The Holiday Thread

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He also kicked the British forces out as I recall. Thing is there were a reasonable amount of Maltese serving in the Navy at the time but old Mintoff was a bit of a leftie and basically didn't care much about it all.
 
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sensiblegreeny said:
I think Royston spoke about a "sizeable" house for £150k not a 2 bed flat. I suppose it depends on your definition of sizeable really. However, I already acknowledged that the South East and London were considerably more expensive.
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I know the areas very well, I can tell you a few towns where you can comfortably buy a decent sized house for £150,000 that would cost you £400,000 in London.
 
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sensiblegreeny said:
He also kicked the British forces out as I recall. Thing is there were a reasonable amount of Maltese serving in the Navy at the time but old Mintoff was a bit of a leftie and basically didn't care much about it all.
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A bit of a leftie is a euphemism. But he wanted to protect the Maltese residents from people abroad buying properties and renting them out at prices the Maltese couldn't afford. We suffered a financial hit in the selling of the bar and my Dad's property but Mintoff was only trying to protect the residents of his own Country. I guess that's all we can ask politicians to do.
 
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sensiblegreeny said:
I've just been reading your globe trotting exploits on the holiday front and second home locations on this fair Isle of ours. Clearly those with another place to live aren't short of a couple of bob so I would like to encroach on your holiday conversation and chuck in an advert for my own part of the Country. If there is a god and you believe in him/her (for PC purposes) then he would live in the South West. If you have a bit of spare cash north of £500k you could find somewhere in Cornwall or parts of Devon. There are some really smashing small towns in both and the locals are also friendly and welcoming. You can't often walk out of your front door and be on the beach in 30 seconds but if you leave home after dark and don't know where you are going you can fall off a cliff and be on the beach in less than that.

I was in the RN for 14 years and went around a bit to say the least. Travelling abroad now doesn't have the same appeal for me but I can honestly tell you that the UK is as good as the vast majority of places to go and see and hugely better than a lot of them. There are places in the UK that lots don't even get to see but if they did they would maybe scrap the passport, get rid of the gash Euros in their drawer and never venture out of the borders again. Going abroad for holidays became fashionable in times gone by but I think lots are now changing back to the home holiday and that's a good thing. Anyway, come see us and you won't be disappointed.
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Great post, SG.

For me, Dartmoor is one of the wonders of the world. I love the towns of Okehampton and Tavistock, but if I were to move to Dartmoor, I'd do my best to buy a property in Sticklepath. On one of my visits to see the tors, I experienced all four seasons (including snow, mist and beating sunshine) in the space of an hour, and it was on the very same day that I slipped and fell into a bog. I must have upset the Crockern, eh?
 
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Nah you were probably pissed Ponders..............

Must admit Dartmoor is a pretty wild place. It is said that if you don't like the weather, wait an hour and you'll get something else. I confess that there are a fair few places I haven't visited on the Moor although I do know Tavistock quite well.

Royston seems to want to reach for the ruler on size and price even though I have said twice that I acknowledge prices in the South East and London are far higher. But, if you want to live close to the sea and it is for example in a smallish town in Cornwall or Devon then you wouldn't buy the garage for £150k. There is for example a small village just outside Dartmouth called Dittisham where prices are very seldom less that £900k. In Cornwall the locals are being forced out of towns because they cannot compete anymore with the cost of property there. Half the houses are empty for two thirds of the year because they are second homes. If you want a 2 bed property which is ex council on an estate in an inner city you could buy it for £120k maybe. Not what I'd call desirable for a second home though or sizeable. I also know the area very well mostly because I already live here and don't have to dream about properties anymore.

As for Mr Mintoff I reckon he was concerned for the locals but by kicking out the Navy he sort of cut his nose off to spite his face at the time. He lost a lot of revenue that they all spent there Dick which could not have possibly helped the local ecconomy. Mind you he did nick all of the married quarters for no charge so the housing situation must have improved. I never could quite get my head around the decision though and it killed yet another shore base abroad where matelots could go for a married accompanied posting.
 
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sensiblegreeny said:
Nah you were probably pissed Ponders..............

Must admit Dartmoor is a pretty wild place. It is said that if you don't like the weather, wait an hour and you'll get something else. I confess that there are a fair few places I haven't visited on the Moor although I do know Tavistock quite well.

Royston seems to want to reach for the ruler on size and price even though I have said twice that I acknowledge prices in the South East and London are far higher. But, if you want to live close to the sea and it is for example in a smallish town in Cornwall or Devon then you wouldn't buy the garage for £150k. There is for example a small village just outside Dartmouth called Dittisham where prices are very seldom less that £900k. In Cornwall the locals are being forced out of towns because they cannot compete anymore with the cost of property there. Half the houses are empty for two thirds of the year because they are second homes. If you want a 2 bed property which is ex council on an estate in an inner city you could buy it for £120k maybe. Not what I'd call desirable for a second home though or sizeable. I also know the area very well mostly because I already live here and don't have to dream about properties anymore.

As for Mr Mintoff I reckon he was concerned for the locals but by kicking out the Navy he sort of cut his nose off to spite his face at the time. He lost a lot of revenue that they all spent there Dick which could not have possibly helped the local ecconomy. Mind you he did nick all of the married quarters for no charge so the housing situation must have improved. I never could quite get my head around the decision though and it killed yet another shore base abroad where matelots could go for a married accompanied posting.
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Mintoff also cosied up to the Libyans which was not great for the British. One of my Maltese Cousins worked in the Prime Ministers office at the time of Mintoffs reign. Most of the things she has told me can't be posted on a public forum.
 
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