Iain's (Delta Racing Car) Builder's Tea Break 2015

[terence]

Doing some nice relaxed xmas shopping yesterday morning in a place called Daun (non of this manic, no parking spaces, grumpy shoppers etc for us thanks)
Daun has a oneway narrow main street, sitting down for eine kaffee, we watched a Belgian reg car try to go the wrong way, despite plenty of road signage.Made me think of the Deutshe joke of "fail the driving test three times and you get a red on white number plate".

[Mike Bell]

No parking spaces- not a problem I've experienced either, mass-transit public transport doesn't have to queue for car parks! Norwich also has a well developed park and ride system that cost me £3.50 for a day. As for grumpy shoppers- what's new?

[delta]

Thought everyone did their shopping on line these days . Mrs Delta had the Tweeks catalog out the other day . So new underwear for me next week . Hope this helps our Jason towards running his Touring car .😉

[MGDavid]

Mike - I understand that round here if you have your bus pass the park and ride is free; maybe you have that too?

[grantp]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

Mike - I understand that round here if you have your bus pass the park and ride is free; maybe you have that too?

I thought bus passes had been quietly abandoned in most places.

Modern affluent pensioners can afford cars and the extortionate parking charges (so people think). Why would a council give up that revenue stream and incur the costs providing free travel?

They have their salaries and pension pots to think of you know!

Here is part of what ymy local council has to say on the matter:

"People born on or before 5th April 1950 qualify for a pass on their 60th birthday.

From 6th April 2010, the government has changed the regulations about qualifying age, in line with rules about state pensions for women.

Men and women born on or after 6th April 1950 will have to wait an extra period of time to receive their pass."

They don't bother to say what that extra period is.


Deeper digging identifies a rather complex period of "extensions" to the age point at which the pass can be applied for.

Also that in general a pass is not valid for service which offer "extras" - like free parking. Locally, it seems, there are exceptions or alternative charge arrangements for using Park and Ride.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

Mike - I understand that round here if you have your bus pass the park and ride is free; maybe you have that too?

In York it used to be free but now they charge 50p. Still cheap.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

I thought bus passes had been quietly abandoned in most places.

They have to be available in all parts of the country, well certainly in England. And the pass is valid to be used on buses in other local government areas, i.e. I use my West Yorkshire pass to travel for free on buses in London.

Originally Posted by grantp

From 6th April 2010, the government has changed the regulations about qualifying age, in line with rules about state pensions for women.

Men and women born on or after 6th April 1950 will have to wait an extra period of time to receive their pass."

They don't bother to say what that extra period is.

Deeper digging identifies a rather complex period of "extensions" to the age point at which the pass can be applied for.

This is all part of the equalisation of the state retirement age process that is taking place. Instead of reducing the qualification age for a bus pass to the old retirement age of females, the last government changed it so that it will eventually coinside with the new equalised age for both males and females as and when it is phased in over a period of years.

To my mind it makes sense as females generally outlive males by a number of years. However, expect either the current government, or a succeeding one, to raise the state retirement age further towards 70. Unfortunately, the taxpayers of the UK cannot afford to keep the retirement age as it is for much longer; there will just not be enough working adults to support the growing population of pensioners.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

Thought everyone did their shopping on line these days . Mrs Delta had the Tweeks catalog out the other day . So new underwear for me next week . Hope this helps our Jason towards running his Touring car .😉

Don't forget Bro's new Lambo in British GT........

Interesting about 'that' catalogue, I tend to use it rather than search the website. With a certain Ford performance place, it's the other way round. Mind you, the latter have cheaper prices on line than in print and free carriage if you spend enough, which unfortunately I usually do!

David, haven't got a bus pass, as services not particularly useful to me around here. Think there is some concession on P&R for pensioners, but for the few times per year I use it, happy to pay full Wack....

[terence]

There must be one bus per week Mike-you could stay on it all day, would save a bit of heat and electricity at home..

