Bell's Banter 2021

[Gerard C]

What about sailing a Hobbie Cat now? The Holden badge has ce je ne sais quoi from an older Pug'.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

What about sailing a Hobbie Cat now? The Holden badge has ce je ne sais quoi from an older Pug'.

I have got less wet sailing Hobie Cats than watching motor racing yesterday!
Re the badges, just another lion.
Une fois que vous en avez vu un, vous les avez tous vus !

[John Elwin]

I was always led to believe by my Australian friends that it never, ever rained there & that the sun shone continuously out of a clear blue sky!

Were they telling little fibs?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

I was always led to believe by my Australian friends that it never, ever rained there & that the sun shone continuously out of a clear blue sky!

Were they telling little fibs?

If they lived in Melbourne most certainly a few pork pies being told. Further North they just get monsoons and cyclones.

Many Australians seem to think the sun shines continuously.... from 'elsewhere'!

[Lancsbreaker]

Gordon - article in the Times on Sunday was saying that applications for Irish passports from Brits with "grandfather rights" were being delayed indefinitely as th erelevant department has pretty well shut down....If you are going to apply, do so early!


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...imbo-zg6hlk6nj

[Lancsbreaker]

Anyone going to the NEC Classic Motor Show this weekend? I'll be there Saturday, but mostly on the Alfa Romeo Owners Club stand, tho hope to get a chance to have a bit of a look around.....


Got to have your Covid pass, of course........

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Anyone going to the NEC Classic Motor Show this weekend? I'll be there Saturday, but mostly on the Alfa Romeo Owners Club stand, tho hope to get a chance to have a bit of a look around.....


Got to have your Covid pass, of course........

Have fun! I gave up on that show 10 years ago.

It's Interclassics Brussels next week, which I normally really enjoy but can only go Friday afternoon so not really worth the hassle.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Gordon - article in the Times on Sunday was saying that applications for Irish passports from Brits with "grandfather rights" were being delayed indefinitely as th erelevant department has pretty well shut down....If you are going to apply, do so early!


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...imbo-zg6hlk6nj

Cheers, however at least it is her mother that we are talking about so it might just be one step nearer.
I still haven't got a definitive answer to my original question regarding how to work out the 90/180 day rule as it changes depending on who I talk to
Unfortunately nothing is black and white in the world we are living in anymore !

[bauble]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Cheers, however at least it is her mother that we are talking about so it might just be one step nearer.
I still haven't got a definitive answer to my original question regarding how to work out the 90/180 day rule as it changes depending on who I talk to
Unfortunately nothing is black and white in the world we are living in anymore !

Mostly Black on TV nowadays, Gordon.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by bauble

Mostly Black on TV nowadays, Gordon.

It was black and white on the TV set in Spain 20 odd years ago !
We bought a property fully furnished and "as seen", when we went down for the first time to move in the colour TV had been replaced with an ancient 12inch B&W job !!!!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

It was black and white on the TV set in Spain 20 odd years ago !
We bought a property fully furnished and "as seen", when we went down for the first time to move in the colour TV had been replaced with an ancient 12inch B&W job !!!!

Hope you got some money back, Gordon.

Michele's niece sold her house recently & because she said she was taking the bathroom mirror the buyers knocked 30 euros off the price!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Michele's niece sold her house recently & because she said she was taking the bathroom mirror the buyers knocked 30 euros off the price!

Did she make a selfie? This is something strange, when I sold a previous flat at Courbevoie, the buyers were really focused on the dish and washing machine and fridge! People…

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Did she make a selfie? This is something strange, when I sold a previous flat at Courbevoie, the buyers were really focused on the dish and washing machine and fridge! People…

There is an English saying that "There's nowt so queer as folk".

It is very apt!

[grantp]

Lightbulbs.

People always used to take the lightbulbs.

Maybe because they expected them to be missing from wherever they were going to.

We just had a short trip to the holiday rental property of one set of in-laws.

As usual, glasses and other culinary items were disappearing with each let and we had a discussion about how some visitors recently managed to create significant damage. Annoying since the entire place was refurbished over the winter.

Last week's visitors seemed to have trashed the plastic baby bath and left it in pieces in the rubbish bin (actually the cleaners may have put it there when cleaning up but someone managed to trash the baby bath.)

No comments, no apology, no explanation. What could people be doing to trash a baby bath? And why?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by grantp

Lightbulbs.

People always used to take the lightbulbs.

Maybe because they expected them to be missing from wherever they were going to.

We just had a short trip to the holiday rental property of one set of in-laws.

As usual, glasses and other culinary items were disappearing with each let and we had a discussion about how some visitors recently managed to create significant damage. Annoying since the entire place was refurbished over the winter.

Last week's visitors seemed to have trashed the plastic baby bath and left it in pieces in the rubbish bin (actually the cleaners may have put it there when cleaning up but someone managed to trash the baby bath.)

No comments, no apology, no explanation. What could people be doing to trash a baby bath? And why?

I think it's a lack of respect for other peoples property. The old 'it's not mine so I'll just abuse it' attitude.
(It's great being a Grumpy old Git!)

