I wasn’t !

The last I heard Hap Kennedy and Jo Coyne in Canada. Snapper knew of one in the UK, but that was a couple of years ago.

I didnt actually mention health care in my post,I have had some health problems in the last 15 years. regards baz

I know, my point was that as you said the UK use to be cheap but now cost have risen in the UK and not necessarily for any good reason.

They even give us soap opera characters like the late, unlamented princess bimbo.Moggy

Thanks Moggy, reading this thread and trying to think of something to say about her, but you’ve said it, nuff said.

I remember when we were a cheap little island…we used to view most continental countries as extremely expensive,and now we are one ourselves. cheers baz

Part of the problem since the late 1940’s and the introduction of the NHS is that the UK’s population has demanded more and more freebies or social add ons. What many forget to understand is that someone has to pay for those social resposibilities that the gov’t is now obliged to provide.

On the tiny island that I live on, we have a free health service i.e hospital and state pension, for which we pay 6.5% of our salary towards. There is no unemployment benefit as such though you can go cap in hand to one of the local parishes for a hand out. To visit the doctors cost £26.00 a time and the dentist considerably more. Oddly waiting lists for major operations are less than 3 months, if you are unfortunate enough to have an emergency you are taken to A&E and admitted to a ward within a couple of hours. My tax rate for 2009 is 12%. The point being is that nothing in life is free and having the perception that a so called free service is the best way to deal with the problem is always the best way.

There is one being written by Jenny Schwartz but I don’t think it’s out yet. Meanwhile you can have a look at this pic, he’s fourth from left. Best Wishes. Robert

Yep that’s the one, I heard from her before Christmas and it’s not far off.

To the Mods this is a joke, just making light of a serious subject which Andy has highlighted (keep up the good work). To all who buy on ebay if in any doubt leave well alone.

And I was just going to look on E-bay, you had me there 🙂

Andy do you have a relevant University qualification in the subject to be able to post in this way ? 🙂

When we lived in the West Country, Clevedon to be precise, there was a chap called Bob Trapnell who use to scour the local rubbish bins, dumps and anywhere else looking for odds and sods. His house and garden resembled a rubbish collection depot and on many occasions the local authority would arrange to clear it out and the process would start again.

When the neighbours complained he bought their house off them.

IIRC he was related to the Trapnell family in Weston Super Mare who use to run quite a few of the concessions on the sea front, in particular the donkeys.

His idea of a bath was a dip in the Bristol Channel under Clevedon pier. Sadly he died a few years ago, I believe after being beaten up by a number of brainless morons.