Experiencing the highs and lows

By Brady Haran
BBC News Online, East Midlands
 
 
Flying the flag at each summit of the East Midlands
 
Two climbers from England's East Midlands have been in the headlines this week.
Derbyshire's Nigel Vardy just tackled the highest peak in Greenland, as part of a wider challenge to reach the highest point on seven islands.
 

And 11-year-old Joseph Pointing, from Newark, tackled Britain's "three-peak challenge" - Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike.
 

This has prompted BBC News Online to ask the question - must all climbers leave the East Midlands to find impressive summits?
 

Could there be a multi-peak challenge in one of England's flattest regions?
 

Over the course of a week, we visited the highest and lowest points of five counties in the East Midlands.
 

DERBYSHIRE: The highest county
 

Not surprisingly, the East Midlands' highest point is in the Peak District.
At 636m (2,087 feet), the top spot is near Crowden Head, on Kinder Scout's moorland.
 
Heading up Kinder Scout
Geographer Professor Paul Mather, from the University of Nottingham, said Derbyshire retained its height despite the ice age which "filed down" much of the East Midlands.
He said: "Millions of years ago, Derbyshire's rocks were squeezed up into a big dome by continental collisions.
"When ice moved down from the north during the great ice age, the big dome of Derbyshire was sticking up out of the ice so it wasn't eroded."
The lowest points in Derbyshire are two areas near the River Trent at Long Eaton, both 26m (85 feet) above sea level.
They are found at Cranfleet Farm and the Trent Rifle Range.
 

LINCOLNSHIRE: The lowest county
 

The lowest point in Lincolnshire - and the overall title of lowest point in the East Midlands - is shared by several farms under the 0-metre contour line.
In total, the Ordnance Survey says there is about 10 sq km just below sea level, including Glebe Farm, Engine Farm and Round Decoy Farm.
 
The hidden summit of Lincolnshire
They are located east of Stickford, between the A16 and A52.
The highest point in Lincolnshire is marked by a trig pillar 168m (551 feet) above sea level.
The pillar is hard to find, concealed by a hedge on farmland near Normanby Le Wold.
However, the general location is impossible to miss, as it is dominated by a radar station which can be seen from miles away.
The radar looks like an oversized football hovering above the landscape.
 

RUTLAND: The smallest county
 

It is the nation's smallest county, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Rutland's topography is also on a small scale.
The highest point is a trig pillar on a sheep farm near Cold Overton Park Wood, at an altitude of 197m (646 feet).
The low point is a section of secluded farmland near Belmesthorpe, 17m (56 feet) above sea level.
 

LEICESTERSHIRE: Ashphalt quarry to ashphalt road
 

The view from Leicestershire's highest point is spectacular.
At 278m (912 feet), Bardon Hill rises above the flat landscape.
 
Leicestershire's own Grand Canyon?
The hill, near Coalville, is also a rich source of aggregates and is home to a huge quarry.
The view from the summit looks directly into the massive quarry, its steep sides and earthy colours resembling a smaller version of the Grand Canyon.
The lowest point in Leicestershire is a bend on a minor road near Bottesford, adjacent to the county boundary with Nottinghamshire.
It is about 25m (82 feet) above sea level.
 

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: From farm to farm
 

Both the highest and lowest points in Nottinghamshire are found on farms.
The highest point is near the M1 at Whiteborough Farm, near Huthwaite, measuring in at 203m (666 feet).
 
Approaching the Nottinghamshire summit
The lowest point lies on a contour line running at sea level at Peat Carr, in the county's north.
On hearing of BBC's News Online's "five summits conquest", mountaineer Mr Vardy, from Belper, was full of understanding (if not admiration).
Describing the lure of highest points, Mr Vardy said: "A lot of people like to get to the top and get the flag out and take a photograph.
"Some people find the summit as an extra, they find the climb itself is what they are after.
"I get a bit of both... I do enjoy standing on a summit, there is no two ways about it."
Mr Vardy returned from his own climb this week, reaching the top of the Arctic Circle's highest peak, Gunnbjornsfjeld in Greenland.
ALL THE DETAILS (supplied by the Ordnance Survey)
Got and Ordnance Survey map and fancy seeing these places for yourself? The information below may be of some help.
Highest points
 
The radar station at Normanby Le Wold
Derbyshire (636m) Kinder Scout, grid ref SK 0863387543
Leicestershire (278m) Bardon Hill, grid ref SK 4600413213
Nottinghamshire (203m) approximately 200m to the west of Whiteborough Farm, north of Huthwaite, grid ref SK 4567560503
Rutland (197m) Trig pillar east of Cold Overton Park Wood, grid ref SK 8271708539
Lincolnshire (168m) Trig pillar NW of radar station, Normanby le Wold, grid ref TF 1210696464
Lowest points
 
A significant bend in the road
Derbyshire (26m), Spot height 150m north of Cranfleet Farm, Long Eaton, grid ref SK 4942131520, and spot height on the Trent Rifle Range, Long Eaton, grid ref SK 49828131585
Leicestershire (24.8m), Spot height at bend on a minor road, north of Bottesford West Junction, grid ref SK 7955740776
Rutland (17m) Spot height 400m NNE of North Lodge Farm, Belmesthorpe, grid ref TF 0566111226
Nottinghamshire (0m contour) Peat Carr, 3.5 km east of Blaxton, grid ref SE 7073000940
Lincolnshire (below 0m contour) 3 areas: 4.8 sq km approx centred on Glebe Farm, grid ref TF 4187560591 - 3.5 sq km approx centred on Engine Farm, grid ref TF 3728659136 - 1.7 sq km approx centred on Round Decoy Farm, grid ref TF 4578256899

 

“Right the Beeching wrongs – stop the rail cuts,” say campaigners

by Pete Murray - 27th March 2013, 7.25 GMT

A historic train wreck

Tuesday 26 March 2013

The 50th anniversary of the Beeching report throws up many lessons for the present and future.

There can be few people now who do not regard the plan to abolish almost one-third of the rail network,

including 6,000 miles of railway line and 2,000 stations, as an utter disaster.

Dr Beeching's medicine not only came close to killing the patient, it ripped the heart out of hundreds of local

communities, destroyed 100,000 jobs and turned many surviving stations into unsafe spaces.

One purpose, we were told at the time, was to stop wasting so much public money "subsidising" an inefficient

and bureaucratic nationalised industry.

The reality was that for most of its history under nationalisation, the British Railways Board had been making a

gross surplus - but was crippled by the cost of replacing clapped-out infrastructure and rolling stock inherited

from the private railway magnates.

While the remaining network benefited from Beeching's modernisation proposals, our society still suffers today

from the legacy of his giant act of vandalism.

Many rural communities have withered or died, motorways and trunk roads have stamped their giant carbon

footprint across the landscape of Britain and the surviving railway network struggles to meet the growing

demand for safer, cleaner and quicker travel.

----

So what are the lessons for today?

First, that when the crumbling industry was taken out of the hands of greedy private monopolies in 1948, it was

an act of capitalist nationalisation rather than one of progressive or democratic nationalisation.

The railway industry was rescued in order to serve the interests of the capitalist economy as a whole.

Many of those appointed to the new management boards were ex-directors in the rail and other industries.

Workers and their trade union representatives were excluded from policy-making bodies altogether.

Compensation paid to the old private shareholders continued for up to 40 years after vesting day, a financial

millstone around the neck of British Rail.

Overcharged passengers and the public purse financed a massive programme of modernisation, ripening the

industry for a return to the profiteers in 1993.

Secondly, the Beeching report was largely implemented because strategic planning in the public sector was

subordinated to the short-term interests of capitalist profit.

----

The road-building, road haulage and motor vehicle corporations and their suppliers piled up the profits as

roads replaced railways.

Tory transport minister Ernest Marples controlled motorway builders Marples Ridgway through his wife's

shareholding.

He had appointed Dr Beeching to chair the British Railways Board and later fled the country to avoid taxes and

lawsuits.

Today there is no strategic planning worth the name in any major industry. All are run in the interests of giant

shareholders who put profits before any wider economic, social or environmental considerations.

The results are plain to see: underinvestment in key industries such as gas and water; a fragmented railway

system in which public money subsidises the profits of most train operating companies and will pay for badly

needed infrastructure development; and a dysfunctional banking system rescued by bail-outs of public cash

that make the subsidies to the old nationalised industries look like petty cash.

The failure of the rail unions in 1963 to unite in action against Beeching was an unmitigated disaster.

Today we need the unity of those unions and of the wider labour movement to tell the Labour Party leadership:

don't just moan about re-privatisation of the East Coast main line and the Air Rescue service - boldly put the

case for economic planning based on progressive, democratic public ownership.

Rail: Fifty years after the vandals

Dunham Bridge Company A57 Dunham Bridge (Toll) Road Bridge Rip Off.

It is 25 miles between Newark and Gainsborough on the River Trent

There are bridges at both ends and one in the middle on the A57 at …Dunham Bridge (Toll).

The charge to cross the one in the middle owned by Dunham Bridge Company costs 36p in either direction for cars and

considerably more for larger vehicles.

Those who live in the towns and villages between Newark and Gainsborough must either go round, a journey

adding at least 5 miles in either direction or cough up.

The A57 is a main artery between Lincoln and Worksop and Sheffield beyond, yet successive Governments have

never considered building a public bridge.

The A57 crosses the Dunham Bridge Company bridge and as a result they know it is more expensive to travel

around their bridge than pay to cross it.

So they have kiosks manned 24 hours a day to collect money.

Recently the River Trent flooded and road access to the bridge impassable so clearly Dunham Bridge

Company have little regard for the road either side of their bridge.

The Bridge at Dunham Bridge (Toll)…. is a money spinner for the Dunham Bridge Company and those who pay

the Government

their road and fuel tax get short shrift from them in regard to NO public bridge between Newark and Gainsborough

across the River Trent.

It is also a money spinner for the Government who ?? collect tax from Dunham Bridge Company and avoid having

to spend money to build or maintain a public highway.

Please note the area is a Tory stronghold. "The Profit before People Party"

The area is bordered between the Gainsborough and Newark Parliamentary Constituencies.

Edward Leigh MP Gainsborough since 1983 and Patrick Mercer MP Newark since 2001

 

 

The Radical and his Rose

Leave Bangkok at an early hour on Saturday and fly back to Heathrow via Delhi

Collect the car and drive in the evening to Lincoln

 Gaining 7 hours in flight.

Hope we make it in one piece

A cold house and climate awaits us.

We have had a great holiday but it’s good to be going home

I miss the garden and the bulbs in the greenhouse will be missing me

They will be so thirsty.

 

The mess the “Nasty” Government has created for the people while feathering their own nests does not seem

an attractive proposition to come back to.

But it is our Country as much as theirs, and they will be driven out of office leaving other to repair the damage.

 

The break has renewed our strength and determination.

The struggle goes on

 

Thanks for visiting the website and I hope you will return to read the posts next week.

7 oldies grace the front page each week and this Sunday is no exception.

If you have requests do” get in touch”

Radical

“Would I lie to you?” Tories did over rail fares, says TSSA

by Pete Murray - 4th February 2013, 8.30 GMT

Campaigners say the cost of rail fares on the busiest routes has risen 3 times faster than the cost of living in the 20 years since privatisation.

The TSSA has published a Top Ten chart of the most expensive city journeys.

A ‘walk on’ single fare from London to Manchester has gone up 208%, to Exeter by 205% and Cardiff by 196%.

Over the same period, RPI inflation has risen by 66%.

The union calculates that average rail fares have increased overall by 102.8% since 1995, the year after British Rail was sold to Railtrack.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Private rail firms were given a licence to print money in the 1990s and they have been ripping off passengers ever since.”

“This chart demolishes the Tories’ claim when they sold off British Rail that fares would get cheaper.

“Funnily enough, at the time there was a record in the charts called, ‘Would I Lie To You?‘

“Well, sadly, rail passengers have now found out the answer to that one.”

“What we have seen is little more than legalised daylight robbery on a grand scale. Passengers have suffered all the pain while private operators have seen all the gains.

“Now we are number one in Europe for the highest fares.”

MPs West Coast rail report shows franchise system “bleeding to death”

Transport Select Committee report says ministers approved a complex – perhaps unworkable - franchising

policy at the same time as overseeing major cuts to the Department’s resources. Unions say £40m cost of

botched franchise could have paid to train 1,300 NHS nurses or paramedics.

by Pete Murray

- 31st January 2013, 10.47 GMT

Transport unions say a new report into the West Coast rail franchise fiasco has reinforced their case for renationalisation of the UK rail network.

 Virgin Trains still operates the West Coast line after First Group’s bid for the franchise was scrapped because of miscalculations by officials

The collapse of the flawed bidding process in October 2012 cost the taxpayer more than £40m in legal fees and compensation.

It comes as the government has confirmed that the franchise for the Great Western Rail link between London,

Bristol and Cardiff is to be scrapped, giving the transport giant First Group an extension on its existing 15-year contract.

Negotiations over four other franchises – East Thameside, Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern – are also about to begin.

Critics say the rail franchise system is “bleeding to death” and should be scrapped.

MPs on the Transport Select Committee investigating the West Coast Mainline contract criticised the Department

for Transport [DfT] for “embarking on an ambitious -  perhaps unachievable – reform of franchising, in haste, on

the UK’s most complex piece of railway was an irresponsible decision for which ministers were ultimately responsible.”

They say a major unanswered question remains over why ministers and senior officials at the DfT were misled

about the calculations and “cannot categorically rule out the possibility” that officials manipulated the outcome

of the competition to ensure that First Group got the contract at the expense of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains.

Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA rail union, said: “The latest announcement is merely a sticking plaster to try

and save the franchise system which is mortally wounded and bleeding to death before our very eyes.

“Rather than operate on a terminally ill patient, ministers would be better off scrapping the whole system and running the franchises in the interests of passengers rather than private shareholders.

”It is working perfectly well on the East Coast line. Why not do it on all the others?”

The MPs called for the Transport Secretary Partick McLoughlin to explain why ministers and senior officials were

misled about how key loan facilities at the centre of the franchise bid were calculated and to trawl all relevant DfT

emails to get to the bottom of whether or not any officials manipulated the outcome of the competition to ensure

First Group was awarded the West Coast contract.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Although this report lifts the lid on the whole sordid business of rail

franchising that led us to the West Coast Mainline fiasco it fails to nail the killer point that two decades of railway privatisation has turned our tracks into a money-making racket that is beyond reform.

“The West Coast wasn’t the first rail privatisation fiasco and it won’t be the last until politicians wise up and do

what 70% of the British people want and that is renationalise our entire railway network.”

Transport analysts estimate that operating the UK franchise system costs £1bn more in company profits,

subsidies and other costs than a renationalised rail network would.

The Select Committee report concluded one of the most disappointing aspects of the West Coast fiasco was that

money which could have been spent on transport projects was instead spent on consultants, lawyers and “on

compensating train operators for the DfT’s incompetence.”

UNISON described mishandling of the contracting-out process as ‘a disgrace’.

General secretary Dave Prentis: “As budget cuts bite hard not a penny can be wasted – let alone £40 million.

“Every community in the country is suffering as drastic government spending cuts see hundreds of thousands

of jobs lost and vital local services shut down.”

UNISON estimates money wasted on the botched franchise could have bought 160 new ambulances, paid for

8000 hip operations or for more than 1,300 qualified nurses, midwives, paramedics or social workers

Travel, Maps & Transport –Pattaya Thailand

 

Pattaya – Past its sell by date ?

Pissing- on the beach

Pot holes- in the major roads

Prostitutes – at all parking places

Pick Pockets – in practice

Prices higher than in the UK for clothes

Piste –Russian taking over from the Germans to the deckchairs

Packed beaches –

Polluted Pattaya Bay

Passengers on the Baht Bus comes second

Pavements are a death trap to the unweary.

Posters all in Russian

Police - pretend tourist ones too

People's paper - with purple tinted specs

Passports, papers and business permission - possibly not !

Poor and plundered ? - "Accidents" don't happen here - its always the victims fault

 

The Baht Bus system, now 10 baht wherever you are taken, is in utter confusion

This can be 10 metres or 10 miles , but seldom where you want to go.

There are no signs indicating a route or terminus.

 

This is Pattaya.

Anything goes, but mostly your money, if you don't barter

 

The Radical

On a friends re-union trip

High-tech Dreamliner's wings clipped by battery trouble

• 18:38 18 January 2013 by Paul Marks
• New Scientist

JAL Dreamliner -

Economy Class

30-32.0"

18.5"

144 standard seats

Executive Class

60.2"

54.0"

42 lie-flat seats

 

Petrol prices 'to rise by 4p per litre in coming days'

Petrol prices are expected to rise by as much as four pence a litre in the next few days, retailers have predicted as

forecourts pass on increased wholesale costs to motorists.
 
