The good old days……

[Rich20]

View attachment 150383

Now we are back to the good old days!!!!

 

[Californication69]

I've watched all the Father Ted episodes. And I quite like Guinness, any hope?

You’re in, to be sure.

 

[willwander]

My Dad’s Irish, so could get a passport, but my wife wouldn’t be able to get one unless we moved to Ireland or lived in EU.
I think?

 

[Californication69]

My Dad’s Irish, so could get a passport, but my wife wouldn’t be able to get one unless we moved to Ireland or lived in EU.
I think?

Correct, as per google
To qualify for citizenship at the 3-year mark, she must meet the criteria outlined by Citizens Information:

• 
  
• Marriage Duration: You must be legally married and living together for at least 3 years.
  
  
• Residency Window: She must have physically lived in Ireland for 3 out of the last 5 years preceding the application date.
  
  
• Continuous Period: The final year (the 12 months immediately before sending off the application) must be completely continuous residence in the country. (Short holiday travels up to 6–10 weeks within that final year are generally permitted).
  
  
• Intent: She must declare an intention to continue residing on the island of Ireland after becoming a citizen.

I travel EU every week for work, so use a lot of my 90 days up, so if ever myself and wife wanted an extended stay in Europe, I’d be cutting it fine.
The wife not so.
So I’ll use the Irish passport for work and not accrue any days.

 

[sidepod]

Could you just float across the Irish Sea on a dinghy and claim residency?

 

[Cali-donia]

I've watched all the Father Ted episodes. And I quite like Guinness, any hope?

That would be an ecumenical matter

 

[Chriskend]

Im waiting for Scottish independence , i can then claim asylum, claim loads of money and a free luxury 5 bed house.

 

[sidepod]

Im waiting for Scottish independence , i can then claim asylum, claim loads of money and a free luxury 5 bed house.

You and the rest of England/Wales!!!

 

[acer]

You and the rest of England/Wales!!!

Wales can go too

 

[WelshGas]

Wales can go too

+ The water in that case.

 

[acer]

+ The water in that case.

+ Tom Jones

 

[OGII]

You are absolutely right! And then there is the coast...

We've been in and around the Munich area over the last week. Not seen a single Ocean. Did see a solitary Coast. Loads and loads of Beaches, must be home to the enlightened. Even the recently retired BMW CEO has one.

 

[calibusje]

We've been in and around the Munich area over the last week. Not seen a single Ocean. Did see a solitary Coast. Loads and loads of Beaches, must be home to the enlightened. Even the recently retired BMW CEO has one.

Home of the enlightened.. I know you’re joking of course Could it also have something to do with the fact that in Germany you can register a Beach (and not the coast of ocean) as a passenger car and - for example in Munich - stricter parking rules are in the residential zone for motorhomes but not if your beach is registered as a passenger car. Many German employers also approve the beach as a business car if it is registered as a regular passenger car.
Anyway, for me my initial reaction was meant as a joke, each for his own choice and I made mine. Who knows, maybe I'll buy a beach someday.
Have fun with you Cali.

 

[Californication69]

We've been in and around the Munich area over the last week. Not seen a single Ocean. Did see a solitary Coast. Loads and loads of Beaches, must be home to the enlightened. Even the recently retired BMW CEO has one.

I was in Munich last week as well, and saw a lot of Beach’s and moho’s too.

 

[Alexlex85]

Even the eclipse isn't what it used to be anymore!

 

[acer]

The good old days?

When ANY key could get into and start my MkII Cortina.
The shops were shut. All of the time.
You were allowed to ride a 125, just because you could drive a car.
Surplus children could roll about in the back of the estate when all of the proper seats were taken by kids sitting on each others laps.
The school cricket team was driven in a van with just two shiny bench seats that faced each other the length of the vehicle. No seatbelts, but plenty of joy cracking heads together.
The bowler is "Holding" the batsman's "Willey"
For those of you watching in black and white, the 'pink' is next to the 'green'
The good old days, when it was so grim up north the rainbows were in black and white.
(Alexei Sayle said something funny - once.)

On the positive side, when going into a cafe a person came to your table and asked you what you would like and returned 5 minutes later with your hot beverage of choice. There was no need to queue 5 minutes to be ripped off for some overpriced mucky water, wait for it to be made, look around for a suitable table, only to find that there isn't one and be forced to "get that to go".
Similarly, in a shop, a shop assistant might ask "how may I help you", because you were in their shop and you might need assistance. They didn't ask "are you ok" as if you were in need of psychological help.

Hot still isn't it?

Apologies if this has swerved us away from the main thrust of the thread, but does anyone else have similar recollections of the good old days?

 

[Mansfieldman750]

Well yes, I actually started campervanning before it was invented.
My old man had a 15cwt Ford Thames van in the 60s. NAG434 was the reg. The old nag. The engine was inside the van under a metal cowl between the front seats. That was my seat. Slippery. You went flying going round corners. Seatbelts ? You must be joking.
On steep descents with plenty of precarious bends, think Wanlockhead to Sanquhar, he would move the column change into neutral, light up a Capstan ( filter cigs were for cissies ) and freewheel down to the flat. Economy mode.
It was a multi purpose vehicle. Transportation of coal, furniture removal, fishing trips, following the local football team, Glenafton, all over Scotland when they had a good cup run. Loved that, I was left in the van outside the pub and the fans kept me going in crisps and lemonade.
And of course, the annual 2 week trip “ up North “ Not saying he fished illegally, just a bit tardy about buying a permit. Anyway them lochs were teaming with trout and underfished.
Maw and paw slept in the van and me and my brothers knocked lumps out of each other in an old green ridge tent.
Primus stove for cooking, later replaced by double burner Calor gas. Posh.
NC 500, yeah we had that all done 50 years before it was a thing. Except North East corner. I still haven’t been to John O’ Groats to this day.
The young’ uns nowadays ….zzzzz

