Post-Brexit delivery charges

[Leinster Lass]

I appear to have that book on my Kindle from a while back but haven't read it yet. Some of the same characters, told from a different viewpoint, it appears.

First published in 1951 and apparently never out of print!

[jayne lee wilson]

Oh yeah, isn't this just what we all need......

https://www.ft.com/content/2747ddf8-7f6c-4b34-9e40-36d6c4178203

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/18/a-multiple-pile-up-in-the-fog-wine-agents-fury-at-brexit-red-tape

“Wine per bottle on retail will increase by at least £1 per bottle for mass market products; for niche small batch wines you are looking at £1.50 or even £2.00 on the bottle prices. There’s another of those Brexit ‘dividends’,”

More than enough to drive anyone to more drink....
And yes - so, so predictably - the rightwing Brexiter columnists and commentators (on the late-night News Previews) have already started to tell us what wonderful wines are available from SA, Chile, The Commonwealth etc etc....oh, I'd never have guessed...

So I am labelled an elitist (yet again...) for preferring French White (Loire Valley) and Italian Red (Piedmont, Calabria)....
The price hikes are bad enough in themselves. But the reasons.....(expletives deleted...)...

[oddoneout]

Oh yeah, isn't this just what we all need......

https://www.ft.com/content/2747ddf8-7f6c-4b34-9e40-36d6c4178203

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/18/a-multiple-pile-up-in-the-fog-wine-agents-fury-at-brexit-red-tape

“Wine per bottle on retail will increase by at least £1 per bottle for mass market products; for niche small batch wines you are looking at £1.50 or even £2.00 on the bottle prices. There’s another of those Brexit ‘dividends’,”

More than enough to drive anyone to more drink....
And yes - so, so predictably - the rightwing Brexiter columnists and commentators (on the late-night News Previews) have already started to tell us what wonderful wines are available from SA, Chile, The Commonwealth etc etc....oh, I'd never have guessed...

So I am labelled an elitist (yet again...) for preferring French White (Loire Valley) and Italian Red (Piedmont, Calabria)....
The price hikes are bad enough in themselves. But the reasons.....(expletives deleted...)...

And it's not as if the wine agent in the Guardian article was exactly unprepared, so doubly galling to find he is being clobbered anyway.
There are indeed wonderful wines from other parts of the world, and England itself produces some excellent wines, but that really isn't the point. English (not British) wine production is not a volume operation so can't fill the gap, and I do wonder about the ease and costs of continuing to import from elsewhere - does it all come direct, and what tariff/trading deal issues apply.
The value to the EU of UK wine imports is not insignificant, so the difficulties will have a knock-on effect, that I imagine will fall disproportionately on the small producers.

[cloughie]

Oh yeah, isn't this just what we all need......

https://www.ft.com/content/2747ddf8-7f6c-4b34-9e40-36d6c4178203

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/18/a-multiple-pile-up-in-the-fog-wine-agents-fury-at-brexit-red-tape

“Wine per bottle on retail will increase by at least £1 per bottle for mass market products; for niche small batch wines you are looking at £1.50 or even £2.00 on the bottle prices. There’s another of those Brexit ‘dividends’,”

More than enough to drive anyone to more drink....
And yes - so, so predictably - the rightwing Brexiter columnists and commentators (on the late-night News Previews) have already started to tell us what wonderful wines are available from SA, Chile, The Commonwealth etc etc....oh, I'd never have guessed...

So I am labelled an elitist (yet again...) for preferring French White (Loire Valley) and Italian Red (Piedmont, Calabria)....
The price hikes are bad enough in themselves. But the reasons.....(expletives deleted...)...

Though not exclusively I also like the wines of France - most of the wine I drink is French or South American - maybe they already have but if not I am surprised that the European wine producers are not up in arms about it as they will probably suffer loss of sales to the UK and not benefit directly from the additional duty we have to pay. The other advantage of European wine is that in the main it is bottle in the region of origin and therefore not suffered the deterioration from being carried across whichever ocean in a big plastic bag and then bottled in Manchester or wherever.

