It’s The Latte Latte Delta Tea Break 2018

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Depends which direction you’re going....?

On one DFDS mid morning ferry, they were still serving ‘full English’, but had fish and chips as well. (for those that had started early, presumably!) I didn’t want a full English and the fish looked particularly unappealing, so I asked for egg and chips. Nope, not on the menu so can’t do......

Actually I've found a restaurant in Arras that does pretty good fish & chips; it's part of a Belgian chain.

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by bauble

I did not vote for Tusk, or Barmier or indeed for any of the commission, so why am I bound by the rules they write?

I can, in a small way, influence politics in the UK, but have no real power over Europe as sending an MEP there is like spitting in the ocean for all the difference it makes. When I had a problem with the FCA I was able to got to my MP, and he took up my case with the appropriate Minister. What chance of getting any such service from Brussels?

I still think the Ford Escort was just another Ford.

You didn't vote for Mrs May either (unless you happen to live in her constituency and that still wasn't a vote for her cabinet position).
The people you elected did vote for Tusk, Barnier etc. on your behalf - you should thank them for that!

Electing better MEPs would change that position, sending people like Monsieur Farage who promise to do nothing isn't going to be beneficial. MEPs tend to be very approachable (and far easier to contact) but given the EU doesn't have a lot of influence on local matters they might not have any influence on your issue.

At least Ford decided to name their cars after porn mags, which presumably reflected the designers preferred reading matter?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Actually I've found a restaurant in Arras that does pretty good fish & chips; it's part of a Belgian chain.

A Belgian chain? In France? Selling fish n’ chips? No wonder Europe is falling apart......

[grantp]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

it would be of more use if DFDS had a sale....

True. But at least they do have sailings even if no sails.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

A Belgian chain? In France? Selling fish n’ chips? No wonder Europe is falling apart......

Is that the nearest the EU has managed to get to a 'one nation' status?

I read the Luxembourg has the highest per capita income in Europe.

How? And Why?

Is small beautiful?

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by grantp

Is that the nearest the EU has managed to get to a 'one nation' status?

I read the Luxembourg has the highest per capita income in Europe.

How? And Why?

Is small beautiful?

Luxembourg used to have a prime minister who was very good at arranging 'advantageous' tax deals. Now he's the front man for the EU mafia where he thinks making a VAT return means it's time to take his empties back!!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

A Belgian chain? In France? Selling fish n’ chips? No wonder Europe is falling apart......

It's no worse than having a patisserie run by a Belgian lady on a British motorway service area...

[delta]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

It's no worse than having a patisserie run by a Belgian lady on a British motorway service area...

Yes yes yes Johnbut how would she spell corrossantte.

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by grantp

I read the Luxembourg has the highest per capita income in Europe.

How? And Why?

Is small beautiful?

Have you been there, they'd need to pay a fortune to persuade anyone to stay!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

On one DFDS mid morning ferry, they were still serving ‘full English’, but had fish and chips as well. (for those that had started early, presumably!) I didn’t want a full English and the fish looked particularly unappealing, so I asked for egg and chips. Nope, not on the menu so can’t do......

Dont know why Mike, but this sprung to mind.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8huXkSaL7o

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by delta

how would she spell corrossantte.

Ô dear, ô dear, I'm very reluctant to answer this one, ya no, but being a survivor I make a try. First she can spell whatever she wants if and only if she's nothing in her mouth. Or nothing left. And because and just because you belong the escort' gang here is one in french even John won't find the translation:
On se demande si elle va dire Paris-Strasbourg ou papa ça bourre! Not related to I shot the sheriff thing…

[Gerard C]

E.B, Spam? During my mandatory "call for duty" time we had war rations dated from 40/50. The thing supposed to be meat was called "du singe" "monkey meat" because nobody could explain what it was for real. Years later I found almost the same, partly made with kangaroo meat, in Pedigree Pal tin cans, food for dogs. Remember Paul Hogan saying "tastes like s..t but you can live on it"?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

It's no worse than having a patisserie run by a Belgian lady on a British motorway service area...

Further proof!

