Circumstances conspire to force a hard decision

Bridlington eh John, lovely place, I would rather live there than Poland or the Phils, real down to earth place, was that the Red Arrows in the picture there?

Yes. The Red Arrows, right outside our window. TT Week this week you see. Wall to wall bikes and bikers just now.

Ah, so you've taken a holiday to Bridlington to avoid the hustle and bustle of the TT racing?

I've never holidayed in Bridlington but I have stopped there several times when working nearby, its an okay place for a couple of days, I expect the loved one likes it too.

No. I am in the Isle of Man.

But what I was trying to say was that in many ways we dont have to emigrate. There is plenty thats good about the UK. Thats what the corny TV commercial was trying to say.

Its easy to take what we have here for granted. And the grass often appears greener on the other side of the fence.

I have never been to Bridlington, but someone said it is good for surfing.

When making such a major decision as this, one needs to weigh-up the pros and cons of the place in question. And that includes the likelihood of natural phenomena like seismic activity and the weather. Given that the UK is prone to hurricanes, tornados, flooding (even in mid-summer) and heavy storms such as you're (apparently) going to experience this weekend, moving there would, I think, be the metaphorical "frying-pan fire" scenario. Mainland Britain isn't immune to seismic activity and that might just be a more frequent occurrence when gas fracking spreads.

It does get cold in the southern Polish mountain areas during the winter months and there's much snow on the ground. But the air is much drier than the UK's so it doesn't feel so cold.

Quite right. Do take Fracking into consideration when choosing a country to retire to....

Fracking along: Poland to offer tax incentives to spur shale investment

"The Polish government said it will offer 6-year tax breaks for shale gas companies in an effort to fast track investment and exploration. The announcement comes as energy tension with Russia run high over Ukraine.

The new tax break is aimed at helping Poland attract foreign companies to explore and invest in the country’s shale oil reserves, believed to be the largest in Europe, according to data by the US Energy Information Administration.

The tax break will be “a huge incentive” to get investors interested and on the ground, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday, adding that by 2020 taxes “shouldn’t exceed 40 percent of extraction income.”

Between 2020-2029, the new incentives will contribute up to $5 billion in revenue, according to Tusk.

The proposal will be sent to parliament within two weeks, and the prime minister hopes it will pass without any hiccups.

Earlier in February, Poland ditched plans to use a state company to explore for shale gas, instead deciding to auction off licenses to foreign companies. Exxon Mobil and Marathon Oil are both interested in the country’s shale industry. Some state-controlled companies have also won licenses for exploration.

Maciej Grabowski, Poland's environment minister, expects the country's first commercial shale gas well to be drilled this year, and hopes to have over 200 wells in the next few years. The country wants to become an exporter, and not an importer of natural gas."


http://rt.com/business/poland-shale-taxes-russia-346/



Poland
"Poland is aggressively developing its shale gas reserves, thought to be the largest in Europe, though the latest estimate is significantly lower than that previously provided by the U.S. Department of Energy. A Polish Geological Institute study published in March 2012 concluded that, while fracking at one site had produced toxic waste, the latter was reused and did not harm the environment, though critics said the study was carried out at the start of exploration in Poland and does not reflect dangers from a long-term activity. Large-scale fracking in Poland would relieve some of the EU's dependency on Russian gas, but the East European state is densely populated and has a large agricultural sector, meaning the massive amounts of water required for fracking have raised additional concerns." Wikipedia

And from 3Legs Resources :

"3Legs Resources plc („Spółka”), niezależna grupa prowadząca działalność w dziedzinie poszukiwania i rozpoznawania niekonwencjonalnych złóż ropy i gazu, przedstawia aktualne informacje dotyczące realizowanych prac.

