Rarely does one day contain three things close to one’s heart. But June 23rd will be a special day in many ways for me.
Charlie born 23rd June 1995
Firstly my youngest, Charlotte India Scott, will get the key of the door. She’s never been 21 before. Whatever that means these days. There will be lots of cards, presents and a party and I’m certain it will make Lesley & I feel somehow older. We now have a 21 year old and a 23 year old daughter, and yet we are still only 40. 🙂 We will be raising a glass or two to celebrate all the adult things she couldn’t do before like drinking, driving, voting, having sex (Oh Dad!) and requiring an adult pass in Disney. Actually come to think of it, she has been legally able to do all these things for many years.
- She has required an adult pass at Disney since the age of 12.
- A legally consenting adult since the age of 16.
- She got her driving licence on her 17th birthday.
- She has been able to vote and entered onto the electoral roll since she was 18.
But when Charlie reaches age 21 she can legally drink in Disneyworld and on US cruise ships, so still a big, big, happy day the 23rd.
“Charlie” born 23rd June 2008
I hope I find a little time to drive my Mercedes, also nicknamed “Charlie”, as it reaches 8 years old on the same day. I find it mildly ironic that I still drive this car for many reasons.
- Firstly I could afford a new car. After almost 30 years in business I could afford to rock-up in a brand new Aston Martin if I wanted. But like many of my clients I find it hard to spend money on something new when what I already have is just fine.
- Secondly my Merc hardly bristles with the latest technology and I’m such a techie. I could hardly wait to buy the latest iPhone 3,4,5 & 6. My home is covered by Arlo cameras, the lights come on automatically at dusk courtesy of WEMO and my central heating is controlled by Hive. All from my iPhone 6. Yet my car has outdated Sat Nav, no reversing cameras and it plainly refuses to parallel park all by itself.
- Thirdly, despite the best efforts of European mandarins, I didn’t feel pressured into buying a dirty diesel. My Merc is not very “green”. No, it’s red and has got a thumping great 5.5 litre fuel-injected petrol burner under the bonnet. Thankfully a degree of fuel economy is achieved by living close to the office and only travelling 3000 miles a year in it. Also Bolton has never been led by “Red” Ken Livingstone and so does not yet levy a daily congestion charge.
Still, as a complete techie I am considering a Tesla. The thing is as advanced as a spaceship and practically drives itself. It is undoubtedly properly “green”. I have to admit I have enjoyed the drop in petrol prices more then most. What happened to diesel being 10 pence a litre cheaper than petrol? I think that was just a European trick to bring us into line with what the French and German motor manufacturers wanted to sell to us.
EU Referendum 23rd June 2016
Oh yes. To the point eventually. June 23rd is the day everybody gets to vote on Remain or Brexit. About time too. I’m 54 and have never had the opportunity to vote on something as important as this before. So on June 23rd, before celebrating Charlie’s 21st by sipping French Champagne, I will be driving my German Mercedes to a British Poling Station and voting with my feet to achieve a couple of things.
Let’s hope June 23rd becomes our Independence Day! David Cameron then resigns and Boris Johnson takes command. It will never happen unless we suffer another 7/7 before 23/6. Even Obama will be flying in to bolster the Remain campaign. He wouldn’t accept foreign control though, neither would any other American.
And if we do vote to leave I’m sure the French will still sell us their Champagne and the Germans will still export their cars to us. We are a huge market to them. After a short period Sterling & Euros will balance out against each other once again. Still if I’m wrong and they refuse to sell us their fancy wine and fancy cars then we won’t send them our pies and pasties anymore.
Note to self: Better remember to sell our only European holding, the DAX fund before the 23rd. If we vote to leave I think it will be an indictment on the Germans ?
Now tell me what you all think.
Well, this is what I think Howard. You make the valid point, that you’ve never in your 40+ years had the opportunity to vote on something this important. This appplies to us all. A referendum vote is a democratic vote and that gives the power back to the people to make a decision based on the collective voice of the nation. This is a first, and I for one will be voting………, despite my strong European connections, (as I write this from my place in France, – land of gourmet food, wine, champagne, Citroen, strikes hebdomadaire, and all that evokes French culture),……..Brexit. Our friends across the border in Switzerland, who are a referendum -voting nation, must be loving all of this hype, claiming that the Brits have lost their sovereignty and largely their democracy. We cannot be compared to Switzerland, I admit, but you cannot knock them on their sense of independence, self-preservation and economic achievement.
