buctootim

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I had never heard of him until his death yesterday - but that lead me to read a little. Amazing figure. The Chief Test Pilot at BAe described him as one of the five most important aviators of all time "and certainly the most important British one". He still holds several world records, including over 2,400 landings on a carrier. Apparently the Americans decided they couldnt have such a record held by a foreigner so they specially selected a pilot to beat it -he had a nervous breakdown at 1,600. His appearance on Desert Island Discs last year aged 95 is here. Well worth listening to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1

Answer Yes / No to the following Questions 1. Do you feel happy when there is fog in the Channel? 2. Are you able to hold your opinion despite unhelpful facts? 3. Do foreigners smell of garlic? 4. Do you like lots of frozen lamb? 5. Can you recite Rule Brittania backwards?

If we can dock alongside central Asia it will give massive boost to our GDP growth.

As I said, we're 10th and set to fall further. In 1950 we were third behind the US and the Soviet Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)

As always Wes its mostly stuff made up in your head because you want it to be true. Post up facts figures and credible links if you have any.

Un.

PPP is the one you want Wes - Purchasing Power Parity. We're 10th in total GDP and 27th by GDP per capita, behind such giants astride the world scene as Brunei, Taiwan and Oman. All of our neighbours - France, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iceland, Norway, Germany, Sweden etc are richer than us.

I vote for the neo Nazi Zionist Rothschild Illuminati NWO. Am I warm?

Its been all over the news since this morning

Im British and my character says he's largely right. Full of home truths, even if it could have been wrapped up more nicely. One of the problems of the British character imo is delusions of grandeur and the perpetual idea we are being shortchanged or screwed and can get a better deal by privatising public services / leaving the EU / bombing some foreigners. We aren't all that great or successful, nearly all of the other northern European countries have a higher standard of living than us. Australia and New Zealand found new markets nearer to home long long ago. The idea that we can roll the clock back 75 years is risible. We need to get used to the idea that we are a small to medium sized country with a Savile Row distant past, Primark medium past and maybe a M&S future if we dont screw it up by flouncing out when we didnt get our own way.

Eastern

and they have a newborn baby together.

When this thread first started it was like taking the mick out of some bloke in the pub who just spilt his pint on himself. Now four years later its like poking a twitching corpse with a stick. Happy days !

There is an inherent bias with Yes / No. People prefer to say 'yes' than 'no' so the question was changed. Im not sure there isnt a similar bias with 'stay' and 'leave' though. Its not a massive effect , but a couple of percentage points could be enough to change the outcome.

Its Hobson's choice for the EU. They have to work out which will be least damaging - giving concessions to Britain to ensure a stay vote which then opens the door for a host of 'me too' claims from other countries - or refusing a meaningful deal which risks pushing Britain to the exit. I imagine they've done the sums which show Britain will stay. Even if we voted to exit it would leave the remaining EU more united and less fractious - the disgruntled group will have lost the biggest hitter.

Ive just watched the interview with Bristol's new owner. Its an astute purchase by him and he seems to have a well grounded plan. Bristol havent done much in the past but its a big city with few sizeable rivals nearby. I wouldnt be surprised to see them in the PL within 10 years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35612200

Maastricht 1992

Cameron made a tactical mistake. He isnt going to get a meaningful special deal Britain because the other 27 members know you cant run the EU on a pick and mix basis - that defeats the whole purpose. In any event no-one is going to vote for Britain to get a better deal than their own citizens. Cameron would have been better waiting for two years and seeing what effect emerging nationalism across Europe has on the EU as a whole. Eurosceptic parties hold 25% of the seats in the current European Parliament and the refugee crisis is creating tensions in places like Austria and Denmark. Europe as a whole will have to change and the landscape could look very different within this parliament, rendering Cameron's deal irrelevant.

Bluster isnt a good look - gives off weakness as well as not knowing your football. You said "Why would Premier League matches be played in 20k capacity stadiums? Barely any have been in the last ten-fifteen years....I don't see how many will in the future." You clearly had no idea that current PL teams were playing in 20k and smaller stadiums - 57 games this season. Did you also forget about Blackpool (16,750) and QPR (18,500)? Its an age thing is it?

Really? - 15% of the PL have grounds of 21,000 or less (Bournemouth 11,700; Swansea 20,700, Watford 20,900). 35% have capacities of less than 28,400.

Depends on how you work the business model - as an individual club or as part of a wider business trying to develop the brand. As a club or current pricing policy is to maximise return based on the stadium we have. You could argue the PL as a business need to have full 50,000+ stadiums in order to sell itself worldwide as the best most popular sport in the Universe. How are you going to convince broadcasters in Kazahstan or Laos to stump up for PL rights when teams are playing in 20,000 capacity stadiums with 3,000 empty seats and half the spectators leave before the end - whilst the Chinese Super League is developing rapidly and offering foreign broadcast rights for next to nothing. More seats at lower prices could help the atmosphere as well.

Thats true, but I don't think Saint in Paradise is a Maori.

Strokes

You dont get the irony of being an immigrant in New Zealand at all do you?

Interesting, but that has some big omissions. New Forest DC is 174,000 incl Totton, Eastleigh DC is 126,000. Add Winchester and Salisbury at 45,000, about 30% of Test Valley DC at 33,000 plus Fareham DC probably split 50:50 - Park Gate and Locks Heath are definitely more Saints then the numbers look more like 675,000 Saints 500,000 Pompey (Pompey City, Fareham BC, Gosport DC and Havant DC). That is an order of magnitude that fits with our bigger attendances in league 1.