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Just my two cents worth...
I receive three small UK company pensions all paid in £stg.
They dont amount to a lot and initially we could just about manage.
But now, with the Euro so strong against other world currencies the value of these pensions has reduced by almost 20%.
For instance, one of them is for £400 per month; initially this converted to 580 Euros, but now is worth only 508.
In August this year I am due to start receiving my UK state pension; as things stand at the moment it looks like this will just about make up the losses due to the strong Euro
Also we receive a few small US Dollar cheques each month and the exchange rate USD~Euro is now about 2:1.
By the time bank commission has been paid 250$ is worth about 148 Euros.
Should Britain join the Euro? From my point of view yes; it should be a requirement for the joining the EU.
Should we ever have joined the EU? debateable...
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What am I proud of about the UK? Not a lot I can think of these days. Like others I am proud of our forces and support them to the hilt, I am proud of the Nations acheivements over the centuries and I think that the breathtaking scenic diversity cannot be beaten anywhere in the world, I am proud that we developed the finest system of Parliamentry democracy on the planet, now so debased by corrupt politicians. I also think that the ideal of the EU is great, but debased once again by self serving politicians. I simply cannot support a system where the major players and rule makers are essentially unelected. I cannot face living in a place where the main driver for polotics is to think up new taxes to soak those who have worked hard for many decades to provide for themselves only to see the money frittered away on hopeless ideals and benefits, which in the main are paid to those who ill deserve them. I cannot live in a place where Government policy is to destroy family stability and marriage by encouraging young women to bear illegitimate children in order to get a free roof and living at the expense of all those who labour every day to make ends meet. I could go on, perhaps I don't fit in anywhere any more (sob,sob).
Mike
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Mike - My sentiments exactly!
It is the reason that I am so proud means why I am leaving. I cannot bear to continue living in this country when I see every day what is happening to it.
Call it 'rats leaving a sinking ship' if you like. I just cannot stand it any longer.
I am proud of:
The best Armed Forces in the world - Army, Navy, Air Force - When you want a job done, you call in the Brits. Well done to all who serve Queen and country so well, especially those who have paid the ultimate price.
The best Parliamentary government system in the world - Which keeps this lands sovereignty intact and away from a 'Federal European State' that would sap this country and the rest of Europe dry.
The best legal system in the world - One that states you are innocent until proven guilty and are provided with 'legal aid' and unbiased representation.
The best countryside in the world - Hills, Valleys, lakes, forests and glens. A land and a history preserved that spans more than two millennia.
What I am not proud of:
An armed forces without adequate logistical support. munitions or even basic protection from forces that are funded by other countries intent on destroying the very basic fundamentals of democracy and freedom. They need our support, every day - it doesn't matter why they are there - the fact remains they are and people in this country keep on complaining about it - I for one am proud of our armed forces protecting us from the very forces that would take our freedom away.
A government that is not spending money where it is needed. Stop giving money to the 'state spongers' who, as Mike stated, are encouraged to do so!!! Give money back to the people who are actually working, at least they are trying to feed themselves. However, supply our armed forces with what they need so at least they can do there job and protect themselves whilst they are doing it - doesn't matter whether it is right or wrong - they need our help and support, so spend my taxes on them!
A government that taxes to heavily on the basic requirements. Tax heavily on Alcohol and Cigarettes, but not on the food we eat or the fuel that goes into our vehicles so that the farmers and hauliers may bring that food to our markets.
A legal system that is FAR to lenient on criminals. Teenage and younger yobs roam our streets making one afraid to walk around during the day, leave alone at night. And if you protect yourself, you are punished far worse than those who transgress against you. The Police are left powerless to tackle this ever increasing problem.
A countryside and heritage that is wasted on the youth of today. They would rather see a video of 'happy slapping' than feel the wonder of walking through a forest on a summer’s eve. Or visit an ancient monument and wonder in awe as to its construction. Or even the way and quality of life of our ancestors - what they went through so they are here today with the freedoms that they have and take for granted - and then renege on them via their behaviour.
This is why I am leaving the UK and going to Spain - it's not just because my €'s will go much further than my £'s do. However also because you don’t see such yobs on the CDS - I saw a Spanish Policeman cuff a youngster around the ear for spitting on the sidewalk and I've never seen a group of thugs hanging around on a street corner drinking alcohol and yelling abuse at passersby.
Ok Spain isn't the best country in the world, but at least they recognise that they have problems and are trying to tackle them.
So yes, as I said before I am as proud as can be to Welsh and British - However am not proud of the state of the country and where it is leading. So I at least am doing something about it - the only thing I can - and that's get out whilst I can.
PS. I'm 40 years old and not, as some yob would call me, 'a twisted old man' - and yes! I have stood up to these yobs and won. This message was last edited by TechNoApe on 4/5/2008.