[Lancsbreaker]

Got my 2022 licence renewal form and accompanying bumf this morning. Apparently we've now all got to promise to "respect" each other. I'd like all my mates to know that whilst fully engaged with this initiative, I still reserve the right to take the p155 out of them whenever the occasion warrants


Looks like Motorsport UK are still being flexible with regard to non-International medicals - although if I renew next year at 71 I'm in between the ages when I need one. Not decided yet what to do now that my race partner has retired....but think I'll likely renew.....

[midgetman]

Ah "Race'n"Respect." We've had this ridiculous initiative for years in karting. I hoped it wouldn't spread to the grown ups.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

Lightbulbs.

People always used to take the lightbulbs.

Maybe because they expected them to be missing from wherever they were going to.

As John E says: 'Nowt so queer as folk'.

When we purchased our house in Radlett, the day we moved in we found that not only were all the lightbulbs missing but so were all the light switches leaving uncovered recessed boxes with live wires, so that evening we had to stay in a local hotel. In addition, they also removed all the door handles and took down all the curtain rails. In fact, all of these items were specifically included in the contract because they were not cheap items and were worth the slight extra we had negotiated through the estate agent.

I wasn't totally surprised because after the initial viewing, they were very reluctant to permit us to look over the house again and almost gave the impression that they didn't want to sell - a very odd couple. By contrast their late teen maybe early twenty year old daughter was an absolute delight, and loved to entertain our twin 4 year old boys.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Ah "Race'n"Respect." We've had this ridiculous initiative for years in karting. I hoped it wouldn't spread to the grown ups.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

BERK!

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

As John E says: 'Nowt so queer as folk'.

When we purchased our house in Radlett, the day we moved in we found that not only were all the lightbulbs missing but so were all the light switches leaving uncovered recessed boxes with live wires, so that evening we had to stay in a local hotel. In addition, they also removed all the door handles and took down all the curtain rails. In fact, all of these items were specifically included in the contract because they were not cheap items and were worth the slight extra we had negotiated through the estate agent.

I wasn't totally surprised because after the initial viewing, they were very reluctant to permit us to look over the house again and almost gave the impression that they didn't want to sell - a very odd couple. By contrast their late teen maybe early twenty year old daughter was an absolute delight, and loved to entertain our twin 4 year old boys.

I used to cycle through Radlett every day on the way work at Borehamwood.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bauble

I used to cycle through Radlett every day on the way work at Borehamwood.

What, from Luton? Not exactly round the corner.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by grantp

Lightbulbs.

People always used to take the lightbulbs.

Maybe because they expected them to be missing from wherever they were going to.

We just had a short trip to the holiday rental property of one set of in-laws.

As usual, glasses and other culinary items were disappearing with each let and we had a discussion about how some visitors recently managed to create significant damage. Annoying since the entire place was refurbished over the winter.

Last week's visitors seemed to have trashed the plastic baby bath and left it in pieces in the rubbish bin (actually the cleaners may have put it there when cleaning up but someone managed to trash the baby bath.)

No comments, no apology, no explanation. What could people be doing to trash a baby bath? And why?

Before we both retired we used to let friends and family use our "place in the sun" for a few years and thankfully never had any problems, however I have heard all sorts of horror stories from friends regarding gas bottles/ bedding/ towels disappearing to their abode having all the locks changed and actually being sold for cash !
One of our neighbours had rented out their place long term and I noticed one day that a window was wide open and knowing that the people had moved out I had a peer inside and found that the place had been trashed and graffiti on the bedroom walls . I phone my friend in the UK to let him know and secured the building.

[Alan Morgan]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Got my 2022 licence renewal form and accompanying bumf this morning. Apparently we've now all got to promise to "respect" each other. I'd like all my mates to know that whilst fully engaged with this initiative, I still reserve the right to take the p155 out of them whenever the occasion warrants


Looks like Motorsport UK are still being flexible with regard to non-International medicals - although if I renew next year at 71 I'm in between the ages when I need one. Not decided yet what to do now that my race partner has retired....but think I'll likely renew.....

As an MSUK club, we (Historic FF2000) now have to have a Safeguarding Officer who has deal with any issues of bullying, coercion of minors, radicalisation etc.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Before we both retired we used to let friends and family use our "place in the sun" for a few years and thankfully never had any problems, however I have heard all sorts of horror stories from friends regarding gas bottles/ bedding/ towels disappearing to their abode having all the locks changed and actually being sold for cash !
One of our neighbours had rented out their place long term and I noticed one day that a window was wide open and knowing that the people had moved out I had a peer inside and found that the place had been trashed and graffiti on the bedroom walls . I phone my friend in the UK to let him know and secured the building.

Sadly it is all too common a tale..

We had a relative who rented-out her house in Chatham, through a letting agency, whilst she was living in Germany. She returned to find it completely trashed - she was so disheartened she sold it.

The same postie who she had known before was still working the area & he told her there used to be a lot of mail addressed to many different people going to the house, so goodness knows what it was being used for.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Ah "Race'n"Respect."

Dont come here, Max, you would be surprised to see how the "officials", scrutineers in this case, manage to have the drivers have a poor day. They weighted my car last time, quite normal, but did not show me the results and refused to make me sign the form.

In the meanwhile, another one was arguing that my safety net was not correctly fitted. Obviously, he never saw the maker instructions nor the FIA ones which are more than clear. I dont understand this kind of agressive attitude.