How reasuring

 I have just had a message sent to me from a friend who lives near to me. This is what the local council are doing to help people.

"Stay at home! We do it! ” According to the evolution of the pandemic situation in the country and in the municipality, the Arganil City Council, in partnership with the social network and CLDS4G, recalls that it has at its disposal two lines of contact with the municipal social services, aimed at the elderly and people in isolation and quarantine, with no social response. If you are infected, waiting for a COVID-19 screening test result, or if you had a risky contact with someone infected: Stay at Home! If you need medicines, food and basic necessities, call: 235 200 143 or 924 438 762. We do arrive!

Who's idea was Brexit.

 

Brexit

Who's idea was Brexit.

I like to think when I post on my Blog everything I say is based on Fact.

I have a friend outside of Dover who makes up parcels for me but we missed the deadline for the 1st January. I have quite a number of things ready to be shipped over to me. 

Now everything has to have a Tarrif code and each Tarrif code has a customs/ vat payment that I may possibly have to pay. But this will be happening to anybody who wants to send a parcel to a friend/ or loved one living in the EU.

I also had a parcel from another friend in Norfolk. UPS have collect a parcel that was for me but they arrived a day early. Why someone handed it over before the documents where complete I don't know. The driver just drove off without even scanning the parcel who knows. This parcel I was dealing with the Commercial invoices and then sending them to my friend along with the address label.  

To try and locate my parcel I had to deal with Parcel2go and being fair the seem to be doing the best to get my parcel back for me. In total I sent 18 emails and every item in the parcel has to have 4 commercial invoices. That's 23 item in the parcel X 4 invoices but this will be the last time I but my Spices from the UK. I have found another company in Hungary. 

The main thing I have lost is one thing I have never been without in the last almost 10 years. Asda extra mature cheddar cheese, Lidl have a mature cheddar but it's not like what I have just lost. The EU now don't allow any product from the UK that contains meat or dairy products.

In the news many companies in the EU have declared that they will not deal with customers in there online shops. Who would blame them now with all the added paperwork involved. I won't now deal with UK companies for spices multiply the loss of my sales to the UK. But how many others in the EU who will be looking for other suppliers that's a lot of lost trade. 

Brexit good or bad

Before Britain joining the then Common Market I had to go to Agen in the south of France to repair a gear box on a 32 ton truck.

I arrived in Dover in plenty of time to catch the ferry but I had to book into the Customs first. When it was my turn in the queue I handed my papers to the Customs officer, all the guy did was take the papers and say 5 and I then sat down. I thought I was number 5 in the queue so just sat to wait. A driver next to me asked what number I got I said 5 and asked what it meant was I number 5 in the queue. No the driver said it meant I had to wait 5 hours to be cleared to leave. 

OK so the UK is again outside of the EU does the UK go back to those crazy days or will computers make it easier than before.

I have spent about 8 hours spread over 2 days trying to organise a parcel to be shipped to me. As the lady shipping my parcel to me is not very good with a computer and I often have to do computer things for her I have to arrange for her the Customs declaration.

Today everything in a parcel has to be listed and the Tariff code and description listed on the parcel. That's for every parcel sent from the UK to Europe and the U.K. Government website states that there may be VAT and Customs tariffs to be paid. One item Ras el Hanout has upto 20 different ingredients in it how do I list that on the declaration????

Travel you now need a green card to drive in Europe, sellers now have to comply with the new rules life is going to be more difficult. I use Ebay for lots of things I can't find here in Portugal now I will look else ware. 

I was planning a trip back to the UK in my van to pickup stuff waiting for me with family members. With the new rules I would have to list everything in my van and if I miss anything I risk fines or whatever penalty's I may get.

All the people who voted to leave the EU how many after all recent problems would vote again to leave I suspect not as many.

So for those who vote to go out of the EU some news below 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/duty-free-extended-to-the-eu-from-january-2021

Alcohol

• 42 litres of beer
• 18 litres of still wine
• 4 litres of spirits OR 9 litres of sparkling wine, fortified wine or any alcoholic beverage less than 22% ABV

Tobacco

• 200 cigarettes OR
• 100 cigarillos OR
• 50 cigars OR
• 250g tobacco OR
• 200 sticks of tobacco for heating
• or any proportional combination of the above

 

The first of January

The 1st January comes round every year but this year to me and MY family it's special. It doesn't happen very often but today was my Dad's birthday yes of course it's special because he was 100 years of age today. But this year is a bit more special for him in that Mum is now with him and my elder brother Brian.

God bless you three and may God take care of you.

It's because of the virus

Liverpool city centre at this time of year is full to bursting with people having a good time. As the picture below shows not a soul in sight only the lights that young children would marvel at when being taken to see the lights.

The Radio City tower when it was first built used to be a restaurant but now is a radio station

 

Happy New Year to my

 This is the first year i have wished my grandchildren happy new year on my Blog.

Of the four grandchildren there is one who is a little bit special in one way. Her name is Florence what is so special well let me tell you of my Dad's mother it's Florence.

But of course all my grandchildren are special Chelsee, Sean, Bronx and lastly Florence.

Two sons birthdays

 The 30th of December and the 2nd January are 2 special days for me at this time of year one is my eldest sons birthday and the other is my youngest sons birthday.

I am in Portugal and they are not Apart from wishing them happy birthday that was all i could do. Maybe next year will be better and i hope matters across the world are much better. Some of us have loved ones working in troubled areas and i am thinking of my loved one at this time.

First post of the year

 Well here we are it's now 2021

A new year and after last year lets all pray that this year will be so much better than the last. There was nothing last year that most of use would want to remember.

So please take a minute to think of others who may be worse of than you may be.