The broad sunlit uplands of next March. Yeah, really. .

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Indeed on both points and the same applies to Greece. Only Portugal has formalized its approach and as long as you have sufficient funds and own a property you can stay. You don't pay Portuguese tax on UK earnings unlike France and Italy etc.

When we were both working full time we used to rent out our place for short lets, the Spanish make you pay a "rental tax" every year whether you rent it out or not, so they have you by the "short n curly's" anyway!
Now we don't rent it out as it's more of "our house" that we spend up to half the year in. This year has been a year to forget as we have only managed 5 weeks and we would normally be there now until Feb 2021

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

There is plenty of very good English wine! Now is the moment to try it...

I'll confess that most of the wine I drink is Australian, Argentinian or Chilean - can't see Brexit affecting them, much.....

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Rudernst

an excerpt from world port rankings in container turnover:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_...tainerumschlag


11th - Rotterdam (highest placed European port)
13th - Antwerpen
19th - Hamburg
27th - Bremerhaven
and the highest placed UK port on the list is:
42th - Felixstowe

I understand that You did not refer to the actual ranking but to turnover per square metre. That would make Felixstowe an exeptionally small port given the low turnover....

I Hamburg, we are currently using land that had been slated to be cleared for port development BEFORE WW1.
And we are currently clearing land slated for port development use after 2050.

And yes, efficiency of container turnover depends on space.

RudE

Felixstowe only has about 1 Mile of Quays , which does limit the number of ships that can load / unload at any time .
Compared to Rotterdam which might have 10 to 20 times as much space .

But Felixstowe can take a couple of Triple E container ships , [ the biggest ones ] which hold over 18,000 containers each .
I have often seen them come in & they are an amazing sight .

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

I'll confess that most of the wine I drink is Australian, Argentinian or Chilean

Are you lookin' for bad excuses now, Richard? I confess that some Australian wines are far better than average french ones. Far far better. Do you confirm Chris? Comment dit-on "boire de la piquette" en australien?

[Alfaholic]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

Felixstowe only has about 1 Mile of Quays , which does limit the number of ships that can load / unload at any time .
Compared to Rotterdam which might have 10 to 20 times as much space .

But Felixstowe can take a couple of Triple E container ships , [ the biggest ones ] which hold over 18,000 containers each .
I have often seen them come in & they are an amazing sight .

Felixstowe has something like 3-4 miles of quayside - not 1.

The biggest of the containerships are 400m in length and the port can accomodate 2 of them on berths 8 & 9 (the new bit). Each can be worked by something like 5 cranes shifting 30-40 containers per hour, but they can still be in port for a few days due to the volume coming in at the moment. Then there are Dooley, Walton & Trinity terminals that can handle up to half a dozen of the previous generations of ships, albeit with fewer cranes.

During the first lockdown the port was amzingly quiet, but once China got back to business and the demand for stock picked up in the UK & Europe, plus the stated 11,000 containers of PPE imported by the Government, the vessels started stacking up here and this has now spread to most ports in the UK.

Most of the problem is down to the volumes of imports at the moment, a lack of space to store them and shipping lines concentrating on the profitable movement of full containers, not the return of empties back to China (in the main). This is NOT Brexit related, it is the result of a year's worth of trade being compressed into 4-6 months thanks to the Covid situation earlier in the year.

(Rant over)

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Alfaholic

Felixstowe has something like 3-4 miles of quayside - not 1.

The biggest of the containerships are 400m in length and the port can accomodate 2 of them on berths 8 & 9 (the new bit). Each can be worked by something like 5 cranes shifting 30-40 containers per hour, but they can still be in port for a few days due to the volume coming in at the moment. Then there are Dooley, Walton & Trinity terminals that can handle up to half a dozen of the previous generations of ships, albeit with fewer cranes.

During the first lockdown the port was amzingly quiet, but once China got back to business and the demand for stock picked up in the UK & Europe, plus the stated 11,000 containers of PPE imported by the Government, the vessels started stacking up here and this has now spread to most ports in the UK.

