ambivalent, as I'm sensible enough to see that I shouldn't really worry too much about it, as has also been pointed out on here.

So, to reiterate - it's not your country, and it's not mine, and it never will be. It's a chunk of land that we happen to live on, and so do many other people. Crime is not spiralling at an alarming rate because of Muslims (oh, sorry, you didn't say that, did you? That was Mr Trump) and we are not all doomed to live in a society that is broken and failing, thanks to the immigrant population. The world is not about to end, and life goes on.

Incidentally, and for the record, I live in a region with a low crime rate, and a high proportion of immigrants. Make of that what you will.

It's not part of the new shopping plans, and it is due to reopen, from what I've been told.

"I just demand my country back"

This has always amused me: who took it? I looked at a map just now, and it's still there. I know it's quite small - China could probably tuck it away in her handbag and nobody would notice - but I'm sure nobody has taken it yet.

"...all those that voted to leave, and now realise they hadn't a clue what they were really voting..."

Now now Eggy, this is not really fair, is it? Everyone knew they were voting on the thorny issue of immugracion, and for two reasons: one, all these foreigners who come over here and happily do the jobs that locals really don't want to do and will do everything possible to avoid, and two. to get rid of all the muslims who, as President Trump rightly states, are directly responsible for the 13% overall rise (or is it a 9% fall?) in crime in the UK across the last year. As I suspect most of the minority who voted to leave would put at the end of every Facebook argument, because it makes it final: Fact. 

"Pay up the money and keep mercury's exchange rate high."

Thanks Eggy, glad to know someone has the welfare of the common man to hand! !

"Merc's exchange rate is against the USD"

Of course it is; what right-minded industry uses the euro as the currency of choice? Far from rooting for anyone, I'll remind you once more the lovely high return I get is directly due to the Brexit vote, so I really think it would be great if we had another referendum,  just to boost my earnings. I'm still perplexed as to, when all the Eastern Europeans get sent home (another thing loads of the leave brigade voted for) who is going to pick all the turnips around here? Mrs May hasn't mentioned that anywhere in her latest speeches, which is somewhat frustrating. With halloween fast approaching, this is a point that really should be at the very top of the agenda, as not only will it be a waste of turnips, but something has to be done about the rampant invasion of pumpkins. It was always turnips carved to a little evil face when i was a kid. Bloody americans...

Hi Moe, great story - typical! I posted here as I know not everyone would have had access to the Facebook pages it was announced on. Charlie was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas some months ago, and knew - as many of use did - that the end wasn't far away. As I mentioned, he passed away in his spot at the bar, with friends around him. Lovely bloke.

Didn't know whether to post this on here, or in the chat central, or at all, but decided to in the end. Many of you probably know that Charlie Kyle - AKA Charlie the Parky and a local character of the highest order - died earlier this week after being ill for some time. That he died in his regular spot in Breakers Bar was fitting indeed. Charlie was a great friend to me, a good man and one with a sense of humour. For any who do not already know but may be interested, his funeral is at Blyth Crematorium, 2.30 next Friday. I, for one, will miss him a great deal.

Thanks Malcolm!

"Wake up Wansbeck"

Bedlington certainly woke up. The recent County Council elections returned three independents. People who, to quote your good self, "feel they are there to serve the needs of their constituents". 

Sounds like a big difference, 3G. I'm in rural Lincolnshire at the moment and generally get a 4G signal. Mind, I suppose they have to provide it for the airbase a mile away!

Interesting. My PAYG deal is the cheapest I've ever had. I mean, peanuts cost. Are they more expensive on the continent?

I wasn't talking about any correlation between the value of our currency and future prospects, and I wasn't implying anything of the sort. I was disagreeing with your assertion that the value of pound is now as it was in 2009/2010, because it's not, and not anywhere close. What that has to do with the future of the country is not for me to comment on, as I don't know. As for why I think the EU is a viable economic construct, again, I'm not an economist, and don't know. I'm simply concerned for the welfare of all the Eastern European vegetable pickers who do a great job in the farms around my 'other home' in Lincolnshire, poor people. Because, of course. they're all going to get sent home, as the 'leave' brigade voted for. (I hope, of course, you can see where I'm being tongue in cheek.) As long as I get my current return on the dollar, which is much greater than at any point in '09 or '10, despite your assertion otherwise, so i guess I'm in the 'i'm alright jack' category. On a serious note, I admire your persistence and your interest in the subject, but I'm not really that bothered. More going on closer to home to care about. Before i go, oh, look, I just converted $100 into £75 - loving this Brexit! Now I can afford that microbrewery i always wanted.

"If you look at the history it came straight off a high and is now pretty much exactly where it was in 2009/10. "?

I'm not sure where you get your figures from here (and hope the rest of those you quote are not quite as inaccurate!). In 2009/2010 I could get an average, across the two years, of around 66/67p on the dollar; since the brexit vote, It's been around 74/76p. That's a major difference, and hardly 'pretty much exactly' the same, as I'm sure you'll agree.

I meant we're not actually out yet. So we have to wait a few years to see the results. I'm still loving the exchange rate, btw.

"I'm now beginning to appreciate that you Remainers were right about several things Merk.  "

You need to give that a few years. we haven't gone yet.

There's the old joke about the builder and his estimates, which are always much more attractive than the final cost. Might be wise not to count your chickens yet.