tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post3867257457271870823..comments2024-03-28T12:16:58.318+00:00Comments on Paul's Beer & Travel Blog: Strange times, that could become even strangerPaul Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09678639237696546268noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-60452691081321710082021-08-06T14:49:05.911+01:002021-08-06T14:49:05.911+01:00Hi Paul,
Just in case you're not aware, the ph...Hi Paul,<br />Just in case you're not aware, the photos on this blog post are served at a higher resolution than you might imagine. The text in "Computer twin screen.jpg" is surprisingly readable when the image is viewed at its actual size.<br />AnonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-67864902861884840942021-08-03T14:28:03.512+01:002021-08-03T14:28:03.512+01:00Thank you for your good wishes, John. I must say I...Thank you for your good wishes, John. I must say I’m looking forward to not having a department to manage!<br /><br />With regard to the empty shelves, I hadn’t factored in the effect of “click & collect” and home delivery. We’ve quite often taken advantage of the former, and at the height of the first lock-down went for the home delivery option too.<br /><br />Moving on to cross border traffic, it was a huge error for the UK to ditch the single market with its frictionless trade, and minimal paperwork. We have noticed significant delays with our own export business to Europe, along with increased delivery times for imports of raw materials. Isolated in their Westminster bubble, politicians haven’t a clue as to how trade and commerce operate, and imposing barriers, for purely ideological reasons, doesn’t help anyone.<br /><br />I’m pleased to be proved wrong if EU citizens are not being deterred from settling here, but there have been several widely-publicised incidents recently, where visitors from Europe, have been in a manner that can only be described as “heavy handed.”<br /><br />You mention settled status, and having just done a quick headcount of numbers here, just under 25% of our workforce are from the EU, including two people in managerial roles. As far as I am aware, they have all applied for, and been granted settled status. <br /><br />Despite this, the Home Secretary’s new immigration policy isn’t working in the economy’s favour. Crops are rotting, unpicked, in the fields due to a huge fall-off in seasonal, casual labour from the EU. Even our Brexit-loving “friend” Dim Tim Martin, is struggling to find staff to work in his drinking barns – not that he has any sympathy on my part!<br />Paul Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09678639237696546268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-22404724451229443782021-08-03T12:12:00.922+01:002021-08-03T12:12:00.922+01:00One explanation for empty shelves is the shift by ...One explanation for empty shelves is the shift by shoppers to click and collect and delivery services where these orders are fulfilled by the shops from stock on the shelves. Stock may be significantly reduced by such orders and a store will be reluctant to overstock. The problems in road transport are longstanding and have been made worse by the epidemic preventing the training of new drivers. The EU has a shortage of drivers for similar reasons and EU based drivers may have been attracted by better terms,I do not believe that EU citizens have been deterred from working in the UK as several million of them have opted for settled status.<br />Good luck with your change in workjohn a lambnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-4030486324576807002021-08-03T10:44:19.443+01:002021-08-03T10:44:19.443+01:00The shortages might even encourage us to brew our ...The shortages might even encourage us to brew our own beer – a pastime that I’m thinking of re-starting, once I go part-time! <br /><br />It will be proper, fill-mash stuff, though, so none of those tins of syrupy gloop you used to be able to buy from Boots.Paul Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09678639237696546268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-7731502870063597482021-08-03T08:45:46.032+01:002021-08-03T08:45:46.032+01:00Surely shortages on the shelves are a good thing a...Surely shortages on the shelves are a good thing as they will encourage us to grow our own toilet rolls and plant our own pasta trees. Necessity is the mother of invention.retiredmartinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15429804437739227082noreply@blogger.com