 

[acer]

Well yes, I actually started campervanning before it was invented.
My old man had a 15cwt Ford Thames van in the 60s. NAG434 was the reg. The old nag. The engine was inside the van under a metal cowl between the front seats. That was my seat. Slippery. You went flying going round corners. Seatbelts ? You must be joking.
On steep descents with plenty of precarious bends, think Wanlockhead to Sanquhar, he would move the column change into neutral, light up a Capstan ( filter cigs were for cissies ) and freewheel down to the flat. Economy mode.
It was a multi purpose vehicle. Transportation of coal, furniture removal, fishing trips, following the local football team, Glenafton, all over Scotland when they had a good cup run. Loved that, I was left in the van outside the pub and the fans kept me going in crisps and lemonade.
And of course, the annual 2 week trip “ up North “ Not saying he fished illegally, just a bit tardy about buying a permit. Anyway them lochs were teaming with trout and underfished.
Maw and paw slept in the van and me and my brothers knocked lumps out of each other in an old green ridge tent.
Primus stove for cooking, later replaced by double burner Calor gas. Posh.
NC 500, yeah we had that all done 50 years before it was a thing. Except North East corner. I still haven’t been to John O’ Groats to this day.
The young’ uns nowadays ….zzzzz

That engine between the front seats thing. I took an old Toyota Hiace around Australia (it was old in 1998, but I don’t know what year the reg was). That had a lift up metal bit with ‘enginey’ stuff underneath. You can tell I’m a top rate mechanic can’t you. Perhaps the same sort of thing?

I think I remember that we chose it from the King’s Cross car park in Sydney, where everyone else also bought their vehicles (we sold it the same place, for the same money, 6 months and 1 revolution of Oz later). We thought we were very clever because everyone wanted the old VW vans to be cool, surfer types, but we were told, reliably it turned out, to avoid them because they were ‘air cooled’ and not up to the outback heat. Our Hiace was water cooled .

There is a danger that this could turn into a “rambling memories of an old man” thread, so sorry.

But finally, “filter cigs were for cissies”. Love that!

 

[sidepod]

“Errrrrr the good old days, they really were quite remarkable indeed”.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

Well yes, I actually started campervanning before it was invented.
My old man had a 15cwt Ford Thames van in the 60s. NAG434 was the reg. The old nag. The engine was inside the van under a metal cowl between the front seats. That was my seat. Slippery. You went flying going round corners. Seatbelts ? You must be joking.
On steep descents with plenty of precarious bends, think Wanlockhead to Sanquhar, he would move the column change into neutral, light up a Capstan ( filter cigs were for cissies ) and freewheel down to the flat. Economy mode.
It was a multi purpose vehicle. Transportation of coal, furniture removal, fishing trips, following the local football team, Glenafton, all over Scotland when they had a good cup run. Loved that, I was left in the van outside the pub and the fans kept me going in crisps and lemonade.
And of course, the annual 2 week trip “ up North “ Not saying he fished illegally, just a bit tardy about buying a permit. Anyway them lochs were teaming with trout and underfished.
Maw and paw slept in the van and me and my brothers knocked lumps out of each other in an old green ridge tent.
Primus stove for cooking, later replaced by double burner Calor gas. Posh.
NC 500, yeah we had that all done 50 years before it was a thing. Except North East corner. I still haven’t been to John O’ Groats to this day.
The young’ uns nowadays ….zzzzz

Capstan full strength for sure. Those were the days.

 

[Mansfieldman750]

Capstan full strength for sure. Those were the days.

That was the orangey brown packet, about the same colour as your arm up to the elbow if you smoked them.
No my dad was on the white packet Capstan medium, cool as a mountain stream by comparison.
But still pretty lethal.

 

[Perfectos]

The good old days:
Pubs closed in the afternoon.
Shops closed Whenever they liked , but always all day on Sunday.
You could drive around the M25 at 70mph, without speed restrictions nor stopping in a traffic jam every 10 miles.
People used to know how a motorway worked and which lane was for sitting in doing 50mph and which was for overtaking.
You could smoke in the cinema, pub and on an airplane. -( could you imagine that today )
Pizza was cheese on toast and didn't cost £20

 

[Alexlex85]

We need a poll to work out the average age of California owners

I’m 38 and thought I’d seen plenty coming from Eastern Europe, but some of these messages genuinely crack me up.

I tried reading a few of the comments to my wife, but she disengaged rather quickly.

 

[WelshGas]

The good old days:
Pubs closed in the afternoon.
Shops closed Whenever they liked , but always all day on Sunday.
You could drive around the M25 at 70mph, without speed restrictions nor stopping in a traffic jam every 10 miles.
People used to know how a motorway worked and which lane was for sitting in doing 50mph and which was for overtaking.
You could smoke in the cinema, pub and on an airplane. -( could you imagine that today )
Pizza was cheese on toast and didn't cost £20

Originally there was no speed limit on the M1 and Park Lane was a race track 70+ mph between Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. Free car parking on the Kings Road and Carnaby Street.

 

[acer]

We need a poll to work out the average age of California owners

I’m 38 and thought I’d seen plenty coming from Eastern Europe, but some of these messages genuinely crack me up.

I tried reading a few of the comments to my wife, but she disengaged rather quickly.

I raised the average age question on here a few years ago. I’m 58 and the consensus was that I’m at the young end. I’m hanging on to that!