French Fisherman at it again. Calais,Bologne, Dunkirk blockaded (1 Viewer)

Bulletguy

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Got to hand it to them.

Whenever the French have a gripe about anything they just blockade the ports......job done. No messin' about sitting around having "meetings" and "talks".

We'd ask permission! :roflmto:
 

PenelopePitstop

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Blockade still on!:Eeek::Eeek:
We were at Calais this morning trying to get the 12.25 ferry. P&O gave us free transfers for the tunnel - we had to queue for a wee while at the tunnel check in but we were on the 1.50 train! 35 minutes ride and we were back in Blighty!:thumb:
Ray and Joan still stuck in the port :Sad:( as of 17.26 UK time) as they've got a fixed lpg tank so can't use the train. We have Gaslow and that's acceptable.
Hopefully, because they're in the loading area waiting for the next boat, they won't have any problems with the dog passport ( he was at the vet at 10am yesterday!). Fingers crossed for them!

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scotjimland

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Hi Marie

As far as I know, a fixed tank is acceptable if the gas outlet is turned off.. Lots of RVs use the tunnel. It's only LPG converted engines that are barred..

Great to be back! ..:winky:

Jim
 

PenelopePitstop

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Hi Marie

As far as I know, a fixed tank is acceptable if the gas outlet is turned off.. Lots of RVs use the tunnel. It's only LPG converted engines that are barred..

Great to be back! ..:winky:

Jim

We saw an RV using the tunnel today but assumed he hadn't got lpg!

It's something worth looking in to isn't it? Ray and Joan would be home now!

Don't know about " great to be back" I'll let you know on that one!!
 

GJH

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Got to hand it to them.

Whenever the French have a gripe about anything they just blockade the ports......job done. No messin' about sitting around having "meetings" and "talks".

We'd ask permission! :roflmto:

I suppose it depends whether one considers it justifiable for a few people to cause so many problems for others, such as holiday makers and HGV drivers. Just saw on the ITV news that a coach load of kids from a Welsh swimming club are stranded overnight with no idea of where they might sleep.

Well done for getting back so quick Marie. What did the trick? Did you march up to them and shout (in best Glossop accent) "nous n'aurons aucun ennui ici"? :roflmto:

Graham

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Road Runner

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I used the tunnel when i was just petrol but now my bus is converted to LPG and REGISTERED at the DVLA as it doubt I would get through.

They accept the domestic tank.

Tesco point were so useful at one time
 

Bulletguy

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I suppose it depends whether one considers it justifiable for a few people to cause so many problems for others, such as holiday makers and HGV drivers.
They've certainly got their point across....plus a few million quid compo off their Government.
Alternatively i suppose they could have sat around a table having 'meetings' about when to arrange the next meeting and got absolutely nowhere.

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mikel

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Harbour blockade, Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne, 1940.

And this blockade seems to do more damage to the UK economy than any other.

Common factor seems to be that others have to pay for France and its problems.
 

GJH

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They've certainly got their point across....plus a few million quid compo off their Government.
Alternatively i suppose they could have sat around a table having 'meetings' about when to arrange the next meeting and got absolutely nowhere.

They've got their point across by taking action which was illegal, according to the French courts, and the French government has rolled over. In doing so they cost individuals and companies, who have nothing to do with the dispute, millions of pounds.

Is governments giving in to illegal acts - and the inevitable consequent encouragement of those acts - what we want to see? If it is where is the line to be drawn?

IMHO if an act is unlawful you can take legal steps to try to achieve a change legitimising that act but what you don't do is break the law just because it suits you.

Graham
 

weymard

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Harbour blockade, Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne, 1940.

And this blockade seems to do more damage to the UK economy than any other.

Common factor seems to be that others have to pay for France and its problems.

We do not need that you pay for us, your economy is more weak that ours. Understand that OURS problems are (or will be) also YOURS problems in short term (it is called "global economy") ! Your fishermen are they so happy ?
You want to stay an Island, well, then develop your navy and find other ports in Europe than French ports !

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mikel

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I completely agree with GJH's post.