[cloughie]

And it's not as if the wine agent in the Guardian article was exactly unprepared, so doubly galling to find he is being clobbered anyway.
There are indeed wonderful wines from other parts of the world, and England itself produces some excellent wines, but that really isn't the point. English (not British) wine production is not a volume operation so can't fill the gap, and I do wonder about the ease and costs of continuing to import from elsewhere - does it all come direct, and what tariff/trading deal issues apply.
The value to the EU of UK wine imports is not insignificant, so the difficulties will have a knock-on effect, that I imagine will fall disproportionately on the small producers.

English wine is in the main good quality, but compared to other wine producing countries more costly for equivalent quality.

[oddoneout]

English wine is in the main good quality, but compared to other wine producing countries more costly for equivalent quality.

Sadly yes, due to lack of volume. It is heartening though to find that more and more examples aren't just of equivalent quality, they are superior, judging by the results in blind-tasting competitions.

[Dave2002]

We had a delivery from France of a sizeable quantity of wine before Christmas. Glad it didn't get delayed until after the end of December.

The particular outlet in France seems vulnerable to market forces, and given Covid and Brexit, might find continued trading harder for a while. It would be a shame if it goes under with the difficulties.

[Leinster Lass]

Fewer wines and more whines, eh?

[Dave2002]

Fewer wines and more whines, eh?

I was going to suggest that Jayne might like to switch to whisky, instead - but the tax on that is quite high.

[Petrushka]

English wine is in the main good quality, but compared to other wine producing countries more costly for equivalent quality.

Chapel Down and Three Choirs are two excellent English whites though my favourites are mostly Bordeaux whites. My absolute favourite is an Austrian white called Grüner Veltliner and I'd still buy it no matter how much it cost!

[jayne lee wilson]

I was going to suggest that Jayne might like to switch to whisky, instead - but the tax on that is quite high.

Cognac (Martell) for me, far too much of it already.....knocking a quick one back now for the woodland walk (first one for nearly a week, stir-crazy here..)

Oh I've had quite the week - lost my (large) bag of prescriptions on the way home, conservatory flooded (basins and bowls now full of drenched towels and blankets, duvets drip drying on the line... in the snow...); bailing out the patio with buckets in the dark, waiting for the heroic dynorod at 2300....still waiting for their return, water lower but not gone... ........and the Tax Return still unfinished.....

Drink, anyone?

But - Jacket on, wellies on, binocs on....I'm off for pastoral therapy....

[oddoneout]

Cognac (Martell) for me, far too much of it already.....knocking a quick one back now for the woodland walk (first one for nearly a week, stir-crazy here..)

Oh I've had quite the week - lost my (large) bag of prescriptions on the way home, conservatory flooded (basins and bowls now full of drenched towels and blankets, duvets drip drying on the line... in the snow...); bailing out the patio with buckets in the dark, waiting for the heroic dynorod at 2300....still waiting for their return ........and the Tax Return still unfinished.....
Drink, anyone?

But - Jacket on, wellies on, binocs on....I'm off for pastoral therapy....

That's rather a lot to cope with Jayne. Is the conservatory flood top down or bottom up, so to speak?
Your description of soggy towels etc reminded me that recent neighbours two doors down had contractors in to do their roof during the autumn and then in November found it was leaking badly and were faced with a constant round of putting towels through a spin cycle and then the tumbledrier to have them ready for further mopping up - difficult when neither was WFH.
Hope the pastoral therapy is helpful.

[Dave2002]

Cognac (Martell) for me, far too much of it already.....knocking a quick one back now for the woodland walk (first one for nearly a week, stir-crazy here..)

Oh I've had quite the week - lost my (large) bag of prescriptions on the way home, conservatory flooded (basins and bowls now full of drenched towels and blankets, duvets drip drying on the line... in the snow...); bailing out the patio with buckets in the dark, waiting for the heroic dynorod at 2300....still waiting for their return, water lower but not gone... ........and the Tax Return still unfinished.....

