It’s The Latte Latte Delta Tea Break 2018

[Gerard C]

Grant, about a british car I almost suspect its a genuine one. We had Tour de Bretagne few weeks ago and I guess some gentlemen wished to enjoy their stay a little bit longer.
We had I think only one HRG here but it was a "look alike" the same guy owning a TC supercharged, replica too.
Did you visit GP âge d'or when at Montlhéry or Trophée Lalique organised by Jacques Potherat? A real enthusiast.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by bauble

Well Gerard, they would be different unless they were twins.

Another good one, Bob! You dont ask but I answer, yes in those circumstances I do feel stupid! Bearing in mind you will forgive me. Thanks for that.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by grantp

That looks like a pretty large event with a great selection of classics.


I assume the 2 soft top Mk1 Cortinas have, in some way, a local connection to Crayford or similar.


I don't think I've ever seen one around here. Mk2s once in a while, but not Mk1s.

It was a large event but it was constantly changing as cars came for a while and then carried on to Brighton, as I was only there for just over an hour I would have missed loads more.
There was another part of the rally for sports and kit cars that was doing the same thing but at Chiddingstone just up the road, the home of the famous "LARKINS BREWERY"
Both of the Cortina's looked like they had been converted by the same firm and presumably in period ? and hopefully with reinforced door sills ! Crayford were one of the main people back in the day but there were others like Abbot that I can think of. I suppose most of them packed up years ago ?

[Tim Falce]

It was a very well supported event, they all came past the end of my road and it took about 4 hours for all of them to get past, mainly because the traffic lights were only letting around four cars over on each change which in turn was causing over a mile of tailbacks and some very hot cars and occupants.

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Bonjour Gerard,

Paint is very expensive in France compared with UK, but I think Belgium is even more expensive than France, but then Belgium is generally expensive for everything - it's even 70 centimes to pee now!! So yes, it is generally better to buy paint etc in GB, especially if you live close to the Channel. You have to be a bit careful how much you bring though: I know someone who brought quite a lot in a van & when checked at Dover was warned he should have registered it as a hazardous load, or whatever.

Paint is really expensive in Belgium, whenever I think I should redecorate I end up with a load in the car on the way back from the UK - not only is it nearly half the price you can sometimes benefit from offers for buying more than one pot.

Classic engine oil is also more expensive I just bought some running in oil for 25 quid that is 50 euros here, finding someone who will ship it (road only) is a problem though.

Annoyingly I'm just off to spend 30 odd euros on a tin of paint that would cost about 15 quid in the UK...

But more expensive items tend to be cheaper - apparently one of the Varley type battery sellers in the UK was buying them from Belgium, which probably meant it went from the UK to Belgium and back again and became cheaper!

Quality stuff (electronics, cars, household appliances etc.) tends to be cheaper, probably because they tend to buy them rather than cheaper brands.

Most the motorway services give you a ticket for your 50 cent wee that you can exchange for something in the shop if you remember it! Of course the professionals just use the bushes...

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

Classic engine oil is also more expensive I just bought some running in oil for 25 quid that is 50 euros here, finding someone who will ship it (road only) is a problem though.
Of course the professionals just use the bushes...

Peter, we gonna have Mike mentioning he didn't know french are professional in this important matter!
As to classic motor oil, I gave up buying a good brand from England, while the french subsidiary lists its product too high for my purse. I changed CVL to Bardhal then.
Explain such price differences for a tin of good quality paint is beyond my understanding.

[Colin McKay]

It can work both ways, whilst we could buy Adblue in bulk in the UK for around 26p per litre, if a driver ran out away from base it would cost 10 quid or more for 5 litres at a service area. Perhaps someone could explain why that is anything other than daylight robbery, just like motorway fuel prices are. In France Adblue was 27 euros per litre at the motorway pumps. This was 2 years ago, Mike can probably confirm the current position.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

It can work both ways, whilst we could buy Adblue in bulk in the UK for around 26p per litre, if a driver ran out away from base it would cost 10 quid or more for 5 litres at a service area. Perhaps someone could explain why that is anything other than daylight robbery, just like motorway fuel prices are. In France Adblue was 27 euros per litre at the motorway pumps. This was 2 years ago, Mike can probably confirm the current position.