Retailers predict new forecourt rises

12:01AM GMT 25 Jan 2013

The rise forecast by the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) would add £2 to the cost of filling a Vauxhall Astra.

Brian Madderson, chairman of the PRA, said wholesale prices had risen by five pence a litre since Christmas.

"Independent retailers have been soaking up this increase at the expense of already tight margins because they

know how hard the motorist is squeezed. But the floodgates will have to open soon," he warned.

According to the Association’s latest figures petrol was selling for 132.83 pence a litre and diesel 140.4 pence.

It said that "wholesale cost changes could see prices at the pump up another 4p per litre in coming days".

However the AA, which forecast a small rise of about 2.5 pence a litre, accused the industry of failing to pass on

recent falls in wholesale prices to motorists as quickly as increases.

The Office of Fair Trading will decide next week whether to launch an investigation into the fuel market.

“Another new year, another new round of pump price rises after the industry failed to pass on fully wholesale

price savings’” said Edmund King, the AA’s president.

“The insight we are now getting on wholesale price movements rams home the need for this information to be out

in the public domain immediately.

Wholesale petrol prices turned upward in the first week of January, average pump prices six days later.

If falls in wholesale were reflected as quickly, no one would mind – but they’re not”.

Arrived in Thailand for a break.

Travelled Jet Airways via Delhi

Staying in Bkk for 4 then to seeing friends in Pattaya for 8 nights

Are you planning a trip ?

Get in touch….

We know where the best hotels – not expensive are and where to find a girl – if you need one.

The hotels have swimming pools and the girls are free –that is until you say –may I buy you an iced tea ?

The Rose has been in the pool and posed for photos but not for your eyes friend

But for you – “Help Yourself"  as Tom Jones once said

Colchester Council and Disabled Parking

 

Disabled Drivers should avoid this town as the Council are distinctly unfriendly toward them.

Parking near the main attractions including the Castle, Museums and Tourist Information Centre is extremely

limited to say the least.

What opportunities there are to park on side roads, are closed to the disabled even though allowing them to do so

would not cause an obstruction.

In fact the double yellow lines where parking would be permitted causes a major traffic obstruction through the

single carriageway one way system.

Disabled Drivers do not want to be anti –social but need to be close to town centres and attractions otherwise they

are inaccessible.

On the other hand Ipswich, nearby, has lots of disabled parking facilities in the market area, town centre and the

marina areas.

If you have experience of poor town parking facilities for the disabled do get in touch

Lincoln and Hykeham South and East Bypass cut off their prime. The two

Tory MP’s are not better than one !

Lincoln's eastern bypass plans stalled over funding issue
 
Thursday, August 09, 2012

Highways bosses must re-apply for permission to build Lincoln's eagerly-anticipated eastern bypass.

Lincolnshire County Council is poised to submit a new application after central government revealed there was only enough funds for a single carriageway.
1. 
Congestion: It is hoped Lincoln’s eastern bypass will help ease congestion in the city but highways bosses have to submit new plans first

The Conservative-led authority was granted permission to build a dual carriageway in October 2010.

But new blueprints must be submitted as the size of the road is being scaled down.

The council says funding for the project has been 'provisionally granted' and that there is no reason why work on the site will be delayed.

William Webb, executive member for highways and transportation at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "The

Lincoln Eastern Bypass will make a huge difference to people's lives, easing congestion and having a tremendously positive economic benefit both here and in the East Midlands.

"We are very pleased the Government has decided to give us this funding which can only be used for a single carriageway road, particularly in light of the tightened economic times.

"However, a dual carriageway remains our long-term aspiration.

"We are presently preparing the new planning application for a single carriageway road, but we still hope to have

the road finished according to the original timetable.

"We just need to make sure we have all the necessary paperwork in place before we start."

Chancellor George Osbourne gave the project the green light in his Autumn Statement to Parliament, in November, last year.

The bypass is one of 35 major transport schemes to be fast-tracked by central government to help boost the ailing economy.

The county council has estimated more than 30,000 jobs will be created as a result of the development.
It is hoped construction work will start in 2014.

Spokesman for the Department for Transport Melanie Purkiss told the Echo: "The project is up in the air at this stage.

"Any new plans must go through the planning application process so it would be wrong to say that this a done deal.
"We are in full support of the project but the work is subject to planning approval."

She added: "Everything depends on the length of the planning application process so we cannot estimate how long any delay to the work being done would be.

"Ministers reserve the right to reconsider their approval of the scheme if its scope changes significantly from that given approval last year."

£4m spent on Lincoln's southern bypass plan despite its uncertain future
 
Monday, September 26, 2011

ALMOST £4 million of taxpayers' cash has been spent buying houses and land to make way for Lincoln's southern bypass – despite no guarantee it will ever be built.

Lincolnshire County Council stands accused of wasting money and jumping into the project too early after buying eight houses and a plot of land in Station Road,Waddington.
1. 
JUMPING THE GUN? Land in Station Road, Waddington, that has been bought by Lincolnshire County Council.
2. 
ROAD PLAN: A view of Station Road, Waddington. The proposed bypass would run through the middle of the houses in the centre of the shot.

The future of the southern bypass hinges on a successful council bid to the Government for £50 million to build the city's long-awaited eastern bypass.

A decision is expected before Christmas, but there are no guarantees of success.

Retired teacher Sid Orford, 85, who moved out of his Station Road home in November last year after agreeing a deal with the council, said: "I don't think the bypass will ever be built.

"Where I think the council has gone wrong is it has gone in for the properties too early.

At least wait until the eastern bypass is built before issuing plans for the southern bypass."

Officials at the authority say they were approached by homeowners who felt their properties would be affected by the proposed route of the southern bypass.

After considering the applications, and to protect the land from future development, the council has paid out just under £4 million.

Seven of the homes are now being rented out, with the eighth due to be occupied soon.

This raises about £70,000 a year.
If the eastern bypass is approved for funding – to be ready by summer 2016 or 2017 – only then will a southern

bypass become a possibility. Estimates suggest this road will not be built until 2030 at the earliest.

Third class railway travel plans on track for plebs

by Tim Lezard -

14th November 2012, 8.00 GMT

Third class rail travel, where passengers journey in the open air, might be making a comeback, the RMT has warned.

Abolished on Britain’s railways in June 1956, government refused to rule out its return when answering a question in the House of Lords last week.

Responding to a question from Lord Myners about whether invitations to bid for new rail franchises permitted the introduction of a third passenger class, Earl Attlee replied the current franchising system allows bidders to propose the introduction of a third passenger class as long as these proposals comply with the ticketing and settlement agreement and franchise agreement.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Now we know: the door is open for the train operators to introduce a third passenger class as and when it suits them.

We knew that this government was winding the clock back on employment, benefit and legal rights but now they are opening up the option to dive back in time more than 50 years to the days of third class rail travel.

“On some overcrowded and de-staffed services, passengers could be forgiven for thinking they are already travelling third class as the train operators bleed them dry.

While the Chancellor blags his way into first class without a ticket his Government are giving a green light to bring third class travel back in through the back door for the masses.

What a shocking indictment of this rotten bunch running the country.”

Top twenty places to emigrate for young people

Warsaw, Poland
Poland has the healthiest economy in Europe with 4.4% growth in 2011. Not a visually attractive city, falling house prices may deter potential buyers but the affordabiility of life, booming economy and proximity to home should prove a strong pull

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A gem on the south east Asia tourist trail with Angkor Wat nearby, Phnom Penh is a prosperous, modern city with a good economic outlook. Good rental yields are available for investors

Bangkok, Thailand
Recent political instability and flooding will doubtless have dampened the enthusiasm of potential Bangkok expats, but the city still offers an attractive quality of life at very affordable rates. A sharp property price fall since 2008 sees real estate reasonably cheap and with rising value

Prague, Czech Republic
Beautiful and only a short flight away from Britain, Prague offers all the stability of Europe with not requiring a new language, and it has the best beer in the world

Montevideo, Uruguay
Montevideo's beaches are underrated, with Brazil taking most of the limelight in terms of being the sun-and-sea option in Latin America. Residents benefit from relatively low taxation rates

Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City is one of the biggest conurbations in the world and not everybody's cup of tea, but Mexico's growth rate is stable, its global influence growing and rental yields are good

Hamburg, Germany
The weather is not the best and the name lacks the glamour of the national capital, but it is one of the most prosperous cities in Europe, benefitting as a major transport hub for the continent and it has a high quality of life.

Manila, Philippines
The Philippines has beautiful islands and beaches, many relatively unspoilt by tourism. Its position close to the booming heart of east Asia is an advantage

Dubai, UAE
All glitz and glam, Dubai may have gone bust in 2009 but it's a huge magnet for international money

Auckland, New Zealand
Perenially known simply as "the place where they filmed Lord of the Rings", New Zealand's biggest pull is its natural beauty and open spaces. Quality of life is high and, after a difficult few years with recession and the Christchurch earthquake, expansionary economic policies should see jobs and property price rises in the near future

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Stylish, exotic and fiery, Argentina has progressed economically in leaps and bounds since it's woeful experiences in the nineties and early noughties. There are excellent rental yields to be had for buyers and a generally optimistic outlook in the property market at the moment. A flare-up or further escalation in tensions in the Falklands could become a factor for Brits

Lima, Peru
Peru is undergoing an economic boom, partly due to commodities export revenues. Property here is cheap - both if you want to buy and rent - and, if you buy, you can benefit from very good rental yields.

Shanghai, China
Shanghai is the financial centre of China, so it is a city full of opportunity. Unfortunately relocation is hard without at least some Chinese and property is overpriced for potential buyers.

Bogota, Colombia
Forget Colombia's reputation for crime and drug-barons. These days it has an improving security situation, huge potential for tourism and economic growth, and Bogota is a vibrant city far from the country's less stable parts. Add to this the attractiveness of the indiginous population and low property prices and you're onto a winner

Vienna, Austria
With a reasonable cost of living for a European country, skiing and the Med both on the doorstep and world-class cultural offerings, Vienna is a luxurious but attractive choice

Panama City, Panama
Already a popular destination for retirees, the younger generation are waking up to Panama's charms. With its spectacular beaches and rainforest, Panama has beauty in spades. It also boasts some of the best infrastructure in Central America, and though not quite the bargain destination it once was, property is still good value. Residents do not pay taxes on foreign-earned income

Sydney, Australia
Oz is an established destination for British emigrants and movers benefit from embedded expat communities and establishe Aussie-Pom banter.Unfortunately rent is high in Sydney at the moment, although Melbourne is another good option

Jakarta, Indonesia
Indonesia is enormous, the world's fourth most populous country, and has huge economic potential. There are no language-learning requirements for wannabe movers as you can get around fine with English and living costs are wonderfully low. Unfortunately buying is a bit of a legal nightmare and good guidance is required.

Berlin, Germany
The hip and happening city of Europe, Germany's economy is healthy and you won't lack for exciting new experiences if you move here

Malta
Despite the recent downgrading of Malta's sovereign debt rating, this compact nation smaller than the Isle of Wight is still an attractive option for those looking for a change of pace. The fabulous weather, low crime rates and relative political stability add up to a laid-back lifestyle. British rule ended in 1969 so English is the island's main language, making property buying less of a headache than in its bigger European neighbours

Tax on petrol hits record high in UK

 

Tue Nov 6, 2012 5:25PM GMT

The amount of tax paid by the British motorists on each liter of fuel has reached a record high, local media reported.

Figures from the House of Commons Library revealed that 81p goes to the Treasury in Value Added Tax (VAT) and fuel duty for a typical liter of petrol costing 138.3.p, The Telegraph reported.

The Library’s report also said that overall, British fuel duty is the second highest in the European Union.

Under current Treasury plans, raising fuel duty by 3p will begin on January 1st next year.

A recent study by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research showed that January’s rise could lead to 35,000 job losses and could impede the country’s economic growth.

Moreover, motoring groups and campaigners are urging British Chancellor George Osborne to abolish the planned rise on fuel duty, which they believe will hit household budgets.

“The current level of taxes on petrol and diesel is a burden on the UK economy and it would be insanity to impose another 3p tax on fuel next year”, Quentin Willson of FairFuelUK said, adding the recent fuel tax plans have been unfair.

Lindisfarne, Northumberland  
 
Uploaded by UTD111 on 11 Jun 2008

Holy Island (Lindisfarne) is situated off the Northumberland coast in the north of the UK, just a few miles south of the border between England and Scotland.

The island is linked to the mainland by a causeway which twice a day is covered by the tide.

Possibly the holiest site of Anglo-Saxon England, Lindisfarne was founded by St. Aidan, an Irish monk, who came from Iona, the centre of Christianity in Scotland.

St Aidan converted Northumbria to Christianity at the invitation of its king, Oswald.

St. Aidan founded Lindisfarne Monastery on Holy Island in 635, becoming its first Abbot and Bishop.

The Lindisfarne Gospels, a 7th century illuminated Latin manuscript written here, is now in the British Museum in London but should rightfully be returned to Northumbria.

The island of Lindisfarne with its wealthy monastery was a favourite stop-over for Viking raiders from the end of the 8th century.

These Vikings raiders obviously concerned the monks somewhat as they vacated the monastery and did not return for 400 years. Lindisfarne continued as an active religious site from the 12th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537.

 It seems to have become disused by the early 18th Century

RMT calls for re-nationalisation of West Coast mainline

by Tim Lezard -

19th September 2012, 8.47 BST

The RMT today demanded full re-nationalisation of the West Coast mainline route as it emerged the government has a public sector team on standby to take over from December 9th in the wake of the Virgin/First Group fiasco.

The public sector team, called the West Coast Main Line Mobilisation Team, had been drawn from the already nationalised East Cost route.

The confirmation they are now in place and ready to take over staffing, finance and operations as Virgin and First slug it out in the courts contradicts earlier Department of Transport denials when RMT first blew the whistle on the re-nationalisation plan last week.

With little more than ten weeks to go until the Virgin franchise expires, there is still a mass of work to do on transferring the staffing and operations and RMT is warning that it would be yet another expensive waste of time and money to go through the whole charade again as and when Virgin and First reach a court judgment – a judgment which could demand that the whole franchise be re-tendered from scratch.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Despite the denials only last week it is now clear that the West Coast Main Line Mobilisation Team is in place as the public sector is forced to rescue this privatisation shambles just as it has done on the East Coast.

“This whole wasteful, costly and shambolic farce has to stop now.

If the public sector is the only show in town when things collapse into chaos then they should now be allowed to get on with the job on a permanent basis on both the East and West Coast and end this madness.

” It is little wonder that 70% of the public now support RMT’s call for re-nationalisation of the railways in the wake of the West Coast debacle.”

Cheapest Fuel Prices ?

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Petrol price probe launched as explosive evidence

from whistleblower accuses oil firms of price fixing

By Harry Glass and Lee Boyce
 UPDATED: 13:17, 5 September 2012

..A probe is being launched into UK petrol prices just as explosive evidence of oil price fixing on a global scale came to light from a whistleblowing trader.

Oil companies in the UK face a possible official investigation into the manipulation of prices after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) agreed to a 'call for evidence' today from the industry, motoring groups and consumer bodies.

While not yet a full-scale investigation, it will study whether reductions in the price of crude oil are being fairly passed on to motorists, who have seen petrol prices remain stubbornly high.

It will explore a number of claims about how the road fuels sector is functioning, including whether supermarkets and major oil companies are making it more difficult for independent retailers to compete.

 
Whistleblower statement: 'Every day the price is manipulated'
Claire Hart, of the OFT, said: 'We are keenly aware of continuing widespread concern about the pump price of petrol and diesel and we have heard a number of different claims about how the market is operating.'

UK motorists have seen petrol prices rise by 38 per cent in the last five years, while diesel prices rose 43 per cent. The UK retail road fuels sector is estimated to be worth around £32billion.

The OFT will publish its findings in January, and has sanctions available to it such as imposing legal requirements on businesses to change their practices and behaviour, or imposing fines. It may also decide to refer the matter to the Competition Commission, which has greater powers.

The decision comes as a whistleblower who trades UK oil futures claimed to one campaign group that oil prices are fixed as a matter of course.

Published on the website PetrolPromise.com, but staying anonymous to protect his identity, his job and his family, the trader said: ‘I trade the oil market on a daily basis, and every day the price is manipulated - not just the daily benchmark price but the calendar spreads that make up a large part of the daily volume.

‘One part of the problem is a lack of market transparency. In the oil futures market, huge volumes are offered and then withdrawn without trading - and unlike stocks and shares where large holdings have to be declared, in the oil market nobody knows where the money is coming from and who is ultimately profiting as a result.

‘For example, large oil futures volumes are often placed on a bid, and then instantly withdrawn and a reverse offer is placed.

There is no reason for this behaviour other than to distort market prices.’
 More...Fears grow that oil and petrol prices could have been manipulated like Libor rates

You can see the full whistleblower document on the website.

