Barrie Stevens

They have taken over some very old places centuries old try Downham Market https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/28069/

The irony is one Spoons is in a former job centre complete with signing on booths. Some punters say it is home from home like they never left..

They have business in Ireland Spoons https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/republic-of-ireland/county-dublin/the-three-tun-tavern-dublin

Tim was paying one of his surprise visits. He is approachable but I suspect it is more akin to a minor Royal cutting the ribbon to open a day care centre rather than anything will happen. The door has not been fixed and manager offended when I suggested a notice outside 'cos people on wheels will not know until they need it that disabled loo out of action.

Well I believe that everyone has a toilet somewhere. Although in Peel I saw a man walking his dog and both he and dog were pissing up the same lamp post together.

The manager once told me that Spoons prices vary from pub to pub according to the local market and local taxes ie business rates..The price lists are not the same everywhere and also that if the outlet falls below a certain turnover it is closed due to tight margins. I repeat, Spoons down on my manor closed one of two outlets and the current wine list has about four varieties of Aussie wine and the prices are up. There is also Aussie Prosecco but that too is up in price. No EU wines and I think Tim just wants to cut back on the list at least on my manor.

I had a few words with Tim Martin four or five days or so ago. Stayed off Brexit but did ask him to fix the lock on the disabled toilet. He has not done so although he put it in his little book. Also the wine list has shrunk to a handful of Australian wines nothing from the EU but prices very much up...

My own analysis...You will never actually leave the EU

Who cares? You will only get FT deal after a very long time and still be subject to EU rules. I have said before, the UK will end up with Protocol 3 for adults.

From the European Parliament today:- "Guy Verhofstadt, the parliament’s Brexit coordinator, who drafted that text, gave an impassioned speech that lacerated the British government’s record on citizens’ rights. In a withering joke, Verhofstadt said that “instead of playing the angry Hulk”, Johnson should play “the caring nanny of the film of Mrs Doubtfire” – to better protect 4.5 million citizens facing the huge uncertainty of a no-deal Brexit. Picking up on one key concern for the EU, Verhofstadt said the European parliament would never accept an agreement that would give the UK “all the advantages of free trade”, without aligning with European standards on social rights, environment and health. “We are not stupid and we will not kill our own companies,” he said to cheers and boos. “We will defend our own economy and we’ll never accept Singapore by the North Sea.” Verhofstadt’s crowd-pleasing lines were cheered by many MEPs, including British remainers. While the chamber was at best one-quarter full, the UK’s 73 MEPs were well-represented, with the Brexit divide on full display." If the UK has a free trade deal it will never be truly free of the EU..Rules and Regs will apply for years to come whatever happens.

I sacrificed a chicken for lunch today so looked into the entrails to see what augurs for the future. The old Withdrawal Agreement is amended to save face and is agreed by Parliament Brexit extension agreed after 31st October. This puts the Brexit dinosaur out of its misery poor beast and we move along to the next stage heaving sighs of relief... After two or so years (Personally I think it will consume more like five years) the UK is out of the EU and free of further every closer union and federalism. That is the one positive move. There is a Free Trade Agreement or similar surprisingly not dissimilar from the present situation and by which time the scene will be full of new faces. BoJo no longer PM but is found "honourable non-job". In my day in the City our Directors who were too fond of liquid lunches were made consultants, given a small office and paid two days a week. This was known as "Alcoholics anonymous".. BoJo denied knighthood but offered a title eventually...(Nice little earner and he deserves that if only for services to the media and entertainments industries)..The entrails do not say if BoJo accepts title but the Ego indicates a move in that direction. The UK rolls a long doing good trade and in time adjusts thanks to the Transitional Period enabling the necessary adjustments. Pax, fortuna, salus as Jacob Rees Mogg might say..(Although I had to crib it) My main point is that I do not think the UK will leave the EU in real terms and Brino is not some animal on the verge of extinction for the sake of its horns.

https://legalbeagle.com/6665233-apply-eu-citizenship.html The above relates to supplemental EU citizenship and links to individual member states' requirements which seem to be their own and not imposed by Brussels..

What EU regs apply to member states' citizenship laws?

In what way? Please explain...

Many are applying for various EU member state passports. I do not know if the following is accurate but for some it is worth investigating? Rather than apply for a passport which can take a long time a far better course of action is to apply for a right of residence. This will get you an identity card which, in turn, will allow you to travel and reside throughout the Schengen area. This is founded upon fundamental EU law and the Maastricht and Amsterdam treaties although the exact process and requirements differ from country to country, e.g. in France they entail showing ownership or rental of a property, health insurance (the S1 certificate from the NHS will suffice), employment status or, if non-working, sufficient income to support you and dependants (in France currently c. 800€/£720 per month) and a few other minor things. There are no language or knowledge tests. Crucially, as long as we are in the EU right up until the last minute of the last day, you have a right to this under existing EU law as an EU citizen. If you get right of residence before Brexit then you will retain this right post Brexit, France for example has passed specific laws providing for this but it is likely that existing EU law would suffice. I saw the above on line but have not researched it. Just a curious point. If joining the EU means loss of or pooling of sovereignty how come so many EU member states have such divergent citizenship laws and passport qualifications and some allow dual nationality or Portugal does anyway and others such as Netherlands do not..

And also why did so many of my generals marry when they were still corporals...

john Johnson was alias of Guy Fawkes...

Bojo will quit to spend more time with some other person's family/wife....

Er planned? Blowjob does not plan.....

Then there is Brenda from Windsor....

Been dealt with already

The UK will tend towards leaving the EU in name only ie some sort of BRINO. The UK will be right to avoid an integrated or federal EU as it would not be happy in that situation. Therefore there has to be some sort of permanent break in that context. The UK will not be able to ignore the magnetic pull of the EU market overall. Pragmatism will dominate. The price will be that the WA or tweaked similar will be put in play in the interim and an FTA worked on in peace and quiet when we are all either dead or a bit older and bored. As regards the issues of access to the Single market and Customs union and immigration one cannot tell until a general election reveals public sentiment and the way of it in Ireland by which I mean All of Ireland... Age profiles will be a key. What the younger element as it were says, thinks and votes will signal the way assuming there is an imminent general election. Smash. The cat just knocked my crystal ball on the floor.