One of the attractions of the FH12 I bought back in 2011 was that it was one of the last trucks made that didn’t need Adblue! My van has it, being a Merc E6, but when the tiny tank needs filling my friendly truck / transport guys top it up for nothing....

Don’t get me started on motorway fuel prices! Autoroutes not quite such a rip off, but when stopped at Troyes on way to Imola, I found the Leclerc supermarche had a truck pump! Shame I wasn’t in the truck.....

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

One of the attractions of the FH12 I bought back in 2011 was that it was one of the last trucks made that didn’t need Adblue! My van has it, being a Merc E6, but when the tiny tank needs filling my friendly truck / transport guys top it up for nothing....

Don’t get me started on motorway fuel prices! Autoroutes not quite such a rip off, but when stopped at Troyes on way to Imola, I found the Leclerc supermarche had a truck pump! Shame I wasn’t in the truck.....

The new Leclerc near me at St Pol has a truck pump, including Adblu, didn't notice the price though. It's very convenient should you be coming to Croix.

I noticed the wailing & gnashing of teeth on the Beeb about a modest rise in fuel prices in UK, not nearly as much as they have gone up here, but I bet the Remoaners still blame it on Brexit!

[Gerard C]

Dont know if AdBlue is mandatory in every country, but can imagine a cowboy singing "its a just add water job" while peeing in the tank!

John, did you hear that french agriculture is worried about Brexit? Is seems that our farmers just realize they need english money to keep their business healthy. This planet seems stranger every day to my eyes.
My grand parents were Flamish farmers…

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

The new Leclerc near me at St Pol has a truck pump, including Adblu, didn't notice the price though. It's very convenient should you be coming to Croix.

I noticed the wailing & gnashing of teeth on the Beeb about a modest rise in fuel prices in UK, not nearly as much as they have gone up here, but I bet the Remoaners still blame it on Brexit!

The one at Troyes was same price as the car pumps- €1.389. Bit better than the Leclerc autoroute services I’m stopped at now which is €1.604....

It’s all very well the AA, etc wailing and nashing teeth, but no one in a position of power is trying do do anything about it! Guess we’re stuck until oil prices crash again- if ever. Bring on the EVs, I say...

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Dont know if AdBlue is mandatory in every country, but can imagine a cowboy singing "its a just add water job" while peeing in the tank!

I’ve heard some nightmare stories regarding the what happens when drivers allow their vehicle to run out. And peeing in the tank is not a substitute!

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Peter, we gonna have Mike mentioning he didn't know french are professional in this important matter!
As to classic motor oil, I gave up buying a good brand from England, while the french subsidiary lists its product too high for my purse. I changed CVL to Bardhal then.
Explain such price differences for a tin of good quality paint is beyond my understanding.

The Belgians are also extremely good at public weeing!

I really can't understand why it is cheaper for me to buy a single can of oil from the UK including shipping than to buy it from the local distributor who must have much lower shipping costs...

Similarly with paint, perhaps it is just a case of what the locals are prepared to pay for it and given that most people seem to pay someone else to do their painting (& gardening etc.) the cost of the paint doesn't make much difference.

Or it could be that they sell a lot less here because people don't seem to repaint their houses as often as in the UK - but that is probably because it is so bloody expensive!

There is a large new paint shop near me and their cheapest/budget paint starts at over 20 euros for 1 litre of indoor wall paint...

On the other hand it is much cheaper to have a car painted here... which is something I do more often than painting the house!

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I’ve heard some nightmare stories regarding the what happens when drivers allow their vehicle to run out. And peeing in the tank is not a substitute!

Isn't Adblu diluted Urea, so pretty similar to pee?

Did find a story from someone who filled his road car's Adblu tank with plain water and it apparently ran fine...

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

John, did you hear that french agriculture is worried about Brexit? Is seems that our farmers just realize they need english money to keep their business healthy. This planet seems stranger every day to my eyes.
My grand parents were Flamish farmers…

Apparently the Dutch suppliers of best British Norfolk turkeys are worried about losing sales!!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

John, did you hear that french agriculture is worried about Brexit? Is seems that our farmers just realize they need english money to keep their business healthy. This planet seems stranger every day to my eyes.