I shall still love the French, the Germans and their European counterparts, and if we’ve got something in Britain that they want, then trade will continue, despite us no longer being tied to the word of Brussels. Economically, Remain or Brexit can go either way – it is the risk and the unknown quantity that makes people undecided. Politicians are campaigning for and against with the over-used tool of ‘fear of the unknown’. No facts or statistics have, to date been presented. Despite my correspondence to the local parties, I have received no response to my queries. Probably because there are no positive, adequately- informed answers to be given.
In our risk-averse society, is it not refreshing to have the opportunity to take a leap in the dark and see what emerges the other end? We’ve been free-falling now for years, so why not push it just a little further to see what potential an independent Britain could achieve? If we fall on or feet, all well and good, and if we don’t, then come on Britain, we are an innovative nation. We will think and work our way out of a given situation to find a positive solution.
Hi Audrey
Very, very well said.
It’s simple, do I want to be a citizen of an EU super-state? That has been the objective of the EU since 1960. Answer, no thanks.
The arguments being put forward by politicians and media are to do with short term economic gains and losses. They’re remarkably free of facts, unfortunately, but they are undoubtedly short term. This is a once in a lifetime decision, so I’m looking at the long game, and I base my decision on the question I started with. So, I’m a leaver.
Hi Matthew
Thank you. I loved the era of the Euro Tunnel, Euro Disney and even the Eurovision Song Contest when everything was possible if we all worked together. Forget that period it’s over. We can do better on our own.
Instead of ‘Leave’ vs ‘Remain’, how about these options?
• ‘Escape’ vs ‘Imprisonment’
• ‘Boundless Optimism’ vs ‘Better the Devil’
• ‘Confidence’ vs ‘Doubt’
The concept of a common market has some merit. The reality of a Euro republic doesn’t. This isn’t the “club” we joined, its morphed into a gargantuan euro ministry of administritive affairs and the lunatics are now firmly in charge of the asylum. Im British, our parents taught me like ive taught our kids the old fashioned concept of self determination, that’s what defines Brits -QED. While we are indeed far from perfect, I’ll have a monkey on us anyway. Not so sure about bonkers boris though:)
Hi Nigel
You are a True Brit and I know you deal across Europe and the Greater World.
Just imagine a world with Boris and Trump at the helm!
As always very interesting and funny apart from having to decide whether to leave or stay! Thank you for the links to Remain and Brexit although it would be extremely handy for everybody if an INDEPENDANT body were to produce a document outlining the reasons to stay and the reasons to leave. Without such a document the “ordinary man” will find it difficult to decide what to do. Apathy will lead us to staying put!
Hi Chris
I think you are right. I bet the percentage of voters will be extremely low.
Yes, agree. It’s usually a case of, ‘better the devil you know’.
But we might just be surprised by a flux of interest in the future of GB in the EU, and rise to the occasion, as the whole nation stands on its feet and votes.
Well, as you’ve guessed – I’m cold turkey.
Hi
Come on guys. Anybody wanting to stay. This looks one-sided so far
I feel I’m in good company, so far, Howard.
As an engineer I need clear reasons to make changes but the world would never have moved on without engineers searching and inventing better ways of doing things. I’m a “want to do better” person and voting to stay in would be a cop out from the golden opportunity this referendum represents.
Mind you Howard, I am embarrassed by your BLOG, as we have just ordered a new diesel guzzling BMW which ,out of interest, will be manufactured in the US and delivered by boat to the UK. The moral to that is that the successful business environment is global not centred on Europe. The down side is, it will probable consume more diesel delivering the car than I will ever come close to using.
Finally, I believe the only way the Euro can work is by Europe becoming a federal state, which is not going to happen, so the model will remain troublesome.
I get the feeling from the Blog that change will create opportunities for wealth? My view is we would be better in a world federation but human nature is too destructive to achieve this, without blowing a lot of people up first. I am surprised that we haven’t seen a sketch with the leaders set to “should I stay or should I go” i’m still a sharing person so I will vote to stay in.