And W. does have a point. Our fisherman aren't that happy either. Maybe they should collaborate with their French counterparts. Yes, Collaboration could be the way forward if it was one of our national strengths.
 

Bulletguy

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They've got their point across by taking action which was illegal, IMHO if an act is unlawful you can take legal steps to try to achieve a change legitimising that act but what you don't do is break the law just because it suits you.
Like sitting round a table and having endless meetings year in year out? We are pretty damn good at that and where has it got us? Absolutely nowhere.

Oh.......it's lost us plenty of industries.

The action taken by the French fishermen may well have been an 'illegal act'.....but at least there was no pussyfooting around for months on end.
 

Bulletguy

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Your fishermen are they so happy ?
You want to stay an Island, well, then develop your navy and find other ports in Europe than French ports !
No they aren't.
The UK fishing fleet has been decimated (reduced) with many fishermen no longer in work and their boats cut up for scrap. Once it was an industry. Now it's reduced to just a few boats at Peterhead, north east Scotland, the UK's largest fishing port.

As for being an island.....we lost that status long back when some dummy politicians (both British and French) had the bright idea of shoving a huge drainpipe under the Channel so people could experience life as a rat.

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GJH

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Originally Posted by GJH
They've got their point across by taking action which was illegal, IMHO if an act is unlawful you can take legal steps to try to achieve a change legitimising that act but what you don't do is break the law just because it suits you.
Like sitting round a table and having endless meetings year in year out? We are pretty damn good at that and where has it got us? Absolutely nowhere.

Oh.......it's lost us plenty of industries.

The action taken by the French fishermen may well have been an 'illegal act'.....but at least there was no pussyfooting around for months on end.

Fair enough, that's a comment which differs from my opinion on illegal acts and I accept that views can differ.

Just for completeness though, what about a comment on the other part of my post:
Is governments giving in to illegal acts - and the inevitable consequent encouragement of those acts - what we want to see? If it is where is the line to be drawn?

Graham
 

Bulletguy

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Fair enough, that's a comment which differs from my opinion on illegal acts and I accept that views can differ.

Just for completeness though, what about a comment on the other part of my post:

Graham
To be honest Graham i've felt for a long time there is growing unrest within this country. People are fast losing patience with the blatant greed and hypocrisy of Governments. (Note i stated the plural......i make no exceptions for either party). There may be the odd one or maybe couple of MP's who are the exception, but out of 600 odd that is a miniscule minority. The rest are rotten to the the core and corrupt as hell.

OK we have a democracy. We vote our politicians in......and eventually we vote for our own choice of party. But it's not working very well and hasn't done for a long time.

Every time a Budget is drawn up, it's the same drivel......the drinker, the smoker, and the motorist.......seriously whacked.

The taxpaying public gets well and truly smacked every single time. We've bankrolled the financial plunderers only to see our money being handed out in great wads to the crooks that were not only responsible for running these Banks, but were already being paid telephone number salaries, the likes of which the rest of us will never ever see in a lifetime.

We've sat by and watched as fuel prices got hiked up to almost £2.00 a litre with a Government that flatly refused to lower the tax. What did we do about it? Nothing. Just meekly rolled over and accepted it.

Meantime the loot rolls into the Exchequer and carries on fattening up that index linked pension pot for greedy ministers, whilst the rest of us mere mortals are not only told that 'everyones living too long........you are going to have to work till you are 68', but many people find they now have to pay out more from their wage to cover the 'black hole' shortfall in their company pension fund. The people being paid huge sums of money to manage these funds are supposedly 'brilliant and clever' people. It would seem not.

How long are people going to put up with 'being nice' and 'sitting around a table' talking?

If we carry on like this i can see us heading toward civil war.

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Boo

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I havn't voted for years simply because they are all the same (public school friends) and I don't want any of them to run the country..................hence I have no one to vote for.

Boo
 

GJH

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(big snip)
How long are people going to put up with 'being nice' and 'sitting around a table' talking?

If we carry on like this i can see us heading toward civil war.

As I said earlier "if an act is unlawful you can take legal steps to try to achieve a change legitimising that act but what you don't do is break the law just because it suits you."