This will now be presented to Parliament on 13 September 2012, when MPs will have a half-day debate in the main chamber, calling for a formal investigation.

Conservative MP Robert Halfon, who runs PetrolPromise.com and has compiled a dossier of evidence to show how oil barons are ripping off motorists in an echo of the Libor interest rate scandal, hailed the OFT's decision. 
UNLEADED PRICES UP ALMOST 7P A LITRE IN TWO MONTHS

Petrol and diesel pump prices across the UK have risen drastically since July, as the price of oil has rocketed since a summer low of $90 a barrel.

Oil prices now sit at $114 a barrel and as a result, UK motorists have seen a knock-on impact at the forecourt.

Back in mid-July, the price of unleaded was 132.2p per litre, according to the AA – this increased to 135.5p exactly one month later, while petrolprices.com now has the average price of a litre of unleaded at 138.99p.

At the same time, diesel prices have soared. In mid-July, according to AA statistics, the price was 137p per litre and was up to 140.4p in mid-August. Today, the price is 143.52p a litre, according to petrolprices.com.

As a result, both diesel and petrol prices are now closing in on the highs seen in April 2012, when the threat of tanker boycotts sent ripples of panic through the industry.

During the ‘summer low’ at the beginning of July, petrol cost 130.8p a litre and diesel 136.12p.
.He said: 'We have to look at the oil market - pump-prices keep going up and up, even though there is no oil-shortage. Why?

'There have been serious accusations of fraud and market-manipulation. We need a proper investigation, just as Germany and America are doing. Britain is being taken for a very expensive ride.'

He said 'rip-off' petrol prices are keeping people on benefits because they can’t afford to travel and literally driving people out of work.

'In my hometown of Harlow, the question is not can you afford to have a car - but can you afford not to. That’s why we need a tough investigation into the oil market and allegations of price-fixing.'

Quentin Willson, of FairFuelUK, says, 'There is a widespread feeling that when oil goes up, pump prices rocket immediately – but when the oil prices falls, pump prices don’t reflect that call.

This causes a sense of complete exasperation and anger.

'FairFuelUK has been calling for this investigation into the road fuel market for months.

Anything that brings transparency and openness to a £32billion market that's always been shrouded in mystery, will be good for consumers, businesses and the UK economy.

We want full disclosure to make sure pump prices in this country are fair, reasonable and, most importantly, go down quickly when the price of crude falls.'

Mr Halfon's website, PetrolPromise.com, has posted a campaign video today explaining how he believes oil companies are price-fixing and keeping petrol prices high at the pumps.

The price motorists pay for fuel at the forecourts is determined by retailers who use oil price 'benchmarks' to decide how much to pay for future supplies.

This price is calculated by two main price reporting agencies - Platts and Argus - on data which is collected from firms which trade oil on a daily basis, like banks, hedge funds and energy companies.

But like Libor - the interest rate measure that Barclays was earlier this month found to have rigged - the market is not regulated. Instead it relies on the honesty of firms to submit accurate data.

This may have led to drivers paying over the odds to fill their tank, as petrol retailers buy their products based on the prices reported by the agencies.

Mr Halfon is one of 100 MPs campaigning for lower petrol prices and who also backed the successful campaign for Chancellor George Osborne to scrap a planned 3p fuel duty rise which was set to hit next month, said the Bank of England needs to investigate potential manipulation ‘urgently’.

The Petrol Retailers' Association also supports an inquiry.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2198583/Parliament-debate-possible-manipulation-oil-prices-dossier-brings-new-evidence.html#ixzz25kSS5hgG

“Praise heroes, don’t sack them” – RMT on Cumbria evacuation

by Tim Lezard - 1st September 2012, 8.41 BST

Union News

The safe evacuation of the Northern Rail train derailed near St Bees in Cumbria yesterday underlines the importance of safety-trained train and infrastructure crew who are under threat thanks to “wrong-headed” government policy, said the RMT.

As the media reported praise for the train crew’s calm and orderly evacuation of around 100 passengers, the union condemned the government’s plan to abolish guards under the notorious McNulty report, which aims to sack up to 20,000 rail staff to protect private operators’ profits.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Yesterday’s controlled evacuation in Cumbria underlines exactly why guards are so important and why the government is so, so wrong to put private operators’ profits ahead of rail safety.

“Passengers were full of praise for the way the train crew took control of the situation and led people to safety, but if the government gets its way the safety-critical role of guards will be ditched, along with thousands of safety-trained front-line station staff.

“RMT understands that a Network Rail mobile operations manager was also at the remote scene very quickly to take charge, but under the government’s plans to shift track control towards the private operators, this is another role that is under threat.

“It is at times like these that the crucial importance of professional, properly trained staff becomes so clear, and we would urge everyone who uses the railways to tell MPs and the government that cutting guards and other safety-critical staff is not an option.”

Want a cheaper flight?

Jetting off on holiday on a Tuesday could save a family £336

By Joanna Robinson
 UPDATED: 18:02, 28 August 2012

..If you want to pay less to jet off on holiday then Tuesday is the day to go, according to new research.

A study by consumer group Which? has found that Tuesday is the cheapest day of the week to fly with the biggest airlines in the UK - British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair.

The organisation analysed 1,174 September flights from each airline’s main airport to one of its most popular destinations.

 
Cheap flights: If you want to pay as little as possible for your flight, the best day to travel is Tuesday according to new research

British Airways flights between Heathrow and Barcelona, EasyJet between Gatwick and Alicante, and Ryanair between Stansted and Dublin were analysed, for one person with one piece of checked-in luggage.

Friday and Saturday were joint most expensive for British Airways, Friday was the most expensive for easyJet, and Sunday the most expensive for Ryanair.

With easyJet, travelling from Gatwick to Alicante in Spain on a Friday cost an average of 35 per cent or £28 more than the same trip on a Tuesday. For a family of four, this would represent a £112 difference.

The cheapest options varied between carriers, but those flying with easyJet would pay an average of 45 per cent or £56 more to return to Gatwick from Alicante on a Sunday than if they got back on a Thursday.

The midweek return would save a family of four £224.

When returning home Sunday is the typically the most expensive day to fly, while mid-week inbound flights were the cheapest, with the lowest average prices available from Tuesday to Thursday.

Return flights with easyJet from London Gatwick to Alicante on Sundays were on average 45 per cent (£56) more expensive than Thursdays.

Interestingly, the research also found that as well as cheaper days of the week, there were cheaper times of the day to fly – but this varied across different airlines.

Whilst most travellers assume that leaving at unsociable hours is the cheapest, this was only true of British Airways.

It showed that 86 per cent of BA’s cheapest outbound flights were in the morning, before 7.30am, and 86 per cent of its cheapest return flights were in the evening.

When checking prices in August, Which? found BA's two early morning outbound flights on 6 September were £106, but an evening flight was 52 per cent higher at £161.

Meanwhile, outbound flights with easyJet were most expensive in the mornings, with the priciest times between 5.45 and 11am.

 Return flights with easyJet were most expensive in the early afternoon – between 2pm and 3.55pm, while the cheapest were in the evening. 
 

More...Book before the end of August avoid Spanish holiday tax hike

Why Londoners pay less for holiday cash than everyone else

Squeeze on cost of living means 2 million adults join their parents on holiday

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: ‘With household budgets squeezed, holidaymakers will want to make sure they are getting a good deal on their flights.

'We found that people can save a significant sum of money if they shop around and can be flexible, changing the day or time they choose to travel.’

This advice comes too late for many who will have already returned from their summer holiday.

But it is more important than ever after the rise in air passenger duty in April has added an average of £92 to the price of a family trip to Europe

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-2194787/Want-cheaper-flight-Jetting-holiday-Tuesday-save-family-336.html#ixzz2571cnrsA

Is Britain becoming a nation of car renters?

 More opt to 'rent' new motors on finance that they never actually own

By Lee Boyce
 UPDATED: 16:49, 24 August 2012

..
Funding a brand new car on finance is growing in popularity. 

A whopping 68 per cent of new cars driven away from forecourts in the last year were funded from finance sold in car dealerships, research has shown.

And increasingly drivers are opting to use Personal Contract Plans to get a new car every three years or so, while putting down relatively small deposits and paying just a few hundred pounds a month for them - with a growing trend of never actually owning the car outright.

Our motor money expert Lee Boyce explores how we are becoming a nation of car renters.

 
Proving popular: A motor tends to be the second priciest purchase after a house - and an increasing number are turning to car finance deals to get a new vehicle

Between April and June 2012, the value of new car finance increased by 38 per cent compared to the same three-month period last year and the number of new cars bought on finance rose by 27 per cent, new data from the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA), the trade body for the motor finance industry, has revealed.

This meant more than £2.2billion was lent to consumers to fund the purchase of more than 155,000 new cars.

And it’s not just new cars that are being financed this way – almost 200,000 used cars were bought in the same period on finance, a rise of eight per cent.

How 'renting' a new car has boomedThe most popular product for financing a car, according to the FLA, is via a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), accounting for 61 per cent of all new finance agreements.

At the same time, Hire Purchase (HP) accounted for 26 per cent of the market and leasing eight per cent.

The growth of PCP has been substantial. According to data, back in 2006, only 38 per cent of car financing deals were via this method, opposed to 56 per cent taking out an HP deal.

So why has PCP become such a popular method to finance a car?

It’s not that different to an HP deal in the fact you go to a car dealer, you agree the amount you need to borrow and the dealer then contacts a motor finance company which pays for the car on your behalf.

The advantages of a new car

One of the major advantages in owning a succession of new cars on relatively low-cost finance is that drivers can seek cover from expensive bills under manufacturers' warranties.

New cars are typically sold with three-year warranties from the manufacturer - some come with five or even longer periods of protection.

Any faults other than those caused by wear and tear should be covered by the warranty, as long as owners stick to agreed mileages and service plans.

Some manufacturers even offer service plans with their cars, so buying one with three years of warranty and three years of free servicing can keep costs down.

The downside is that new cars depreciate fast - losing thousands in their first year of ownership, so it is important to factor that in and not ignore the true cost due to the convenient monthly payment structure.

.PCP finance deals can be offered across manufacturers, car dealers or through specialist brokers.
Broker or loan firm plans tend to be more expensive than manufacturer and official dealer deals.

Many will ask for a deposit, but this can vary between deal to deal - some dealerships will offer cars with no deposit, but these deals will be for those with a good credit history.

The PCP is typically structured so that you pay that deposit at the start, then a set amount of monthly payments, with a final balance, known as a deferred amount or 'balloon' payment at the end.

You make monthly payments to the finance company, which is the difference between the full loan and the deferred amount, plus an interest charge – unless you get a 0 per cent deal.

With an HP deal you own the car at the end with no other options, whereas with PCP you have the choice of whether to make that final payment.

For this reason, monthly repayments on PCP deals tend to be lower because you don’t necessarily own the car at the end of the loan: you can either pay off the deferred amount in full and keep the car, hand the car back to the dealer and walk away (depending on the T&Cs – this will often involve keeping the car in ‘pristine’ condition) or trade the car in and repeat the process.

In this tough economic climate, it appears that PCP deals fit in better with people’s budgets each month. HP monthly payments tend to be higher, because at the end of the finance deal you own the car - and that then has a resale value.

 Most owners use equity to fund another car

So which of the three options do those who take out a PCP tend to take?

Well according to rough estimates from the FLA, some customers choose to make the balloon payment at the end, but it’s not a huge number – around 20 per cent. 

A small minority choose to hand the car back at the end of the term, but the most popular choice is to use the equity in the car to act as a deposit for a new PCP deal and get a new car via this method every few years.

Equity in the car is the difference between the end balloon payment and the value of the car.

So, for example, if the end payment is for £4,000, but the car is actually worth £5,000 (a car dealership will usually value it via an industry-wide valuation service, CAP) you have £1,000 in equity.

This can be then used as a deposit towards a new car.

This has resulted in a growing number of people essentially ‘renting’ a car, and repeating the process over  and again in order to upgrade their motor, almost like a mobile phone contract.

A brand new car for £159 a month: How the deals stack up
Toyota Yaris: The manufactuer is currently offering a 0% PCP deal on this car
There are a handful of major manufacturers offering 0 per cent PCP deals.

For example, Toyota is offering the Yaris Edition – worth £11,695 - on a 36 month deal.

With a deposit of £1,905.40, a customer can pay £159 a month for three years and then either pay the final £4,224.60, hand the car back (certain T&Cs apply) or trade-in.

Toyota also offers a deal with no deposit - but the monthly payments are higher.
It is also offering a range of other models on 0 per cent deals, such as its Rav4 XTR, Aygo Fire and iQ.

Others offer PCP deals that do come with a higher APR. For example, Alfa Romeo is offering its Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 bhp Turismo on a 48 month contract at 6.2 per cent APR.

This requires a £4,745 deposit and the monthly payments are £219 per month.

PCP specialist newcar4me.com, which comes recommended on the Honest John website, lists a Jaguar XF 2.2d SE on a 48 month contract, which needs a deposit of £1,000, has monthly payments of £570, and a final payment of £9,091 - the interest rate works out at 9.5% APR..
 
The cat's whiskers: A Jaguar XF could be yours for just £1,000 down and monthly payments of £570 - but it will cost you £9,000 to actually own it at the end of the plan

Make sure you check all of your options on finance

As with any type of finance, it is important to check out all the options – for example, you may be able to get an unsecured or secured loan which can cover the cost of a car and end up saving you money – check the latest loan deals here.

A recent investigation by consumer champion Which? revealed that a number of car dealerships are not making the required information, such as the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and total cost payable, clear for buyers to make an informed comparison - so make sure you are fully aware of the costs involved.

John Hartnett, head of personal loans at M&S Money, said: 'Buying a car is a major purchase, and it is important that motorists spend time looking for a good deal on their finance, as well as searching for their perfect vehicle

'By spending just a few minutes looking at some of the best finance options available, you will be armed with enough information to judge whether the deal the car salesman is offering you is worth entering into or not.'

If you do decide to take up one of the options, it is important to shop around and haggle hard. You should, for example, look online to find the most competitive deal – if you know how much this is before you go into a dealership, you may find they cannot match the offer.

As with any loan, you should study the APR, make sure there are no additional fees and compare the total amount you’ll pay back.

If you’re taking out a PCP deal and plan to give the car back at the end of the term, it is important to check the terms and conditions with the provider – there may be mileage restrictions and clauses as to the state of the car when it is returned.

 
Finance online: A number of motorists are sourcing out finance deals online according to research
Increasing number turn online for car finance

Car Loan 4U, the UK’s largest online car finance website which works with 14 of the UK’s top lenders, has reported car loan completions rising by 76 per cent over the last year and expects growth to continue.

It says the average car loan taken out by prime customers – those with good credit histories - over the last 12 months has been £7,081 compared with £6,715 taken out by customers with a sub-prime credit profile.

Ryan Dignan, co-director of Car Loan 4U, said: ‘Over the last three years, the demand for online car finance has grown exponentially, as savvy car buyers increasingly turn to online resources to research their next car and find the most competitive deal from a wider selection of lenders. 

‘Many car buyers find the convenience and anonymity of applying for car finance online more appealing than carrying out a finance application publicly in a dealership.’

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2192080/Increasing-number-rent-motor-buy-it.html#ixzz256wtLZAu

Venezuela tops the ten cheapest countries in the world for petrol

- at 8p a litre

Study unearths the ten cheapest places to buy petrol in the world

Venezuela has the cheapest petrol in the world at eight pence a litre, according to a joint report by Evans Halshaw and This is Money.

It is so cheap in the country that petrol smuggling is thought to be a bigger business than drug smuggling – with neighbours such as Colombia paying more than 40 times the price for petrol, you can see why.

According to the statistics however, the average citizen’s income after tax is £354.48. This means that on average, 2.73 per cent of wages are spent on filling up the motor.

There is no doubt that Venezuelans have it good when it comes to petrol prices and how much they spend on filling up their cars, but it’s oil-rich nations in the Middle East that benefit from not only low petrol costs, but high wages as well.

Topping the list is Qatar, where the average person spends 0.4 per cent of their wage on unleaded petrol. Saudi Arabia is not far behind with 0.98 per cent, while Kuwait (1.2 per cent) and Bahrain (1.81 per cent) also beat Venezuela.

Qatar pays some of the highest wages in the world. The country, which will host the football World Cup in 2022, has a population of roughly 1.7million.

According to Forbes Magazine, it is the richest nation in the world. The research has found the average take home pay after tax is a mammoth £3,664.92, while the average petrol price is 12p a litre.

But it’s not all plain sailing for countries with cheap petrol. Turkmenistan has an average petrol price of 17p, putting it seventh of our list of cheap petrol.

However, this equates to a monthly bill of £20.53 to fill up a motor – and with the average monthly wage before income sitting at £115.42, it means 17.79 per cent of wages are spent on petrol.

This is easily the highest figure in the list and to put it into perspective, of the countries that made up the top ten expensive places for fuel, only three have higher percentage of income going on fuel bills.

