Most of the young folks want to leave the UK to work and get a better standard of living because the UK has become too expensive and wages have stagnated. Regarding open borders thats the way its going to be sadly. looks like everyone is adopting the immigration crisis.Its the same globally from what I have seen. Maybe the Governments think that immigrants are more compliant that us Brits. will work for nothing!
Debbie Flint on the news.
- Thread starter Jai1998
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Brissles
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I can appreciate that all of humanity want a better life, and why not, but we can't feed and house the world. I've always fancied a move to Canada (too late now), so would I pitch up on a speed boat, throwing all my documentation overboard and then claim asylum on the shores of Canada, and then be taken to a hotel in say Quebec, fed, free medical care and an allowance ? er I don't think so. Yet we are doing just that from people arriving from France ! its utter madness.
Not 'winter' Brissles; maybe autumn, or could you push for late summer?
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I’ve told this story before - either on here (apols if repeating) or other fora. I often think about it and cry when reading reports of people coming across the channel on dingies, rafts etc. It’s long - sorry.
My late Dad was Russian and during WW2 he deserted the Soviet Red Army and ended up in the Polish Free Army under British/Polish control. That’s all I know, it’s all he would tell us.
After the war he obviously couldn’t return home and was allowed to settle here. He was a genuine asylum seeker, he would have ended up in one of Stalin’s gulags back in Russia. From 1948 to 1974 he was “state-less”. It took the Home Office all those years to give him (and thousands like him) British nationality. During those years he had to report to our local police station every week to prove he hadn’t disappeared. Also had to submit to health checks, to ensure he didn’t have TB or other dastardly disease he might have brought in with him. Dad never managed to speak good English so he always did manual work. But boy did he work ! Every hour of overtime, weekend or late nights. He never took a day off sick and the only benefit he and Mum claimed was Family Allowance.
The people who come here now aren’t fit to lick my Dad’s boots.
My late Dad was Russian and during WW2 he deserted the Soviet Red Army and ended up in the Polish Free Army under British/Polish control. That’s all I know, it’s all he would tell us.
After the war he obviously couldn’t return home and was allowed to settle here. He was a genuine asylum seeker, he would have ended up in one of Stalin’s gulags back in Russia. From 1948 to 1974 he was “state-less”. It took the Home Office all those years to give him (and thousands like him) British nationality. During those years he had to report to our local police station every week to prove he hadn’t disappeared. Also had to submit to health checks, to ensure he didn’t have TB or other dastardly disease he might have brought in with him. Dad never managed to speak good English so he always did manual work. But boy did he work ! Every hour of overtime, weekend or late nights. He never took a day off sick and the only benefit he and Mum claimed was Family Allowance.
The people who come here now aren’t fit to lick my Dad’s boots.
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Oh do tell, I live such a vicarious lifeI was angelic until I was 17, then the naughty stuff began. It was really naughty but such good fun that I'm still doing it now
Me too, I'm dying to know who 'stole' the crown jewels for a measly grand, lol! I'd have contacted the Daily Mail myself had I known about it back then. This is exactly the kind of middle class scandal the Mail loves - it even has a royal angle! The DM even covered the 'Diamonique replica crown charity auction' story at the time (article still available on the Daily Mail Online: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...Cs-home-shopping-crown-royal-snip-10-528.html).
I don't know if Stratobuddy pursued it at the time, beyond getting customer service to confirm the knock down price/'winning bid'. QVC clearly weren't free and easy with the details right after the 2012 'Breast Cancer Care' fundraiser, which again indicates skulduggery to me. I think had a journalist pursued it with them, the channel would have been duty bound to give out some specific details even if they declined to name the winner - eg the number of bids and bidders. And crucially, they'd have had to respond to the specific question - Was it 'won' by a QVC employee/presenter? If they declined to answer, then that in itself would be shady.
