Tell Me Something............Anything!

[walpurgis]

Young people drinking less. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45807152

Hardly surprising, considering how many pubs have disappeared and the ridiculous cost of a drink in those that remain.

[Macca]

Yep was in a pub in Liverpool at the weekend, ordered a pint of lager and a pint of Guinness, £9.20

Just stupid.

[Beobloke]

Young people drinking less. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45807152

Hardly surprising, considering how many pubs have disappeared and the ridiculous cost of a drink in those that remain.

According to my niece and nephew who are at 6th form college and university respectively, alcohol consumption is indeed dropping, and being teetotal is being seen as a good thing.

However, bizarrely, cigarette smoking is becoming trendy again and drug consumption is going through the roof.

[Pigmy Pony]

It's commonplace these days (and has been for some time) for young people to have a skinful at home with friends before going into town later on.

What's worrying is the increasing use of cocaine to enable them to keep going until really late. You can often spot them by their excitable behaviour, and their tendency to talk earnestly at length about total shite. I really don't like being around them as they can be so unpredictable and sometimes only one wrong comment away from violence. We really need more thorough policing and harsher sentences for these offenders as it's really getting beyond a joke these days.

Much better in the days when ecstasy was 'the thing'. At least they were artificially friendly and happy, which has got to be better than artificially aggressive.

[Barry]

One thing which I have noticed with all the latest trendy eateries, bistros and restaurants opening up these days, is the total omission of the "£" sign when items are priced on the menu. Thus for example a starter which costs £7.50 is just marked as "7.50".

Probably deemed to be 'cool' by some stylist, but it seems to have caught on.

[Roy S]

Did some Xmas shopping today, personalised advent calendars from Thorntons.

[Pigmy Pony]

One thing which I have noticed with all the latest trendy eateries, bistros and restaurants opening up these days, is the total omission of the "£" sign when items are priced on the menu. Thus for example a starter which costs £7.50 is just marked as "7.50".

Probably deemed to be 'cool' by some stylist, but it seems to have caught on.

I've noticed that too. I wonder if you could get away with paying in Euros? That would save a bit of money, although not much these days.

[Pigmy Pony]

I'm reminded of something else - while on holiday I notice that the exchange rate for Scottish £ isn't as good as English. If I was Scottish and travelling abroad, I would get my Scottish money changed before going.

This isn't a new thing, In the past I have photographed boards displaying the exchange rates to wind up my pals north of the border, which isn't difficult - when I told them that many shops, bars etc in England won't accept Scottish currency, they said they just won't buy anything down here on principle.

[struth]

If a Scottish retail bank wishes to print a bank note, it has to deposit one pound sterling with the Bank of England to guarantee the value of those notes. The value of the Scottish notes in circulation is currently around “three thousand six hundred million pounds, (£3.6bn) and that is how much money the Bank of England would have to give back to the Scottish retail banks to stop them printing their own notes.

The legal position with regard to Scottish Banknotes is as follows: Scottish Banknotes are legal currency – i.e. they are approved by the UK Parliament. However, Scottish Bank notes are not Legal Tender, not even in Scotland. ... Legal tender has a very narrow technical meaning in relation to the settlement of debt.

so, can we have our 3.6 billion back please

[Macca]

I've noticed that too. I wonder if you could get away with paying in Euros? That would save a bit of money, although not much these days.

Paying in dollars would save even more. Or Venezuelan Bolivars. Currently worth about 1 cent each. '7.50' would be about 5p.

What I don't understand about menus is all the fancy bullshit descriptions about the dishes. I mean you are already in the place, sat down, probably pretty hungry. Why do they have to keep selling it to you?

I miss Berni Inns. There's a huge gap in the market for a decent steakhouse that doesn't have delusions of grandeur and where the waiter does not walk up and say 'Hi guys'. Firstly this isn't America. Secondly none of the party are under forty. Thirdly some of the party are females. So shut the fuck up and just take the order.

And restaurants are too brightly lit these days. Like eating in an operating theatre. And the tables are too close together. You want more covers then move to a bigger place, don't try to jam everyone in like sardines. I've been in places where you couldn't sit down until the person seated at the next table has jammed himself in as much as possible so you can get in.

There's a place like that round here, converted church so it's huge but so many tables that you're rammed in like in a mess hall. Food is crap and the owner comes to take your order wearing shorts and flip-flops. Had a steak, dry as a bone so I pointed it out and was told 'That's what a steak is like.' Not checked recently but I'm hoping they went bust. They deserve to.