Taking steps within the law is not just sitting round and talking but neither is it deliberately damaging others as is the action of the French fishermen in this case.

We have had enough civil wars in this country to prove that they are not the answer. The British version of democracy may not be working but the way to change it is to get involved and do something positive and constructive. It might feel like banging your head against a brick wall at times and it can take a lot of effort but it can work in the end.

Graham

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Bulletguy

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As I said earlier "if an act is unlawful you can take legal steps to try to achieve a change legitimising that act but what you don't do is break the law just because it suits you."

Taking steps within the law is not just sitting round and talking but neither is it deliberately damaging others as is the action of the French fishermen in this case.

We have had enough civil wars in this country to prove that they are not the answer. The British version of democracy may not be working but the way to change it is to get involved and do something positive and constructive. It might feel like banging your head against a brick wall at times and it can take a lot of effort but it can work in the end.

Graham
During my lifetime there have been just two examples i can think of where dramatic changes were brought about......neither of which involved sitting around talking, both of which could be termed 'illegal acts'.

First, the Pirate Radio ships of the early 1960's which brought popular music to millions of teenagers (i was one of them), who were denied it by the BBC whose paltry offerings back then consisted of Uncle Macs Childrens Favourites where you got to hear such stunning gems as "The Runaway Train", or "Theres a Hole in my Bucket" and all the rest of the crap.

Pirate Radio forced the Government to listen, and the BBC to have a total re-think. Eventually that brought about the Marine Offences Broadcasting Act 1967, by which time the BBC had quickly cobbled together a new radio station which would play nothing but popular music for teenagers. Radio One was born.

The second i can think of was the phenomenal rise of CB radio in the early 80's. Highly illegal so even more fun. The DTi also had plenty of fun behaving like secret state police chasing around after cars with funny looking aerials, and no doubt enjoying fattening up their wage with plenty of overtime at the taxpayers expense.

Nobody could ever have predicted the massive interest created by CB radio. Within a matter of months the country was flooded with most of them being brought in by continental truckers. To buy one required stealth and cunning. To buy my first set i had to establish a 'contact' who then told me where an ice cream seller would be parked up in his van selling ice creams. He would have three sets for me to choose from and had to give him a password so he would know i was 'legit'.....all very under the counter stuff!

Eventually Government realised they were fighting a losing battle, caved in, and brought in licencing under the Wireless Telegraphy Act. The downside being that the old 27mHz AM frequency was no longer allowed and was changed to FM......which turned out to be crap and it soon died a death.

Now hardly anyone bothers with them and the CB licence was actually abolished in December 2006.

Just two examples of where nobody wasted time sitting around talking in meetings, carried out 'illegal acts' (if you like to use the term), with the result that 'people power' won the day.

So it would seem Graham that contrary to what you believe, sometimes breaking a law or laws in order to achieve change not only does work, but also resulted in people actually being listened to. Something which Government and politicians are not very good at.
 

GJH

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During my lifetime there have been just two examples i can think of where dramatic changes were brought about......neither of which involved sitting around talking, both of which could be termed 'illegal acts'.

(snip)

So it would seem Graham that contrary to what you believe, sometimes breaking a law or laws in order to achieve change not only does work, but also resulted in people actually being listened to. Something which Government and politicians are not very good at.

OK, got to hold my hands up and admit you are right in those cases. Bound to be some I suppose :Smile:

However, doesn't the fact that you can think of just two examples illustrate that for the most part acting illegally does not achieve change?

Graham
 

Bulletguy

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OK, got to hold my hands up and admit you are right in those cases. Bound to be some I suppose :Smile:

However, doesn't the fact that you can think of just two examples illustrate that for the most part acting illegally does not achieve change?
Some chap called Guido Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Prior to that Britain had no Explosives Act.

I reckon you could say he made some changes. Certainly woke Parliament up.

The suffragette movement of the early 1900's who militantly fought for the right to vote which was eventually granted in 1928, openly used whatever means possible no matter how 'illegal'. The meeker suffragist who sought the same but used conventional legal methods got absolutely nowhere and were quickly forgotten about.

