First P&O Sailing - Is it usually like this?

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. You live a long way from Southampton, an airport, or a motorway. Who's choice was that.🤔

I’m the same, long way from Southampton, an airport or a motorway, which doesn’t bother me one bit. I was born here, my family is here. Do you advocate leaving huge swathes of the country empty and adding to the already over-crowding in the SE?! 

[zap99]

39 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

I’m the same, long way from Southampton, an airport or a motorway, which doesn’t bother me one bit. I was born here, my family is here. Do you advocate leaving huge swathes of the country empty and adding to the already over-crowding in the SE?! 

I'm not advocating anything. We like the lake District, but it's a very long drive. I am just confused that some folk seem to complain that they live a long way from somewhere else and seem to blame leveling up failure.🤔

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I'm not advocating anything. We like the lake District, but it's a very long drive. I am just confused that some folk seem to complain that they live a long way from somewhere else and seem to blame leveling up failure.🤔

It reminds me of those property programmes, where an elderly  retired couple buy a house in the middle of nowhere, with no public transport. Do they never think how they will cope when they can no longer drive ? 

[gsmt47471015]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I'm not advocating anything. We like the lake District, but it's a very long drive. I am just confused that some folk seem to complain that they live a long way from somewhere else and seem to blame leveling up failure.🤔

Not exactly complaining just pointing out that the whole travel industry revolves around a very small part of the country and benefits the minority , while I agree that from Surrey to the Lake District is a long drive ,If you had that scenario every time you wanted to go abroad you may take a different view, and if you saw what happens ,or more correctly what doesn't happen in other parts of the country  you may understand why people feel that levelling up is just a pipe dream. As stated by Ardennais it does not bother them but rightly points out the issues with relocating 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

I'm not advocating anything. We like the lake District, but it's a very long drive. I am just confused that some folk seem to complain that they live a long way from somewhere else and seem to blame leveling up failure.🤔

Although I live in the north,  I can fully understand why the Capitol enjoys more spending on all it's infrastructure. It is the economic centre of the UK, and without the best road, rail and air links, there is a risk our economy would suffer.

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

It reminds me of those property programmes, where an elderly  retired couple buy a house in the middle of nowhere, with no public transport. Do they never think how they will cope when they can no longer drive ? 

I take your point, but it’s far less of a problem than it was, though, thanks to Amazon, eBay, supermarket delivery services, and loads of other delivery services. Don’t you live in a bit of a backwater yourself, without much public transport?

 

For more than two years now, we haven’t been into a single shop, and yet we’ve not missed out on anything that we’ve needed. It all comes to the door, usually next day and free with Amazon Prime, and there’s literally nothing we can’t get with a bit of ingenuity.

 

Driverless cars are going to be a gamechanger for the elderly too. 

 

 

[wowzz]

19 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I take your point, but it’s far less of a problem than it was, though, thanks to Amazon, eBay, supermarket delivery services, and loads of other delivery services. Don’t you live in a bit of a backwater yourself, without much public transport?

 

For more than two years now, we haven’t been into a single shop, and yet we’ve not missed out on anything that we’ve needed. It all comes to the door, usually next day and free with Amazon Prime, and there’s literally nothing we can’t get with a bit of ingenuity.

 

Driverless cars are going to be a gamechanger for the elderly too. 

 

 

That's assuming there is internet access of course !

We are not  exactly in a backwater. A bus every 25 minutes or so into Lincoln or Gainsborough  - the bus stop is a three minute walk !

[terrierjohn]

Just now, zap99 said:

This all started because cruises go mainly from Southampton and some folk resent that. Is that because of a leveling up failure, or because the big ships struggle to get to Rugby high st. 🤣

I am quite happy to travel to Southampton to start my cruises to the Med, Canaries, or Caribbean roundtrip, mainly because starting and finishing from further north would add at least one or maybe two days cold weather cruising to my holiday, and more importantly reduce the number of hot and sunny days.

It might be sensible for Hull to be the turnround port for Norway, Iceland or Baltic cruises, but I wonder if it could ever cope with Iona.

[gsmt47471015]

16 minutes ago, zap99 said:

This all started because cruises go mainly from Southampton and some folk resent that. Is that because of a leveling up failure, or because the big ships struggle to get to Rugby high st. 🤣

Even Rugby would cut our journey in half !! Must admit to not having seen cruises go from there though🤣 Feel resent is very harsh  

[gsmt47471015]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Big ships use Southampton as the tidal range is favourable and it is near the sea. 🤣

So is the whole East and West coast🙂

[bbtablet]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Big ships use Southampton as the tidal range is favourable and it is near the sea. 🤣

Not Maldon then?