These are Eritrea (61.1 per cent), Turkey (34.2 per cent) and Greece (25.4 per cent).

10. Iran
Price per litre: 21p Monthly cost: £25.36
Income (after tax): £388.68 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 6.53 per cent
9. Algeria
Price per litre: 17p Monthly cost: £20.53
Income (after tax): £173.26 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 11.85 per cent
8. Kuwait
Price per litre: 17p Monthly cost: £20.53
Income (after tax): £1,703.98 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 1.2 per cent
7. Turkmenistan
Price per litre: 17p Monthly cost: £20.53
Income (after tax): £115.42 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 17.79 per cent
6. Libya
Price per litre: 15p Monthly cost: £18.12
Income (after tax): £544.94 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 3.32 per cent
5. Bahrain
Price per litre: 15p Monthly cost: £18.12
Income (after tax): £998.19 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 1.81 per cent
4. Qatar
Price per litre: 12p Monthly cost: £14.49
Income (after tax): £3,664.92 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 0.40 per cent
3. Saudi Arabia
Price per litre: 10p Monthly cost: £12.08
Income (after tax): £1,234.78 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 0.98 per cent
2. Egypt
Price per litre: 9p Monthly cost: £10.87
Income (after tax): £247.35 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 4.39 per cent
1. Venezuela
Price per litre: 8p Monthly cost: £9.66
Income (after tax): £354.48 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol: 2.73 per cent
 

ENDS

UK airlines cut costs along with safety

Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:14PM GMT

Press TV

Pilots of airlines operating in Britain have been forced to make 28 emergency landings due to fuel shortage this year raising worries that flights’ safety is being sacrificed to cut operating costs.

According to figures published by British Civil Aviation Authority, the Virgin Atlantic with two forced landings at London Stansted Airport in January and the low-cost Irish airline Ryanair with three emergency landings in Spain were among the involved companies.

The forced landings due to fuel shortage come as the passenger jets of airlines operating in Britain should carry enough fuel to complete their flights and reserves to take them to an alternative airport where they should be able to circle for 30 minutes before gaining landing permission.

"There is pressure on pilots by airlines to carry minimum fuel because it costs money to carry the extra weight, and that is quite significant over a year,” a retired pilot told the Exaro website.

Safety chiefs at the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) say the airlines are carrying the minimum reserve fuel possible to cut costs but they fail to consider the combined impact of airport traffic and bad weather conditions leaving airliners running low on fuel.

“The way in which aircraft are being developed in becoming more fuel efficient, there is less need for fuel,” said BALPA’s head of safety David Reynolds.

“However the problem comes when there are delays.

The infrastructure in the South East is creaking … The very bad weather that we had in December caused pandemonium in the south-east of England.

 Aircraft were arriving and finding that they suddenly had nowhere to land because the airfield had closed or everybody else had gone there,” he added.

BMW 3 Series tops Which? list of unreliable cars

but what should you buy to beat hefty repair bills?

By Lee Boyce
PUBLISHED: 12:27, 10 August 2012 | UPDATED: 12:27, 10 August 2012

..
When it comes to buying a car, motorists want to be safe in the knowledge they are not choosing a dud which constantly breaks down and needs to go into the garage for pricey repairs.

Consumer group Which?, in its 2012 car survey, has named and shamed the motors that spend more time in the garage than others - and the ones that spend the least time.

BMW, the German car maker, prides itself on producing high-quality, safe and reliable vehicles – however, its BMW 3 Series Convertible has been judged the worst car on the market for breakdowns after spending nearly 3.5 days a year in the garage for repairs.
 
BMW 3 Series Convertible: The popular motor spends the most time in for repairs according to to Which?

FIVE LEAST RELIABLE CARS AGED 4-81. BMW 3 Series Convertible - 3.49 days off the road
2. Land Rover Discovery 3 - 2.69
3. BMW 5 Series Touring - 2.58
4. Volvo XC90 - 2.56
5. Citroen C4 Picasso - 2.53

.The popular upmarket drop-top spends almost a day longer off the road every year due to faults than any other car, according to Which?

It topped both the overall table and that for cars aged four to eight years old that spend most time at the mechanics.

The research also found that cars which just fall outside the warranty period, aged between four and eight years old, are the most likely to be off the road, including the BMW 3 Series.

The Peugeot 3008 crossover takes the wooden spoon as the car that spent the most time off the road while within its three-year warranty period.

At the other end of the scale, the Honda Jazz is likely to be off the road least, spending an average of 0.17 days every 12 months in the repair garage.

FIVE LEAST RELIABLE CARS AGED 0-3
1. Peugeot 3008 - 1.94

2. Land Rover Discovery 4 - 1.82
3. Alfa Romeo Giulietta - 1.37
4. BMW 3 Series Convertible - 1.33
5. Citroën C5/C5 Tourer - 1.29

.Which? said: 'These cars are likely to be outside the warranty period - making repairs a potentially much greater expense.

'Getting your car repaired at a garage can be expensive and inconvenient.'

So we’ve used exclusive Which? Car Survey data to uncover the cars that are most likely to break down - and how long, on average, they are off the road for.

'The best cars are likely to be off the road due to faults for less for than 0.2 days per year.’

The survey questioned nearly 40,000 drivers about more than 47,000 cars they owned.

The five models that spend least time in the garage
5. Peugeot 107 - 0.24 days off the road

Which? target price new: £7,995 - £10,580. Used: From £3,675

4. Kia Picanto - 0.24 days off the road
Which? target price new: £7,795 - £12,415. Used: From £6,675

 
Kia Picanto

3. Suzuki Swift - 0.18 days off the road
Which? target price new: £10,695 - £14,115. Used: From £7,475

2. Toyota Avensis - 0.17 days off the road

Which? target price new: £17,735 - £28,745. Used: From £10,250
 

THE WINNER: 1. Honda Jazz - 0.17 days off the road
Which? target price new: £17,735 - £28,745. Used: From £10,250

Land Rover is the least reliable overall manufacturer

Land Rover: It has finished bottom of yet another car reliability report

The owners of the Jaguar Land Rover Group may have reported a 34 per cent rise in profits this year, but there’s been no similar improvement in reliability, according to the Which? survey.

The manufacturer had a reliability score of just 63 per cent for its four to eight year old cars and 81 per cent for newer motors, putting it at the bottom of the table for year another year.

The current Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery 4 are among the brand’s worst offenders.

The Which? reliability score is calculated from the number of breakdowns and faults suffered by all models in the past year reported through its annual survey.

Faults are weighted differently for seriousness – so the more severe the fault and the more time the car is off the road, the harder the model is hit in its results.

The score for each of these areas are then combined to provide an overall reliability score for each manufacturer.

Honda is the top performer according to Which? It produces the highest scoring cars, over the longest period and boasts the best reliability rating for both new and used cars.

Which? says it’s testament to a few rock-solid models in the Honda range, especially the Jazz supermini and large hybrid Insight.

The top five most reliable manufacturers features a strong Japanese presence. To date in its annual survey, Lexus, Mazda and Toyota have always been there or thereabouts when it comes to producing solid cars.

TOP FIVE MOST RELIABLE
Manufacturer
 Sample size
 0-3 years
 4-8 years
 
Honda
 
Lexus
 
Kia
 
Toyota
 
Mazda
 
.TOP FIVE LEAST RELIABLE
Manufacturer
 Sample size
 0-3 years
 4-8 years
 
Land Rover
 
Alfa Romeo
 
Volvo
 
Vauxhall
 
Fiat
 
.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2186477/Top-reliable-reliable-cars.html#ixzz23ruhpnXk

UK Home Secretary opposes plans to treble Chinese tourists

 

Theresa May says she is opposed to proposals for attracting Chinese tourists.

 

Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:36AM GMT

Press TV

A leaked letter from British Home Secretary Theresa May has revealed that she is opposed to British ministers’ plan to treble the number of Chinese visitors to Britain.

Senior British ministers, led by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, have called for simplifying visa applications from Chinese tourists as they expressed concerns that the UK was falling behind France and Germany in attracting Chinese tourists.

“Nobody should underestimate the opportunity China and its cities represent.

By 2030, China should have around 1.4bn middle class consumers - creating a potential market four times bigger than America”, said Hunt on Tuesday 14 August.

However, a leaked letter from May’s private secretary has shown that she has rejected Hunt’s proposals as the issue escalated to the highest level of government with May being forced to answer questions from Prime Minister David Cameron, reported the Daily Telegraph.

According to Hunt’s proposals, Chinese visitors in tour groups should be given British and European visas at the same time.

 However, May claims that checks in Europe “do not match the UK decision quality”.

“The proposal...is not acceptable to the Home Secretary for national security reasons”, the letter said.

This comes as British government statistics show that only 147,000 Chinese tourists visited Britain last year while 1.2 million Chinese visitors went to France.

Lincoln Southern Bypass-CANCELLED

 

And without a whimper from Stephen Phillips QC MP,  whose

constituency the road would have run through.

 

Maybe he is just a YES man ?

 

So Lincoln ends up with 3/4's of a Ring road

 

Its total madness and catastrophic

 

Lincoln is one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities. 

Between 1991 and 2001 Lincolnshire’s population grew by 9.9 percent - almost four times the nations average.  A dynamic regional hub that is central to local and national transport connection, the Greater Lincoln area is rapidly establishing itself as a vibrant place to live and work.

As the city grows, it generates more traffic, increasing the pressures on the existing transport network. 

A new Southern Bypass would link the proposed Eastern Bypass (at the A15 Sleaford Road) with the existing Western Bypass (at its junction with Newark Road), creating a complete ring road around Lincoln. 

The County Council sees this as part of the solution to the city’s transportation problems.

Objectives:
To assist the sustainable economic growth of Lincoln and Lincolnshire:
By improvements to the strategic road network
By improving direct links to the Primary/Trans-European Road Network
To improve the quality of life in central Lincoln and in the settlements within the study area:
By reducing through-traffic
By relieving traffic congestion
By reducing traffic generation noise and air pollution
To maximise accessibility to central Lincoln:
By giving drivers more choice of routes to access or bypass Lincoln
By providing an additional river crossing
By reducing journey times for through-traffic travelling between areas to the east and west of the city.
To improve road safety in central Lincoln and the settlements within the study area by:

Providing an alternative, more direct route between areas to the east and west of the city, avoiding the city centre
Improving links between primary route corridors and increasing the range of entry points to the city

Reducing conflicts between heavy good vehicles, other road users, pedestrians and property

The Lincoln Southern Bypass has been the subject of two Public Consultations to seek the public’s views on the selection of a Preferred Route. Following an initial route assessment study, Public Consultation 1 was held in October 2005 and presented the public with three alternative route options for the bypass, Route 2a, Route 2b and Route 2c.

In April 2006, Route 2c was selected as a basis for an Emerging Preferred Route for Lincoln Southern Bypass by Lincolnshire County Council, taking into account the results of Public Consultation 1 and the studies preceding it.

Following further route development, a second public consultation on the bypass, Public Consultation 2 was held in October 2006. After careful consideration of all the scheme reports, on 5th December 2006 the County Council’s Executive Committee made the decision to endorse the Emerging Preferred Route, Route 2C, as its Preferred Route for the Lincoln Southern Bypass.

The Preferred Route has legal status and land along the route corridor will now be protected from development.  The scheme is currently awaiting National Government’s endorsement to proceed.

Union fears for 800 jobs as Virgin loses WestCoast rail

by Pete Murray - 15th August 2012, 7.31 BST

The UK’s largest rail operator has secured the lucrative franchise to operate the West Coast mainline between London and Glasgow, ousting Virgin Rail.

First Group had been front runner to run Britain’s busiest train service after placing the highest bid, valued at up to £5.5bn.

Virgin bid £4.8m.

Virgin has operated the franchise – which features its tilting ‘Pendolino’ trains – since 1997, running from London, through the West Midlands, to the rail hub at Preston and on to Cumbria and Scotland.

The Department for Transport says there will be extra seats and more investment in stations.

However, rail unions say up to 800 jobs could be at risk as catering and ticket staff are cut back to make more room for passengers on routinely crowded trains.

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, warned that passengers would have to pay the price of First Group’s winning the bid.

“This crazy franchise lottery, where the highest bidder scoops the pot, means that passengers will have to pay inflation-busting fares increases on the busiest line in the UK for the next 14 years.

“That is the only way that First Group will be able to pay their annual £500 million premium to George Osborne as well as rewarding their shareholders with profits.

“We already pay the highest rail fares in Europe and this cock-eyed lottery means they will only go even higher in the future.

“We should take a leaf out of Europe’s book and run a not-for-profit, publicly owned railway which benefits the passenger and not private shareholders.”

Analysts have been sceptical that the new operator will be able to re-livery the rolling stock, re-hire and re-train staff by the time the new franchise begins, in December.

Passenger numbers on the west coast service are reported to have increased by 9% a year, from 13m in 1997 to 31m now.

Rail unions say the government should bring train services back into public ownership as franchises come up for renewal, rather than re-letting control to private operators.

Hi Folks

This is your petrol prices update from PetrolPrices.com. Your current settings are to receive e-mail updates weekly.

PetrolPrices.com is now also available as an iPhone app:

 Cheapest stations within 5 miles of LN6  for Unleaded
 
 128.7p Asda Lincoln

Newark Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln, LN6 8JY

Asda, 0.42 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
 
 128.9p Sainsburys Lincoln

Tritton Road, Lincoln, LN6 7QN

Sainsburys, 1.7 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
 
 128.9p Morrisons Lincoln

Tritton Road, Lincoln, LN6 7QL

Morrisons, 3.82 miles away, last updated on 21 July
 
 
 128.9p Tesco Lincoln 1

Canwick Road, Lincoln, LN5 8HS

Tesco, 4.83 miles away, last updated on 21 July
 
 
 129.9p Lindum Service Station

Newark Road, Lincoln, LN6 8RP

Esso, 2.67 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
Cheapest stations within 5 miles of LS16 for Unleaded
 
 128.8p Shell Kirkstall

Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS4 2AH

Shell, 3.56 miles away, last updated on 20 July
 
 
 128.9p Shell Roydsbeck

Ring Road, Leeds, LS12 6AN

Shell, 4.68 miles away, last updated on 21 July
 
 
 129.9p Shell Horsforth

Broadway Ring Road, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4DF

Shell, 1.05 miles away, last updated on 21 July
 
 
 129.9p Morrisons Kirkstall

Savins Mill Way, Kirkstall, Leeds, LS5 3RP

Morrisons, 2.16 miles away, last updated on 21 July
 
 
 129.9p Broadway Service Station

Broadway Ring Road, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4DY

Esso, 3.1 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
Cheapest stations within 5 miles of CA6 for Unleaded
 
 129.7p Asda Carlisle

Chandler Way, Parkhouse, Carlisle, CA3 0JQ

Asda, 3.42 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
 
 130.9p M6 Shell Carlisle Northbound

A74 Northbound, Todhills Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4HA

Shell, 1.6 miles away, last updated on 21 July
 
 
 132.9p M6 Moss Connect Motorway Service Area Southbound

A74 Southbound, Todhills Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4HA

BP, 1.51 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
 
 133.9p Kingstown Filling Station

Kingstown Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, CA3 0BN

BP, 4.09 miles away, last updated on 22 July
 
 
 134.9p Morton Service Station

Wigton Road, Carlisle, CA2 6JS

BP, 4.81 miles away, last updated on 20 July
 

Cut price holiday for millions as pound hits four-year high against the Euro

By Sean Poulter
PUBLISHED: 19:39, 20 July 2012 | UPDATED: 20:14, 20 July 2012

Millions heading for Europe this weekend can expect more for their money after the pound hit a four-year high against the battered euro.

Every £1 will buy 23 per cent more in hot spots, such as Spain and Greece compared with last year.
While the pound is worth around 1.28 euros on international currency exchanges, the rate available to tourists is a lower 1.24.
 
British holidaymakers can look forward to bargain travels as the pound has hit a four-year high against the euro
But this still the highest level in four years and compares with just 1.04 a year ago.

Some two million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas over the weekend following the schools break-up.
Tourists to popular resorts in the eurozone will have the equivalent of some £115 more to spend than a year ago if they change £500 into euro currency, according to research by the Post Office. 
  
 
The graphic show the value of one euro against the pound over the past four years

Just as hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors are arriving in the UK for the Olympics, so huge numbers are departing these shores.

Airports are reporting that 482,000 passengers will leave from Heathrow, 275,000 from Gatwick, 132,500 from Stansted and 70,000 from Luton this weekend.

Over 100,000 will be leaving from Scottish airports with 50,000 from Glasgow alone.

It is expected that 297,000 will leave from Manchester, 64,000 from Birmingham and 45,000 from Bristol.

Other regional airports, ferry terminals and the channel tunnel will also be extremely busy over the weekend.