Strange indeed.


Not many of the food products I buy seem to originate in France. I think there were some apples recently but not much else. The Braeburn apples usually come from New Zealand or South Africa.



Tomatoes can be from almost anywhere. Spain and Italy of course but also Morocco, Holland, Senegal. I think we even had some from Mexico.



Broccoli and kale often originate from Spain and Morocco.


And to think there was a time not so long ago when British food was laughed at by the rest of the world for being so lacking in international content!

[Mike Harte]

The French don't care too much whether the UK buys their products or not. It's just the farming subsidies that they get from the CAP that they are worried that they may not get in the future if the UK stops it's annual £8 billion net contribution to the EU coffers.

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

The French don't care too much whether the UK buys their products or not. It's just the farming subsidies that they get from the CAP that they are worried that they may not get in the future if the UK stops it's annual £8 billion net contribution to the EU coffers.

The 3 billion euro contribution of the UK to the CAP when spread over 27 countries is not that significant to each country.

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

On a more cheery note, Tim Falce tipped me off that a classic car rally was passing through my village in the UK, so I popped down and made a quick video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC9xsnZohTo&t=15s

Great selection of cars, there, Gordon.....2 Cortina Mk1 convertibles surprised me, but 2 x V8 Pilots ? Haven't seen one in years

[Mike Harte]

But, Peter, the CAP isn't spread evenly over the other 27 states. In fact, from memory, France is by far the largest recipient of farming subsidies from the EU, and has been for many, many years. As such, they will be the largest loser.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

But, Peter, the CAP isn't spread evenly over the other 27 states. In fact, from memory, France is by far the largest recipient of farming subsidies from the EU, and has been for many, many years. As such, they will be the largest loser.

I don't know if size of the country has anything to do with it, but France has a larger land mass than probably any of them & much is given over to agriculture. I live in the midst of a farming community & know just how hard they work (and what that's done to my neighbour...) & don't begrudge them a penny of it. The produce is second to none & no need to buy from anywhere else.

I don't know if it is the case with all supermarkets, but I believe most of the smaller Carrefour's in my part of the world are franchises & presumably have a little leeway with sourcing. Consequently, much of the fresh produce is locally grown, not shrink-wrapped & shipped halfway round the world & back. You notice the difference when, for instance, out of season they stock tomatoes from Spain, but they are revolting tasteless pap compared with what we get up here in the summer

Promo over!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The one at Troyes was same price as the car pumps- €1.389. Bit better than the Leclerc autoroute services I’m stopped at now which is €1.604....

It’s all very well the AA, etc wailing and nashing teeth, but no one in a position of power is trying do do anything about it! Guess we’re stuck until oil prices crash again- if ever. Bring on the EVs, I say...

Actually the supermarkets are not so far behind that 1.60 euros now - around 1.44/1.46, although the rate of increase has slowed lately. Whilst waiting to have my hair cut earlier I was reading an Auto Plus from a few weeks ago & they were saying the prices are still slightly lower than they were in August 2012. We soon forget!

[Mike Harte]

Just because they might work hard in an industry, whether that be agriculture or car manufacturing, doesn't automatically mean that they are productive. And it is said, how true I don't know, that the French farmers are not as productive as those from elsewhere.


By the way, I should add that I am a convinced remainer; I see no good coming from the UK leaving the EU.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Just because they might work hard in an industry, whether that be agriculture or car manufacturing, doesn't automatically mean that they are productive. And it is said, how true I don't know, that the French farmers are not as productive as those from elsewhere.


By the way, I should add that I am a convinced remainer; I see no good coming from the UK leaving the EU.

Well we won't miss you when you emigrate to France.

[Gerard C]

In some way, the whole system is broken when farmers look only for what kind of financial help they can get, whatever the source can be. In some areas its obvious, sadly.
What John mentions is about farmers keeping common sens as they should and looking for what kind of choice in plantation must be made regarding the season and the kind of land they have.