A couple who live next door to a son run a wee business -3 family & about 6/7 employees - it goes back over 100 years. Employee came to them 2 weeks back handing in her notice - her husband & her had won £175K.
Got some advice - paid off mortgage, bought a new small car - both coming up for retiral age in the next few years - he will continue to work, she has given up work.
By some lottery wins £175K is small beer but to this couple it was brilliant & changes their lives - they have a paid up house, new car & 6 figures to invest.
We all have dreamt of winning millions - what would £175K do for you? What would you do with it?
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Buy a new car. Go on expensive holidays for the next decade. Put 50k in the bank as a rainy day/care home fund (obviously 50k will pay for about a month of care, as we have discovered with my elderly mum!).
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I need to buy some more socks and boxers. I would then buy a couple of lifeboats for RNLI and use the rest to found scholarships for students. They would qualify on talent and motivation only, regardless of other factors.
Only then I would then announce my good fortune to family and friends and luxuriate in their warm congratulations.
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>>Only then I would then announce my good fortune
The prospect has already affected my control of English - I would fail my own test.
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I just dream of all those unimaginable luxuries I could afford - car tax, TV licence, etc.
Be just like one of those toffs.
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It would make a very nice rainy day fund, but if it doesn't rain in the meanwhile, I'd pay off my son's student loan when he finishes uni and give him a bit of help with a house deposit when he's ready.
Oh and I'd have another new mountain bike !
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>> It would make a very nice rainy day fund, but if it doesn't rain in
>> the meanwhile, I'd pay off my son's student loan when he finishes uni and give
>> him a bit of help with a house deposit when he's ready.
>>
>> Oh and I'd have another new mountain bike !
>>
.........with the remaining £5......?
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Split it between the two children.
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I think I'd use it as a substantial deposit on a house.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Wed 19 Jun 19 at 16:44
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I'd buy a big eff off fast BMW estate, take three or four vacations a year, (one of them a cruise) have a new conservatory built, lash out on a semi pro video camera, pay off my sons debts, and stash a deposit aside for the son if he ever buys a house.
Oh, hang on.......
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Yep car for me.. new GT3 RS plus options, then just enough for insurance and fuel and a years lap ticket for the Nürburgring... of course the good lady would probably have other ideas.
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>> I'd buy a big eff off fast BMW estate, take three or four vacations a year, (one of them a cruise) have a new conservatory built, lash out on a semi pro video camera, pay off my sons debts, and stash a deposit aside for the son if he ever buys a house.
>>
>> Oh, hang on.......
>>
You can't buy good health....
I'd pay off the mortgage first and then put into savings for the kids.
Last edited by: Netsur on Wed 19 Jun 19 at 21:55
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>> >> Oh, hang on.......
>> >>
>>
>> You can't buy good health....
As I found out, but its a great comfort and aid in recovery. And in a way you can, and I might, go private.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 19 Jun 19 at 21:56
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That I have no doubt about. Certainly if a nice break in warm location is required....
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>>I'd buy a big eff off fast BMW estate
Perhaps sir would care for an upgrade?
www.alpina-automobiles.com/en/models/b5-biturbo/powertrain/
Looks very nice in (proper) green metallic:
www.autoexpress.co.uk/alpina/b5/102949/new-alpina-b5-touring-2018-review
Last edited by: Lygonos on Wed 26 Jun 19 at 22:12
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>> >>I'd buy a big eff off fast BMW estate
>>
>> Perhaps sir would care for an upgrade?
>>
>> www.alpina-automobiles.com/en/models/b5-biturbo/powertrain/
>>
>> Looks very nice in (proper) green metallic:
>>
>> www.autoexpress.co.uk/alpina/b5/102949/new-alpina-b5-touring-2018-review
>>
I'll buy the badge off ebay
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A pair of his & hers SO10 EELL
www.gmk.co.uk/product/so10-eell/481
Last edited by: Kevin on Wed 19 Jun 19 at 22:26
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I’d go for that little red sporty model down the road.
I don’t think she has a partner:-)
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Nice wood Kevin, but too nice and it will likely fail. Well figured Walnut has that habit sadly.