Eurostar is reporting that 50,000 will depart the UK with the destinations of Paris, Amsterdam and Lyon proving most popular
 
As thousands arrive at UK airports, such as Stanstead, ahead of the Olympic Games, so do UK families escaping the country as the schools break up.

Post Office Head of Travel Money, Andrew Brown, said: ‘Sterling’s growing strength is great news for families heading abroad during the school holidays.

‘The sterling gain extends to other European currencies too, which means that families travelling to the Continent in the coming weeks can cash in on some great value.’

Holidaymakers will get almost 23per cent more Hungarian forint than a year ago. 

That equates to over £92 more than a year ago for someone changing £500.

Sterling is also up by over 20 per cent against the Polish zloty while the pound is up some 18per cent against the Czech koruna, making Prague a cheap destination.

While currency movements have shifted in favour of British travellers to Europe, other factors will wipe out some of the gains.

Specifically, Spain is putting up VAT rates from August 1, which will mean higher prices on many things, including restaurant meals.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176638/Cut-price-holiday-millions-pound-hits-year-high-Euro.html#ixzz21BzOJIQf

High-speed rail is a rich man’s plaything

HS2 will benefit a few corporate centres and leave everyone else behind, argues Mike Geddes

In January, transport secretary Justine Greening announced that the 250 mph HS2 high speed rail link between London and Birmingham, to be extended later to Manchester and Leeds, was to go ahead.

Maria Eagle, the shadow transport minister, had some reservations, but nonetheless supported the government.

This cross-party consensus reflects the belief that HS2 will solve the apparent capacity problems on our inter-city rail routes and bring jobs and regeneration to the regions, helping to bridge the north-south divide.

Greening’s predecessor as transport secretary, Philip Hammond, said a high speed rail network would have a ‘transformational’ impact and ‘change the social and economic geography of Britain’.

 And if other European countries are pressing ahead with high speed rail, how can the UK not do so?

If Frère Jacques has fast trains, they argue, we must have a faster one.

Dubious claims

While the pro-HS2 lobby asserts it will support huge numbers of jobs, in fact the government only claims it will create 40,000, at a cost of £17 billion.

 Of these, a quarter would be in construction.

Of the remaining 30,000, more than two thirds will be in London, less than a third in Birmingham, and many of them would not be new jobs but relocations from elsewhere in the region.

This is not surprising – overwhelming research evidence shows that the biggest and strongest city will be the major beneficiary of new transport links.

So much for reducing the north-south divide.

Nor does HS2 have much in the way of green credentials.

The government can only claim vaguely that it would be no more carbon intensive over its lifetime than alternatives.

This is because its very high speed means it uses a lot of energy.

It could take some journeys off roads, but it will also stimulate new travel, including long road journeys to widely-spaced stations.

Extending the network to the north of England and Scotland could cut a few internal flights, but the runway slots released would be taken up by long-haul flights, increasing carbon emissions.

The demand projections used by HS2 also seriously overstate future inter-city traffic.

 Improvements to the existing network, especially the West Coast Main Line, could deal with likely demand increases much more quickly and at a fraction of the cost.

And that assumes that we should be blindly catering for demand, rather than controlling it.

Neoliberal transformation

So the claims for HS2 are make-believe. Hammond is right that HS2 would have a transformational effect – just not of the kind he suggests.

High speed rail would indeed create a new economic geography, accentuating the inequalities of the neoliberal market economy.

With stations only for London, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham/Derby, South Yorkshire and Leeds, it would tie together major cities (which is why Labour’s big city barons like it) but create a second tier of towns served by fewer and slower trains, and marginalise whole regions – the south and south west, Wales, East Anglia – that the proposed network ignores.

This new neoliberal map of Britain, floating free of the places where most of us live and work, and ‘compressing both space and time’, in David Harvey’s phrase, would at the same time accentuate social disparities.

The most affluent 20 per cent of the population make nearly half of all long distance rail journeys.

 As Hammond admitted in a rare moment of realism, HS2 will be a ‘rich man’s toy’.

And the government’s willingness to adopt from Labour a route that slices through a clutch of Conservative constituencies testifies to the hegemony of post-Thatcherite neoliberal conservatism over the old ‘shire’ Toryism.

The process by which HS2 is being imposed also bears all the hallmarks of neoliberal ‘governance’.

It is led by an unaccountable quango, HS2 Ltd, given a narrow remit to design a new rail line, thus ruling out the possibility that it would be better to spend money improving the existing rail network.

Exhibiting the classic neoliberal governance model of managerialism and managed ‘participation‑lite’, HS2 did organise a national public consultation.

The results showed massive opposition to the project. When asked ‘Do you agree that a national high speed rail network from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester would provide the best value for money solution for enhancing rail capacity and performance?’, less than 7 per cent of respondents said yes; more than 93 per cent said no.

Grands projets inutiles

Much is made by HS2 advocates of the ‘success’ of high speed rail in Europe. Again, the reverse is the case.

The Portuguese government has abandoned a £2.6 billion Lisbon–Madrid HSR link.

France’s plans for TGV expansion are running into financing problems because of the recession and the country’s budget deficit. Poland is shelving plans to build a 480-kilometre line.

The Dutch high speed train operator needed rescuing from bankruptcy with a £250 million government bailout; plans for an Amsterdam to Germany line have been suspended.

There are other similar examples.

Cities such as Lille in France are held up as examples of the regeneration impact of HSR, but in fact the regeneration of Lille has been fuelled by quite different funding programmes, and even so unemployment in the city has risen faster than nationally.

Across Europe, there is opposition to high speed rail. Under the banner of the ‘Treaty of Hendaye’ (the site of opposition to a Franco–Spanish high speed line), activists in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK have joined forces against grands projets inutiles (useless mega-projects).

In Stuttgart, activists against a high speed line have faced water cannon, while in the Susa Valley in Northern Italy a 20-year struggle has seen the route of the TAV project militarised to drive it forward.

 For these activists, linked to the World Social Forum, high speed rail is at odds with environmentally sustainable local economies and ways of life.

In England, there is an alliance of 70 local action groups opposing HS2.

The government has tried to characterise the opposition as wealthy ‘nimbys’, and the line does indeed run through attractive rural areas in the Chilterns and Warwickshire.

But not everyone who lives in rural areas and opposes HS2 is rich, and it also cuts through swathes of inner city London and Birmingham.

In reality, it is the business and political elites who support HS2 who are the rich and privileged.

Opposition

The question is why many who might be expected to oppose projects like HS2 either support it or have not yet woken up to its implications.

It is a great pity that the rail unions are taking the short term view that any new railway must be a good thing, rather than thinking about the threat to terms and conditions, and to employment elsewhere on the railways, posed by HS2.

And what about all the MPs and councillors in areas that will help pay for HS2 (an average of £51 million per constituency) but gain nothing from it, while local transport projects struggle for funding?

 Why should Bolton, Burnley, Barnsley and Bradford support their subordination to London, Manchester and Leeds?

 They might look at towns around Lille and Lyon that have suffered ‘collateral damage’ as investment has been sucked to the main regional cities with TGV stations.

Why should other trade unionists support a project creating relatively few jobs at an eye-watering cost of £400,000 each?

As Labour’s Sustainable Development Commission pointed out, the transport investments of greatest benefit to local economies are local and regional links, not prestige grands projets.

The government’s decision in January to go ahead with HS2 is only the start of an extended process, leading up to a parliamentary hybrid bill, which may or may not conclude in the lifetime of this parliament.

This summer, the announcement of the detailed route to Manchester and Leeds will be sure to provoke further protest.

There is still time for a progressive majority to realise it is being taken for a ride and stop this neoliberalism on wheels in its tracks.

Mike Geddes chairs Offchurch HS2 Action Group in Warwickshire

Survey shows thousands more enjoying countryside

7 July 2012 | By Olivia Midgley

MORE and more people are enjoying the great outdoors, a survey has revealed.

The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey, which sampled 47,000 people in 2011/12, found that volumes of visits to paths, cycleways and bridleways have increased by 20 per cent since 2010/11.

The report, which was commissioned by Natural England and with support from the Forestry Commission and Defra, also found:

• 68 per cent of visits were to places within two miles of the respondent’s home

• 93 per cent of the population agreed that having open green spaces close to where they live is important

• 86 per cent agreed that spending time out of doors was an important part of their life

• Nearly 2.7 billion visits were made to English countryside, coast and open spaces last year - around 65 visits per adult

• An estimated £20 billion was spent during visits to the natural environment in 2011/12

• Nearly 1 in 6 people (16 per cent) only visit the natural environment twice or less a year

Natural England’s executive director for people, landscape and biodiversity, Jim Smyllie, said the findings underlined the messages set out in the Government’s White Paper on the Natural Environment - that high quality local green spaces matter, especially for those in towns and cities who can’t afford trips out to the countryside.

He said: “The challenge for the 21st century is to create and maintain high quality natural green spaces at the heart of where people live.

“This makes the data in MENE more important than ever in helping design and deliver them, and it’s good news that the survey is being continued for a further three years.”

The Vietnam Love Affair Continues

Stickman

They say that you can never recapture the feeling of that first visit to Thailand. 

 The sights, the sounds and the smells can overwhelm the first time visitor. 

 It would be reasonable to think it would be the same when visiting other countries in the region, the first time being the most fun. 

But that wasn't the case for me with Vietnam. 

The second time around was even better!
I have just spent a few more days in my favourite city of the moment, Ho Chi Minh City, or as the locals still tend to refer to it, Saigon. 

 I'd been thinking about the place a lot since that first visit and couldn't wait to get back so on the spur of the moment I booked a ticket. 

 I was keen to explore more of the city, to see the sights I missed the first time around, to enjoy the fantastic food and to see if the overwhelmingly positive impressions I had on that first visit would be the same the next time around.

What follows is a brief look at some of the highlights of Saigon, and general thoughts and observations on visiting the city.

This was always going to be a year of travel for me, a year in which I planned to visit various places around the region conspicuously absent from my CV. 

My next jaunt was supposed to be Myanmar but the photos of a friend who visited recently just didn't inspire me. 

Just as many readers are keen to escape Farangland to spend a couple of weeks in Thailand each year, I couldn't wait to get back to Saigon.

The attractions of Saigon can be divided into two groups, war-related and non war-related.

The Reunification Palace was the workplace and living quarters of the President of what was South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. 

 When a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates in 1975, the Vietnam War ended.

The architecture of the palace has been preserved in all its glory with garish coloured carpets, heavy furniture and ironically, a very stoic, communist feel. 

 From the rotary dial telephones to the ancient communications equipment, everything is in pristine condition and looks like it is in working order. 

The price of admission includes a 1-hour guided tour with commentary in English. 

You are free to wander around and explore most of the palace yourself, but I'd do the tour first, get the history and then go roaming.
 

The War Remnants Museum is a 20-minute walk from Reunification Palace and fills in a lot of gaps if, like me, you're a little sketchy about the background to and the chronology and major events of the Vietnam War.

The museum features weaponry along with some amazing collections of photos from the war, including a powerful and disturbing section on Agent Orange and its (ongoing) effects. 

The photos from American war correspondent Larry Burrows are particularly compelling and capture every emotion of the war from pain to desperation to joy. 

 Outside the main museum building are weapons of war including tanks, helicopters, planes and ordnance. 

There's a replica torture chamber with contraptions that are totally inhumane.

While the museum is well put together, some of the claims made about the enemy I just cannot believe but that aside, it's a great way to spend a few hours.

The Cuchi tunnels is one of the extensive tunnel networks used during the war and located about an hour and a half's drive outside Saigon. 

 In Thailand you might make your own way to such an attraction yourself but getting around in Vietnam is not quite so easy and the best way to visit is to book a tour downtown. 

Tours are ridiculously cheap and start at around $US10, all in.

The grounds where the tunnels are located remind me of Cambodia's killing fields - awkward to reach and in some ways kind of disappointing once you get there. 

The Cuchi Tunnels is worth checking out, but to be frank, there's really not a lot there. 

A destroyed tank, a bunch of forest traps, and replica underground bunkers where you learn how the Vietnamese lived and operated underground.

The best part is that you get to go down into a tunnel.  Imagine the scene: You're underground, in a tunnel approximately 100 cm high and 70 cm wide. 

There's almost no light.  In front of me was a young English couple.  Immediately behind me were two young Irish girls. 

 The young English girl was concerned she was going to get stuck and her English boyfriend was trying to coax her on. 

She starts panicking, going on about what would happen if she cannot get out and he's trying to placate her.  She starts blaming him for them visiting the tunnels. 

 It's all his fault!  Behind me was an early '20s Irish girl freaking out. 

 While there are exits every 20 metres or so, there was no way you could get out if the people in front of and behind were having an episode. 

Passing someone in the tunnels isn't possible. 

You're underground, it's hot and sticky and you've got people cracking around you. 

 I imagine being chained up in a lunatic asylum in a ward full of nutjobs couldn't be much worse. 

 I was damned happy to get out of there. 

If you go down, either be the first or the last. 

Being trapped between people cracking up is freaky.

I personally found the tunnels as an attraction a little underwhelming and like the other war-related attractions, there was a nationalistic undercurrent to the way they were presented. 

 The Vietnamese are very welcoming of foreign visitors, but at the tunnels there's a major dose of propaganda that's at its most fervent in the video room. 

 A short documentary is shown with footage from the tunnels during the war with commentary praising the courage and bravery of the locals. 

Where it gets a bit much - and remember, I am not American - is that it goes on and on and on about how much the locals loved their life (during the time of war) and how they hate American bullets, hate American planes, and love killing Americans, notwithstanding that everyone knows that life in the tunnels must have been hell for one's general well-being. 

Over and over and over again you hear the phrase, "Killing Americans, killing Americans, killing Americans". 

Not killing the enemy, or killing outsiders in their country - remember there were a number of other countries helping the Americans including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand - but killing Americans. 

 It became nauseous.
 

Vietnam isn't dominated by Buddhism and you may see more churches than temples in Saigon. 

 One temple worth visiting if you're in to religious landmarks is the Emperor Jade Pagoda. 

Not nearly as dramatic as any of a number of Bangkok temples, nor anywhere near their size, it doesn't suffer the throngs of visitors that temples on the Bangkok tourist trail attract. 

The days of being able to worship in peace, or just take a photo in the Grand Palace without 100 strangers in the image are long gone. 

That's not the case at religious sites in Saigon.

The small temple is not much bigger than a medium-sized house and features rooms with intricate carvings, statues with the smell of incense wafting throughout. 

 If temples are your thing or you're a keen photographer, it's worth a look.

The Mekong River empties out into tributaries in a large region to the south of Saigon known as the Mekong Delta. 

There are many different tour options available to visit the area from day trips to overnight stays lasting a few days. 

It's a nice way to get out of the city and see a slice of rural Vietnam, even if the places you are taken to are very touristy.
 

Pham Ngu Lao is Saigon's backpacker lane, a curiously diverse area which seems to have something for everyone. 

A guesthouse sits next to a restaurant which is next to a naughty boy which is neighbour to a home with four generations!  If you like Khao San Road, you'll love it. 

 If you don't, it's still worth a look, and tends to be more happening after dark.
 

Post offices don't usually make for tourist attractions but the beautiful interior of Saigon's central post office is worth a few minutes. 

The Notre Dame Cathedral is a stone's throw away and the Reunification Palace less than 10 minutes walk away so there's no reason not to swing by.
 

I couldn't in all honesty say nightlife is an attraction in Saigon. 

Bars exist and there is a small number of bars with naughty girls set up primarily for foreigners. 

There are bars with a name featuring a number such as Bar 49 in the streets surrounding the Sheraton, and another bunch of bars Pham Ngu Lao. 

There's a reason Vietnam is not on the naughty boys list of places to plunder.

 
 

One thing I got totally wrong on my first visit was the impression that the level of English in Saigon exceeds that in Bangkok. 

 It doesn't, not at all and it's not even close. 

 I must have had amazingly good luck on that first trip meeting locals who speak English well. 

 Away from those who deal with tourists the level of English ranges from poor to non-existent. 

 Even taxi drivers - who you'd expect would get tourist traffic - often speak no English at all. 

 Asking them if they speak the international language often results in an immediate and very definite "No!", amazing in a country where seemingly everyone has a desire to make money.
 

If I had one criticism of Saigon from the perspective of a visitor, it concerns safety. 

 While the central parts of the city feel as safe as Bangkok, the organisation of tours was at times sloppy in ways it wouldn't be in Thailand. 

 Boats pulled up to jetties without any gangway making getting on and off very awkward if you weren't nimble. 

 The lack of information about what to expect and any real warning before entering the Cuchi Tunnels was a concern, especially when people in my tour group started freaking out underground. 

 Don't take this as Stick being politically correct and wanting everything to be sterile and safe like the West, I just felt some things were a little sloppy which struck me as almost unVietnamese.

Using the local currency, dong, can be confusing. 

