Brexit

Anything that doesn't fit anywhere else, and is NON CH related - chat about the weather, or anything else that takes your fancy.

Moderator: Moderators

time please
UF (Upper Fourth)
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:02 am

Re: Brexit

Post by time please »

Ajarn Philip wrote: Sat Oct 02, 2021 6:49 pm
time please wrote: Sat Oct 02, 2021 5:50 pm If there was a new vote regarding Brexit I wonder what the result would be this time round. What a mess the country is in.
It would be interesting to find out, but of course we won't. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if the outcome was the same, only more decisive...
And I still here in Scandinavia cannot buy either PG tips or Marmite. I ordered four books from a bookshop the other day. A total of forty pounds and postage 32 pounds. Then when they arrived I had to pay another 378 skr ( 33 pounds ) in customs duty.
Have you tried on-line shopping? E-books? I'm a bibliophile, but my kindle has been a revelation (once you get used to it...). I particularly recommend z-library at https://b-ok.cc/ And likewise, over the last couple of lockdowns I've been using Amazon quite a bit, which has been handy for all sorts of things - in particular Amora Dijon mustard.

I'm slowly entering the 21st century...
Thank you for your advice regarding Amazon etc. These books were about the life my father in in 109 and 156 squadron during WW2. It may take some time before they reach Amazon!
rockfreak
Grecian
Posts: 972
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:31 pm
Real Name: David Redshaw
Location: Saltdean, East Sussex

Re: Brexit

Post by rockfreak »

The way Brexit is panning out reminds me of that old saying that bankruptcy comes in two ways. First gradually and then suddenly. Mind you, I suppose the same might be said of lots of things. Including orgasm.
Pe.A
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 440
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:05 pm
Real Name: RTroni

Re: Brexit

Post by Pe.A »

sejintenej wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 1:09 pm
Pe.A wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 8:34 am
sejintenej wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:30 am

My immediate boss in London was one such - he simply could not go to to Head Office even after 2 years of language lessons. I was fortunate in having lived and worked in four other countries with three foreign languages before retiring so it was easy for me to assimilate.
"Good moaning" springs to mind :D
.
Me moaning? I was the one saying that i loved living in France (and Norway and Brazil. Accra was difficult and Gib - apart from Belen Imossi,- very tolerable).

I am only moaning if you are a politician - see my recent list of truths about politicians!
"My immediate boss in London was one such - he simply could not go to to Head Office even after 2 years of language lessons"

It was a reference to 'Allo 'Allo (the English guy disguised as the French policeman...)
time please
UF (Upper Fourth)
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:02 am

Re: Brexit

Post by time please »

sejintenej wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:41 pm
time please wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:50 am After many hours of hard thinking I came up with something!!!

Tax free! Yes it is true I will now be able to bring back 2 litres of spirits with me. Plus fags. But not snuff ( snus ).

I will keep thinking but am not really cetain if there is something else.
I think it is only ONE litre of spirits EU to UK but Andorra to France is 2 litres. 200 fags (400 ex Andorra to france).

Andorra to France if you did not take the full allowance on something they allowed you to go over on something else provided you were not being silly about it. UK is 1 liter not one centilitre over.
You forgot the perfume and there is a monetary value of assorted other things

I will say the UK customs USED to be decent; I came back from Norway with masses of things over the limit (for our house after we married) which I declared. I had a list for the officer so he chose the cheapest item and charged me the tax on that.

Living in France but with a house in England I had to fly back via Gatwick for a funeral. I was stopped after the green lane.
Him: "Where have you come from?"
Me: "Carcassonne, France"
Him: "Why are you here?"
Me: "I am going to a funeral"
Him: "How long will you be here?"
Me; "3 days"
Him: Whose funeral?"

and so it went on and on and on. I had a UK passport, proof that I had come from France, a return ticket .... but he never even asked. I even have a (?hoighty-toighty thanks to CH) British accent! If the silly a***hole had started by asking to see my passport and ticket ..... I would not have been so pissed. I hate Gatwick; when I was injured at security they have no first aid facilities in the entire airport - I asked because I was dropping blood everywhere and was told to get myself to A and E and miss my flight. Complained and they didn't even answer perhaps because I was abroad by then.
Reading your post again, reminded me of what happened in august of last year. I was travelling from Sweden to Heathrow, I have three passports Swedish Irish and UK. I made the mistake of showing my UK passport at the passport control on my way out. Nowadays I think that passport are stamped so that the information only shows up under a certain light. ( not sure about that ) At the control the person took my passport and asked straight away " how did you get here?" without thinking I replied " by bot" which is true but that was 1975. It took about 10 minutes to clear up the situation. Arriving at Heathrow it was time again, I showed the UK passport and was asked by a quite stern official how long I was staying and did I have a return ticket. Bit strange when one is a citizen of the country.
Arriving back in Sweden a quick walk throug the EU control while the poor Brits stood in a long line waiting for a more severe control.
MrEd
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 124
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:29 pm
Real Name: Ed McFarlane