Drink, anyone?

But - Jacket on, wellies on, binocs on....I'm off for pastoral therapy....

Really sorry to hear about all those troubles, Jayne.

Sounds like too many things - though I've been there in the past. I hope the walk in the woods has a good effect.

[jayne lee wilson]

That's rather a lot to cope with Jayne. Is the conservatory flood top down or bottom up, so to speak?
Your description of soggy towels etc reminded me that recent neighbours two doors down had contractors in to do their roof during the autumn and then in November found it was leaking badly and were faced with a constant round of putting towels through a spin cycle and then the tumbledrier to have them ready for further mopping up - difficult when neither was WFH.
Hope the pastoral therapy is helpful.

Dealt much with renovation/development of older properties, vital distinction is indeed source/penetration/condensation, this time the water came directly from the flooded patio, often attractive autumn pond but way higher after a wet winter and the storm. It is slowly drying out now, but much clearing up later, possibly a new cushion floor...

Irony is, many shrubs have died off after several winters of flooded roots, but bullrushes have thrived. They take up a lot of water so can prevent such floods, but the sheer volume of water on a heavily waterlogged wild garden was too much this time, and one of them may be blocking the patio drain. TBC next week, weather more favourable for a few days...

The woods were lovely, dark and deep..... flooded fields, gulls swimming among the horses..... I saw a Heron, a Buzzard swept overhead, a Grey Wagtail in the puddled furrows, and over 50 Fieldfares feeding on the stubble.....

Cognac waiting on the heater for my return.....soup soon....

(Prescriptions? Some kindly citoyen anonyme had handed them into Boots, so I picked up on Friday, albeit at the cost of another taxi fare on a stretched budget.....owing to supply/collection/comms problems I hadn't had the BP meds for over a week...)....

***
Thankyou, Dave and oddone for such kind comments...."what will survive of us is love"......or kindness, at the very least....,
Just trying to reach out....

[oddoneout]

Dealt much with renovation/development of older properties, vital distinction is indeed source/penetration/condensation, this time the water came directly from the flooded patio, often attractive autumn pond but way higher after a wet winter and the storm. It is slowly drying out now, but much clearing up later, possibly a new cushion floor...

Irony is, many shrubs have died off after several winters of flooded roots, but bullrushes have thrived. They take up a lot of water so can prevent such floods, but the sheer volume of water on a heavily waterlogged wild garden was too much this time, and one of them may be blocking the patio drain. TBC next week, weather more favourable for a few days...

The woods were lovely, dark and deep..... flooded fields, gulls swimming among the horses..... I saw a Heron, a Buzzard swept overhead, a Grey Wagtail in the puddled furrows, and over 50 Fieldfares feeding on the stubble.....

Cognac waiting on the heater for my return.....soup soon....

(Prescriptions? Some kindly citoyen anonyme had handed them into Boots, so I picked up on Friday, albeit at the cost of another taxi fare on a stretched budget.....owing to supply/collection/comms problems I hadn't had the BP meds for over a week...)....

***
Thankyou, Dave and oddone for such kind comments...."what will survive of us is love"......or kindness, at the very least....,
Just trying to reach out....

You're rethinking the idea of a back door pond then...? At this time of year bulrushes won't be doing any significant transpiring so their water uptake will be minimal, and yes it won't help if the drain is blocked by one. There was a story in the local rag today of an elderly lady, facing being cut off by rising water, remembering that a drain from the road to the adjacent ditch was smashed by contractors years ago, since when the road regularly floods. Her family came round and dug down to expose the pipe which drained the water in 20 mins. A few days later a contractor on a big digger smashed it again... She went and dug it back out. Her grandson went on social media to jokingly tell the Council that the bill would be in the post.
Good to hear your prescriptions turned up, although a pity about the extra cost. Hope the BP can reach some sort of equilibrium now with a combination of meds and hopefully a less fraught few days ahead.