True level of public debt is £85,610 per household

leveller2911

Cleaver wrote: »

Mrs C is always scavenging for berries. We'll often be driving somewhere and she'll suddenly shout "stop!!". I always have a heart attack as I think I'm about to hit a child, but it's often because she's spotted a berry bush of some kind and we'll have to spend 15 minutes picking them.

However, we end up with some nice homemade muffins, smoothies and various deserts including a rather tasty woodland strudel she often makes.

Theres always something re-assuring and warm about your post Cleaver, some depicting "The end of Days", Armageddon and at the same time Mrs C is picking berries and making crumble.......:D.....Hope it includes real vanilla custard?

Cleaver

leveller2911 wrote: »

Theres always something re-assuring and warm about your post Cleaver, some depicting "The end of Days", Armageddon and at the same time Mrs C is picking berries and making crumble.......:D.....

Thanks very much.

You can spend your time worrying about the end of society as weknow it or you can get out there, pick some berries and make a pudding. I know which I prefer.

Afriend_2

Cleaver wrote: »

Thanks very much.

You can spend your time worrying about the end of society as weknow it or you can get out there, pick some berries and make a pudding. I know which I prefer.

I think a balance between the two is probably the best policy.
Avoid worrying too much, but don't stick one's head in the sand either.

Cleaver

Afriend wrote: »

I think a balance between the two is probably the best policy.
Avoid worrying too much, but don't stick one's head in the sand either.

Maybe have a think about peak oil whilst you're rolling out your pastry casings? Or a ponder over population growth as you steep your blueberries?

I'm joking, but you make a very good point. A healthy medium is always the best policy in life.

Afriend_2

Cleaver wrote: »

Maybe have a think about peak oil whilst you're rolling out your pastry casings? Or a ponder over population growth as you steep your blueberries?

I'm joking, but you make a very good point. A healthy medium is always the best policy in life.

So true. btw Cleaver. are you still looking at emigrating to Canada (one of my favourite countries) or are you going to stay in Manchester a while longer? I considered emigrating myself, however DW doesn't like to be away from the family.

amcluesent

Aye, I was cooking for the family last night and couldn't help but voice these thoughts -

Fill the pan with water from the tap - but droughts from climate instability means global desertification is a growing problem, eliminating millions of acres of productive land. The displacement of starving peoples will likely to an immigration crisis.

Slice some green beans - probably flown in from Kenya, rocketing oil prices after peak oil means that we'll soon have to rely only on what can be grown in England - and that's not enough to go around! Rationing all too likely.

Turn on the oven - but decades of failure to invest in generation capacity means power cuts are certain in a few years

Get some chicken out - the industrial/agri business means that birds are reared abroad in appalling cramped conditions. Ideal for H1N1 bird flu to mutate into highly contagious and fatal human variants that can spread around the globe in a trice.

Added some shop-bought stuffing-balls - massively high salt and fat content means an obesity epidemic in England, today's kiddies will be diabetic and keeling over from strokes and embolisms in their forties

Put the rubbish into the bin - all that plastic wrapping will go to landfill and take decades to decay or it'll be burnt in power plants. Lo-temp combustion can easily lead to carcinogenic dioxins being released into the air

And I wonder why there's so many long-faces around the dinner table!

Cleaver

Afriend wrote: »

So true. btw Cleaver. are you still looking at emigrating to Canada (one of my favourite countries) or are you going to stay in Manchester a while longer? I considered emigrating myself, however DW doesn't like to be away from the family.

My mind changes all the time. I think living in another country is something we'll always talk about and maybe one day do, but life is kinda fun at the moment: I like my job, Mrs C has a job she really likes too (she's disliked the past two, so it's nice that she is enjoying herself now) and we like Manchester a lot. I think we'll just have lots of holidays.

I lost one of my parents a year ago and I think something like that makes you start to question stuff. Not necessarily in a deep, depressing way. Just that we started to talk more about what we wanted: Kids? House here? House somewhere else? Careers? Move abroad? I think we came to the conclusion that we're pretty happy overall and maybe emigrating isn't the right thing at the moment.

Anyway, a little too much of a vision in to my life there.

Where would you go to if the missus was more keen? Would Canada be a top choice?

fc123

Cleaver wrote: »

Where would you go to if the missus was more keen? Would Canada be a top choice?

