BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[icowden]

Parents of a colleague have a transport company. They export ice cubes from Holland to England. Reason being, the quality of UK water is such you don't eant to put it in your G&T.

And yet we are the largest exporter of ice in Europe?. The Ice Co in the UK export ice to Scandinavian countries.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20160318-why-is-this-british-company-selling-ice-to-swedes

The UK is Europe’s largest exporter of manufactured packaged ice. British-made ice is frequently exported to over 10 countries, including Sweden, Denmark, France, and as far away as Australia.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...the-surprisingly-big-business-of-packaged-ice

Our water is pretty good. We bottle loads of it - Highland Spring, Malvern Water etc.

 

[First Aspect]

How many countries is "over 10"? I presume it's between 10 and 20, but not above 17 or it would be "nearly 20."

Anything above about 13 seems to me to be too far for 10 to be a representative number, or for 10 to be the nearest number that the average Briton will have heard of before. Most people are likely to have previously heard of the number 15 for example, so would understand "nearly 15" as being so close to 15 they needn't worry. 16 or 17 would likewise be "about 15" or "over 15".

This means it must be 11 or 12 countries.

 

[Psamathe]

Parents of a colleague have a transport company. They export ice cubes from Holland to England. Reason being, the quality of UK water is such you don't eant to put it in your G&T.

And yet we are the largest exporter of ice in Europe?. The Ice Co in the UK export ice to Scandinavian countries.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20160318-why-is-this-british-company-selling-ice-to-swedes

Sounds like a joke. All these countries have perfectly drinkable water. Costs snd climate impact of shipping heavy low value product that needs significant energy to keep is to me madness.

In an era when we should be considering food miles and buying local produce ice to/from distant even overseas, have I been made a fool of taking these articles seriously?

Is it an 1 April spoof?

 

[briantrumpet]

Sounds like a joke. All these countries have perfectly drinkable water. Costs snd climate impact of shipping heavy low value product that needs significant energy to keep is to me madness.

In an era when we should be considering food miles and buying local produce ice to/from distant even overseas, have I been made a fool of taking these articles seriously?

Is it an 1 April spoof?

That's even dafter than putting French bottled water into boats to cross the Channel to bring to the UK, which has ample water of its own. The world is terminally nuts, and each day I get a little more bemused.

 

[briantrumpet]

If you're planning a flight to the USA, you might want to listen to this exchange between a BA pilot and air traffic control - I think they've put the cleaners in charge of the airport, or they did their ATC qualifications at Trump University.

https://bsky.app/profile/mikemontreal.bsky.social/post/3mmw57xaulk2p

 

[BoldonLad]

I've never actually used one (so maybe urban myth) but common knowledge is all French cemeteries are said to have a drinking? water tap. Reason quoted is it's an important social requirement to enable mourners to water the flowers on graves (but I can't see that requiring drinking water).

I have not visited EVERY Cemetery in France, but, the general wisdom among the Campervan/Motorhome fraternity was that a water tap would always be found there. For those I tried, it was true.

 

[BoldonLad]

Not enough if you look at the level of national debt.
Yes, the incoming answer will be efficiencies but the easy pickings will already have been done during austerity.

HS2?

 

[Pblakeney]

HS2?

We are still paying for that even if it is 100% cancelled today.
I read a report saying that it will cost more to cancel and make good than to continue as currently planned.

 

[briantrumpet]

I guess it saves having to dash there in a hurry when the trials start...

 

[Psamathe]

We are still paying for that even if it is 100% cancelled today.
I read a report saying that it will cost more to cancel and make good than to continue as currently planned.

But, given the timescales before it even carries a passenger, does anybody believe the. cost won't keep significantly increasing?

Cancel now and we pay the fixed amount. Keep going periodically there'll be announcements "Cost has increased ... but cheaper to finish it than cancel it".

We're continually being told a higher cost and ignoring past experience and common sense believe that's the price it will end-up costing.

 

[briantrumpet]

But, given the timescales before it even carries a passenger, does anybody believe the. cost won't keep significantly increasing?

Cancel now and we pay the fixed amount. Keep going periodically there'll be announcements "Cost has increased ... but cheaper to finish it than cancel it".

We're continually being told a higher cost and ignoring past experience and common sense believe that's the price it will end-up costing.

Cancelling it won't solve the problem of under-capacity on the railways.

Whichever way you slice it, it's a monumental cock-up of historical proportions. In essence, it seems that if there's been a chance to screw up any step of the process, no matter how large or small, the opportunity to screw it up has been taken with skill and enthusiasm.

Different times, and different terrain, but the original Paris-Lyon TGV construction cost under £4bn adjusted for inflation.

 

[Pblakeney]

But, given the timescales before it even carries a passenger, does anybody believe the. cost won't keep significantly increasing?

Cancel now and we pay the fixed amount. Keep going periodically there'll be announcements "Cost has increased ... but cheaper to finish it than cancel it".

We're continually being told a higher cost and ignoring past experience and common sense believe that's the price it will end-up costing.

Fair.
See every government project past, current, and future. Let's just give up.

 

[briantrumpet]

Cock-up on a smaller scale. "Embarrassing."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxp1vxvz1eo

Work on a long-delayed £70m scheme to link a new park-and-ride site with a key route is set to begin in mid-June. The 850-space facility on the A40 at Eynsham, Oxfordshire was completed in 2024 but has remained closed because it has no road access.

 

[C R]

I guess it saves having to dash there in a hurry when before the trials start...

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