Cosmicblue

An alternative view, and maybe the one the Police took was that whilst he held a bunch of licenced weapons legally he also had objects which no sensible individual in society can justify owning and as a firearms ticket owner he should be 110% switched on to the sensitivity of the topic. Questionable judgment at best would be my take, as we all know all too well the slightest suggestion of mental/not quite right in the thinking department and one's ticket is revoked or not renewed.

The automotive industry is in deep trouble, just take a look at Autotrader and cars for sale with less than 500 miles on the clock...there are loads there for a fraction of the usually ridiculous list price. For the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) - which is VW, Audi, Seat, Cupra, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, Lamborghini and Ducati they have some huge challenges, many of the models of the ranges are old and long overdue for replacement. The VAG group are facing the perfect storm, massively in debt, an aging, undesirable product that's too expensive in markets that are in an economic downturn and a bunch of competitors who have good products at the right price.

I look back at my youth with cars and bikes and realise now that the greatest issue was a 'lack of imagination' as to what could happen if stuff went pear-shaped. Imagination is fed by experience and that was of course sadly lacking...🙃 I'm now retired but, just for fun, do a couple of days a week here Triumph Factory Visitor Experience taking groups of visitors around the factory. It is very noticeable that the number of youngsters riding bikes these days has fallen dramatically, the vast majority of bikers that visit on a sunny day won't be seeing their 60th birthdays again. Insurance costs are brutal for the young riders, was talking to a lad who had come on a 125cc bike last Friday, was paying £190/month aged 19 with a clean licence. Even getting a licence is difficult/complicated. Add to that the fact that bikes cost 'car money' these days the chances of the youth of tomorrow killing themselves on a bike are declining rapidly. Looking forward I guess fully autonomous cars are not far away, especially when EVs are the only option.

Sadly there are individuals in our society that are mentally messed up, maybe 90% all there and 10% lethal. Up to and just after the 2nd World war there were many 'Asylums' where the fruit-cakes were sent, and probably in many cases forgotten about. As we rolled into the 1950s thinking changed and the Asylums were closed with the sites sold for building land. What happened to the occupants? Yep, they got released into society, many with the vague hope that they'd be taking the prescribed medication - murders and worse inevitably followed. The Southport nutter would have been an Asylum candidate for sure. Interesting article here: https://beyondthepoint.co.uk/a-history-of-mental-asylums/

I could warm to Trump - I retired from a Texas based software company a couple of years ago, they were so wrapped up in the namby-pamby details for DEI - Diversity-Equity-Inclusion stuff and how gender identity had to be observed..respected staff just didn't communicate for fear of offending someone. I see on the BBC new page tonight: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyjqgl2erzo "Incoming officials also said that Trump plans to "end DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion" inside the government, and make it official policy that the US recognises two sexes - male and female." Like it!

The regular Chinese people I have encountered see Taiwan as part of China - in the same way has the UK has Wales...thinks it is independent but probably isn't🤣

One feels for the people involved of course but I'm also not that surprised. Here in Europe we build houses with brick and block, over in the US there is a preference to build houses using wood, even the roofing tiles are 'shakes', rather than some kind of stone/cement tile as we would have here they are using timber or composite products and thus extremely vulnerable to fire. Even the houses that look like they are made of something more solid are just cement rendered. Was inevitable, sooner or later.

Dreadful - so you are understandably hacked off and the RAC technician is too because he knows that the back office team have no customer empathy skills either - leaving him to do something totally unacceptable to the customer stood in front of him. If the guy has sense he'll be looking for another job. You won't be stumping up for the RAC's renewal I suspect?

Tag Heuer do offer a service facility - two tier - you can download the price list here - doesn't look too bad either: https://www.tagheuer.com/gb/en/service/our-services.html

Microsoft have a slight problem - there are still around 800 million computers using Windows 10, so they have extended support out to October 2025: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

Living in the Midlands we are rather spoiled for choice for Indian restaurants from super cheap to lavish and expensive - often alcohol free to observe religious preferences, take a look at this place in Coventry The Farmhouse Kashmiri , even a takeaway is a weird experience. You order inside and are then told to go and wait in the car park - they bring it out, all beautifully packaged in designer style cartons. Now Chinese food - that's an interesting topic. China is, of course, a simply massive country so it's food varies according to region. I am fortunate to have a a close friend who is native Chinese and who has introduced me to 'real' Chinese food. Much of the menu of a typical UK Chinese restaurant probably originates from Singapore - the curry dishes for example don't exist in 'mainland' Chinese restaurant. Visiting an authentic Chinese restaurant is quite daunting without someone who understands the language - they eat stuff that we probably wouldn't consider, offal for example. Tripe (who remembers that as a kid - looks like the underside of a school gym mat in the 1970s 🙃). As it happens we were in Coventry city centre today (huge Chinese Student population) and visited a place called Tian Restaurant which is Cantonese - nothing special inside, food amazing. Take a look at the pictures in the reviews - doesn't look much like anything in a UK Chinese menu: Tian - Google reviews

I digitally signed the petition - we are dreaming of course, after 14 years not being in power either now, totally appreciated or totally despised Mr Starmer and is bunch of playmates are unlikely to run another General Election - they are in charge of the gravy train of bungs and back-handers otherwise referred to as 'fringe-benefits'. The politicians will follow the usual path of being caught with paws in the cookie jar/being in the wrong bed and there will be By-elections where the electorate will make their feelings known. It is the best we can hope for.

'An Officer not a Gentleman' is a good read, an autobiography written by Mandy Hickson, one the UK's 1st female fast jet pilots. 'Typhoon' by Mike Sutton - another RAF pilot autobiography.

The lady is political cannon-fodder, gets the hot-seat after her party got spanked in the general election. No career politician would want the job, well at least not for the next couple of years at least. The lucky winner has to re-assemble a party and try to find members that aren't tainted by corruption and scandal and that's no small task in it's own right.

I'm 67 and retired back in February '23 - not exactly my plan at the time but made redundant 6 months short of my 66th birthday and state pension. To the original question of 'How much money do you need to retire?' We all have different financial commitments however having a clear idea of the monthly expenses is a good start so: Council tax, Energy (Electricity/gas/oil), Food, provisions for car tax/maintenance etc You then need to check to see what your individual State Pension payment is going be - you can do that here https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension People have posted in this thread about about stopping work before the State Retirement age do bear in mind that the DWP take into account the amount you have contributed and use it to calculate your pension - paid every 4 weeks, gross with no tax deducted - mine is very slightly less that £1000 a month so not to be sniffed at. Any other income will need to come from other sources - how much you need will depend on what you need money. My only regret is not seeking guidance from a professional financial adviser many years earlier - I could have planned for retirement rather than just let it happen and have to figure out the puzzle as was the case for me. The adviser I eventually selected was able to project my income and likely expenditure out to age 100 using standard industry data models with around age 85 being the start of the taper down to being fairly inactive - provided confidence as to the future. Retirement is a personal journey - for me and for a good 6 months it felt like a holiday, got lots of jobs around the house done, still think about work - 'work' is a 50+ year habit one is trying to break. 😀