Port of Dover

A little off point - I wonder where all those stuck in the hours long queues actually go to the toilet?

Whitewavemark2

I live in a remain voting area, and we had masses of European workers.

Miss them a lot!

I didn’t say all Europeans have left.

I said “we miss them a lot”

To clarify - every single restaurant, pub, hotel, etc have boards outside their venue advertising for staff.
Every restaurant seems to struggle through lack of staff. In fact the rather smart hotel we frequent for food spa etc has cut down availability rather than give a poorer service.

That is what I meant.

JaneJudge

there have been posts on here saying there should be restrictions on who can vote and I'm not the only one who finds that vulgar. You either believe in democracy or you don't and democracy means the lower classes can vote (as cn women, the disabled etc young and old) Our votes were hard fought for and just because someone has voted in a way I disagree with, it doesn't mean I think they are stupid (manipulated maybe but not stupid)

But there have been problems with the crossings for years, it was inevitable this would happen with tighter restrictions and swathes of people going on holiday via tunnel or ferry. I suppose they could always reopen the sink* ports but are there enough ferries?

*spelling in cultural reference #cinque

Good post, JaneJudge

there have been posts on here saying there should be restrictions on who can vote and I'm not the only one who finds that vulgar. You either believe in democracy or you don't

Yes, I've seen posts like that too - I find it quite incredible that anyone should think that, let alone post it!

GranyGravy
I’m sure your aware of my local eatery, The Roslyn Bay.
It is sill staffed mainly by foreign workers. From the manager to the chambermaids.

A bar owner here in Urmston said after the pandemic & lockdown, getting staff was problematic. Then along came surges of more Covid and the worry of price hikes for food and utilities. It has been a perfect storm in the making. Joe Public (majority) staying home to eat and drink or going out less frequently as a result of less disposable incomes. Bar owners deciding it’s not worth opening Mon/Tues/Wed and paying staff to sit about in the hope a trickle of customers come through the doors. Prices have gone up dramatically in all sections of the hospitality industry. Punters will only come out to play if they can afford it. Weekends are still popular but much less so in the week. It must be a nightmare to be an independent business these days.

volver

I think maybe the problem is that the Leavers think we are living in the past and want to turn back the clock. I don't think that's the case. I expect everyone knows that we have left and won't be going back in for the foreseeable.

But most sensible people realise that it was a disastrous event in our history and no amount of patriotic exhortations to all pull together for the good of the nation are going to make it better. There won't be progress about Brexit because Brexit is backward looking and catastrophic. We've already got the tangible evidence of separating us from the EU. Haven't you noticed?

I agree Volver.
When I read posts refusing to accept that problems are caused by Brexit and making nasty, xenophobic remarks blaming other countries, I think that they are the people who have failed to move on.

MerylStreep

GranyGravy
I’m sure your aware of my local eatery, The Roslyn Bay.
It is sill staffed mainly by foreign workers. From the manager to the chambermaids.

Absolutely, it’s our sons local, and as a family we spend a lot time of there, (very nice and convenient and keeps our kitchens clean)

Beautiful views whatever the time of year, in fact my favourite time is the winter when the sea is appears so powerful.

Urmstongran

A bar owner here in Urmston said after the pandemic & lockdown, getting staff was problematic. Then along came surges of more Covid and the worry of price hikes for food and utilities. It has been a perfect storm in the making. Joe Public (majority) staying home to eat and drink or going out less frequently as a result of less disposable incomes. Bar owners deciding it’s not worth opening Mon/Tues/Wed and paying staff to sit about in the hope a trickle of customers come through the doors. Prices have gone up dramatically in all sections of the hospitality industry. Punters will only come out to play if they can afford it. Weekends are still popular but much less so in the week. It must be a nightmare to be an independent business these days.

All hail the sages of the twenty first century! Spanish bar owners!

As to Brexit, nobody is being forced to accept it has happened and are free to stay bitter until the end of time, but it will do no good, nor do you any good either.

I would dispute that staying "bitter" does "no good". The Eurosceptics have kept up their bitterness over our membership since 1975-ish.

... and they won in 2016!

Personally, I'm not "bitter" - which implies a negative 'sour-grapes' attitude. I am angry, and fired-up to fight back.

Bitterness eats away at your soul, anger can be cathartic - it can also be tamed with some individuals (like me). I accept that Brexit has happened and has to be dealt with. I have no illusions / delusions that we will rejoin any time soon, and certainly not in my life-time. But my anger propels me to fight for a more civil and friendly relationship with the EU which, I believe, would be more positive than this current negative, anti-EU rhetoric, emanating from the Tories and fostered / encouraged by the right-wing media,

My anger is productive and, because of that, it doesn't consume me. Nor does it dominate my life.

I am, as you will realise, taking the use of the word "bitter" to task...