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Me, the Mrs and Rosie too! But we'll never, ever forget our Tyler!
We support AAA Abandoned Animals Marbella - Do you?
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I agree with Techno Ape and I blame it all on Maggie Thatcher and her policies of the 80's that didn't give a damm about the ordinary working man.
I live in an area where most of the adult males were employed in either the Steel works or the Mines, Maggie shut them down without a thought for the consequences of the locality or the long term energy needs of the UK, ironically there are some who now want to see the Pits opened again as an answer to rising Gas prices and to provide fuel to generate electricity.
Anyway, back to the point. The 50 plus age group will not work in the call centres that are springing up because it is not a 'Proper Job' compared to the mines. Therefore In this area we now have pockets of 2nd & 3rd generations who have never had a job, they see their Grandparents & Parents living a comfortable life on benefits and cannot see why they should have to work. Feral youths roam these areas with no regard for anyone because they have not had the discipline of work and as you say can be found drinking on street corners.
Asian families move into council owned property and because no one can keep track of them, manage to occupy several houses by moving cousins around (you think I'm kidding but I regularly witness this), then a couple of years later buy the property at a knock down rate under Maggies Right to Buy. The Council take no notice because as soon as anyone challenges them they claim "Racial Prejudice/harrassment. Once they have several properties they rent them out to the Eastern Europeans who sleep 3 or 4 to a room paying an exhorbitant rent for the privelege. All of this is contributing to the social decay that is blighting our country, .
If some of our overpaid elected representatives would take the time and trouble to step outside of their cosseted and priveleged world and open their eyes then they might realise that the ordinary British citizen has had enough of scroungers, being taxed to the hilt and seeing immigrants taking advantage of the systems put into place to protect the vulnerable.
Our armed forces are the best in the world and my answer to some of the problems would be to bring back National Service and put back some of the Pride and feeling of Self Worth into these youths then hopefully in 10 to 20 years time we will see the result of Maggie's reign reversed.
Phew, I'm going to have to go and cool down now  think I'll dodge the feral youth and go for a Pint, now that's something to be proud of, the British Pub, "All Hail to the Ale"
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Kelju
I couldn't have put it better myself.
Maybe we should start a petition and get loads of people to 'electronically' sign it, take it to number 10 and say:
"We are here to present the PM with a petition, signed by 1000's of people, asking him to open his eyes and ears, take a look outside of his cotton wool world and listen to what the people of this great country are actually saying. If he want's to get the right answers, then come and take a look at this forum".
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www.andalucianstyle.com
Me, the Mrs and Rosie too! But we'll never, ever forget our Tyler!
We support AAA Abandoned Animals Marbella - Do you?
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I think you can do that on the dot gov website, maybe we ought to start it off.
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have to agree with most of Kelju'scomments but where are these wealthy , non working grand parents?
I have worked and paid my dues for 50 years, the last 12 in a reasonably paid managerial position .I have just been told my pensio0n will be £131 a week.Fortunately I have a private pension that should pay for a couple of sangrias but that also  fell 25% short of the " worst case scenario" Maybe my mistake was working for a living
There is no doubt aout the fact that the average working brit has been screwed for years.
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If you're going through hell keep on going, you might get out before the devil even knows you're there.
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Some interesting comments, although getting away from the original post. I worked for 50 years (actually I haven't stopped fully yet) and find that my pension is little better than my wife's who paid Ni contributions for about half that time. I can't begrudge her, or any working mum a good pension, heaven knows in all they have worked hard enough over the years, but where does the "married man's" portion of my pension go because she has one in her own right. To bringing up some agressive, uneducated layabout I bet. Also my private pensions have lost far more than 25% of the "worst case", which is the reason I continue to work.
Actually I have given much thought to what can be done about the situation in the UK and e-mail petitions aren't it. They are on the gov. website as a sop to the masses, so that they feel they are having their say, but can just be ignored. mass demonstrations and civil disobedience is the only way for us as far as I can see. I don't want to get this into being political and will steer away from Maggie Thatcher comments, but suffice to say the New Labour Government has done more harm to the working and middle classes than Maggie ever did, but don't think I hold much truck with the Conservatives either, they are just New Labour in pin stripes! You can't really blame all this on any one party, they are all the same trough shovellers (some exceptions I know). I constantly have Customers and HR people saying to me "What are we going to do when you have gone, there is no replacement". Thats because they gave up training 40 years ago and pocketed the money it saved. When there is no training, schools stop teaching and just fill the time. Sooner or later the kids get bored and disruptive and then having learned nothing expect the state to pay for their ignorance. That was the last generation, many in this one never even thought that work was an option.
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Hi!
