Cycling UK Forum

francovendee

I'm getting old but didn't the BoE raise rates due to rising inflation? The Truss effect only made things worse.
Talk of a deep state smacks of a Trump rant.

francovendee

reohn2 wrote: ↑3 Apr 2024, 12:07pm
toontra wrote: ↑2 Apr 2024, 4:23pm
al_yrpal wrote: ↑2 Apr 2024, 3:45pm With the forthcoming election in mind what beneficial and fairer policies do folk expect from the incoming labour government?

Al
For whatever reasons I've come to the view that there's nothing Israel could do would arise the condemnation if another country did the same. I suspect it's due to people being branded antisemitic if they spoke out.
If Starmer condemned Israel's action he would be accused of being an anti-Semite.
This part of the world is very dangerous for everyone. Wars tend to spread.
My
Sadly - not much. Their inheritance from the last 14 years will be dire, and Starmer/Reeves seem extremely reluctant to do anything radical. Having said that, they couldn't possibly do worse than the Tories.
Just heard McFadden avoid the question when asked if Labour would stop the UK selling arms to Israel after yesterday's killing of UK aid workers.
I've also just found out that there are 73 Labour MPs who belong to the "Friends of Israel" organisation,go figure.

francovendee

Angstrom wrote: ↑30 Mar 2024, 7:03am
Mtb tourer wrote: ↑29 Mar 2024, 9:44pm Remember the Randonneur rates for camping in France?
Some of the big campsite chains( Yellow is one ) have that deal ,same pitch as big tent and car .
That helped the camp bar as most would eat on site.
Up in the Massif west of Lyon it was targeted at cyclists /hiker's , price was for the bike or rucksack.. Not tent and persons. We had a few that counted the tandem as one , not for the 2, cyclists.
Times have changed and the little municipal camping's are dying out.
Some camp sites are bringing back the "randonneur" prices. They are available for backpackers and cyclists and put aside an area where one can pitch a small tent, without the marked zone of "normal" pitches where folks park their car next to their tent.
Municipals are going down in numbers but there are regions where they still exist in relatively good numbers. It's the very popular areas where they disappear because the private sector invests heavily and the need for a municipal (from the local community's perspective) is not really there. In rural areas, the municipals are seen as a means to sustain the local business.

Yes they are declining in some areas, Strangely this often coincides with spaces being created for camping cars (motor homes) for short stays. I guess the demand for these is greater than tents.

francovendee

reohn2 wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 6:31pm Baroness Jones on the state of the nation and what's caused it in a 4.53minute nutshell:- https://youtu.be/AQx-jWkmWsU?si=tzypsQeMGNjZ7mtM
Sorry for the YT link, but she's spot on!

Unless you're a 'fat cat' or a zealous Union Flag waver there is nothing to disagree with in her speech.
What to do about it is the problem.

francovendee

I have and whilst it's not as good with many repeats at least you don't get adverts every 10 minutes.
I tried to watch 'The Real Serpent' on Channel 4 but gave up due to the number of intrusive adverts. This is from a channel who were one of the better commercial channels.

These days I find more entertainment on YouTube. It has adverts but the content choice is huge, Apiary to ZZ Top. Something for all tastes.
I find a lot of the YouTube channels are done by people quite passionate about their subject and can be very entertaining presenters.

Not like terrestrial where they decide to send a celeb on a visit just because they are a celeb. The number of times you hear amazing or awesome uttered makes me want to throw a brick at the screen.

francovendee

Looking at some of the free to air TV it seems that many of the channels show endless repeats of shows first seen elsewhere. Every 10 minutes another onslaught of advertising cuts into the programme.
The BBC does advertise its own content but between programmes and is far less annoying.

I wonder when we complain about the model of funding for the BBC it should be compared with the hidden cost in things we buy that have huge amounts spent on advertising. This must be part of what we pay as a customer.
With the ads on TV, radio, internet, papers, sports, etc. the amount spent must be enormous.

With ever more ways to advertise are companies spending more or is the cost of an ad coming down?

francovendee

That's a welcome addition to an already brilliant planning App.
I will use it but just looking at my planned ride from home to St Malo using the new option adds 87 miles. Using 'any' the distance is 180 miles and using 'routes' it is 267.
Obviously you'll have to see how this fits in with your preferences and I will use it. Richard has pointed out you can adapt the route when it doesn't suit by dragging the line so you're not forced to use it.

francovendee

21 years living here in France and holidaying here for over 30 and never had food poisoning.