There are undoubtedly many other examples, but the two i gave are what i will always remember from my lifetime in my own country where real people power forced change by making the Government listen.

A lot depends upon commitment. History has shown that sometimes acting outside the law, or illegally, is the only way to bring about change.

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GJH

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Some chap called Guido Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Prior to that Britain had no Explosives Act.

I reckon you could say he made some changes. Certainly woke Parliament up.
Didn't really get what he wanted though did he :Smile:

The suffragette movement of the early 1900's who militantly fought for the right to vote which was eventually granted in 1928, openly used whatever means possible no matter how 'illegal'. The meeker suffragist who sought the same but used conventional legal methods got absolutely nowhere and were quickly forgotten about.
That could be argued - but it could also be argued that the "meeker" majority made the case despite their more militant colleagues.

There are undoubtedly many other examples, but the two i gave are what i will always remember from my lifetime in my own country where real people power forced change by making the Government listen.
Yes, I've actually thought of another myself. The Grunwick and similar disputes of the late 1970s and early 1980s which led the Thatcher government to pass legislation to curb the trades unions.

A lot depends upon commitment. History has shown that sometimes acting outside the law, or illegally, is the only way to bring about change.
But as Guido & Grunwick showed, the change which results may not always be what those acting illegally actually want.

As I said before, where does one draw the line?

We obviously have differing opinions which we'll probably both refuse to change :Smile:

Graham
 

lady jann

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HI funsters ,

so did the fishermen win ??:RollEyes:

been following the debate with interest !! was it a draw ?:Smile:



regards rayval :Smile:



for ever young :thumb:
 

Douglas

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To be honest Graham i've felt for a long time there is growing unrest within this country. People are fast losing patience with the blatant greed and hypocrisy of Governments........

............OK we have a democracy. We vote our politicians in......and eventually we vote for our own choice of party. But it's not working very well and hasn't done for a long time.........

.................The taxpaying public gets well and truly smacked every single time. We've bankrolled the financial plunderers only to see our money being handed out in great wads to the crooks that were not only responsible for running these Banks, but were already being paid telephone number salaries, the likes of which the rest of us will never ever see in a lifetime.................

................How long are people going to put up with 'being nice' and 'sitting around a table' talking?

If we carry on like this i can see us heading toward civil war.

Oh! I do agree with you, and at the same time hope that we are wrong, I sincerely believe that we should shout it loud and clear we are heading for serious trouble if the ordinary people can't reverse the way we are going.

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weymard

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:Smile: It is interesting to note that a simple social conflict in France (as there is a lot each year) provoke a rich debate about democracy :thumb:
 

Bulletguy

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The suffragette movement of the early 1900's who militantly fought for the right to vote which was eventually granted in 1928, openly used whatever means possible no matter how 'illegal'. The meeker suffragist who sought the same but used conventional legal methods got absolutely nowhere and were quickly forgotten about.
That could be argued - but it could also be argued that the "meeker" majority made the case despite their more militant colleagues.
I'm not so sure the suffragist actually was a majority force.
Either way, whilst they were busying themselves with following the letter of the law, having nice meetings and tea parties, it was the actions of Emmeline Pankhurst and her militant suffragettes who finally acheived the vote for women.

Back 'on thread'.....these French fisherman could have sat on the beach waving a few placards about.

Would anyone have noticed? No.
Would anyone have given a damn? No.
Would anyone even care what they were complaining about? No.

So they blockaded the Channel ports with their trawlers instead. Result......national news headlines and the entire business done 'n dusted in a couple of days. Had they gone through all the 'niceties' of following the law, they would still be sitting around with fading placards.
 

Bulletguy

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:Smile: It is interesting to note that a simple social conflict in France (as there is a lot each year) provoke a rich debate about democracy :thumb:
Excellent isn't it? ::bigsmile:

I'm not familiar with the French Political system, Laws and Government, but my brother-in-law is very conversant with the entire history of your country and will have a much better understanding of it than i.......plus he speaks fluent french too!

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