Re: Brexit

Post by MrEd »

This prompted me to look at the current GB duty-free, much better than it used to be:

https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into- ... at-Britain
Alcohol allowance
How much you can bring depends on the type of alcohol. You can bring in:

beer - 42 litres
wine (still) - 18 litres
You can also bring in either:

spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 4 litres
sparkling wine, fortified wine (for example port, sherry) and other alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine) - 9 litres
You can split this last allowance, for example you could bring 4.5 litres of fortified wine and 2 litres of spirits (both half of your allowance).
Not sure how anyone can get 18 litres of wine on a 'plane, don't even bother with beer. Good old Andorra is outside the EU and always has been, same for Jersey and Guernsey (subject to technicalities). The French Revolutionaries forgot to terrorise Andorra after 1789. I went to the Channel Islands a few years ago, Jersey has started down the road to ruin with a sales tax like VAT, but not Guernsey. Both are very pleasant. I was delighted at the after-shave prices in Guernsey airport, about 70% of what you pay in the UK.

I lived in Portugal in the early 80s (in-between CH terms and at uni). I recall landing at Gatwick with 3 bottles of spirits, which I declared and paid (IIRC) c. £18 in duty on. I went down to the platform at Gatwick to get my train, and put my precious bag of spirits gently on the platform. Unbeknownst to me, it was some extremely lumpy tarmac and the bag tipped over when I let go, smashing a brandy bottle. I was gutted, but the smell was heavenly for a few minutes.

I'm told that Australian border officials are extremely unpleasant, even to their own. I knew a dual-national (UK/Aus) who came to work in Britain and got grilled on her return 'cos she had no non-Australian entry/exit stamps in her Australian passport.
scrub
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:11 pm
Real Name: Tim

Re: Brexit

Post by scrub »

MrEd wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 10:19 pmI'm told that Australian border officials are extremely unpleasant, even to their own. I knew a dual-national (UK/Aus) who came to work in Britain and got grilled on her return 'cos she had no non-Australian entry/exit stamps in her Australian passport.
Haven't had any passport issues since they installed their version of e-gates. If those are down, most of the time they just want to get you through as fast as possible. They've got less of a sense of humour in Sydney, but then again it's always busy, understaffed, and the air-con is usually busted. In Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide they're pretty laid back. As long as you're not being a idiot.

AQIS are another matter. If you list everything you have to the "to declare" list, preferably keeping it all in a separate bag or near the top of a suitcase so they can easily check it, they're thorough but friendly enough to crack a joke with you.

But.

If they have to search your bags because you didn't declare everything you had and/or the food dogs took an interest in you, that sense of humour disappears. If/when they pull you over, cracking jokes or trying to be funny is a sure fire way to piss them off further and earn yourself a very thorough and often intimate search of every single item you, and anyone you're travelling with, has.
ThB 89-91, PeA 93-96
Otter
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:17 pm
Real Name: Stephen O'Rourke
Location: East Anglia

Re: Brexit

Post by Otter »

time please wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 2:00 pm Reading your post again, reminded me of what happened in august of last year. I was travelling from Sweden to Heathrow, I have three passports Swedish Irish and UK. I made the mistake of showing my UK passport at the passport control on my way out. Nowadays I think that passport are stamped so that the information only shows up under a certain light. ( not sure about that ) At the control the person took my passport and asked straight away " how did you get here?" without thinking I replied " by bot" which is true but that was 1975. It took about 10 minutes to clear up the situation. Arriving at Heathrow it was time again, I showed the UK passport and was asked by a quite stern official how long I was staying and did I have a return ticket. Bit strange when one is a citizen of the country.
Arriving back in Sweden a quick walk through the EU control while the poor Brits stood in a long line waiting for a more severe control.
We also have both UK and EU passports. The best thing is to show your EU passport when leaving/entering the EU/Schengen, and show your UK passport when entering the UK.

If you live in the EU and you want to use your UK passport to travel in/out of the EU, you should also produce your residence permit. Otherwise the rule is indeed for them to stamp your UK passport, as UK citizens are now only allowed in the EU/Schengen for maximum 90 days in any 180-day period. Likewise, if you show your non-UK passport when entering the UK (except an Irish one), you will be subject to questions and stamping.
Katharine
Button Grecian
Posts: 3285
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:44 pm
Real Name: Katharine Dobson
Location: Gwynedd

Re: Brexit

Post by Katharine »

Otter wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:32 am We also have both UK and EU passports. The best thing is to show your EU passport when leaving/entering the EU/Schengen, and show your UK passport when entering the UK.