Regarding Luxembourg, we have one historic tenther based there, and he often reminds me how cheap fuel prices are compared with surrounding countries!

E.B.- That sketch is far more humerous than the reality was! The staff were deadly serious- rules is rules.........

Gerard- Spam is pork based and apparently can be deep fried in batter like fish..... If you’ve got a few minutes it’s worth reading up on it’s history on wiki!

[Peter Mallett]

Peter, good points and I'll try to answer them. Although I can't tell you what my job is.

I do understand why people like the EU and it is clearly not all about roaming charges and free travel, although the pointless arguments in the UK all seem to come back to those things. However for me and many of my fellow countrymen and indeed many Irish people before this, the EU is simply an enormous ponzi scheme.

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

It's definitely very difficult - not helped by not entirely understanding the"technical stuff" or what your job is!

Given all States are part of the discussion about rules, they have a say in how they are drawn up and therefore the outcome. They then have a say on whether the final version is accepted or not.

Being proactive in such processes obviously helps get more of ones preferred options, which could be why some countries seem to do better than others (and why outfits like the DUP aren't very effective)?

I tend to agree that an homogeneous set of technical regulations is a good idea and we had the ISO to do this worldwide. The EU set up a separate "commission" to do the same thing but just for Europe, thereby taking its states out of the international system, thus making them internally reliant on EU produced goods.

As it happens I had just such a case last year whereby I had to determine whether a business was entitled to extra compensation due to the implementation of a certain technical change. I found that the change was laid down in 2014, to come into force in 2016 after a period of "harmonization" of specifications throughout the EU, since there were different specs in different states. Not entirely certain what your DUP reference is since it's a political party.

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

Acting as an individual nation could work when you are massive but given the UK isn't that large, has various parts that are wondering about leaving and hasn't invested in infrastructure for decades and is reliant on foreign investment it's hardly going to compete with the massive countries - except by undercutting wages.

As wages rise in China etc. they will be looking for cheap labour so it is possible that they will return the steel mills etc. and resurrect Victorian times but it's unlikely that such jobs will be popular - except with the MPs who like to report low "unemployment" figures.

Yes, this is a good point until you recognise that the EU states are currently in serious financial difficulty (extremely high youth unemployment) that they are unable to extract themselves from and that the UK on its own, is the fifth largest economy in the world. It's not geographical size as much as financial clout.

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

You didn't vote for Mrs May either (unless you happen to live in her constituency and that still wasn't a vote for her cabinet position).

The people you elected did vote for Tusk, Barnier etc. on your behalf - you should thank them for that!

Electing better MEPs would change that position, sending people like Monsieur Farage who promise to do nothing isn't going to be beneficial. MEPs tend to be very approachable (and far easier to contact) but given the EU doesn't have a lot of influence on local matters they might not have any influence on your issue.

At least Ford decided to name their cars after porn mags, which presumably reflected the designers preferred reading matter?

We didn't vote for Churchill, nor Gordon Brown but it is a peculiarity of our UK democracy that leaders can change as long as the elected party remains unchanged. (Yes, I recognise Churchill was part of a coalition).

We also voted for a Prime Minister at the same time. Yes, the cabinet is then selected and for good or bad that is our democratic system. In fact Mrs May was elected in the last GE, albeit she screwed the plan because she is a pretty poor leader. But yes we voted for her.

Yes, the EU states all voted for the Commission, and each country generally speaking has representatives in that commission. But they don't get a choice of voting for another party or body politic do they? It's this bunch of current numpties or this bunch of current numpties. Not exactly democratic is it?

Have a look at this to see how the EU thinks it was started and why....https://europa.eu/european-union/abo...ing-fathers_en it also goes on to explain how it went from a peace loving trade association to the horror that it is today.

As to the disgruntled populace in the UK, I'd suggest that is because certain individuals don't like the outcome of the democratic process and they have enough say to make life difficult. (See Lineker)

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

Have you been there, they'd need to pay a fortune to persuade anyone to stay!

It's very small.