[zap99]

3 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

Even Rugby would cut our journey in half !! Must admit to not having seen cruises go from there though🤣 Feel resent is very harsh  

I misunderstood your row of angry faces on post 146. Apologies.

[zap99]

3 minutes ago, bbtablet said:

Not Maldon then?

Can Iona get up the Blackwater?, but it's not far from Tilbury.🤣

[gsmt47471015]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I misunderstood your row of angry faces on post 146. Apologies.

Perhaps a poor choice of emojis, should have found the frustrated one 

[Clodia]

Liverpool would be a good alternative as the new cruise terminal can take large ships.

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Can Iona get up the Blackwater?, but it's not far from Tilbury.🤣

Mersea Island would be a great place for a cruise terminal.

[gsmt47471015]

1 minute ago, Clodia said:

Liverpool would be a good alternative as the new cruise terminal can take large ships.

I did post recently that if the large cruise companies got together and split the cost of upgrading Liverpool then they would all share the benefits, and so would thousands of passengers , plus the money it would bring to the city

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

It reminds me of those property programmes, where an elderly  retired couple buy a house in the middle of nowhere, with no public transport. Do they never think how they will cope when they can no longer drive ? 

I’ve said that before, we see it all too often here, and it’s quite sad. 

Here in Wales, everything used to be spent on Cardiff, but in the last 25 years, they’ve tried to spread things out so that you’ve got some Government offices/agencies/tv companies etc dotted here and there. It’s just a matter of giving everybody a share, and not concentrate everything in a few places. We pay our taxes too!

I mentioned my visit to the Royal Mint not long ago. It was interesting to hear that James Callaghan played an important role in locating the new mint in South Wales when it moved from London in the mid 60s. That’s 800 jobs today. Another interesting and sobering place to visit is Senghenydd and the National Coal memorial to the thousands of miners who lost their lives. Truly horrendous statistics and little to show in the area today when you consider the wealth that these miners generated for others. There are places that have been left behind, and it’s not too much to ask for a fair share. 

[zap99]

Just now, Harry Peterson said:

Or away from?  😏

 

Think of the money we'd save if we decentralised. 

Perhaps the folk who want to live and work in the southeast, do so because they like it, have family, or like to be within convenient traveling distance of Southampton. Forced relocation may work, but perhaps that is not acceptable. When I had a phycobabble interview at work, they asked me where in Europe I would like to live... Woking....why?.....that's where my wife and son live. No, if you could have your office anywhere, where would you choose......Disneyland Paris....your not taking this seriously are you...not really. Folk have choices.

[Ardennais]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Perhaps the folk who want to live and work in the southeast, do so because they like it, have family, or like to be within convenient traveling distance of Southampton. Forced relocation may work, but perhaps that is not acceptable. When I had a phycobabble interview at work, they asked me where in Europe I would like to live... Woking....why?.....that's where my wife and son live. No, if you could have your office anywhere, where would you choose......Disneyland Paris....your not taking this seriously are you...not really. Folk have choices.

You’re right, family ties are important and for you, like me, they are a priority. Sadly, I don’t think all folk have choices. They might not have the skills or money to move to another area. There are severely deprived areas in Wales, like parts of England too, and whereas it might be easy for a youngster to move away, I’m guessing that it would be much harder for a middle aged couple with children. 

[Harry Peterson]

22 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Mersea Island would be a great place for a cruise terminal.

Jaywick - as part of a regeneration project........

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Jaywick - as part of a regeneration project........

I think Jaywick is beyond help !

[terrierjohn]

37 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

I did post recently that if the large cruise companies got together and split the cost of upgrading Liverpool then they would all share the benefits, and so would thousands of passengers , plus the money it would bring to the city

It still adds at least one days sailing to southern cruises over Southampton, and personally I prefer an extra hot and sunny day in the Med, and it's not really beneficial for northern cruises, except maybe Iceland, and P&O never does more than one a year.

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

This all started because cruises go mainly from Southampton and some folk resent that. Is that because of a leveling up failure, or because the big ships struggle to get to Rugby high st. 🤣

Or Wigan Pier

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, zap99 said:

Now it going political.. not interested anymore

Agreed - we moved here because it was cheap ! 

Driving  occasionally  a few hours to LHR,  or Southampton,  is a small price to pay for living in such a cheap area.