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OMG! I wouldn't shoot with it, I've got less expensive guns that will hit clays just as well.
I'd just take it out of the cabinet every now and again to kiss and stroke it.
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I'd be mortgage free, and have enough left for a holiday. It would be life changing.
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On the subject of guns:
Lygonos, if you read this.
What's the crack now regarding police requests for an applicants medical history when renewing a firearms certificate?
I've just nenewed mine and my quack wanted £32.50 to respond to plod. I've never been charged a fee before and understood that BMA and Home Office had agreed no fee.
£32.50 isn't extortionate but I've read of one surgery in Scotland wanting £375.
Luckily the letter wanting the fee arrived on the same day as my new certificate and an email to Firearms Officer confirmed they didn't need medical records in my case.
BASC are now saying that applicants can request their medical records personally under GDPA rules (free) and pass them on to plod directly.
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An agreement between the BMA and Home Office was made around 2016.
Very quickly GPs told the BMA to shove it as GPs would not accept the responsibility to assess the suitability of patients to carry/own guns.
Now a report of pertinent medical information can be forwarded to the Police, for their firearms division to make the decision on suitability.
As this is outwith the General Medical Services that we are contracted to provide patients (unlike, for example, providing sick lines or information to DWP for fitness to work) a fee is chargeable (and as this has not been agreed it can be for any amount the GP sees fit).
I guess you could use GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to request a copy of notes but there's nothing to stop a patient removing 'incriminating' information before forwarding to the cops so it's probably pointless.
Haven't done one for a few years personally - Scotland has about 25,000 firearm cert and 50,000 shotgun cert holders, presumably the majority in more rural areas that I live/work in.
One of my ex-Forces neighbours has a gun cabinet which requires quite significant home security including CCTV around the entire house and the Police can visit him at any time to inspect it which is presumably the same in rUK.
www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/ethics-a-to-z/firearms
www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/finance/service-fees-and-charges/firearms/
www.scotland.police.uk/whats-happening/news/2018/december/measures-in-place-to-support-at-risk-gun-licensees
In the US approximately half of the gun deaths are due to the owner putting the weapon in their own mouths. In the UK about 2/3 of gun deaths are suicides.
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>An agreement between the BMA and Home Office was made around 2016.
>Very quickly GPs told the BMA to shove it as GPs would not accept the responsibility
>to assess the suitability of patients to carry/own guns.
Thanks Lygonos.
I didn't know they were asking GPs to assess suitability. I had assumed that the agreement was just to forward medical records to plod to allow them to make the decision. I don't disagree with paying a fee, the applicant should pay the full cost of issuing a certificate, but it would be better if the fee was an agreed set amount everywhere.
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> Luckily the letter wanting the fee arrived on the same day as my new certificate
>> and an email to Firearms Officer confirmed they didn't need medical records in my case.
I just waited until they decided if they needed medical records or not, when the chap came round he confirmed 'won't be needing those'.
I wonder what % they ask for medical records?
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>I wonder what % they ask for medical records?
When I emailed the Firearms Officer their reply (within an hour) said that whenever an application is entered onto their system, a letter is automatically sent to the applicants GP asking them to make a note on their records indicating that the patient is a certificate holder. I presume they also ask the GP to notify them if the certificate holder becomes a suicidal manic depressive or psychopath.
And...
"I can confirm that not paying for this would not affect your ability to hold a certificate.
The only time that we insist this fee on being paid is when a medical disclosure has been made on the application form."
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When I emailed the Firearms Officer their reply (within an hour) said that whenever an
>> application is entered onto their system, a letter is automatically sent to the applicants GP
>> asking them to make a note on their records indicating that the patient is a
>> certificate holder. I presume they also ask the GP to notify them if the certificate
>> holder becomes a suicidal manic depressive or psychopath.
The chap who came round didn't seem remotely interested in the medical check side of it. I wonder if they did with mine.
"I can confirm that not paying for this would not affect your ability to hold> a certificate.
>>
>> The only time that we insist this fee on being paid is when a medical
>> disclosure has been made on the application form."
