Most investors under estimate the costs of running property. Every 5-7 years it will need a new kitchen, constant replenishment of the inventory, bathroom, carpets, major / external stuff like a roof, windows or boiler, re-pointing. Have you allowed for insurance and gas safe checks? Some of that can be resolved by UPVC, laminate flooring etc but generally my point is correct. My sister was well fed up with her holiday cottage after 3-4 years and that was despite being pleasantly surprised at occupancy.

Annuities grate a bit after all the horror stories so I would go with a bit of private investment starting by topping up your pension to get the tax relief. (but not if this £90k can out of a pension). A nice balanced fund should do you 5-6% pa.

I’m far from being politically correct but I would / have never touched a female colleague other than shaking hands etc. Why would you? Its asking for trouble and risking causing offence. But then I’m not a very touchy feelie person.

As for bumping into people on crowded public transport / pubs etc well that is clearly different although best not to rub yourself against anyone too suggestively.

And I have never allowed myself to go to the pub / cafe with a female colleague on a one to one basis. I was told about that 20 years ago and thought it a bit OTT but nonetheless took the advice.

Scouse followed by Cockney. Both make me think I am going to be robbed. Geordie is third because I’m fed up with the faux matey homeliness that Geordies always seem so keen to promote. The rest are all pretty good I think. I especially like a west country accent as I’m from that neck of the woods.

Bizarrely, living in London I hardly hear a cockney accent cos they’ve all moved out to the ‘burbs. In fact, you hear more in Spain that you do in inner London. I do accept that what a person says is of prime importance, not their accent.

Isnt UK the largest export destination of nearly all the remaining EU countries as well as there being a trade balance if their favours? That’s a pretty massive and unmoveable incentive to be sensible.

They need our military and security services.

Frankly, most of them will be happier with UK gone. We have been the late adopter of most EU stuff ever since we joined so they can all crack on with their plans more easily with us gone. Except they wont have quite as much of our cash to play with.

I was quite cheered to chat to some people recently who had voted remain but would now vote brexit due to be annoyed at arrogant attitude of Barnier and the rest of the EU elite / drunk belgian bloke. Sadly this seems to be lost on the Bc who continue to recycle without question all the guff coming out of Brussels every day.

Are you all really suggesting that the Irish border problem should overturn the democratic vote in the rest of UK? Tail wagging dog.

14 months after the vote, you guys are still in denial. Brexit can be a success and probably will be a success (politicians ability to cock it up always exists).

have you all forgotten how pi$$poor the EU is / was – not very democratic, not transparent, cant produce proper accounts, has created a decade of shrinkage or no growth in the Club Med, has pissed off nearly the whole population of NW Europe with obsession with freedom of movement (encouraged by Blair FFS).

The EU will probably collapse at some point. its not well run and probably never will be. We can survive outside and most likely thrive. For your own mental health, stop moaning and looking backwards.

the Irish should quit EU as well – even their own academics have suggested this and its not totally bonkers even if it is a bit counter intuitive at first.

Funnily enough, an EU foreign policy and potentially army was something i was quite positive about and i’m not an EU / Remain fan at all.

I still cant see any evidence that Brexit is going to be a problem and cant believe how polarized everyone is. The EU does / did sod all that was any good for UK – single currency – no, Shenghen – no, democratic – no, accountable – no, a positive economic force – no, cost effective – no. lets just accept the democratic vote and get on with it.

Of course, Quintana clearly breached the non compete clause when he descended off the Stelvio in the snow in 2014? 2015? and won the vital time that won the jersey. he was clearly the best rider so everyone seemed to ignore it.

I love Tom D – hope he kicks theirs ar$es. Nibali just isn’t an honest person and Quintana isn’t much better. tha said, if you get beyond the sound bites then Nibali was a bit more nuanced.

thanks gwerty. I’ll do that. the 820 doesn’t have a slot for micro SD

thanks All

That is right but I thought it was because crows / corvids were social birds and went in to see what their mate / relation was up to. not to attack them but you may well be right. They are quite a cruel system I think.

Why do people even want a TV debate – they’re truly ghastly, cringe fests. I’ve never managed to watch more than 10 minutes. And I love current affairs, watch Newsnight most nights etc. But politicians just squabble and avoid the question, give sound bite answers etc. To$$ers the lot of ’em.

so I reckon Tories will win an increased majority but Lib Dems will do well (amazing as dead in water in June 2015), Labour will suffer like dogs, Ukip wont do great and SNP will do well but possibly concede one or two to the Tories. PLaid wotsit wont do great (leader too bleeding smug) and NI will do its own thing. Probably have a march or two.

or Labour quickly elect a new Leader and actually do quite well, blue collar Add to dictionary getting nervous etc.