At a little under 21,000 dong to $1, you need to think twice about how much something costs. 

Dollars can be used in some places, but are not as widely accepted as they are next door in Cambodia. 

You can change Thai baht into dong in Saigon but the rates offered for baht are low. 

The official rate is around 670 dong to the baht, but most money changers offered around 570. 

For Bangkok-based expats, change your baht to dollars at Wasu or Super Rich, and then change dollars to dong in Vietnam. 

While some Bangkok money changers carry dong, the spread is huge, even worse than with the Philippine peso or the Indonesian Ruppiah so don't bother buying any in Bangkok.

If you're travelling on a passport issued by a Western country, a visa is required to enter Vietnam and must be applied for in advance. 

 If you apply at the Embassy of Vietnam in Bangkok, note that they provide the express service by default i.e. you pay a premium for the visa to be processed and available for collection the next day - which you may not require. 

Express service is 2,300 baht and the standard service takes 3 days and costs 500 baht less.

Fuel Duty Tax Frozen For The Year

 Sky News – 6 hours ago

 

The Brent Crude price is at a 16 month low.

Maybe Osborne things fuel prices will rise as Crude Oil prices rise for the Winter ?

Radical

 

Chancellor George Osborne has scrapped August's planned 3p rise in fuel duty and frozen the tax for the rest of the year.

The £500mn boost to motorists can be paid as a result of departmental savings across Whitehall, the Treasury said.

Announcing the measure to cheers from Tory benches in the Commons, Mr Osborne said fuel duty would now be 10p a litre lower than under the plans inherited from Labour.

"We are on the side of working families and businesses and this will fuel our recovery at this very difficult economic time for the world," he said.

Supermarkets to slash fuel prices

Press Association – 10 hours ago

Asda is again cutting the price of its pertrol and diesel
Supermarkets Asda and Sainsbury's are cutting the price of petrol.

From Tuesday customers at Asda's 196 filling stations will pay no more than 127.7p a litre for petrol and no more than 132.7p a litre for diesel.

Asda said this was the lowest price for a litre of fuel since February 2011.

The latest cut means Asda has shaved 14p off the cost of a litre of fuel since the end of April, reducing the cost of filling up a family car by almost £10.

Asda's petrol trading director Andy Peake said: "After a weekend of falling oil prices and fading hopes of an England victory at the Euros, our petrol price cut will bring a smile back to the nation's faces."

Sainsbury's said it was reducing its fuel prices too, with petrol and diesel coming down "by up to 2p per litre" from Tuesday.

The AA said the 14p Asda reduction since April was welcome.

While Asda had dropped its petrol price largely in line with wholesale, the UK average was down 10.5p a litre since the record high in mid-April.

AA public affairs head Paul Watters said: "We expect to see the usual behaviour of other retailers matching Asda where they need to while charging up to 4p a litre more in other towns, from southern England up into the Midlands.

"This winds up drivers, local and national politicians more than retailers seem to understand.

The Government's pressure for fuel price transparency may help to reduce the postcode lottery that blights fuel prices in the UK.

"It may also address the disparity between petrol versus diesel prices at wholesale level and the price gap at the pump.

 In April, retailers in Europe were charging less before tax for diesel than petrol.

Not in the UK, of course."

Grimsby – Next to Cleethorpes

Don’t miss it.

Going to Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre ?

An Inspiring Day for all the family

Its about Grimsby’s Maritime history

So you get a trip around the Ross Tiger Trawler

It’s hands on centre

Authentic and good value for money

Being right next to Sainsbury’s there is good parking.

I have been three times and with friends visiting Lincoln

I also make a point of visiting the Fish Market to buy some Haddock, Plaice, Herring and a multitude of fresh seafood. All at below supermarket prices.

The Fishing Heritage Centre
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Location:
Grimsby
Alexandra Dock Grimsby Grimsby Lincolnshire DN31 1UZ
Tel: +44 01472 323345
Fax: +44 01472 323555

For the Fish Market
Click in DN31 3QJ into you SatNav or AA route planner

 

There is also Hull and the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Try www.yorkshirebreak.co.uk and the "East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Guide"

Cut the cost of your summer holiday

by acting like a savvy seasoned traveller

By Ruth Lythe

PUBLISHED: 00:00, 30 May 2012 | UPDATED: 11:53, 30 May 2012

Travellers have rarely had so much choice when they book a holiday.

Popular destinations have dozens of airlines and car rental firms — and an array of ways to pay for days out and meals.

Seasoned travellers know there are some hidden costs, but in recent years a mind-boggling number of sneaky fees have been introduced to catch out even the most savvy.

Get it wrong and you could find yourself forking out hundreds of pounds before you’ve even checked in for your flights or be lumbered with a shock credit card bill on your return.

 WHY IT ALWAYS PAYS TO PACK LIGHT

Extra charges can vary hugely between airlines — and you need to be sure that what you’re booking matches your needs.

You can be charged for anything from booking a specific seat to putting a bag into the hold. Even paying for tickets can cost you dear.

Some of the baggage charges levied by budget airlines can be eye-watering.

For example, Ryanair travellers who book over the phone and fly to Greece, Cyprus and the Canary Islands will pay £130 to load a 20kg bag.

Even hand luggage on the same flight that is just a couple of grams overweight will cost you £50 a bag.

Airlines have different rules for children, too.

Some make you pay for carrying under-twos. For example, easyJet will hit you with a £40 charge for a return flight, even if your child is sitting on your lap. 
 

Be absolutely certain your booking is correct before you pay.

 Changing a name in a booking with Ryanair — easily done if it doesn’t match that in your passport precisely— costs £160 over the phone and £110 online.

Changing your flight with the airline will cost you up to £90.

And remember that with most budget airlines seating is a free-for-all — if you want to sit together you’ll have to pay.

With Flybe, you can be charged up to £30 for this, while easyJet will hit you with a £24 fee.

MONEY MAIL’S TIP: Be a smart packer, but be realistic and plan for slightly heavier bags.

DON’T GET SNARED BY CURRENCY CONS
The pound has climbed against the euro to its highest level in three-and-a-half years, and has also risen against the Turkish lira.

Last July, £1 bought €1.10, but now it has leapt much closer to €1.25. And against the Turkish lira, £1 is now worth 2.70, compared with 2.40 a year ago.

This is great news for holiday- makers — but don’t lose all this benefit by falling for any one of a crop of currency tricks.

Enlarge    For starters, never buy your currency at an airport, at a holiday destination bureau de change or from your bank — these usually offer the worst rates.

British holidaymakers visiting the Continent lose £130 million spending money this way every year.

On the High Street, Marks & Spencer and the Post Office offer good deals.

Yesterday, the Post Office would give €1.21 for every £1. By contrast, Travelex in Heathrow Airport would offer just €1.13.

High Street banks do not always give the best rate, and buying your currency online is usually cheaper than ordering it in a store.

Yesterday, €500 would cost you £423.50 at Barclays, while the best deal with online exchange Moneycorp would cost just £408.69.

If you’re worried the pound could fall in value before your summer break, rather than stashing a pile of cash at home you can buy a pre-paid cash card and lock in the rate today.

These cards work in exactly the same way as credit cards, but you pay to load it with money in advance. You can choose from any number  of currencies.

Beware of extra fees and charges.

 Some cards charge £2.50 a time for withdrawing cash, while others have monthly charges of £2 for not  using the balance on your card  when you come back from holiday.

The best pre-paid card is CaxtonFX, which has no ATM charges or charges on purchases.

Yesterday, €500 would have cost you just £409.

You can get a free currency card from FairFX via the This is Money partnership.
Most debit and credit cards have huge fees if you use them overseas.

They can charge poor exchange rates, one-off fees for transactions and withdrawing cash, and percentage charges for every sum you spend.

So choose a card that cuts extra charges while abroad.

Halifax’s debit card hammers you with a £1.50 fee every time you spend abroad.

The Lloyds TSB debit card adds 2.99 per cent to the exchange rate. 

RBS’s debit card will charge you an eye-watering £5 for every withdrawal abroad over £250.

The cheapest cards to use overseas are the Halifax Clarity credit card and the Sainsbury’s Gold credit card.

The Halifax credit card has no foreign-exchange fees for cash withdrawals or spending in shops and restaurants. The same applies to the Sainsbury’s credit card.

This has a monthly £5 fee, but the bonus of a comprehensive family worldwide travel insurance policy.

Because these are credit cards, interest on cash withdrawals starts mounting up the moment you spend.

So, on the Halifax card, which has a rate of 12.9 per cent, the maximum a £100 cash withdrawal would cost you over a year is £9.79, assuming minimum repayments over a year.

Nationwide customers with the building society’s current account can apply for a Select credit card.

This offers commission-free  purchases abroad.

Norwich & Peterborough Building Society offers two current accounts, the Gold Classic and Gold Light, which come with debit cards that are free to use overseas.

However, there is a £5 monthly fee on the Gold Light card.

And ensure you always pay using your own bank’s exchange rate while away. In some bars and restaurants, they’ll offer you a local rate of exchange when paying the bill.

This is called ‘dynamic currency conversion’ and can leave you out of pocket with worse rates. Always stick to paying in the local currency at your credit or bank card’s own rates. 

MONEY MAIL TIP: For cash to take with you, order it online.

Use a credit card in shops.

THE PRICEY CAR HIRE TRICKS
It’s never been easier to book your hire car, with dozens of companies at every airport.

This extra competition is keeping prices down. A week’s car hire in May in Alicante costs 45 per cent less than it did two years ago, according to comparison website Travelsupermarket.

But hire companies are trying to claw back cash by hitting families with hidden extra charges.

Typically, they do this with outrageous insurance excesses, unwanted upgrades, sneaky fees imposed once you’ve returned the car and fuel bills.

Increasingly, some charge a bargain price and then charge you for a full tank of petrol when you arrive — doubling or tripling the cost of hire.

A reputable company should give you the option of returning the car with an empty or full tank.

It’s also absolutely vital to know what you’ll pay if you have an accident.

Even if you have insurance, you will have to pay for the first part of the claim, called the excess, which can be as high as £1,000.

You will end up paying if the car is damaged in any way — even if it just received a tiny scratch. Some  companies use this to scare you into buying expensive excess waiver insurance, which can cost up to £20 a day.

But there are cheaper ‘excess waiver’ insurance policies than those offered by the car hire firms.

With these policies, you would need to pay your excess to the car-hire firm if you had a crash, then reclaim it from the insurer.

Also, don’t fork out for expensive personal accident insurance flogged by the car-hire company without first checking if you are covered by your home or car policy.

MONEY MAIL TIP: Buy car-hire excess cover before you go. Try to spot a petrol station as you leave the airport so you can head to it to fill up when you return the car.

PARKING THAT COSTS MORE THAN A FLIGHT
parking is a huge money-spinner for airports, which charge sky-high prices for travellers who fail to  plan ahead. You need to book at least 30 days before your trip to get the best deals.

One week’s parking at Heathrow can cost £120 if you turn up without a reservation. But book ahead and the price falls to £77. One week’s parking at Liverpool Airport costs £31.99 when booked in advance, but jumps to £80 without a reservation.

Every airport in the country has dozens of ‘meet and greet’ or valet parking companies.
Enlarge    With these, a driver picks up your car at the airport and takes it to a parking bay — usually some way from the airport. They normally cost around £50 for a week.

Some of these are reputable firms, but travellers using this service are increasingly being targeted by dodgy firms in it for a fast buck.

Money Mail has been inundated with horror stories from tourists who were made to wait days for their car to be returned. To guard against this, make sure you research the car-parking company before you travel.

MONEY MAIL TIP: Get friends or family to drop you off. If you do need to park, book in advance.

TALK ISN’T CHEAP OVERSEAS
The cost of using a mobile phone abroad is coming down. From July, the cost of making calls and of using the internet will be capped.

This should help stop many of those shock bills that families have come home to in previous years.

Phone companies are limited to charging you 70 euro cents per megabyte of data when you use your phone’s internet function, while they must cap the total amount you can spend at €50.

The cost of calls within the EU has also been capped at just 29 euro cents a minute and is due to be slashed to 19 cents by 2014.

By law your phone company must also warn you when you are approaching the €50 limit. However, it does not have to block your service if you go beyond this.

Remember that if you are calling a friend or family member you are on holiday with, you will both pay for the overseas call.

When sending text messages, only the sender pays.

MONEY MAIL TIP: Switch off ‘data roaming’ on your phone. If you need to use the internet, surf for free on a hotel or cafe wireless network

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-2151740/The-clever-tricks-cut-cost-summer-holiday.html#ixzz1wUvWb3WC

Sun, sand and...political unrest?

by YouGov in Consumer and Editor's picks
Tue May 29, 12:25 p.m. BST
 
 Political unrest biggest reason why Britons would avoid a holiday destination; bad reviews second

Over half of Britons have said that political unrest would be one of the top three factors most likely to put them off travelling to a holiday destination, our online survey has revealed.

Bad reviews from friends or family, and resorts having a poor reputation online, were also factors cited when it comes to dissuading holidaymakers from a given resort.

◦54 % of Britons chose 'political unrest' among their top three reasons for not travelling to a holiday destination

◦Britons aged 55 and over were most concerned about political unrest disrupting their holiday, as 61% of this age group cited events such as the riots in Greece as one of the three main factors which would put them off certain destinations

◦32% of those over 55 said listed bad reviews by friends and family

◦While 29% said that the area being known for unseasonably bad weather would put them off going

Our online poll of 2,007 British adults, commissioned by prepaid currency card company Caxton FX, revealed the most influential factors which will cause Brits to avoid certain destinations, in a country or area they wanted to visit.

Bad reviews
Having a stellar reputation online could make or break summer resorts, the poll suggests.

◦29.9% of Britons online said they would avoid certain destinations if they read bad reviews on travel websites such as TripAdvisor

◦The 25 to 44 age group were most influenced by the 'Trip Advisors' of the internet, with 33% of this age group saying they would avoid certain destinations after reading bad reviews online
Friends and family recommendations
However, despite the ease of hundreds of reviews at your fingers tips online, it seems that word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family are still significant when it comes to choosing your next trip.

◦29.7% of Britons said that bad feedback from family or friends would put them off choosing a destination

◦And it seems that that family and friends' recommendations get more important with age, as 38% of 45-54 year olds cite this as an important consideration

◦Versus only 21% of those aged 18 to 24 who would be influenced
Affordable luxury?
Aspects of cost also ranked highly in the survey as Brits are increasingly looking for affordable luxury after a few years of tightened purse strings.

◦The rise in fuel prices was a major concern, as 28% of consumers would find the cost of flights one of their top 3 factors putting them off

◦Additionally, 26% of Brits were concerned about the cost of accommodation when booking their holiday

◦While worries about the Eurozone are affecting people's holiday choices, as 14% profess to being put off going to a country with a bad exchange rate
James Hickman, MD of Caxton FX commented: “Summer holidays are a costly luxury for most and it’s evident that when Brits are spending their hard earned money, they want it to be a dream holiday.

"Clearly, consumers are increasingly sensitive to the news agenda, as the Greek riots, Trip Advisor’s profile, and the Eurozone crisis are all affecting our holiday making decisions in 2012. It’s important that Brits do their research, ask around and don’t take their holiday decisions lightly.”

The Most Likely Factors That Put Off People Choosing a Holiday Destination:

See the survey details and full results here

 

First Impressions of Vietnam

I'd never visited is Vietnam which is kinda surprising given how long I've lived in the region, how much I like travelling and how the pursuit of good food is a big part of the travel experience for me. 

 Vietnam is but an hour and a bit on the big bird from Bangkok and with opportunities for street photography said to be first class it was time to right a wrong. 

On a whim I decided to get out of Bangkok and visit the country many long-term Westerners in Bangkok still refer to as 'Nam.

The trip to Ho Chi Minh, AKA Saigon, was made with little research. 

Despite recommendations from friends of places to check out, and even knowing some Stickman readers live in Ho Chi Minh, I chose to do it my own way. 

There's little more rewarding that discovering things on the ground yourself. 

And going solo means I can do my own thing, go where I want, when I want without having to consider anyone else. 

Travelling alone you reach out more and make a greater effort to engage people - and I've also found that the locals seem more likely to get chatty with someone on their own than someone with a companion or two in tow.

I finally made it to Vietnam this week and what follows are a few snaps along with a brief description. 

This is very much a brief look, and my initial impressions of the city. 

A more detailed look at Ho Chi Minh will follow next week.

When I think of Vietnam, I think of conical hats and ao dais, the national dress worn by Vietnamese women.  Conical hats could be seen everywhere, but the ao dais were harder to come by.

The children are all smiles but something seems to happen when they get older when smiles are only seen when you would expect to see them. 

Smiles aren't overused or abused, as they are somewhere else...

 There's much Western style architecture to be seen in the downtown area, the influences of once being a French colony easy to see.