By the way, good discussion which is how it should be among leavers and remainers in the UK.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

E.B, Spam? During my mandatory "call for duty" time we had war rations dated from 40/50. The thing supposed to be meat was called "du singe" "monkey meat" because nobody could explain what it was for real. Years later I found almost the same, partly made with kangaroo meat, in Pedigree Pal tin cans, food for dogs. Remember Paul Hogan saying "tastes like s..t but you can live on it"?

I believe it stands for Specially Processed American Meat. Ooh er missus.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Gerard- Spam is pork based and apparently can be deep fried in batter like fish..... If you’ve got a few minutes it’s worth reading up on it’s history on wiki!

Thanks I'll go for sure. Porks'lips and tongues. May be better than WD40? No, impossible!
Would you please explain to delta that in Belgium he'd better ask for pistolet rather than croissants…

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I believe it stands for Specially Processed American Meat. Ooh er missus.

Yes, american thing. Considering the date of fabrication ours were stamped, it means many foreign soldiers didn't want to test it. It is said good to repair bicycle tires…*Booooooob?
Why Spam became spam, dont know. May be they went from unwanted diarrhea to unwanted long written advert?

[Peter Mallett]

Many years ago I lived in Malaysia. It was a Muslim state and before I discovered the secret location of the pork joints (in the Chinese supermarket) I found tins of bacon flavour SPAM. Now, being that it was on display in the local shops one can assume that it is not considered to be pork.

[Gerard C]

As you suggested, Mike, here's the composition: Préparé Ã* partir de jambon de porc, 56 g de Spam contiennent 6 g de gras saturé, 39 mg de cholestérol, 16 g de gras et 767 mg de sodium7.
I know someone visiting Japan and not connected to internet who's gonna be spoiled this Christmas: Carlos!!!

[Gerard C]

When youngsters visiting, of course, Thailand, we appreciated street food. You see the kind of charming trolley they use? Everything going well but on one early morning we could see our favorite "brochettes de viande" when raw! The girl couldn't explain what kind of meat it was, either dog or cat or rat or mouse or… Thats what we call "un moment de solitude"!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by delta

Yes yes yes Johnbut how would she spell corrossantte.

Not sure but she puts tomatoes in them. Perhaps she should add a fried egg & call it a breakfast croissant - it might catch on!

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Peter, good points and I'll try to answer them. Although I can't tell you what my job is.

By the way, good discussion which is how it should be among leavers and remainers in the UK.

I've not got much time this weekend so was going to just say that we have only been talking about the EU's involvement in regulations.

My limited knowledge (some time ago now) is basically of employment projects - many of which are UK based.

As you have just mentioned the obvious (e.g. visible) benefits to people are things like roaming charges but there are plenty of others.

I'll be back but probably not until next week!

Peter

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Not sure but she puts tomatoes in them. Perhaps she should add a fried egg & call it a breakfast croissant - it might catch on!

I expect someone’s had a go somewhere! Personally I like my quasson to be unadulterated by anything, to be made with butter, and warm. If it’s offered any other way I’ll happily decline. Pain au chocolat is a different proposition though!

One of our supermarkets is selling a ‘Christmas Dinner’ pasty, basically pate and chutney one end, turkey and stuffing in the middle, and Xmas pud the other end..... No, I didn’t buy one!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I expect someone’s had a go somewhere! Personally I like my quasson to be unadulterated by anything, to be made with butter, and warm. If it’s offered any other way I’ll happily decline. Pain au chocolat is a different proposition though!

One of our supermarkets is selling a ‘Christmas Dinner’ pasty, basically pate and chutney one end, turkey and stuffing in the middle, and Xmas pud the other end..... No, I didn’t buy one!

Go on - be adventurous!

Speaking of chutney, what's happened to Branston? It doesn't seem to taste as nice as it used to.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

Have you been there, they'd need to pay a fortune to persuade anyone to stay!

I have been there Peter, and I stayed - well, only for one night!

I travelled back from the 1982 Austrian GP with Dan Partel of EFDA (where is he now?) & stayed the night at his apartment before catching a train out the next morning. I did have a quick look round the town but I don't remember much about it.