If you live in the EU and you want to use your UK passport to travel in/out of the EU, you should also produce your residence permit. Otherwise the rule is indeed for them to stamp your UK passport, as UK citizens are now only allowed in the EU/Schengen for maximum 90 days in any 180-day period. Likewise, if you show your non-UK passport when entering the UK (except an Irish one), you will be subject to questions and stamping.
So is the advice for those of us who do have UK and Irish passports to leave UK showing a UK passport and arrive in EU/Schengen with an Irish passport? I haven’t been abroad since pre-Pandemic. I’m in two minds whether to renew the UK one when the time comes.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
Otter
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:17 pm
Real Name: Stephen O'Rourke
Location: East Anglia

Re: Brexit

Post by Otter »

Katharine wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:21 pm So is the advice for those of us who do have UK and Irish passports to leave UK showing a UK passport and arrive in EU/Schengen with an Irish passport?
Yes, definitely.

The UK doesn't have departure passport control like the Schengen area does, so it's not really an issue for leaving. But arriving in the EU/Schengen, absolutely show your Irish passport to whizz through, otherwise you'll have to join the other queue where you have to justify your presence in the EU and get a passport stamp.

Then when departing the EU/Schengen, show your EU passport.
Katharine
Button Grecian
Posts: 3285
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:44 pm
Real Name: Katharine Dobson
Location: Gwynedd

Re: Brexit

Post by Katharine »

Thanks, Otter.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
scrub
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:11 pm
Real Name: Tim

Re: Brexit

Post by scrub »

Katharine wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:21 pmI’m in two minds whether to renew the UK one when the time comes.
I would strongly recommend you renew your UK one, even though it's likely to take a while. If you're overseas and something happens that you need consular-level help with, a valid passport (or a record of you having one if it gets lost/stolen) will make that much easier to obtain.

If you're travelling in the EU then an Irish passport is obviously going to be more useful, but for travel outside the EU it's nice to have the ability to ask more than one consulate for help if you get into a spot of bother.
ThB 89-91, PeA 93-96
scrub
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:11 pm
Real Name: Tim

Re: Brexit

Post by scrub »

Otter wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:32 amIf you live in the EU and you want to use your UK passport to travel in/out of the EU, you should also produce your residence permit. Otherwise the rule is indeed for them to stamp your UK passport, as UK citizens are now only allowed in the EU/Schengen for maximum 90 days in any 180-day period.
Same as every other non-EU/third country. You can always apply for a Schengen visa if you need a longer stay, but I don't know anyone who's gone through that process. By now, the majority of people who need to stay longer have either got residency visas sorted or were already eligible for dual nationality beforehand and have gone through that process.

As a reminder, if you do travel in/out of the EU a lot, make sure they put a dated stamp in your passport when you leave. Some people here in France have been caught out by this when trying to come back in. Without proof you left, they assume you've been in the Schengen area constantly since your last visit.
ThB 89-91, PeA 93-96
time please
UF (Upper Fourth)
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:02 am

Re: Brexit

Post by time please »

Do passports in the UK and Europe ( sad to have to write that ) actually get stamped anymore, as in the old fashioned way? Because I have had my passport taken from me at a control, looked at under some form of special lamp stamped, but when returned there was nothing to see. Is the stamp only able to be seen in a special light?
scrub
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:11 pm
Real Name: Tim

Re: Brexit

Post by scrub »

time please wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:54 amDo passports in the UK and Europe ( sad to have to write that ) actually get stamped anymore, as in the old fashioned way? Because I have had my passport taken from me at a control, looked at under some form of special lamp stamped, but when returned there was nothing to see. Is the stamp only able to be seen in a special light?
I always figured the lamp was to check if the passport was legit or not. Maybe it's a UV ink stamp? I'll have to remember to ask some friends who've travelled more recently than me and who don't have residency in an EU country next time I see them.

The last visible ink stamp I have in my passport is from 2021 when went back to the UK to tie up a load of work/life loose ends. This was just before I got official recognition of my residency status in France and while everyone was still trying to work out the practical details of the new relationship between the UK and EU. I haven't travelled much since then, but when I do, my French residency card is fine for EU travel. I always carry my passports, but no one has asked for them after seeing my card.
ThB 89-91, PeA 93-96
Katharine
Button Grecian
Posts: 3285
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:44 pm
Real Name: Katharine Dobson
Location: Gwynedd

Re: Brexit

Post by Katharine »

scrub wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:13 am I would strongly recommend you renew your UK one, even though it's likely to take a while. If you're overseas and something happens that you need consular-level help with, a valid passport (or a record of you having one if it gets lost/stolen) will make that much easier to obtain.

If you're travelling in the EU then an Irish passport is obviously going to be more useful, but for travel outside the EU it's nice to have the ability to ask more than one consulate for help if you get into a spot of bother.
I’d more or less decided that, it’s just that I feel so dispirited (other words are available) about the whole Brexit debacle!


I do miss the visible stamps, I think my nicest one was entering Canada at Little Gold Creek from Alaska by coach, I had a picture of someone panning for gold, my husband had a laden donkey. They ensured that every married couple had different stamps in their passports.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
Post Reply