I reckon.

Well me and some colleagues went to the pub at lunchtime today to celebrate. The next two years are going to be ghastly but worth it.

Are any of you remainers planning to emigrate? If its half as bad as you predict then really you should be making contingency plans. A Remain mate has an option to move to Japan and is considering it seriously. I don’t agree but at least he is being consistent.

DIY would be fine and shuttle with Poison Spider as suggested. Car hire will add up but no need for local guiding knowledge like there is in most places.

Apologies for the slight hijack but why do so many people hate Hilary? I understand why a certain type of bloke hates her but even a lot of middle of the road people seem to really viscerally dislike her.

I know about Whitewater and the emails but that cant be enough. Can it?

Who would have thought that Meryl Streep was anti Trump? She is a talented actress but just an actress – its not a proper job and she doesn’t help people. and she has never stood for office or won an election – she should have zero airtime. Like all celebrities.

You are all soooo boring and predictable. Guess what? Maybe Trump will be a good president? Maybe people care about jobs being outsourced abroad etc etc.

He won, get over it.

I cant believe the Remainers are still in denial. Every day produces more pro Brexit outcomes. Even the BoE has fessed up and Guardian is accepting Project Fear for the outrage against democracy that it was. Mind you, the BBC news last night was still in denial as well.

UK is big enough and good enough to do it on its own. End of argument. The rest is fluff. Move on.

This driver may not have been particularly at fault of causing the rider’s death but I think in general terms that the onus of proof is too high for motoring offences. Riding through Zones 1 and 2 of London every day I see so many drivers using their phones, going too fast (its a speed limit, not a target!!) and generally being reckless with others (bearing in mind they are in a 2 tonne metal box and we’re only clothed and helmeted.

A mate of mine who was in the Met said no point reporting bad driving as its ‘just your word against his’ and I think that is poor.

The undercover police operation (in the west Midlands coincidentally) is he sort of pro active policing we deserve. Magistrates and judges should take peoples licences away for years and for life. This idea that ‘I need it for my job’ shouldn’t wash. If it matters then learn to drive as though you care about others.

I’m with Flaperon – death is too kind to these irritants. and several local authorities have brought in rules to stop this although not much improvement. its just plain selfish and anti social and we need less of that.

I use the G website 2x every day and I cannot understand why they don’t just charge like The Times. If G did that and the Torygraph then I and millions like me who are addicted to newspapers would have to do what we all did happily for years and that was pay cash for our daily fix.

I haven’t read The Times since it added its paywall and the G remained free but if they all charged…. I would pay.

re Google its not about movement of people. People always go abroad to work, study or holiday etc. Surely the point is who writes the rules on this for UK? Us or the EU. and yes, when we write the rules then hopefully we will pick and choose who comes in and who gets to stay. what other country doesn’t do this? You try applying for a work permit or a passport in USA (even pre Trump!) or citizenship of Japan, China etc.

Rules don’t mean no one gets to come in, just that we choose who and precisely what rights they get – to work – study – stay – vote – claim benefits etc.

I give way to the car as this seems to me common sense plus safest option. I do get pissed off if a car pushes past (going to close etc) then cuts me up but most cars (they’re becoming well trained in inner London) give it large with the indicators and check blind spots and generally its all quite orderly and courteous.

Yes we have our lane but to me we have to let others cross it!

I don’t accept this rule about ‘if a pedestrian has stepped off the pavement…’ Rule 1 of the Highway Code says to pedestrians…..’look both ways first. Always show due care and consideration for others’. and that doesn’t include stepping out in front of a bike because you cant be bothered to look, or pause, or stop using headphones or wearing a hoodie or massive umbrella. B@stards!

I’ve always thought I would buy on a flood plain (but not a steep sided valley like Boscastle ?? in Cornwall that suffered badly in a flash flood a few years ago). I don’t have lots of heavy or valuable antique furniture, flood proof the decs and off you go but reading some of these heartfelt stories makes me think that maybe I’m being rash.

I’ve always thought that wind will be the bigger threat with climate change as stuff here has never been built for 120 mph winds as seems likely to happen in the future. Personally I hate gales even if they don’t damage my buildings or trees.

Thanks all. I’d not even heard of some of those. I shall keep looking.

that is certainly the weight of opinion today.

