Oh Dear: Four million households where no adults work

[Sysman]

And that "Midsomer" place is a real anomaly!!!
Population of a few dozen and a murder every week? They should call it "Lewisham"!!

Aye, Midsomer is definitely not a place to retire to.

[minestrone]

Or explain the French having a thriving motor industry with Citroen, Renault, Peugeot all making good products and employing lots of French people.

If Thatcher had lived in France, we'd still be making our own cars and the French would all be jobless chavs.

British cars were feckin crap, that is why we stopped making them.

I often see very old French cars on the street, still working and doing a job. I have not seen a Triumph Acclaim since the mid 80s when they all fell apart.

Let's try and be accurate when looking back into history.

[Mich the Tester]

British cars were feckin crap, that is why we stopped making them.

I often see very old French cars on the street, still working and doing a job. I have not seen a Triumph Acclaim since the mid 80s when they all fell apart.

Let's try and be accurate when looking back into history.

I was under the impression that more cars are being made in Britain than ever before, but largely by Japanese companies whose quality requirements don't allow for leaving unpainted bodywork lying around outside for the weekend or going on strike when you're asked to pick up a screwdriver instead of a spanner.

[Mich the Tester]

When was the last time you saw a Rover 3500 SD1?

Dreadful POS.

I'm sure there are more Rover P5B (the big saloon) and P6 (2000 type) around than that piece of poorly engineered crap.

My Dad had a company Rover SD1 2300 for about 6 months, 4 months of which it was at the dealer for repairs. Eventually his employer got sick of all his sales staff phoning in from motorway services saying they'd broken down, got rid of all the British cars and dealt out VWs and BMWs to the salespeople. The effect on revenues was quite predictable.

[minestrone]

British Leyland staff used to take tents to work and have a kip out the back on the grass.

The workers ran these companies down, not the goverment.

I for one would rather pay someone 5 grand a year to sit in a house doing nothing than pay him 40k a year to build crap cars and go on strike every 6 months.

[Mich the Tester]

British Leyland staff used to take tents to work and have a kip out the back on the grass.

The workers ran these companies down, not the goverment.

I for one would rather pay someone 5 grand a year to sit in a house doing nothing than pay him 40k a year to build crap cars and go on strike every 6 months.

hours

[Sysman]

When was the last time you saw a Rover 3500 SD1?

Dreadful POS.

The electrics were unreliable. And I knew one poor soul with a 1970s XJS...

I'm sure there are more Rover P5B (the big saloon) and P6 (2000 type) around than that piece of poorly engineered crap.

Both fine cars and really comfy seats. Fords of that era had seats which did my back in.

[Sysman]

I was under the impression that more cars are being made in Britain than ever before, but largely by Japanese companies whose quality requirements don't allow for leaving unpainted bodywork lying around outside for the weekend or going on strike when you're asked to pick up a screwdriver instead of a spanner.

An ex-colleague's commute took him past a Ford factory. They'd leave the body shells out in the rain for extended periods. Apparently a light coat of rust gave the paint a good key.

[minestrone]

An ex-colleague's commute took him past a Ford factory. They'd leave the body shells out in the rain for extended periods. Apparently a light coat of rust gave the paint a good key.

Jesus Wept.

How do you quality control that?

[Sysman]

Jesus Wept.

How do you quality control that?

In another Tale of British Manufacturing, the production director was extremely miffed by the number of products rejected by a newly created quality control department. By political maneuvering he managed to shift them into his department and then ordered them to pass more products. I am not making this up. (It was an electronics company.)