My eldest son is in the RAF - I fluctuate between overwelming pride and total fear over his choice of career. The whole family, him included, have accepted that time spent in Afghanistan or Iraq or similar will pose great risks.
What I cannot forgive is that he has been ordered, whilst he is in the Uk , not wear uniform in public - or anything that gives any indication of his affiliation.
THis is in his own homeland.....sad or what?!!??
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It's more than sad, it's a disgrace! When I started at my senior school in '56 most of our teachers were ex-forces, ie, people who had been somewhere, done something and had experience of life that bought them immediate respect in the classroom. Most of us had been bought up by our mothers during the war years without much male influence (in many ways not dissimilar to today), but these teachers were real men, who had been tested, sometimes in the most awful ways and could not only teach, but command instant respect from the youngsters who could recognise heroes (real, not sporting). Not for them school, university, teachers college and a soft teaching job. They had come from all walks of life and unlike todays teachers, gave in good measure, self respect and integrity as well as a thoroughly practical view on the subject they taught. Although I sometimes feel sorry for teachers in this PC, litigeous world, where a wrong word will bring the parents and the law down on their heads, they just can't compare with these guys who had fought for their country.
Since then I have worked with and had many friends with a military background and respected (and yes envied) every one of them. Unfortunately I was never in the forces and feel that I missed not only a great experience, but the comeradeship and stature one finds in military people. Thank god for people like your son, he is a man in the best sense of the word. Your concern must be almost unbearable, but your pride must be limitless.
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It's an unfortunate truth, but a truth none the less that we as a nation have suffered so much but never complain.
It is amazing that when we talk to people about the fact that we are off to Spain that the answer we received four or five years ago when we first thought about it was along the lines of 'why' and 'it's not that bad here", whereas now we either get 'good on you', ' don't blame you, wish I/we could do the same' or more commonly over the last few months 'Yes! We are moving abroad also to Spain/France/Canada, etc'.
The main common ground we find is ALWAYS the state the country has become and the yob culture that the police are powerless to control. All the other comments I have made are also quite common, although some people get a bit tetchy when I start talking about GB, like my Dad for instance, who after a long discussion with myself yesterday now agrees that GB was good as the chancellor but not a good PM (which is what I said when the talk started about him becoming PM).
The most interesting thing since I started the topic about the exchange rate falling at such an alarming rate to such a drastically low level, is having looked back at the ex rate charts over the last 5 or 6 years, it hasn't happened before and this slide started on its ever downward spiral as soon as GB became PM. Now we could be talking coincidence here, or it could be that the smart money knows something we don't - me, I'm with the smart money and think GB is going to try and 'sneak us in the € back door' when the ex rate either drops even less or stays stable at an alarmingly low level (which is what it is doing as we speak).
Now some people seem to think that this thread is off-topic so, with an endeavour to get this topic back ‘on-topic’ the ex rate is 1.266. Which is what is was when I started this thread.
In truth it is not ‘off-topic’ as the second question I posed asked for peoples thoughts/opinions as to WHY the ex rate is so low, therefore we have been ‘on-topic’ ever since. 
I find everyones comments most thought provoking and very much appreciate the time taken to post. Thanks all, keep 'em comming.
PS. In the short time it has taken me to write and post this, the ex rate has dropped again to 1.265
This message was last edited by TechNoApe on 4/7/2008.This message was last edited by TechNoApe on 4/7/2008.
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www.andalucianstyle.com
Me, the Mrs and Rosie too! But we'll never, ever forget our Tyler!
We support AAA Abandoned Animals Marbella - Do you?
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techno i think it may be more detailed that GB causing the slide
1. The european central bank hasn't reduced rates for the past few months therefore making the euro a better currency to invest in.
2. The crdit crisis will have something to do with it as the slide started roughly about 7/8 months ago coinciding with all the turmoil
Conrad
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After a few weeks of the Pound slowly increasing in value, reaching the dizzy heights of 1.27, it has dropped again to the top end of 1.24. Sods law as we are going to Spain next week . As soon as the ECB put rates up, I thought we would see a slide again, but was hopeful  .
Mark
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1.28 
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And plunging like a rock after steadily rising over the last couple of months. My desktop "gizmo" ahows 1.257 . Let's hope it doesn't "scrape the barrel" as it did earlier in the year.
Mark
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Hi its always low in july and august i bet its up in september bye irene
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1.26 with Moneycorp today
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Well!
Today is the 30th August and no sign of the rate going back up, in fact it's going down again.
1.241
Hmm! Two weeks ago I'm sure I saw it at 1.28
NA! Must have been dreaming.
_______________________
www.andalucianstyle.com
Me, the Mrs and Rosie too! But we'll never, ever forget our Tyler!
We support AAA Abandoned Animals Marbella - Do you?
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