I cant believe that you lot are still banging on about this. I love an enthusiast!

Interestingly re inflation, they were saying today (R4 obv.) that prospective inflation was too great to be ‘looked through’ so rates could go up a fair bit. Inevitably some people will have taken out massive fixed rate loans v recently and look super clever with hindsight whilst those on variables will feel sick.

Finally the government will get to deflate (??) some its debt mountain and corporate pension fund deficits can be re-valued.

igm – we can still have European friends and family. Just because you like someone doesn’t mean you have to have the same passports.

NATO will continue and the French were never in it proving to an extent its not EU dependent. To me it shows how silly EU is because it wants to usurp NATO with a Euro army.

The trade thing is surely wrong? the tariff penalty for not being in EU is actually quite small although I accept a loss of passporting may hurt the City.

ECHR – maybe but I doubt it.

Mrmo – you may well be right to a large extent but euro regs are too much. its regs for the sake of it.

Its sad how far apart we all are on this topic, especially when I expect we all want more or less the same things from our lives.

As the debate progressed I just was not convinced that there was anything good in the EU that we cant have without being in the EU? I accept that doesn’t mean stuff s better outside the EU but if stuff is not appreciably better or worse that who cares whether we’re in or out? At the risk of re-running the Life of Brian, what good came out of the EU? Science funding – we can replace that surely? CAP – I doubt that will be missed?

I can only conclude that for a lot of people the EU is like a comfort blanket. Its familiarity is comforting even though it serves no useful purpose. I genuinely think we will do better outside the EU.

well if we don’t leave the EU there will be civil unrest I shall be there!

Brexit is hopefully going to happen and when it does it will be fine. just relax and accept it.

The EU’s two trophy policies are the Euro and the Shenghen agreement and both have failed dismally. That alone was enough to convince me even before the Treasury started trying to warp the arguments. There is nothing any of those countries make or sell that we cant buy when we’re outside the EU. How do you think Australia, Chile, USA, India all manage? It really is quite odd just how narrow minded people are over this. How do you think we managed before 1973? Snap out of it FFS!

shelling nuts.

not a euphemism either.

i have a mate in the west country with a well regarded family orientated camp site. excellent location and setting, well reviewed. I think he does OK but from Easter to October half term he is working and holidays during that stretch are flat out – no summer holidays away for him – not even a weekend.

despite its quite smart set up and family focus he still gets stag groups creeping through and causing havoc and just useless people blocking drains and breaking washing machines etc.

then for six months he has one ski trip after another. it also proved a recession proof business I think.

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Like Farage (and of course Trump is also an unprivileged man of the people)? There is something rather ironic that these are the figureheads of ordinary people rebelling against the elite and wealthy

People are fed up with career politicians, ironic as it may be, a rich businessman does generate so much ire.

We have had peak globalisation. for now at least.

Well I hope Trump does win. Not because he is a nice bloke but because America is screwed in so many ways and voting for the status quo; i.e. Clinton isn’t what they need. The fact that he is an unsophisticated, uncouth man is what is good about him, not what is bad. Ditto Farrage. Its the elite’s inability to understand this that is why they deserve to lose. People don’t want more elitist, professional, career politicians.

Like it or not, this is what is going on.

bend her over, slip it in.

I do hate a noisy masticator.

I cant believe that no one has mentioned Black Sheep Bitter. all the flavour of an IPA but with a bit more depth / range. at 4.4% ? its more manageable that a lot of IPAs that a bit strong.

It is interesting how IPA has almost taken over the world. In Hackney there are craft pubs stuffed full of women drinking pints of strong beer which is great but not what we used to see. Long may it continue.

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hh45. You’re being sarcastic surely? the financial markets rarely get it wrong? Where were you in 2008. But they know they’ll get bailed out so they don’t care if they get it wrong – they’re covered either way.

Sorry, I meant usually right in terms of getting election results correct; e.g. Scottish referendum

The economy wouldn’t implode with Brexit – it would do fine. short term volatility yes but not anything worse. markets are always jumping around and apart from an oil shock or similar it doesn’t have much impact on us.

I still think Remain will win, the momentum is with them and the financial markets rarely get it wrong. That said there are a few ‘silent Berexiteers’ about so I live in hope.

Why do people assume that Brexit means Tory government? We will still have governments of all persuasions. in fact, we could have a Labour Govt by say September after a snap emergency election following the rejection of Cameron / Osborne. It could be Corbyn negotiating the d=exit detail.