woolley

It is a business. It needs business discipline or else it becomes as flabby as the civil service. Is that what you are advocating?

It isn't though, and that's entirely the point when you look beyond the hype and hysteria. The water in Laxey is fine. The prevailing currents are away from the beach and the population is small. Globally, 85% of sewage is dumped raw into the sea. On the Island we have more than reversed that, certainly once Peel is attended to. If we are hellbent on spending the money and want to improve the environment (there's only one body of seawater), it would make more sense to donate the money to some third world city that shits directly into a river estuary so they can sort that out.

City, I reckon.

If I was starting a supermarket business in the Isle of Man, even from scratch, the very last name I would use would be Shoprite.

Peel, definitely. Laxey, unnecessary. Cost to benefit way out of line.

They have stocked it at Lake Road up until now.

Face or facet. The thrust of the meaning is the same. Aimed at Lonrho's Tiny Rowland. If true, Heath clearly didn't write the speech himself or he would have known, glasses or not.

Couldn't make it up. Unless it's an ultra smart plan for selling her...... 😀

Sure about that? She made full speed when she was heading over to Cammell Laird.

Shame governments are so poor at running businesses.

It isn't, but it should be. Red claw capitalism at its out of control worst excess. Globalisation for you.

Of course they aren't. They know when to step back, as with the SPCo. Sold out years ago after taking the profit and loading the debt. Sound familiar? Absolute disgrace. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/10/as-thames-water-sinks-macquarie-group-continues-its-unstoppable-rise

400+ pages of bullshit, ancient and modern. You'd think there were absolutely no problems in the in tray.

Not heading in the wrong direction are you? Just a thought.............

I just tried 28th May to 8th June as random dates and it returned £324. Big premium on last year, but a lot less than £587.

Certainly won't be giving them the satisfaction at anything like that price.

All true, but I do think it's driven by simple lack of cash. They don't learn to drive because there's no point if they can't afford a car. Just like many live at the parental home for far longer than we did, not because they don't want their freedom but because they simply don't have the wherewithal for a different choice.

Ah. The world is safely back on its axis.

I agree in principle, but it is a generational thing. Maybe not by choice because lots of younger people just don't have the means to run a car.

Good gracious.

Blimey. I thought he was odds on for the withering sarcastic putdown there. Instead, just factual clarification. Things are looking up.

Not much in it with utilities. Electricity the same when you take in the lower standing charge. Generally water much cheaper here for now. Gas and telecoms, yes, granted. Rates a bit cheaper still than UK though catching up fast, and no single occupancy discount here. Groceries and motoring similar cost (+ about 3% at Tesco!), but eating out and housing more expensive. The roads, I tend to see the opposite. The potholes here seem to be huge bloody craters over there, but I accept it varies area to area. Also, I know where they are here and they often come as a shock elsewhere. Don't think it's at all realistic to expect the govt to buy the SPCo and not take a profit, although the way they are going they might just achieve it as an unlikely own goal. Certainly wouldn't surprise me if they took over a £10 million pound a year profitable monopoly and turned it into a basket case in a couple of years even when owning it at arms length. They seem to have the reverse Midas touch to an extent you couldn't make up. Anyway, don't expect discounts for sure! I think the Manxman will be fine. She's great to sail on. Banking, shopping choices, yep, but we are a small jurisdiction of 85,000 on a remote island, so it is what it is. Driving is dire everywhere, and getting worse. I honestly don't think it's any worse here than in the UK. Try Spain! Tax increase. Yes, but we all know which nettle needs to be firmly grasped there. Lack of various activities. Again, small remote population. At one time it was ameliorated by a busy summer season that kept leisure facilities going all year. Now not so much, and businesses are reliant on the residents in hard times. It's tough, but leisure and hospitality outlets are closing every day in the UK too. Cinema patronage is down by a third since Covid. A brave investor it would be to put money into anything hospitality sector in the 2020s.

Really? Bloody hell. They normally give (relatively) reasonable rates for going against the flow at TT. I think we paid £232 for car + 2 last year.

So it looks like nobody knows, or at least nobody is telling. If the ship does not meet the latest SOLAS standards, as rumoured, it should be on public record along with the specifics on how she is deficient.

This seems to indicate an ongoing UK commitment to SOLAS updates unless there is something in the small print excluding some specifics. Don't have time to study it in detail. Has Manxman fallen down a crack between one update and another? One would have thought that the specification given to the Korean shipbuilder would have been the highest current standard. Perhaps we should be told. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/changes-to-international-maritime-law