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by terence

There must be one bus per week Mike-you could stay on it all day, would save a bit of heat and electricity at home..

Nah, it's probably already full of other old codgers doing exactly that....

[Lancsbreaker]

Got a bus pass - originally got one after my brain op when I had to give up my licence for medical reasons, so was entitled to one......once I'd passed 60 it eventually dawned on me that I could get one.....useful to get the express bus into/out of Manchester when I needed to use the train to collect/deliver a car......

Just narked that if you live in Greater Manchester, as I used to,you get free travel on the Metrolink......but as I live in Lancashire, I can't

[GORDON STREETER]

I've had a bus pass for years, but as I live in the sticks in the UK with one bus about every year or so I've never caught one and never used it , I can't use it in Spain unfortunately where there is an abundance of them !

[delta]

When my daughter was born I thought that's handy she will be able to help me with Christmas shopping . 22 years later it's paid off

[terence]

The latest about power companies not being fair, xmas came early today.Got a letter today with a cheque for 120£.Apparently I had been in credit after my last payment to them, two sodding years ago!!!
Obviously a very efficient accounts department who could not see that I had indeed overpaid my last bill despite my telling them so.******s!

[GORDON STREETER]

Not alone there Terry, we had free electric for 6 months because of a balls up with estimated readings, at first they threatened to cut us off and then said that they owed us a few hundred quid, no apology though !

[John Turner]

Yeah, I got my account credited with £400 back in the Summer when I drew their attention to it!!

Anyway, hope all enjoy the festive season!

[GORDON STREETER]

Merry Christmas everyone, although we haven't got any snow here yet !

[Mike Bell]

What you mean no snow 'yet'?

Seasons greetings to all tenthers, wherever they are spending the holidays!

Have a good one.

[delta]

I had to zig zag home stoping of for Christmas Eve dwinks . Got blooming puncture 10 miles from so kept on peddling . Merry Hum Bug . BTW anyone else watch that Dads Army programme documentary the other night . Absolutky brilliant .

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

I had to zig zag home stoping of for Christmas Eve dwinks . Got blooming puncture 10 miles from so kept on peddling . Merry Hum Bug . BTW anyone else watch that Dads Army programme documentary the other night . Absolutky brilliant .

Good to see the dwinks haven't affected your spelling.....

I wondered about the Dads Army docu, so downloaded it ready for a boring moment over next day or 3. Glad it lived up expectations!

[GORDON STREETER]

I don't know what to think of the new Top Gear, at least I see that Sabine Schmitz is a co host so all is not lost yet !

[Paul D]

I dunno Gordon - no argument that she's clearly a handy driver, and a decent bit of eye candy to boot! What she'll be like as a presenter though remains to be seen. And I've never heard of the other guy (no, not Coulthard - the other other guy!).

Happy Christmas to all on here!

[Lancsbreaker]

As the (be)witching hour approaches, I'll echo Gordon's Feliz Navidad from Tenerife, and wish all Tenthers a happy, healthy, and enjoyable Christmas and New Year!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Paul D

I dunno Gordon - no argument that she's clearly a handy driver, and a decent bit of eye candy to boot! What she'll be like as a presenter though remains to be seen. And I've never heard of the other guy (no, not Coulthard - the other other guy!).

No I don't know who the other bloke is either ! What I do like about Sabine is that she "almost" beat Clarkson's time around the Ring (was it a Jag) ? when she was driving a Tranny Van !!!!

[terence]

Not so sure on the "eyecandy" thing but she is great fun to work with and a very nice woman to know.Clarkson had a lot of training laps before the Jag lap but he didn't take some things on board too well!
Meanwhile Quiddelbache Hohe (or Flugplatz to some) has been reprofiled.Only took a week.When I get enough signal Ill put up a picture!
Frohe Weinachten.Or as Iain said.Still, had the shortest day, some Cranes flew in yesterday, so spring is on its way..Oder? Nicht?