Seems a bit odd, we'll only look if you tell us something. Maybe it varies from force to force.
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>Seems a bit odd, we'll only look if you tell us something. Maybe it varies from force to force.
Reading the links that Lygonos provided it all seems to be a bit of a shambles. It's a bit worrying that the Home Office, Police, BMA, GPs and shooting organisations cannot agree on what the processes and responsibilities should be regarding the issue and renewal of certificates.
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>> what would £175K do for you?
Nothing. Wouldn't make any difference.
>> What would you do with it?
>>
Add it to the existing pile.
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Buy an extra bottle of Larios at €9 litre. And maybe splash out ( pun intended) on Fever Tree instead of Schweppes.
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Found Fever Tree hugely underwhelming compared to Schweppes.
Save your money and buy a better gin!
p.s. Has anyone ever tried Seedlip non-alcoholic gin?
My gut instinct is that a £26 bottle of gin without the alcohol is a massivley overpriced marketing exercise.
Last edited by: Lygonos on Sun 30 Jun 19 at 09:38
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All gin is a masiively overrhyped marketing exercise. Water alcohol and a few herbs in a fancy bottle served as pretentiously as possible.
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I rarely drink gin in the U.K. but always buy the stuff in warmer climes when on holiday. I was surprised the first time I visited a Lidl in Spain to see them selling Schweppes, and more recently Larios, as I always thought they only sold ‘non branded’ cheaper lines.
I’m no gin connoisseur but Larios suits me fine, although open to suggestions as I’m flying to Tenerife in a few days ( Fiat Panda booked this time!)
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I never like a G&T. Usually it was Gordons gin with a standard tonic including Schweppes. Found it bitter nad promised far more than it delivered.
Then I was offered an Ophir with Fever Tree.
Now I like G&T and have sampled lots of different types but do find that a good tonic improves the flavour. There are different flavours of tonic and finding something that goes with the gin you want is the interesting part.
A standard G&T is like drinking Bells Whisky. I only drink Single Malt because I know what I like and don't want to put drain clearer down my throat.
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So much choice in gin these days.
We have a particular liking for Harris Gin taken with a drop or two of sugar kelp water and no tonic.
www.harrisdistillery.com/
www.harrisdistillery.com/harris-gin
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Harris Gin 45% and Schweppes (not sugar free) tonic here.
With a strip or two of grapefruit peel.
(Patient gave me the gin as a gift a month or so back - came with a couple of nice glasses with same swirly design as the bottle).
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I'll second the Ophir opinion, an unusual twist on the normal botanicals.
Gins of choice in Chez zero are Ophir, Silent Pool, Star of Bombay, but the one most reached for is Sainsbury Blackfriar Pomegranate & Rose Gin, one of the cheapest. If we fancy a gin that is not so bitter the Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla gets an airing.
Tonic is exclusively Schweppes.
Trendy drink? yes it is a modern trendotastic phenomena, but one we are happy to indulge mixed with our travels* regional gins of note were Salcombe and Whitby,
*as long as the shock horror words "Larios" are not mentioned. Currently cruising Dorset* for a week, not come across a local one yet, tho the local pub has 33 gins on the shelf, some familiar some not.
JCA, have we picked a good week to be on vacation in England!
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 30 Jun 19 at 18:51
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Until two years ago I wouldnt touch gin. Its a woman's drink etc. Then as it became more trendy and more folk told me I HAD to try it, I would not go near it!
Then at a friend's one night he poured me a simple Gordon's Gin and Schweppes Tonic and I gave it a try and liked it. Have been a fan ever since.
Went to a gin tasting event at fiftysixnorth.co.uk/ in Edinburgh which was really interesting and much of it lived up to my expectations ie gin is simply vodka and juniper berries and whatever else the person making it wants to add. Could be citrus smelly socks, could be wood petals but whatever it is, it makes each gin unique. I really liked one that is made up the west coast of Scotland that had a right spicy taste to it but can't remember the name!
The guy taking the class said that they preferred Fever Tree but I actually really like the yellow tins of tonic that you get in Lidl! Beauty of these things is everyone's taste is different so what combination one will prefer, another will not!