Phnom Penh hotel

But getting around is not nearly as easy as Bangkok. 

There's no skytrain or underground, no pedestrian bridges and traffic is equally bad with its own unique rhythms that take a little getting used to.

It does rather seem that, just like in Thailand, it is women who do a lot of the work, even menial labour.

Vietnam might be officially socialist but there are few reminders. 

Whenever you look the people of Ho Chi Minh are pursuing opportunities and seem to be capitalistic by nature. 

I didn't see one beggar. 

Not one. 

You want money? 

You go out and earn it! 

What a nice change from Bangkok.

 That awful phrase "same same but different" applies. 

Thailand has tuktuks, Cambodia has motodops and Vietnam has cyclos.

Food on the street appeared clean and whenever I saw someone eating street food I found myself looking more closely at the food and then over at the vendor where I would be impressed by their workspace and how the food was prepared. 

Whereas in Thailand street food may taste ok even if the vendor's hygiene looks questionable, on the streets of Ho Chi Minh the food looks great and you actually want to try it!

A vendor in the main downtown area has current edition magazines and yesterday's newspapers from all around the world. 

The downtown area has a very cosmopolitan feel with a lot of high-end shopping but an absence of US fast food restaurants. 

If McDonalds, Burger King or Starbucks have branches in Ho Chi Minh, I didn't see them.

Slim, fair-skinned, tramp stamp-free, superior English, a ready smile and miniskirts in abundance. 

 Need I say more?!

There's not a lot of meat here and a full article with more thoughts and something of a comparison between Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok will run next week. 

 I need a bit of time to get my head clear on this, but what should be a slam dunk victory for Bangkok in almost every respect is not that at all...

Before I round off, let me say this. 

 I was chatting with the owner of Tilac a week after Songkran. 

He and a few mates had had a couple of weeks in Vietnam and when asked about it, his eyes went wide, a big grinned appeared, a bunch of superlatives followed with his closing words something to the effect that if Thailand didn't have gogo bars, the equation would be very different...

Reflecting on Ho Chi Minh City

I was looking forward to visiting Vietnam as I look forward to visiting any country I have yet to step foot in. 

 But truth be told, I wasn't looking forward to it that much. 

 I'd never cared for Vietnamese food, had heard the locals weren't as friendly or welcoming as the Thais and then there was the war. 

My boys played but a bit part which I quietly hoped would have been long since forgotten. 

After the atrocities of that war, how could I expect to be well-received?

Prior to visiting Vietnam I had mixed feelings. 

What I'd experienced and heard of the country hardly inspired me, and friends who had visited hadn't been enamoured by the place. 

 I was to be pleasantly surprised.  Very pleasantly surprised.

Back in Bangkok after a wonderful few days in Ho Chi Minh City, I've been reflecting on a trip to a country which made quite an impression...

Environment

Downtown Ho Chi Minh City isn't as built up nor does it have a skyline like Bangkok's. 

Modern buildings sit next to colonial architecture and the city is going through a period of rapid development with construction sites everywhere. 

The suburbs are bland and feel feature soulless with shophouse after shophouse and less greenery than downtown.

The streets are busy, with motorbikes making up maybe 95% of traffic but unlike Bangkok the traffic actually flows.

Downtown is clean with street cleaners in bright orange uniforms studiously going about their duties around the clock. 

 With its wide boulevards and high-end European fashion outlets, a few blocks in District 1 almost feel like Singapore.

Vendors sell the usual food, trinkets and junk on the streets you find all over the region, but the city's sidewalks are much less congested than Sukhumvit or Silom.

There are no soi dogs, and when you do see dogs they appear to be well looked after. 

There's always been something about the way Thais treat animals and the condition of many that has never sat well with me.

Overall, HCMC is cleaner than Bangkok and the quality of the air is much better. 

The downtown area of Ho Chi Minh feels neither as developed nor as cosmopolitan.

People

The Vietnamese remind me of the Hong Kong Chinese, keenly going about their business, something they seem to have a natural disposition towards. 

People seem to be more industrious than the Thais, and when it comes to providing a product or service, customer satisfaction seems to be a priority. 

Yes, they want to make a sale but they want you to be satisfied, something which it's easy to feel is not always the case in Thailand.

The Vietnamese seem to have a better idea of what customers want. 

Quickly working out that no, I wasn't looking for a lady, a motorbike taxi rider suggested a tour of some markets. 

No, all I want to do is roam and take photos, I said, and immediately a different itinerary was presented - a visit to a slum where photographic opportunity abounds. 

 The Vietnamese seem keen to satisfy the market, rather than shape the customer and try to convince them of what they want - refreshing!

Physically, the Vietnamese are noticeably slimmer than the Thais, for which there is probably a multitude of reasons. 

The local diet includes more vegetables and other than KFC and a single branch of Burger King at the airport, US fast food chains are conspicuous by their absence. 

Apparently this is because the Vietnamese government insists all ingredients must be locally sourced and presumably the Golden Arches and co. haven't been able to find suitable local suppliers. 

Of course the Thais as a nation are wealthier - and generally wealthier nations have bigger people.

I had heard that the Vietnamese were intense but I saw no real evidence of that. 

#In fact I found the Vietnamese people easy to warm to and while they don't have the ready smiles of the Thais, actually getting them to smile became something of a challenge. 

When they smile, it feels real.

I was approached one day by some friendly local 20-somethings while walking through one of the city's many parks who were keen to practice their English with a native speaker. 

Finding myself surrounded by a group that slowly grew in size, I couldn't help but be impressed by their intelligent and well-thought out questions. 

They were friendly, interesting, engaging and very keen to learn, both about English but also the world outside their country.  What a pleasant change!

One group had been chatting with me for about 20 minutes and we'd jumped across a range of subjects, some of which you'd never broach with people you'd just met in Thailand when one, very perceptive guy says to his friends, "I think we have taken enough of his time. 

He looks like he wants to continue on his way taking photos. 

Sir, we don't wish to bother you any more. 

We're very thankful for your time and we hope you enjoy your stay in our country." 

What a delight they were!

Accommodation

Quality accommodation is widely available and reasonably priced. 

For less than $40 you can get a very well-appointed room in a new hotel in the city's commercial district with a decent view, a fantastic breakfast, and the sort of amenities you would only find in 5-star properties un Bangkok. 

Internet speeds are significantly faster than Bangkok and free wi-fi connections are everywhere. 

Many of the big hotels are in the main shopping district on one side of the downtown area, which is known as District 1. 

$40 seems to be the sweet price point where you can get a room that reminds me of miniature version of a room in a Bangkok 5-star hotel.

The backpacker area seems similar to Khao San Road with the usual mix of guesthouses, travel agencies, eateries and bars. 

I enjoyed venturing into the shadows of the area, wandering the labyrinth of alleys, some so narrow that two people could not possibly pass each other at certain points. 

Exploring these dark alleys late at night, I found some open up into wider alleys full of neon lights, with hotels with but a number for a name and dubious characters milling around outside. 

You don't have to have been in Asia long to know what that means.

In terms of long-term accommodation suitable for expats, HCMC is similar to Phnom Penh in that prices far exceed what you would pay in Bangkok. 

 Quite a few expats live long-term in hotels, with those keen to save a few dong staying away from the centre of town, or what is known as District 1.

Food

Vietnamese food in both Thailand and my homeland has always left me unimpressed. 

Ask me what I'd like to eat and Vietnamese would never be on the list. 

But Vietnamese food in Vietnam is fabulous!

Eating well in HCMC won't break any budget. 

On the street and in the backpacker area, prices are ridiculously low and you can wash your food down with a San Miguel for less than $1. 

Fancy something Western? 

A fresh bread roll with pate, meat and vegetables can be had for under $1. 

Amazing value!

The quality of the produce is at least on a par with Thailand. 

It might even be better - at least if you compare what is readily available on the streets of Ho Chi Minh, compared to what is regularly available on the streets of Bangkok - from where I suspect the best quality produce is exported.

The Vietnamese don't lather their food in spicy or pungent sauces and flavours come from the main ingredients, not primarily the sauces as is so often the case in Thailand.

When it comes to Western food, the Vietnamese stay true to the original recipes. 

Local spices aren't used as they are in Thailand where, say, Italian or German dishes often have the original spices and seasoning replaced with Thai variants altering the flavour.

Bakeries produce breads and cakes of a quality that exceeds what you get in Bangkok 5-star hotels - and for less than half the price.

And the coffee?  Heavenly! 

Be it Vietnamese style coffee at small streetside stalls or coffee in the cafes which are ubiquitous, Vietnam is rightfully known as a producer of high quality coffee.

The most popular beers appeared to be much the same international brews available in Thailand - Heineken, San Miguel, Tiger,  Beer Lao along with a few local brews, none of which I tried. 

There's a good selection of French wine too. 

Drinks prices in bars are similar to what you'd pay in Bangkok, although in the backpacker area prices are lower than in Bangkok. 

A bottle of San Miguel beer could be had for 16,000 dong, or about 25 baht - in a small restaurant, perhaps 2 - 4 times that in a better bar.

General Costs

HCMC is an inexpensive destination. 

Accommodation, food, tours and entrance fees are all cheaper than what you get in Bangkok.

Locally made products are cheap, but Western brand names are expensive.

Taxis charge about 3 times what they do in Thailand, but given that the longest distance most will cover is from the airport to downtown, a journey of just 7 km will set you back $7.50, or about 230 baht. 

If you can't afford that, you should stay at home.

I never did work out what the story with tipping was. 

I personally tipped when service was good and didn't when I felt little extra effort was made.

Street food seemed to incur dual-pricing where foreigners paid 2 or 3 times what locals do. 

Still, paying 10,000 dong (15 baht or about 50 cents) for a wonderful iced coffee won't break the bank. 

As a tourist, a few extra baht here and there won't hurt but if I was an expat resident I probably wouldn't see it that way.

Nuisances, Menaces & Scams

Locals tell me that Ho Chi Minh is safer than Bangkok, but I'm not convinced.

I walked around with camera in hand and frequently received comments from expats and locals to be careful. 

 I was even told by some people that I shouldn't take a camera into the popular Apocalypse Now bar because I might walk in with it, and leave without it! 

That seemed a bit far-fetched but I'm not quite arrogant enough to think I know better than the locals. 

A dozen or more people told me about the problem of snatchings, where a motorbike whizzes by and the pillion passenger grabs the strap of your bag, camera or other valuables, just like the bag snatching I reported in soi 11 a couple of months back. 

The passenger grabs the strap and either the strap breaks or the owner lets go of it. 

In some cases the victim is dragged along and is badly hurt.  I

 heard so many reports about this happening that I would only venture out with one lens, leaving the rest in the hotel safe which was a little frustrating.

Much is made of the difficulty crossing the road and while, yes, the traffic is bad, getting across the road is not that difficult. 

The idea is to wait for something of a gap in traffic and move at a steady pace from one side of the road to the other. 

 Motorbikes will veer around you. 

Maintain a steady pace and don't stop and you should be fine.

Locals told me that police hassling foreigners in Vietnam just doesn't happen. 

The police simply don't wish to do deal with foreigners. 

Do something wrong, public affray or and you will be arrested and taken away. 

Keep your nose clean and you have nothing to worry about.

A Filipino tried to scam me while I was sitting at a roadside vendor enjoying an iced coffee. 

I immediately pegged him as a Filipino from his accent, yet he claimed to be a local and would like to teach me Vietnamese. 

 I told him I was fluent in Vietnamese and said a bunch of Thai to me.  He responded by saying that my Vietnamese was indeed excellent. 

I then let the cat out of the bag and told him to fxxx off. 

 I reckon he broke the land speed record in the next few seconds...

A big nuisance was vendors claiming they had no change. 

This happened many times. 

Telling them that you would come back and pay them the next day saw change magically appear! 

Annoyingly it even happened in the Apocalypse Now Bar.

Green-uniformed officers with a Tourist Security badge can be seen everywhere tourists go. 

 A division of the police or merely another government department, I do not know, but they are there to help tourists.  Deployed in significant numbers, they are highly visible. 

 On more than a few instances I saw them helping (often older) tourists to cross the road.

Nightlife, Bars, Vietnamese Women & Dating

There are plenty of places to drink in HCMC, and many nightlife options. 

Many venues close around midnight and a special licence is required if a venue wishes to remain open later.

There are some expat-themed bars, with the Australian-owned and managed Bernie's a pleasant spot. 

Figure a British pub-style venue with a good menu and a friendly Aussie with 6 years in HCMC in charge.

Blanchy's Tash is one of the hot spots of the moment, just a few minutes work from Bernie's and nice enough, if not really anything special - at least by Bangkok standards.

There are a number of high-end bars and nightclubs and more opening all the time. 

Venues are scattered around the city and I didn't see anything like Bangkok's RCA where you have a strip of club after club after club, right next door to each other.

Smoking is more prevalent than elsewhere in the region, and I think only in Jakarta have I come across more smokers.  If smoking in bars bothers you, HCMC at night might not be for you.

On the same street as Blanchy's Tash are various girly bars, most of which have a number in the name, such as Club 49. 

The women seemed hard and the bars were very dim inside - never a good mix. 

What was perhaps unusual is that they are located right in the heart of the commercial district - and in what is a very conservative society. 

OK, I hear you say, Patpong in Bangkok is right in the commercial district and the Thais are conservative too. 

But Patpong is its own soi whereas these bars are located alongside decent restaurants, shops and legitimate businesses.  They are dark and you can only see inside when the doors open.  Exactly what the format is, I don't know, but I got the distinct impression that staff were available.

As far as foreigner-oriented bars go, the most famous is Apocalypse Now. 

Expecting something like a cross between Gulliver's and Thermae, I found a 19-year old venue showing its age. 

150,000 dong ($7) gets you inside a venue with an eclectic crowd and one free drink. 

Girls with easy smiles were amongst the least attractive I saw in my time in Vietnam, which I guess is consistent with working girls around the world. 

 Pretty girls have options and needn't resort to selling themselves. 

Apocalypse Now was a major disappointment.

A lot of the naughty stuff can be found at massage houses.  Motorbike riders offer to take foreign men to massage houses and leave you in no doubt that you will leave with a smile on your face for $30 all in. 

Massage houses seemed to be located everywhere, with signs in English.

In the backpacker lane one girl tried to entice me inside with a line I will never forget, "$7 for a 70-minute massage and $50 for hand job" caused me to involuntarily erupt into laughter, leaving her confused and probably thinking I was a couple of chilies short of a good som tam.  Crazy prices are frequently offered to foreigners.

If you find yourself walking around late at night, expect to be approached by girls on motorbikes offering to accompany you to your hotel.

What little I saw of the girls in the bars in Ho Chi Minh, they were for the most part better looking than what you find in Bangkok although I should predicate that by saying that if fair-skinned girls aren't your thing you might disagree.

Hardcore naughty boys tell me that Vietnamese working girls are mercenary. 

Girls in the industry struck me as softer in looks, but much harder in attitude than what you find in Thailand.

As far as dating regular girls goes, the Vietnamese are conservative and while many would like to meet a foreign guy, I was told it takes time for the relationship to develop. 

Many regular girls are knockouts, with a natural beauty beyond what you commonly see in Thailand.

Public displays of affection are even less common in Ho Chi Minh than in Bangkok and not once did I see the stereotypical image of a foreigner in a wife-beater pawing a lovely in public. 

 At night young local couples can be seen in parks sat atop a motorbike, arms draped around each other, few words, just sitting there. 

I can only guess they don't have enough dong to go to a hotel.

I would not consider Vietnam a prime destination for naughty boys. 

For nightlife, naughty or otherwise, Thailand is better in every respect.

Phnom Penh hotel

General Thoughts

Comparing with Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh does alright. 

Ho Chi Minh is cleaner, appears to have a better educated populace and there seems to be more pride in the way the Vietnamese go about things, like they really believe that if you're going to do something you might as well give it your best shot.

The tourist attractions are really well done and the information provided, unlike Thailand, often answers exactly the questions you would have asked. 

You don't get gouged at tourist attraction with ridiculous entry fees and the staff speak excellent English. 

At the Reunification Palace, the level of the English of the tour guides was just brilliant and commentary delivered in a most engaging way. 

What a breath of fresh air! 

Asking the guides questions did not require you to grade your language at all. 

With that said, some of the commentary was delivered with the sort of nationalistic fervour that would make even the most die-hard patriot swell with pride.

While locals are proud to espouse how safe the city is, I was constantly being tapped on the shoulder and told to be careful of my camera. 

Even right on the backpacker strip, crouched down next to a lamppost shooting down a dark alley opposite, I had people come and tap me on the shoulder and tell me to be careful of passing motorbikes. 

One of the receptionists at my hotel ran out after me to suggest I not sling my camera over my shoulder as I would be vulnerable to having it snatched. 

 Many motorbike taxi riders told me exactly the same thing.  As a keen street photographer, this is a real concern.