Most of the problem is down to the volumes of imports at the moment, a lack of space to store them and shipping lines concentrating on the profitable movement of full containers, not the return of empties back to China (in the main). This is NOT Brexit related, it is the result of a year's worth of trade being compressed into 4-6 months thanks to the Covid situation earlier in the year.

(Rant over)

I was guessing from memory , [ 2 of the big ships & about 6 of the smaller ones ], to give an approx Quay size .
But the point was that Felixstowe has a lot less space to handle cargo than
ports like Rotterdam.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

I was guessing from memory , [ 2 of the big ships & about 6 of the smaller ones ], to give an approx Quay size .
But the point was that Felixstowe has a lot less space to handle cargo than
ports like Rotterdam.

I did have to look this up , and Felixstowe has 2.3 Km of Quays , but more under construction to bring it up to 3.2 Km .
Compared to Rotterdam which has apparently 79 Km .
So not surprising that Rotterdam can handle a lot more ships at any one time .

[Tel 911S]

Regs for taking trailers abroad .
https://www.gov.uk/register-trailer-to-take-abroad
Looks like it will have to have a registration unless it is for private [ non business] use only.

[midgetman]

Is anyone going to notice? How's it going to be possible to prove commercial use?

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[Robyn Slater]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Is anyone going to notice? How's it going to be possible to prove commercial use?

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

Sponsors ad's and logos on cars,,vans and trailers will be enough to clinch it.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by midgetman

How's it going to be possible to prove commercial use?

How's it going to prove non commercial use is a good question too I think.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Is anyone going to notice? How's it going to be possible to prove commercial use?

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

One thing to do is "NOT FOR HIRE OR REWARD " stickers on the trailer .
But the DVSA here have always taken the view that you have to prove that it is for personal use only . So it is always best to have all of your facts in order before you set out . If you own both the tow vehicle & comp vehicle on trailer then that is a very good way of proving it is not hire or reward .

But how difficult some of the other countries highway patrols will be is difficult to tell .

[Tel 911S]

Since they had to become self /financing a few years ago the DVSA have been very awkward to anybody they stop .
They seem to take the view that you have to prove you are legal rather than the other way round .
Towing a trailer with a van needs a Tacho & operators licence unless it is personal use only. This link is a guide for trailer use .
https://assets.publishing.service.go...ler_owners.pdf

This includes trailers as well as horsebox use

[Paul D]

Well, the DVSA can take that stance, but when push comes to shove, in English law, it's innocent until proven guilty - so legally, despite what they may say to you or try to make you believe, they have to prove you're guilty before they can do you for something. Unless, of course, you simply roll over and accept it, in which case you may get done when you've actually done nothing wrong.

Maybe it doesn't work this way in practice as I know they use bullying tactics sometimes, but if you stand your ground and are prepared to defend your case through the courts, then you will win if you've done nothing wrong.

So my advice, if you're transporting your own race car on your own trailer with your own tow vehicle, to go and drive it yourself as your hobby, would be to stand your ground and tell them to sling their hooks as you're doing nothing wrong!

Caveat: if you do this and they impound your vehicle, I accept no responsibility whatsoever.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

But how difficult some of the other countries highway patrols will be is difficult to tell .

In France, they're looking for drug or rotten meat only. Just show them some respect and it'll be fine. Rotten meat is not an allusion to old truckers…*

Paul, here its not innocent until proven guilty but more likely guilty whatever the proof of innocence!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Paul D

in English law, it's innocent until proven guilty

I tried to explain this concept elsewhere and got royally castigated for it but it is true. That said there is statutory guilt and this applies mostly to motoring offences. Hence you are unlikely to get off on a speeding or other similar offence. All they do is adjust the fines. There can be no mitigating circumstances.

[Rudernst]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

I did have to look this up , and Felixstowe has 2.3 Km of Quays , but more under construction to bring it up to 3.2 Km .
Compared to Rotterdam which has apparently 79 Km .
So not surprising that Rotterdam can handle a lot more ships at any one time .

Rotterdam is by far the larges port for bulk handling in Europe, so a lot of this quayside is dedictated this, not containers.