Najważniejsze informacje:

Otwór poziomy Lublewo LEP-1ST1H
Prace wiertnicze rozpoczęły się 2 kwietnia 2014 roku i właśnie się zakończyły.
Cały odcinek kierunkowy został z powodzeniem osadzony w docelowej formacji Sasino i osiągnął długość 1,512 metrów. Zaobserwowano silne przepływy gazu w kierunk powierzchni ziemi.
Zodnie z naszymi oczekiwaniami, docelowa formacja Sasino okazała się stosunkwo spójna pod kątem miąższości, braku fałd i niewielkiego kąta zapadania wzdłuż formacji kierunkowej.
Zastosowanie syntetycznego, nie zawierającego wody systemu płuczkowego złagodziło jakikolwiek negatywny wpływ płuczki wiertniczej na otaczającą formację oraz przyczyniło się do uzyskania kompletnego otworu wzdłuż sekcji kierunkowej.
Otwór został orurowany i zacementowany, a następnie przygotowany do przeprowadzenia
wieloetapowej stymulacji hydraulicznej oraz testów przepływu, które będą miały miejsce w III kwartale tego roku. Urządzenie wiertnicze zostało zwolnione.
Program stymulacji jest obecnie na końcowym etapie przygotowania. Oczekuje się, że będzie składał się z 20 lub więcej etapów i zostanie przeprowadzony przy użyciu żelowego płynu sieciowaneg"

http://www.3legsresources.com/pl/category/komunikaty-prasowe/

Well spotted! But as you can see from this map, my proposed destination is at least 100 km from the closest point of the Lublin Basin which is one of the three areas fracking for gas will take place:



It is also well away from the Trans-European Fault Zone.

At least you are thinking along the right lines now.

Away from those Siberian winds?

Anybody been down the Wieliczka Salt Mines yet?


Even the chandeliers are made (carved) out of rock salt. Bottled water and fish and chips not allowed.

http://www.google.com/search?q=wieliczka salt mine&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2GeQU9GTIoGp7QaN84DIAg&ved=0CGAQsAQ&biw=1694&bih=883

The co-joined Royal mines at Wieliczka and Bochnia are absolutely amazing and we will definitely be visiting; it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site as is the centre of Krakow near by. The chandeliers' pendants are actually made from dissolved rock salt that has been specially re-crystalised to give a clear and glass-like appearance. The mines go down to 327 metres and extend for 178 miles but visitors can only get down to 240 metres and the total length of all the passages and chambers that are open is about a mile.

Google has a good selection of photos.

Its definitely on my "to do" list.

Good luck.!! Mark.

I am now ensconced in my UK home and can never see myself visiting PI again.

We were paying the same to live in PI, last year, as here in UK.
Costs over the last month have shown that we will spend the same or less here and have superb quality as a bonus.

Tom

It's not actually that cheap to visit, a tour including the services of an English-speaking guide, costs PLN73 (~£14.60) plus a couple of quid for a camera permit. But it is, however, cheaper than the London Eye or a visit to Madame Tussauds which cost £22.50 and in the case of the Eye, that's all over in 30 minutes.

Thanks, Tom! So you've arrived back in the UK just in time for the peak of the Strawberry season and they do grow the best tasting (IMO) varieties in your neck of the woods. When is Tex returning?

Travel broadens the mind...

Tom

As long as our home is on the western side of a mountain, I think we'll be fine. It does appear, though, that the prevailing wind is from the south, rather than from east. But even if there is an east wind in winter, the humidity is much lower and that makes all the difference. I learned from my mother that houses in the south of the country tend to have somewhat thicker walls

Zakopane, about a two hour drive to the south, is a major winter sports resort and one of my cousins regularly skis there; he reckons the snow there is often more reliable.

From what I gather it is the Siberian wind that brings the snow.

But there is nothing wrong with a bit of snow culture. I experienced that in Sweden, many years ago.

For a while I had been thinking of taking my wife (and little girl) to Lapland to show her "proper snow" in a wonderland type setting. But maybe Poland might offer that as an alternative.....I know she would love it (and the photo opportunities it would bring). This is Warsaw apparently.