I too assumed staff could not enter an auction like this, because they could obviously be privy to advantageous, inside info on bid status. Any charity auction must be scrupulously open and above board, and should seek to get the best possible prices for all its desirable lots. Indeed, well-off folk often bid generously and pay well over the odds for items, precisely because it's for charity! Something very strange happened with this particular item selling so cheaply (and far below its stated £10k value). All the more bizarre when the QVC replica Queen Elizabeth crown was by far the most publicised, high profile and topical auction item of all, due to the 2012 Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Of course 10 years on, it's old news. But as a journalist (now retired), I wonder if the story could feasibly be resurrected now/in 2023 with a topical slant, due to King Charles' imminent Coronation? The tabloids in particular are royal-obsessed, and stories with even the most tenuous royal connection are headline news. Very soon, the real crown will be front and centre everywhere! It irks me after all the effort (and expense) that went into creating that glittering centrepiece for the auction, it was practically given away. 'Breast Cancer Care' was robbed of its true value. And as a jewellery collector I'm indignant that many people who I have no doubt would have paid well over £1k for such a unique piece (myself included), were prevented from doing so.
I'm hoping Stratobuddy sees this thread and can confirm how much info he was able to elicit from QVC at the time. I'm guessing not much. If you ask me, the crown's £1,000 sale was clearly a set up. Intriguing suggestion from Brissles re 'Butler & Wilson', by the way. A certain QVC presenter (alleged to be the Crown's owner), is bezzie pals with SW. Who knows, maybe she bought it for the old queen, lol!
Brissles
Registered Shopper
I think this story COULD be resurrected as you suggest. Generally on the inside page of the dailies there is always the question 'have you a story for us', so it wouldn't harm to try. GlamDolly is right, it would be an 'interest' story in light of the upcoming coronation, so any investigative journalist worth his/her salt wouldn't have to dig very deep to find out what happened to it.
Dame Fondacox
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I'm still waiting for Freebie Flint to pop up on C4's Four In A Bed...
stratobuddy
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I was unable to find out much about what happened, but I would have paid well over £1000 for it (not £10K though).
Thanks
@GlamDolly …fancy making this your pet project? Your qualifications sound perfect for the job! I’m an ex-detective and I’m getting more invested in this topic by the day!!!
Brissles
Registered Shopper
Yeah ! you two go for it. Now all we need is an ex QVC employee who can register on here as Anonymous and give some background !
I actually DO fancy having a dig! Brissles is absolutely right, we need an insider, preferably/realistically a former insider, with inside info on the 2012 scandal - specifically who took that damn crown home at cost price!@GlamDolly …fancy making this your pet project? Your qualifications sound perfect for the job! I’m an ex-detective and I’m getting more invested in this topic by the day!!!
I've got some thoughts but won't write them here, as anyone approached will obviously be promised anonimity. What a perfect tabloid story with King Charles' coronation and QVC UK's 30th birthday coming up next year... Ticks a lot of boxes! Watch this space!
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Actually, Canada takes in more immigrants per year than any other country.
I was watching a documentary series about Canada the other month. The information was given as a stated fact.
The trade deal with India which Bojo was trying to rush through included taking a high percentage of Indian immigrants, but that it seems as stalled as India do no want to rush a trade deal with the UK.
Brissles
Registered Shopper
How many times could you drop the size of UK into Canada though ? we have 6 million alone in London - the entire population of Switzerland ! but hey ho. I'll be long left this mortal coil before the situation gets totally unsustainable in years to come.
I read that many of the channel crossings are made up of mostly Albanian men. I've been to Albania (albeit just for the day from a cruise ship) but it seemed a decent enough place with decent enough people. Tourists were very welcome and people were making a living from people like me coming in. buying from shops and restaurants, having a guided tour etc. Why are people "fleeing" that country? Are they being trafficked into a life of crime here because it's easier for Albanian crime gangs to operate from the UK? I don't know.
I do know that I applied to emigrate to Australia several times and got a big fat NO. So here I am. I could do worse than Scotland though. Hang on a minute, Nicola Sturgeon just appeared on telly. I may take back that statement
CC
I do know that I applied to emigrate to Australia several times and got a big fat NO. So here I am. I could do worse than Scotland though. Hang on a minute, Nicola Sturgeon just appeared on telly. I may take back that statement
CC
