@stanton, Everybody has a opinion, but only time will show.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
stanton wrote:
The UK is going Backwards not Forward.
Is that because we are going faster than the speed of light or going below -273.15 degrees?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
terrygasson wrote:
@Hyst, it would be interesting to find out from anyone on here what it was like to travel into Europe before the EU existed, was it a Bureaucratic nightmare with visas etc?
!
My BILs family were a large hotel,owner in Spain in the 60's and 70's I remember the Franco police( being told not to laugh at the funny hats as a 8. Year old in Mallorca)
Is that because we are going faster than the speed of light or going below -273.15 degrees?
Yes it is a relativity problem.
GDR border police was not that kind either I can tell you.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
, it would be interesting to find out from anyone on here what it was like to travel into Europe before the EU existed, was it a Bureaucratic nightmare with visas etc?
Here you go, British Pathe film of the car ferries in the 60's. http://www.britishpathe.com/video/car-ferry
Alternatively you could put the car on the plane and go from Lydd to Calais or Le Touquet in about 25 minutes http://youtube.com/v/cijSh47vrlA
much quicker than the tunnel.
Immigration checks took place on the ferry with everyone having to complete immigration cards and then get them stamped.
Currency controls, only being able to take no more than £50 out of the country. No credit cards.
Duty free purchases on the ferry but only being able to bring back one bottle of spirits or a few (somewhere between 2 and 6 I believe) bottles of wine.
Passports were checked at every border with long queues at peak times.
As far as I remember visas weren't needed as a British passport would get you most places apart from behind the Iron Curtain.
Travelling to the "continent" was a big adventure which not many people did until cheap air travel and the invention of the package holiday.
@Timc, check all of that save for the last line. When I was a child we had a single overnight stop on the way to the Alps and I still do.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
What are the 60s and 70s ??!!
After all it is free
After all it is free
I am told we used to have to have an overnight stop in Luxembourg on the way to Berne where my grandfather used to live and work.
A Hillman Imp or Vauxhall Victor couldn't make it all the way in one go without a rest, and motorways didn't exist quite like they do now.
I am jealous that every time my parents went on holiday before I was born was an exotic expedition, and the everywhere my grandfather used to work was equally adventurous (Berlin, Berne,...). Now the only adventurous bit of the journey is passport control in Dover, and wondering if I'm going to be asked yet a frickin again what the purpose of my visit is to my own flippin country. The rest is as exotic and adventurous as crossing the border in to Wales.
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@andy, there are some interesting and exotic sights in wales though.......
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
@andy,
Morris Minor 1000 Traveller couldn't, took the best part of the day to get to Lydd.
In summer having to drive with the heater on to stop the radiator boiling. Fuel pump vapour locking over the Brenner Pass. Hot fractious children ( Me and my brother) squabbling. No air conditioning.
I'd forgotten about the individually typed (with a typewriter) turn by turn route plans that could be bought from the AA.
Changing currency at every border. Changing Pounds to Francs, Francs to Marks, Marks to Schillings, Schillings to Lire, Lire to Francs and finally changing Francs back to Pounds, and then being left with coins of all different countries for a European tour in the 60's
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
lol - even in this day of a single european currency, I still have pots with 4 different currencies in ffs. GBP, CHF, CZK and EUR. Least 2 of those are happy to take EUR.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Timc wrote:
@andy,
Morris Minor 1000 Traveller couldn't, took the best part of the day to get to Lydd.
In summer having to drive with the heater on to stop the radiator boiling. Fuel pump vapour locking over the Brenner Pass. Hot fractious children ( Me and my brother) squabbling. No air conditioning.
I'd forgotten about the individually typed (with a typewriter) turn by turn route plans that could be bought from the AA.
Changing currency at every border. Changing Pounds to Francs, Francs to Marks, Marks to Schillings, Schillings to Lire, Lire to Francs and finally changing Francs back to Pounds, and then being left with coins of all different countries for a European tour in the 60's
Cliff Richard didn't seem to have any of these troubles when he once went on a summer holiday to the continent in the 60's, he even found time to sing a few songs on the way, a certain rule about manning up should maybe have been applied back in the day!!!!!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Gosh, some of those posts bring back memories!
Crossing borders is still a big (and sometimes unpleasant) adventure in most of the world. I think we just experienced what might historically look like a short blip, in being able to drive so freely round the EU.
lol - even in this day of a single european currency, I still have pots with 4 different currencies in ffs. GBP, CHF, CZK and EUR. Least 2 of those are happy to take EUR.
I'm dealing with Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish krona, and Euros for Finland. But they are pretty much all cashless societies so I never take out cash when travelling in the Nordics.
lol - even in this day of a single european currency, I still have pots with 4 different currencies in ffs. GBP, CHF, CZK and EUR. Least 2 of those are happy to take EUR.
I'm dealing with Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish krona, and Euros for Finland. But they are pretty much all cashless societies so I never take out cash when travelling in the Nordics.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
It doesn't affect me too much as I have dual nationality with another EU country. In fact half of me is looking forward to the acrimonious break down of brexit talks and the imposition of controls. Serve the brexiters right.