My dads brother emigrated in the early 70's with 2 young kids for work reasons. I spoke to him about it a few years back and he explained why.....due to his work being involved with Govt secret stuff, he wanted to move on professionally in the UK but couldn't. He applied for a job developing the space shuttle...and found out it was in Canada....apparently he wasn't sure where the job was located at the time of applying.?? True or family myth? I don't know.

They all moved and I remember my grandfather being distraught about....it was expensive to visit back then.

Unfortunately, none came back to visit prior to his death though Uncle returned for funereal....as they were detached from us...and still are, by the distance...and , now, emotionally. Own lives, own kids in another country.

However, they made a great life out there but we don't connect much due to the distance. I chat to my cousins online and we are all sort of the same in outlook....strange as we have v diff lives but we just chat and get on well.
They both speak fluent Canadian French (apparently it is a bit different to Parisian French) own seriously nice houses (big) and seem to have lots of spare time for kids stuff, skiing, kiting etc but neither have high flying well paid jobs at all.
In fact, one cousin hasn't held down a ''proper'' job for years, though partner has regular average salary....but their income wouldn't 'buy' the Canadian lifestyle they have with 3 kids in UK...nowhere near.

The big thing is the snow for several months of the year.......one reason Uncle (now retired) and Aunt vaguely considered moving back to UK a couple of years ago to just spend the winters here...but house prices got rid of that idea totally.....she was over and couldn't believe how much a house cost in UK. They left a 60's semi in Chelmsford in the 70's.

I do feel with airfares being so low (in real terms) nowadays, it's not such a big deal as one could visit 3 times pa but, then would you want to use up all your vacation time on visiting UK?

It's a hard one. Gen emigrated..but to his wifes birth country so it's a little bit different......but perhaps he could say what the ups and downs are?

I have a bad tale of emigrating from my sisters hubbys side. His twin sister moved with 2 kids to NZ after being bowled over by the lifestyle, 'cheap' houseprices, everything....not turned out well at all...but can't really move back as kids are settled in new life. She would move back tomo if she could.

Afriend_2

Cleaver wrote: »

My mind changes all the time. I think living in another country is something we'll always talk about and maybe one day do, but life is kinda fun at the moment: I like my job, Mrs C has a job she really likes too (she's disliked the past two, so it's nice that she is enjoying herself now) and we like Manchester a lot. I think we'll just have lots of holidays.

I lost one of my parents a year ago and I think something like that makes you start to question stuff. Not necessarily in a deep, depressing way. Just that we started to talk more about what we wanted: Kids? House here? House somewhere else? Careers? Move abroad? I think we came to the conclusion that we're pretty happy overall and maybe emigrating isn't the right thing at the moment.

Anyway, a little too much of a vision in to my life there.

Where would you go to if the missus was more keen? Would Canada be a top choice?

I am sorry to hear about your parent. I know what it's like to have ones world blown apart by the loss of loved ones.

Possible emigrating destinations would include Canada, Australia & Austria. I think Canada and Oz are no-goers, purely because of the commuting distance back to family within the UK. So we'd probably agree on Austria, for the scenery, the clean cities, and good transport links to other countries.

michaels

I bet dinner parties at yours are a bundle of laughs...

amcluesent wrote: »

Aye, I was cooking for the family last night and couldn't help but voice these thoughts -

Fill the pan with water from the tap - but droughts from climate instability means global desertification is a growing problem, eliminating millions of acres of productive land. The displacement of starving peoples will likely to an immigration crisis.

Slice some green beans - probably flown in from Kenya, rocketing oil prices after peak oil means that we'll soon have to rely only on what can be grown in England - and that's not enough to go around! Rationing all too likely.

Turn on the oven - but decades of failure to invest in generation capacity means power cuts are certain in a few years

Get some chicken out - the industrial/agri business means that birds are reared abroad in appalling cramped conditions. Ideal for H1N1 bird flu to mutate into highly contagious and fatal human variants that can spread around the globe in a trice.

Added some shop-bought stuffing-balls - massively high salt and fat content means an obesity epidemic in England, today's kiddies will be diabetic and keeling over from strokes and embolisms in their forties

Put the rubbish into the bin - all that plastic wrapping will go to landfill and take decades to decay or it'll be burnt in power plants. Lo-temp combustion can easily lead to carcinogenic dioxins being released into the air

And I wonder why there's so many long-faces around the dinner table!