So far I probably have had regular drinks from around 10 different bottles of gin - still don't think I could identify any of them in a blind taste.
Anyway, turns out Scotland is one of the biggest gin producers in the world, even Beefeater is made here as they prefer the Scottish water!
Oh, and never ask for a double gin, unless they give you a double measure of mixer - instead you have to ask for a navy gin!!
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And he also advised that the rise of many of the independent distilleries in Scotland is due to the oil & gas industry. Many of the skills are the same across both industries and many o&g folk have left their jobs and set up small distilleries using their knowledge.
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I think we have reached peak gin. Obscure brands of expensive rum are what the achingly trendy are drinking.
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Me and the missus said about a year or two ago, what next after gin? Both said rum, plenty of scope for different varieties, marketing with the whole west indies origin thing.
I quite like a gin but I don't drink much (or any other spirit) perhaps one or two normal sized bottles a year. Got a London gin on the go at the moment, portabello gin quite nice. When I get one I buy a stronger strength one, tend not to bother with anything less than 40 odd percent. Just seems to taste better.
As for the mixer I normally have some sort of bitter lemon, occasionally tonic water.
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>> I think we have reached peak gin. Obscure brands of expensive rum are what the
>> achingly trendy are drinking.
You need to get your ass over to the Caribbean for rum, both blonde and brown.
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>> You need to get your ass over to the Caribbean for rum, both blonde and brown.
>>
On my business trips to Jamaica I was asked to bring back some 151 but
Bacardi 151 was by agreement not sold in duty free shops or allowed on aircraft.
I do have a bottle of Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum - the original rum of the Jamaican people ( only 63 % )
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Bacardi 151 is no longer available despite it being the ideal drink for Burns night celebrations.
brutalhammer.com/bacardi-151-flames-out
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>> And he also advised that the rise of many of the independent distilleries in Scotland
>> is due to the oil & gas industry. Many of the skills are the same
>> across both industries and many o&g folk have left their jobs and set up small
>> distilleries using their knowledge.
Sorry thats Bojo. The rise in gin making is entirely due to the change in taxation rules over small batch distilleries. We have 6 distilleries within 15 miles of my surrey stockbroker belt abode, with not a single oil or gas industry in sight.
(actually thats a lie, we have an oilfield and gas exploration is taking place, but that came after the gin)
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>>Scotland is one of the biggest gin producers in the world
There are literally dozens of micro-distilleries dotted around Scotland - producing from a few dozen cases per month upwards.
Bobby - 95+% of Scottish Gin is Diageo's
You mentioned that Scotland was the biggest producer of gin - It's Diageo at Cameron Bridge, near Leven (Fife) - the Cameron Bridge Distillery produces FIRE HOSE volumes of Grain Spirit 24 x 365 - more akin to a oil refinery than the typical Copper Stills you see in brochures.
Grain Spirit - Bottled up the road in Leven - Labelled as Gordons, Smirnoff + many many Whiskies
Put it in a Sherry cask for 3 years = Whisky
Put Juniper etc in and it is Gin
Put Glycerine, Honey etc & you have Vodka
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Years ago I visited Grants grain distillery at Girvan. IIRC they used different stages of the distillation for whisky/gin/vodka/industrial alcohol but it's all the same process.
Amongst their brands now is Hendrick's gin. From the presentation and marketing you'd think it was an ancient heritage brand that went back to the days of the Raj, but it was invented in 1999. Bombay Sapphire set the trend when it was launched in 1986.
AFAIK the scores of little distilleries are generally 'rectifiers'. They don't do what Grants and Diageo do, fermenting and distilling the grain mash, they start with bought-in neutral grain spirit and redistill it, adding their flavourings along the way.
We have a new distillery a couple of miles away. Apparently it's quite difficult to replicate the flavour consistently. I don't know why, I'd have thought that simple bucket chemistry, doing the same thing every time, would work but apparently not. No point in me taking it up, it's all pretty much the same to me.
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Somebody won £175K on Lottery nearby - Crankcase