One of the downsides might also be the reintroduction of limits for booze etc.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:
That is a scary prospect - will never happen though
Won't it? If we leave the customs union I imagine the "duty free" allowance for returning from France will be exactly the same as, for instance, returning from Switzerland or Botswana.
It won't be unlimited, that's for sure.
After all it is free
After all it is free
traveling to france ,west germany , belgium ,holland ,sweeden in the 70s prior to joining EU i did not require a visa
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Boris wrote:
Quote:
One of the downsides might also be the reintroduction of limits for booze etc.
That is a scary prospect - will never happen though - Calais would go broke overnight
Don't be so sure. Before Sweden joined the EU and was a member of EFTA you were only allowed to import 1 litre Spirits and about 2 litres wines/beers etc plus 200 cigarettes. These limits still apply in the UK if you are travelling from a non EU/EEA country so it will all depend on the terms negotiated. We will just have to wait and see.
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emwmarine wrote:
It doesn't affect me too much as I have dual nationality with another EU country. In fact half of me is looking forward to the acrimonious break down of brexit talks and the imposition of controls. Serve the brexiters right.
One of the downsides might also be the reintroduction of limits for booze etc.
I bet the people of Thanet had not had that thought when they were voting, it seems that the place is awash with cheap booze and fags.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:
Quote:
One of the downsides might also be the reintroduction of limits for booze etc.
That is a scary prospect - will never happen though - Calais would go broke overnight
No more day trips to Calais to stock up on wine, food and beer courtesy of Majestic.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Yeah but they want control. They'll just have to pay UK tax on them properly.
Hate to think how much Shepherd Neame is exported to Calais and immediately reimported back to Kent as French duty paid. Every drop of local Kentish beer that I've consumed in Kent has been bought from the supermarket in Calais.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
andy wrote:
Hate to think how much Shepherd Neame is exported to Calais and immediately reimported back to Kent as French duty paid. Every drop of local Kentish beer that I've consumed in Kent has been bought from the supermarket in Calais.
From a purely environmental point of view that's a bit silly. Still it's a (Sheherd Neame) drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I thought the days of the Calais booze cruise were largely a thing of the past. I remember everyone doing it, or talking about doing it, a few years ago. UYnless someone is catering for a wedding I barely hear it mentioned these days. Of courses, it's a lot quicker and easier if you live in kent.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
andy wrote:
Yeah but they want control. They'll just have to pay UK tax on them properly.
That makes me laugh!!
Wait till they find out having a criminal record means they can't go to Spain on the lads lash up, or Holland to get stoned on Dwaynes stag night.
Margate any body? This is going to be fun.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
They'll have to go to Dreamland then.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@foxtrotzulu, no Calais still stuffed full of tattooed leisure wearing yobos. From Fanet. You would love it, they don't wear belts either, so you have one thing in common
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Wait till they find out having a criminal record means they can't go to Spain
Most of them with criminal records are probably already out there, and a criminal record is not a significant bar to international travel, depending on the crime and if you are honest and upfront when applying for visa or visa waiver.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
Of courses, it's a lot quicker and easier if you live in kent.
Used to go all the time. At least once or twice in the summer, and once around October-ish (probably half term) to ensure the wine cellar was stocked for Christmas. And then again in spring with (ironically ) the Daily Express £1 return P+O tickets.
In Kent, our local offy was in Calais (dangerously close to what is now the jungle).
@ansta1, thanks, I don't have first hand knowledge. If they wanted to make it tricky they could specify certain crimes as unacceptable.
Spain might be in its rights to ship back all the dodgy ones.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
terrygasson wrote:
@Hyst, it would be interesting to find out from anyone on here what it was like to travel into Europe before the EU existed, was it a Bureaucratic nightmare with visas etc?
No, no problem at all, even pre 1975. My Grandad even lived and worked in Franco's Spain with no issues; something the Bremoaners would have you believe is completely impossible.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Norrin Radd, US and Canada do and have done for a while, though they've changed the wording on the ESTA now, which gives more latitude.
Crimes of Morale Turpitude used to be the cover all but it's now less ambiguous, but arguably gives more scope for those with records to travel.
Any country can impose restrictions, visa controlled or otherwise as they see fit, who knows what will happen over the coming years in that respect, though i suspect it will be very little due to mutual benefits of (relative) freedom of travel.
That being said, people, politicians and folk can be strange.
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@foxtrotzulu, do a booze cruise every year to stock up for Chrimbo and New Year - judging by how busy it is I'm not the only one!
You can still make huge savings on some things, but not worth it for beer anymore as is as cheap in supermarket.
I am not a tattooed yob
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Times have changed. Pre 1975 you could smoke on aircraft, take your Swiss Army knife on board and sit the kids on a pile of pillows in the back of the car.
It seems unlikely that the status quo ante 1975 will be back.
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