There's a real energy in Ho Chi Minh and people go about their tasks with vigour. 

There's not the infectious sanuk that makes being around Thais fun, but rather a drive, the pursuit of work and making money.

Unlike the Thais, the Vietnamese are keen to hear what you think about them and their country - what you really think - and they are willing to take on board suggestions.

I've been hearing for a good few years that when Vietnam finally wakes up it is going to overtake Thailand economically.  With 90 million Vietnamese, the population is bigger and younger. 

They study hard and appear to have a much better work ethic.  The infrastructure needs work but you get the feeling Vietnam is a sleeping giant.

Ho Chi Minh feels like a city on the way up. 

 Expats told me the economy has slowed but I like what I saw and can see the country clocking up serious growth in years to come.

Massage houses sit next to art galleries, pretty Vietnamese women glide past in their ao dais, the smell of fresh bread fills the air and the 68-floor Bitexco Financial Tower stands tall and proud. 

 The traditional and the modern, the Vietnamese and the foreign, all converging to create an atmosphere nothing like you find 1,000 km to the west.

Possibly it's a case of the grass appearing greener, but I feel I could fall in love with Vietnam, and I could fall in love in Vietnam. 

Ho Chi Minh reminds me of the Bangkok I arrived in many years ago, a city with a relatively small expat community and a city on the move. 

 Ho Chi Minh City is shrouded in mystery and part of the fun is in uncovering its secrets. 

 It's a city I'd really like to explore and get to know more.

Olympic’s London –

Giving London a wide berth

Recommended Avoiding dates 20^th July – 20^th August

Opening ceremony 27^th July 2012

Closing Ceremony 12^th August 2012

 

Anyone contemplating visiting London a week before the Opening Ceremony and a week

after the Closing Ceremony should think three times.

1. Are you going to the games
2. Can you make it in and out between 12midnight and 6 am
3. Beyond the  Borders of England is a good place to be

Cheapest stations within 5 miles of LN6  for Unleaded

	132.7p	Asda Lincoln Newark Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln, LN6 8JY Asda, 0.42 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	132.9p	Morrisons Lincoln Tritton Road, Lincoln, LN6 7QL Morrisons, 3.82 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	132.9p	Tesco Lincoln 1 Canwick Road, Lincoln, LN5 8HS Tesco, 4.83 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	133.9p	Sainsburys Lincoln Tritton Road, Lincoln, LN6 7QN Sainsburys, 1.7 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	133.9p	Total Thorpe On The Hill Middle Lane, Thorpe On The Hill, Lincoln, LN6 9AJ Total, 2.46 miles away, last updated on 19 May

Cheapest stations within 5 miles of LS16 for Unleaded

	132.9p	Morrisons Kirkstall Savins Mill Way, Kirkstall, Leeds, LS5 3RP Morrisons, 2.16 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	132.9p	Morrisons Swinnow Road Swinnow Road, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 4QX Morrisons, 3.61 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	133.8p	Broadway Service Station Broadway Ring Road, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4DY Esso, 3.1 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	133.8p	Shell Kirkstall Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS4 2AH Shell, 3.56 miles away, last updated on 19 May
	133.9p	Armley Service Station Armley Road, Armley, Leeds, LS12 2QN Esso, 3.89 miles away, last updated on 19 May

Cheapest stations within 5 miles of CA6 for Unleaded

	132.7p	Asda Carlisle Chandler Way, Parkhouse, Carlisle, CA3 0JQ Asda, 3.53 miles away, last updated on 20 May
	132.9p	Morrisons Carlisle Kingstown Road, Carlisle, CA3 0AD Morrisons, 4.78 miles away, last updated on 18 May
	136.9p	Kingstown Filling Station Kingstown Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, CA3 0BN BP, 4.09 miles away, last updated on 19 May
	137.9p	A74 Shell Carlisle Northbound A74 Northbound, Todhills Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4HA Shell, 1.6 miles away, last updated on 19 May
	138.9p	A74 Moss Connect Motorway Service Area Southbound A74 Southbound, Todhills Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4HA BP, 1.51 miles away, last updated on 20 May

Funny Car Insurance Claims

Prepare to fall about laughing at some funny car insurance claims

New SKODA Citigo Prices

 

Grab a Biro... prices for the SKODA Citigo have been confirmed.
     
The entry-level S, for starters, is available from a temptingly cheap £7,630 to £8,545.

 Motorists can have either three or five doors, plus manual or automatic sequential transmission.

The S also has a few gadgets to complement its 1.0-litre 60PS engine.

These include: power steering, daytime running lights, and the CD player. Moving through the range we find the mid- spec SE.

 Best bin the Biro and find a pencil to note this lot. The SE builds on its sibling's specification with its electric windows, air-conditioning, body coloured wing mirrors and handles, plus its safety enhancing electronic stability programme.
 

 All from £8,530 - £9,445.

That brings us to the high-end SKODA Citigo Elegance. Considering its status, this specification must be written down with a fountain pen. Standard features include: electric heated wing mirrors, fourteen-inch alloys, heated seats, and front fog lamps.

This complements its navigation system, hands-free Bluetooth facility, and leather steering wheel. What a nice specification for a city car. It would, in fact, be 'decent' for a luxury saloon.

 The Elegance is also available with its siblings' 60PS engine, although a 75PS unit is listed too. All from £9,470 to £10,415. But is there somewhere to keep that fountain pen?

By Stephen Turvil, motoring.co.uk

Where your Pound goes further

1 Hungary
2 Brazil
3 Turkey
4 Romania
5 India
6 South Africa
7 Poland
8 Mexico
9 Czech Republic
10 Iceland

The social menace of speeding

Supermarkets start petrol war

(Tesco are offering 5p /litre off if you spend £50 in store)

Sainsbury, Tesco and Asda have started a battle for shoppers fighting for the best possible petrol price

Fuel farce:

Official figures heavily overstate how many miles cars do to the gallon

By Lee Boyce
PUBLISHED: 09:07, 27 April 2012 | UPDATED: 09:49, 27 April 2012

This is Money

Drivers have long suspected it but now damning research has found that  official fuel figures can heavily overstate how many miles cars can do to the gallon.

According to WhatCar? magazine, every single vehicle it tested had a lower miles per gallon (MPG) figure than that given in official Government guideline-meeting statistics and some were found to be out by over 20 miles.

Some of the theoretically most fuel efficient cars were the biggest offenders.
 

Kia Picanto: Government figures state is does 67.3mpg while the magazine says it does 41.2mpg

WhatCar? carried out testin association with Tesco’s filling stations,

For example, it said that official figures showed the Kia Picanto 1.0 2 did 67.3mpg while the magazine’s own test gave a much lower figure of 41.2mpg. This is a difference of over 25 miles a gallon.

Similarly, the official mpg figure for the Nissan Micra 1.2 DIG-S Shiro was 65.7 while the WhatCar? figure was 44.1mpg.

The official figure for the Ford Focus 1.6TDci 115 Zetec was 67.3mpg compared with WhatCar's 43.1mpg.

 More...The best value new cars that beat all the 'hidden' costs
Used diesel car is only cheaper if you drive more than 10,000 miles a year

The magazine said it tested the vehicles using a portable emissions-measurement system when the engines had reached normal operating temperature.

The vehicles were then driven by two experienced engineers over a variety of roads, including motorways. A and B roads, and through towns and villages.

The data from the testing considered driving style, changes in altitude, ambient temperature and humidity and engine temperature.

 Figures don't add up: The report included results on tests of 60 different types of car
WhatCar? has now launched what it calls a ‘true mpg’ initiative whereby car buyers can log on to a website to check miles-per-gallon figures.

Chas Hallett, WhatCar? editor-in-chief, said: ‘With rising fuel prices, the miles per gallon issue is high on every motorist's agenda.

Countless car buyers are frustrated that they don't match the official government fuel figures.

‘True MPG will allow motorists to select a car personalised to their driving needs and budget. We hope that it will become invaluable in the complex and emotional car-buying process.’

Mr Hallett added: 'Some eco cars are very good around town and in an urban environment.

'But the minute you drive them on a motorway then they don’t do so well.

'Against this background, buying a Toyota Prius may be a perfect choice for some people who drive around town a lot, but not for others who may spend a lot of time on motorways.'

Fueled by the figures: The problem with mpg figuresSome experts say an added problem is that manufacturers tune their cars to get the best test result in the lab, which undermines fuel economy when the cars are driven on the road.

The magazine said that in its tests the vehicles were driven by two engineers over a variety of roads, including motorways and A and B roads, and through towns and villages.

By contrast, the official fuel economy figures are obtained in a lab based on what is called the 'New European Driving Cycle'.

This involves two tests run in sequence.

The first 195-second cycle consists of a series of accelerations in the three lower gears linked to periods of idling repeated four times.

The 'extra-urban' element comprises a series of very gentle accelerations and short periods of cruising.

Train tracks of our tears put to good use

16 April 2012

New Scientist

World’s ten most expensive petrol hotspots revealed:

Norway tops the charts – but where is Britain in the top ten?

By Lee Boyce
PUBLISHED: 12:43, 10 April 2012 | UPDATED: 10:29, 11 April 2012

This is Money takes a look at global petrol prices and reveals the hotspots for expensive petrol and how much of the average disposable income goes on filling the tank.

 Top ten: We reveal the top ten countries which have the most expensive unleaded costs worldwide

The petrol price squeeze

Petrol prices are a hot topic in Britain – and even more so in the wake of recent events, with the petrol panic seeing motorists rushing to the forecourt to fill up their tanks.

This has pushed unleaded per litre to record highs, with the average pump price increasing by 4p in just two weeks.

The latest set of figures from petrolprices.com has it at an eye-watering 142p a litre.

With a planned 3.02p tax increase due in August thanks to the Government – which means 60.97p of a litre of unleaded will be made up of duty and roughly another 24p in VAT – Britain’s drivers and businesses reliant on fuel are seeing an ever increasing strain on their finances.

But how do petrol prices in the Britain compare to other countries in the world?

Back in August we looked at the cheapest 10 countries for petrol.

This list included oil rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Libya. [more details].

Now This is Money, alongside commercial insurance specialist Staveley Head, takes a look at global petrol prices and reveal the hotspots for expensive petrol.

The data also looks at the average monthly disposable income people in each of the countries mentioned has after tax, meaning we can reveal how much percentage of monthly income is spent on petrol in each country.

Unsurprisingly, nine out of the top 10 countries in the list are in Europe while in one country, a whopping 61.1 per cent of monthly income is spent on petrol...

 10. Belgium

Average price of litre of unleaded (in pence): 140.8p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 8.7 per cent
Across the Channel, Belgium skims into the top ten with the average price of unleaded sitting at 140.8p per litre.
The average monthly disposable income after tax is £1,935.65 and the average spend on petrol is £169.08 – this means that 8.7 per cent of income is spent on fuel.

9. Eritrea

Average price of litre of unleaded: 141p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 61.1 per cent
The African country, bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia, has a turbulent recent history, which has included a long fight for independence and wars against its neighbours.
Petrol prices in the country are among the highest in the world, but that is not its biggest problem, as two thirds of the country is on food aid, according to the BBC.
With the average monthly disposable income after tax of just £278.71 – much lower than any other country on the list – those that do own a vehicle will spend £170.29, or 61.1 per cent of their monthly disposable income on petrol – the highest on the list by some distance.

8. Sweden

Average price of litre of unleaded: 141.3p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 7.7 per cent
The Northern European country is eighth on the list of expensive places for unleaded in the world and is bordered by the country which tops the list, Norway.
But despite its high petrol costs, monthly disposable income of £2,197.54 means that 7.7 per cent of that is spent on fuel – making it ninth on the list for how much is spent on petrol on a monthly basis.
 

7. Britain

Average price of litre of unleaded: 142p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 10.3 per cent
Britain is the seventh most expensive for petrol, with prices pumped up in recent weeks in the wake of a forecourt crisis sending costs to record highs.
Duty is set to rise from August by another 3.02p and, as there may still be some upward movement in the price of Brent crude before then, Britain could find itself higher in the rankings by the summer.
The average monthly spend on petrol is £171.49 – this means that 10.3 per cent of income is spend on petrol – putting it fifth out of the ten countries in the list.
METHODOLOGY
This is Money alongside Staveley Head, have scoured a number of sources to find the average unleaded prices worldwide.
We then compared this to the average disposable income figures, based on Numbeo data.
Monthly petrol costs are based on an individual owning a car that does 37.8 MPG, driving 12,000 miles a year.

6. Denmark

Average price of litre of unleaded: 143p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 8.1 per cent
Another Northern European country to make the list, petrol in Denmark is 1p more expensive on average compared to Britain.
But along with its neighbours, the country has high monthly disposable incomes - £2,124.18 and that means that 8.1 per cent of income is spent on unleaded, the third lowest on the list.

5. Greece

Average price of litre of unleaded: 145p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 25.4 per cent
The crisis-hit country has seen petrol prices soar in recent times as political and economic turmoil hit the Southern European country.
With unemployment rates high and the ongoing tension from being involved at the heart of the eurozone crisis, the cost of petrol is yet another source of unrest in the country.
Prices have tipped up to 145p a litre – and with the average monthly disposable income after tax just £688.60, 25.4 per cent is eaten up by petrol costs.

4. Italy

Average price of litre of unleaded: 146.5p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 10 per cent
Italy lands on the list at number four, with the average cost of unleaded reaching 146.5p.
The average monthly disposable income is £1,134.53, the average monthly spend on petrol is £176.32 – so a sizeable15.5 per cent of monthly income is spent on petrol.
 

3. Netherlands

Average price of litre of unleaded: 148p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 10 per cent
Britain’s European neighbour comes in the top three – but is still far cheaper than Norway and Turkey, which top the list.
A litre of petrol in the country is roughly 6p a litre more expensive than Britain. However, with a slightly higher disposable monthly income (£1,784) than in Britain, 10 per cent of income is spent on petrol.

2. Turkey

Average price of litre of unleaded: 162p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 34.2 per cent
The country in Southern Europe is close to the Suez Strait, and oil rich countries such as Egypt and Syria, but has the second highest petrol prices in the world.
The country has seen three petrol prices hikes in just a month, equalling an 8.5 per cent leap in that short time period, according to the Turkish press.
With a disposable income after tax of just £572.57, the country is also second behind Eritrea for the amount each citizen spends on fuel – 34.2 per cent of monthly income.

1. Norway

Average price of litre of unleaded: 164p
Percentage of income spent on petrol: 7.4 per cent
Norway officially has the most expensive petrol in the world. It also took the crown when we looked at petrol prices back in August.
The reason prices are so high in the country is the fact that motor fuel is taxed with both a road use tax and a CO2 tax. 
However, despite the eye-watering cost of petrol, it is roughly 22p a litre more expensive than in Britain on average – workers in the country have higher wages than all the other countries on the list.
The average worker has a disposable income of £2,681.07 after tax, meaning that 7.4 per cent of wages are spent on petrol – the lowest amount out of all of the countries.

TEN MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRIES FOR UNLEADED
Country
 Average monthly disposable income after tax (£)
 Average monthly petrol expenditure (£)
 Percentage of monthly income spent on petrol
 
1. Norway
 £2,681.07
 £198.06
 7.4%
 
2. Turkey
 £572.57
 £195.65
 34.2%
 
3. Netherlands
 £1,784
 £178.74
 10%
 
4. Italy
 £1,134.53
 £176.32
 15.5%
 
5. Greece
 £688.60
 £175.12
 25.4%
 
6. Denmark
 £2,124.18
 £172.70
 8.1%
 
7. Britain
 £1,660.52
 £171.49
 10.3%
 
8. Sweden
 £2,197.54
 £170.29
 7.7%
 
9. Eritrea
 £278.71
 £170.29
 61.1%
 
10. Belgium
 £1,935.65
 £169.08
 8.7%
 

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2127644/Wor

Fixed Penalty Fines could increase

UK motorists could be hit with an increase to fixed penalty notices from £60 to £90 if a government proposal is passed
  

Enlarge UK motorists could be hit with an increase to fixed penalty notices from £60 to £90 if a government proposal is passed.

According to research by the IAM half of motorists asked disagreed with the government proposal.

Of the 1129 respondents, fifty one per cent disagreed with the proposal, 28 per cent strongly, 35 per cent agreed with the proposal, and 13 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed.

In proposals put forward by Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, the fixed penalty notice for speeding tickets, not wearing a seatbelt, failing to stop at a zebra crossing or jumping red lights could increase in a bid to raise more money for support services for victims of crime.

Proceeds from the fines would also go towards improving road safety schemes.

The Government hopes to raise an additional £30 million from the increase.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said “while funding victims of crime is laudable, the real aim of fines for motoring offences should be deterrence. We want to stop people breaking the law.

Having an income that relies on dangerous driving won’t help reduce crashes.

There is a strong case for this money to be spent on road safety.”

By Geraldine Ashton Green, motoring.co.uk