The key to container handling is NOT the length of quayside, not at all,
its the storage space and the integration of the port into the railway and road network and possibly to a lesser extent connection with inland barging and a network of smaller feeder container ships.

But really it is: storage space, storage space, storage space

Reason for that is that the larger container vessels carry anything between 5.000 and 10.000 containers for a given port (yes the do carry 20.000 and more, but not all for the same port, picture a train, not everybody gets off a the same station). A ship would expect to leave the port within 24 hours and usually they do, either on the next tide or the one after

I Hamburg, we have been actually FILLING IN docks for decades to gain storage space, thereby shortening the quaylength. As storage space is much more valuable now than the quayside.


RudE

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I tried to explain this concept elsewhere and got royally castigated for it but it is true. That said there is statutory guilt and this applies mostly to motoring offences. Hence you are unlikely to get off on a speeding or other similar offence. All they do is adjust the fines. There can be no mitigating circumstances.

Very true Peter .
The DVSA have been given powers to stop vehicles without the police , & if they want to be awkward they can put an immediate prohibition notice on a vehicle & trailer , which means that it is an automatic offence to drive on from that point .
So you do need to have all of your evidence / facts / stories in mind before you set out on the road .

PS Does Royal Castigation make your eyes water ?

[Tim Falce]

I was thinking that for £26 it may be easier to register your trailer even though it's only for private use but then there's the caviat that if you do and you get stopped, could the nice men from the DVSA say because it's registered you must be commercial so need tachos etc. Don't forget that the DVSA watch words are "we're her to help you", that's until you make a mistake then they jump on you

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

I was thinking that for £26 it may be easier to register your trailer even though it's only for private use but then there's the caviat that if you do and you get stopped, could the nice men from the DVSA say because it's registered you must be commercial so need tachos etc. Don't forget that the DVSA watch words are "we're her to help you", that's until you make a mistake then they jump on you

I have driven more miles than a lot of people & come into contact with the DVSA quite a few times .
I have found that they often try to bully drivers into admitting that they are doing something wrong , but if you are reasonably polite & know what you are talking about , they will usually give up & let you go on .
That is why it helps to read up things like the trailer regs .
https://assets.publishing.service.go...ler_owners.pdf
And possibly a "NOT FOR HIRE OR REWARD " sticker on the trailer might show them that you know about the Tacho / O licence rules .

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Don't forget that the DVSA watch words are "we're her to help you", that's until you make a mistake then they jump on you

English version of "to help and protect" I suppose Tim. Its notable that our cops have no byword. I suggest "to bother, shout and hit faces" to those "représentants de la Loi".
`
Did you see how many trucks are queuing before crossing the Channel, a certificate of non Covid seems mandatory.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

`
Did you see how many trucks are queuing before crossing the Channel, a certificate of non Covid seems mandatory.

I would think it's probably 5000+ at the moemnt, things turned ugly at Dover today with truckers scuffling with police as those at the front of the queue have been told to drive to Manston Airport, probably an hour or more each way, to get a covid test then drive back and join the rear of the queue.
Everyone seems to be blaming Boris for this but I wonder if they'd have kept quiet about the mutation covid and it'd come to light by other means what would have happened then.
I think the main cause of this latest debacle is Macron throwing his teddy bear out of the landau over a few Francs worth of cod, nothing to do with covid

[Peter Mallett]

Exactly.

[john ruston]

Most things are caused by people and a virus that nobody has any experience of.
Of course 30 % of the population do not follow the instructions and then want someone to blame when it goes tits up,
That person is Boris and his gang . They haven’t been very bright with a few decisions but I don’t know of anyone who got anything wrong on hindsight.
The port situation is the fault of a clever virus and European politicians protecting their plots.
Didn’t we do same against Danes three weeks ago with Mink situation?

[Peter Mallett]

I can't find anything to confirm that we closed the border to arrivals from Denmark after that discovery. The NHS guidance does refer to removal of the travel corridor and 14 days quarantine. Likewise I don't recall France or Germany closing its borders to transport from Denmark. Happy to be corrected. There is a theory that in being more transmissible this new version of the virus may actually be less deadly. Fingers crossed on that one.

Anyway it's probably all over Europe anyway.