If you insist on eating filter feeding shellfish you're playing Russian roulette.
A good friend loves oysters and eats them regularly. he's frequently suffering from what he calls a 'gastro'.
Apart from a very few occasions I avoid all fish unless it has scales.

I also avoid posh restaurants as the food is mucked about with far more than i like. The more food is handled the greater the risk.
I seek out restaurants that aim at lunch for workers. Never been disappointed so far.

I think you need to be more selective on your choice of where to eat.

francovendee

Simples, Buy chlorinated chicken from the States. I'm sure Al would buy it if the price was right.

francovendee

If you can put up with Facebook and have a little french a lot of useful information can be found here.
It's useful to find information from the users rather than the operators website.
There is a great deal of criticism about spaces booked but no room available on the day, sometimes the spaces are filled with luggage.
It seems the majority of users think SNCF needs to do a lot more for cyclists.
www.facebook.com/groups/427864354489683 ... 0174616091

francovendee

Certainly Galloway is a very complex and controversial person and some may say even dangerous.
I think his resounding win was a pointer that many in the country disagree with the stance Labour has on Israel and their war against the Hamas killers and the many innocent civilians killed.
I don't think it was much more than him feeling the anger from the voters in the area and using it to get elected.
Will it be different at the next GE if Starmer calls for a cease fire?
I think it would. As that's unlikely, Galloway will retain the seat.

francovendee

ANTONISH wrote: ↑28 Feb 2024, 10:03am This year I'm planning to ride from Bordeaux to Narbonne following the canal - du - midi but mainly on roads and not much path. I'll be 83.
In my 70's I did various tours in the Pyrenees and maritime alps.
I've also ridden the Danube cycle path - v flat.
Rode the C2c Whitehaven to Tynemouth.
Did a ride Brest to Caen when I was 81.
I think if you are in relatively good health and ride at your own pace then multi day tours should be feasible - I'm quite slow so daily mileage is now necessarily limited but I've always followed Bidlake's advice that the secret to long distance cycling is staying in the saddle.

That's impressive. I'm 81 later this year, cycle most days and squeeze in around 5000 miles each year. I've abandoned the idea of long tours as although I can do 45 miles in a day I can't do it day after day. I now choose a fixed centre and do day tours from there.

My wife is undergoing cancer treatment but all being well we're planning a 250 mile ride over 5 days, using ebikes for the first time and staying in hotels in September. It won't be cheap but it's been a rotten year and something to look forward to.

francovendee

rjb wrote: ↑25 Feb 2024, 10:55am Spare cash should not be spent but used to increase your retirement pension. We need to think carefully how we use our discretionary spending in order to fund our old age.

Fair point for the lucky ones with spare cash but any money invested is at risk and when the time comes to retire the money may not be there in quite the amount promised/predicted.
I know first hand that it can be the case. Also my brother in law lost most of his pension pot when Equitable Life crashed. Luckily he was young enough to try and build up another pension, in his case he bought a second house taking the view he was less at risk of losing the lot.

francovendee

A friend here has managed to get herself on the scheme before it was suspended. She's a low earner so qualifies but informs us it will end up costing 140€ each month without insurance. She also has to find 1000€ for installing a fast charger. It seems a great idea to encourage low income families to consider a BEV. She currently runs a 1990 Peugeot 205 that she's had since it was 1 year old. She has been so pleased with it she's buying another Peugeot. Somehow I don't think the new one will last as long.

Looking at the 'Connection' link it seems that only French makers were eligible but on the government site VW and Hyundai are also included.

To get people to switch from an IC to a BEV it's better accomplished by a carrot rather than a stick. The scheme may have been over-subscribed but a huge step in the right direction. It is planned to re- opened again next year.
Let's see the UK do something like it.

francovendee

Paying for pensions, health etc. is only possible by funding from those in work paying taxes. With a low birthrate and a drive to stop immigration where will the money come from?
The younger section of the population are unable to afford a house so you can't squeeze more from them.

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