Well not long now!

Wish I could teach my dog to carry a suitcase like your dog there .

 

French never wanted us in now making it hard to leave

 

Yes, its really not that different other than now you need an Export Health Certificate instead of a Pet Passport.

We are actually jumping ship next week and moving to France. The animal paperwork is like a dream compared to the residence permit!

 

Oh that'll be exciting. Where too? Have you bought a Châteaux?

 

Not quite! We are renting an apartment in Bordeaux (where my new job is) before we buy something. Main reason is that as a family covid has made us value family time and not being up to our necks in mortgage payments etc so hopefully it will be a refreshing change for the better.

Hope to see some of you out there once we get settled into our own place.

 

Is Colonel Dick on standby ?

 

It is very nice on that coast - we were heading there one summer when we spotted Isle of Oleron and stayed there instead.

 

Am I going to have a new neighbour?

 

We love La Rochelle and Oleron too, ended up a bit further South as it happens but really looking forward to it.

 

One side, well prepared, know their stuff, read their briefings - look like they know how to get dressed in the morning, and not in a borrowed suit.



And then there are our two.


In a professional setting - which two people walking in to your office wanting to sort out a meaningful deal that affects all of us, our kids, our grandkids - would get your attention?


He looks like exactly what he is - a lifelong privileged, lazy sack of excrement, with his fat mate.

 

Until they started talking.
David Frost is a very clever guy, far more than Barnier, the tailors dummy.
Having worked at high levels in finance it often happened that appearances were deceptive. If it's important you look past appearances and ignore your predjudices.

 

she doesn’t look that fat to me.

 

They are supposed to have been talking for 4 years, had oven ready deals etc etc.

I look at both CV’s and would nominate nothing is showing either as more intelligent than the other, a degree in French and History from Oxford is certainly strong stuff I concede.

Barnier has been in post throughout, David Frost is the 3rd negotiator we’ve had in place....I’d nominate that puts him in a weaker position.

Ill agree with you that there are many a dull mind behind a sharp suit and expensive watch....but this is state craft and diplomacy, focus, intent, perceptions matter.

A man famed for not reading his briefings, chaotic in approach and generally ‘winging it’ could have at least combed his hair and not borrowed his dad’s suit.

Or maybe this is his statecraft? Note the date.



Or lets just watch him change his mind....an adamant liar.

 

It amazes me that Boris persuaded the good people of the Rother and Don Valleys to vote for him this time last year (just two examples among many). Let's hope he pulls the same trick off with the EU....

 

Might be worth reading up on von de leyen, especially when she was German defence minister. She introduced crèches whilst Typhoon availability collapsed.
In my opinion she's the German equivalent of Christine Largarde, and that certainly isn't a compliment.
I agree that perceptions matter, the most notable people I've been exposed to are two FTSE 100 Boards, and I certainly got the impression that they didn't consider them as important as you think.
They looked below the 'gloss' to the substance.

 

I've taken your advice - the creche initiative was to aid recruitment - I'm not ex military, but it strikes me as not a bad idea when you look at the detail.

I can't find anything negative on Typhoon, https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/...-seeks-data-on-quicker-fighter-jet-deliveries seems to allude to the germans being pro Typhoon, but wanting actual spend milestones baked in to plans as they have a history of overspend, as have we. Was there something more exact?

So we both agree that impressions matter, and that highly polished might be as misleading as utterly unkempt. Pity Boris fell in to one of those two opposing poles.

 

It's a few years ago but was all over the aviation defence press.
There was a severe shortage of parts etc. For example Spiegel quoted that in July 2018 only 4 out of 128 were available. This was an ongoing issue and may still be so.

 

Fair enough, I didn't realise Germany was supplying parts for Typhoon - the parts I've read was their procurement of whole aircraft - which is a worry in itself given their history!

 

An even bigger worry then is that they have nuclear capable Tornadoes which will be replaced by nuclear capable FA18s. The bombs are under US control fortunately.

 

Would ya?!