Urmstongran

A bar owner here in Urmston said after the pandemic & lockdown, getting staff was problematic. Then along came surges of more Covid and the worry of price hikes for food and utilities. It has been a perfect storm in the making. Joe Public (majority) staying home to eat and drink or going out less frequently as a result of less disposable incomes. Bar owners deciding it’s not worth opening Mon/Tues/Wed and paying staff to sit about in the hope a trickle of customers come through the doors. Prices have gone up dramatically in all sections of the hospitality industry. Punters will only come out to play if they can afford it. Weekends are still popular but much less so in the week. It must be a nightmare to be an independent business these days.

Where we live, there seems to be a constant stream of folks through restaurants and bars, we have had another Mediterranean Restaurant open at the end of our road in recent days.

Along with numerous takeaways I guess folks cannot be bothered to cook and are using the cash they are saving on commuting to London on dining out.

(Cannot believe there is a competition of Property Top Trumps on a N & P thread ??)

Erm ... I’m in the UK growstuff so I don’t get your comment about Spanish bar owners, apologies.

Thank you for the official French response Mamie, always good to hear things from your side of La Manche.
The print is a bit small for me to read on my phone, (I'm away this weekend in Jersey, not far away!), but as I see it:

1. No mention of Brexit causing the problem
2. It was an unforeseen technical problem at the tunnel that caused the hold up with the border police
3. The huge increase in capacity was expected
4. Everyone is working together to rectify the backlog situation

En avant toute!

Dinahmo

Please can someone explain why it is necessary for thousands of people rushing off on holiday on the same day? Not all campsites or holiday rentals require bookings of a week's duration.

Relief, especially after Covid restriction perhaps?
Let's get away from it all to sit in a queue!
We always waited a week and never went via Dover either.

Actually, travelling in the UK itself seems hellish at any time now.

I live in an area with a truly diverse population, many immigrants. 75% voted remain. I wasn’t surprised by that. I suppose that makes me an intellectual who is out of touch.

Yes that's it Joseanne. I think the important bit is that it was a few border police who should have been there on Friday at 0830 and were delayed until 0945.
It hardly warrants some of the comments on here and in the press, does it?
Obviously Brexit is implicit in the statement because of the delays caused by stamping passports. I don't know if you have driven over recently, but you certainly sit behind the car in front for longer at border control.

Urmstongran

Erm ... I’m in the UK growstuff so I don’t get your comment about Spanish bar owners, apologies.

Apologies! I misread. I'm sure bar owners on Urmston are far more intellectual.

Dinahmo

Please can someone explain why it is necessary for thousands of people rushing off on holiday on the same day? Not all campsites or holiday rentals require bookings of a week's duration.

It's the start of the much awaited school holidays and I suppose after two years of covid most families are desperate to get away at the first possible moment. I can understand that.
We could stagger the summer holidays by area as has been discussed over and again. That would alleviate traffic across the channel and on the roads, as well as possibility reduce the inflated 6 week getaway prices for travellers. But that is fraught with many problems. Not least teachers' contracts which run from the start of September, so we couldn't get those who broke up mid June back in school in August.

Since when has Urmston been in Spain?

Just thought this was interesting:
twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1551138151934066688?t=5VpPOKyseHdyIRg0dtCggg&s=19

Just pragmatic I expect growstuff like many independent business owners in this economic climate.

dragonfly we live and pay taxes on our pensions here in the UK. We have a holiday apartment in Spain that we use for less than 180 days per year (90 days in 180). We go back next month after being here since 30th April.
?

Mamie

Yes that's it Joseanne. I think the important bit is that it was a few border police who should have been there on Friday at 0830 and were delayed until 0945.
It hardly warrants some of the comments on here and in the press, does it?
Obviously Brexit is implicit in the statement because of the delays caused by stamping passports. I don't know if you have driven over recently, but you certainly sit behind the car in front for longer at border control.

I'm now in the fortunate position that Plymouth - Roscoff is a doddle. It's all very amicable. (The best bit is that they used to hand out those lovely glass bottles of Orangina as we exited the port at Roscoff!) DD sailed from Portsmouth to St. Malo on Brittany Ferries on Friday night with family, no hold ups.
I'm going next month.

Would it be possible to have some kind of facial recognition system in the future like at airports to avoid the stamping? I guess with passengers in cars that would be more difficult.

Ooh! I just got your meaning dragonfly! Took me a minute there ha! ?

NotSpaghetti

Just thought this was interesting:
twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1551138151934066688?t=5VpPOKyseHdyIRg0dtCggg&s=19

The bit at the end made me laugh NotSpaghetti. We can see the sunlit meadows ….not.

I think that some sort of biometric checks are planned for the atumn Joseanne, but it involves everyone getting out of the car. ?
I have never done Plymouth Roscoff. We once did Portsmouth St Malo in a Force 12. ? Spent most of the night in the lee of Jersey and were very late in.

To be honest I think the passionate responses that Brexit delivered are going to take a generation to dissipate.