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Immigration demonstrations

Discussion in 'News from the UK, Europe and the rest of the World' started by anon250913, Aug 4, 2025.

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  1. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    LOL - I feel much safer now !
    John Surrey, Sep 27, 2025
    #61
  2. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    Chap goes for a job at a car hand wash
    Manager of car wash says " have you got your ID card"
    Applicant responds " do you really need to see it"
    Manager replies " hell yes, I'm curious what they look like"
    Mattecube, Sep 27, 2025
    #62
    • Funny Funny x 1
  3. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    Updatehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ywxlrr7z8o
    Mattecube, Apr 17, 2026
    #63
    • Like Like x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
  4. PhilPensioner
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    PhilPensioner Active Member

    Horrible people.
    PhilPensioner, Apr 23, 2026
    #64
    • Agree Agree x 2
  5. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Do you have solar there @PhilPensioner ?

    Thinking about putting it in here ...
    John Surrey, Apr 23, 2026
    #65
    • Like Like x 1
  6. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    You should get some solar as soon as you can, and get at least one electric hob or ring they're cheap here 1500 peso, cooking gas could run out.

    I bought an induction cooker from Lidl for £25 a few weeks ago because I'm gas cooking in the UK, I figure that even if there are power cuts there will be electric for at least part of the day in England.
    Not looking forward to going back to England next Wednesday but hope the flight isn't cancelled I'm on Cathay Pacific as KLM wanted £2800 economy return Cathay did it for £1610.

    Going to Baguio later today with the kids for the weekend 3 nights, never been there in all the 22 years I've travelled here.

    Edit: Lidl are doing £400 plug in solar panels
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2026
    oss, Apr 24, 2026
    #66
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  7. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I'm sort of half way there on everything - but, like you, I got an induction cooker ...
    I also invested in a Bluetti home battery back up which I was looking at a while ago... that can be charged by solar
    But I'm looking at going the whole hog now - off grid or net metering...

    Very expensive flights!

    And I've got a couple of cheap portable panels coming on Amazon - they do some good offers there - did two seperate orders ... to keep them under P10k :like:
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2026
    John Surrey, Apr 24, 2026
    #67
  8. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    Flights are only going to get more expensive or not available at all for the foreseeable future.

    Good that you're getting panels, modern civilization starts with electric light.
    oss, Apr 25, 2026
    #68
  9. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Agreed ...not better you stayed here ?
    John Surrey, Apr 25, 2026
    #69
  10. Lee Adams
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    Lee Adams Active Member

    Here in Negros we have had solar for a few years.
    As a bit of a self confessed prepper,it’s probably one of the best decisions we have ever made here.
    Local prices of off grid and hybrid systems have steadily decreased and by quite an amount and there are some really good deals to be had.
    We run 5 X 1 HP air conditioners during the day. Not always at the same time but our now outdated system can still handle the load easily if we wish, which lately because of this hot period,we have been doing regularly just lately.
    We use Halogen stoves for most of our cooking and air frying units usually for baking pies and fresh bread etc.
    Absolutely no need for gas but we still store 2 or 3 ,11 kg LPG bottles just in case.
    Most important priority for us is an independent water source ( deep well) and a US Gould 1.5 pump and always a stored spare.
    Ideally I’d like a submersible pump.
    For this type of pump you require at least a 6” Diameter well casing.
    Second priority is water storage. The more,the better. Obviously!
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2026
    Lee Adams, Apr 25, 2026
    #70
  11. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Thanks - 2 or 3 spare LPG's eh :D

    A few quesitons if I may... @Lee Adams

    did you install the solar yourself ?
    did you get any permits or barangay approval ?
    what kind of battery set up do you have ?
    John Surrey, Apr 26, 2026
    #71
  12. Lee Adams
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    Lee Adams Active Member

    We use a local solar company that does a complete install.
    No permits or clearance required.
    Only application process is if you wish to have net metering and a smart meter installed which records any excess power that you export to the grid.
    If you want to be 100% off grid there are no requirements that we were ever made aware of.
    We have a few systems in different project locations. The cheapest batteries we have are about 4 years old now. These are lead acid gel type. 48 v. Still going strong.
    Another system we have is a 10 KW lithium powerwall.
    2 years ago we paid 150 k for it.
    Now you can find 15 kw 48 v storage for around 80k each.
    What we do if we want more storage is buy another and connect them together in parallel.
    This way 2 X 15 kw batts hooked together become one 30 kw storage unit.
    Same goes for hybrid or grid tie inverters.
    For our first install,we will have our investment back by next year hopefully.
    They say gel batteries need to be replaced about every 5 years. The Life-po battery should be good for 6000 cycles before its capacity reduces to around 80%.
    Probably good for 15 years IMO.
    Hope this helps.
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2026
    Lee Adams, Apr 26, 2026
    #72
    • Informative Informative x 1
  13. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    I can't cut and run, this house is in Ana's name of which fact she continually reminds me, I couldn't just dump everything in the flat I rent in the UK and land my landlord (a good guy) with the job of disposing of it, I'm also still waiting for a diagnosis after all the heart tests I've had back in February although my kids have just had me climbing two very large newly constructed tourist attractions (traps) in and around Baguio which I was amazed to be able to manage without resorting to my GTN spray, will post pictures later, I'm returning to the UK tomorrow just in the process of doing the washing for me and my kids after we got home yesterday.

    Also I absolutely have to do it right here and get the SRRV visa, which is not cheap, I am looking at doing that soon.
    oss, Apr 28, 2026
    #73
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  14. PhilPensioner
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    PhilPensioner Active Member

    I have a BLUETTI too. I'll be buying a suitable solar panel for it, but can't really justify the cost of a complete solar setup, at my age, and also us being hooked up to what has to date proven to have been a reliable and affordable electricity source in our area. :like:
    PhilPensioner, Apr 28, 2026
    #74
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  15. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Hmmm... yeah - need to get your ducks in a row :D

    Is the plan to buy a condo using the deposit afterwards ?

    Maybe I should get one of those GTN sprays... :like:
    John Surrey, Apr 28, 2026
    #75
  16. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    No I wouldn't buy a condo, it's just a fifty year lease, pointless, the only reason to buy a condo is if you are going to rent it out in my opinion and they are way too expensive anyway.

    No I will hopefully eventually buy a house somewhere outside NCR or at lesat deep down Dasmarinas direction but that will be in Janna's name and for her to do with as she wants, I'll rent a place in my own name in Metro Manila for a bit less than I am paying in the UK, somewhere nice and big with good amenities, I'm not going to live all that long and I want a bit of peace and quiet and comfort, a decent ensuite CR in each bedroom, the one I have here is cramped I want a good wet room and decent plumbing.

    Regards the GTN spray, do you get chest pain when walking after short distances? If so it might be angina but it might not, I believe you can buy it without prescription in the Philippines but you should check that and also get a doctor's opinion as to whether you really need it, they are still not sure I need it, sometimes it seems to work and sometimes it does nothing but I was climbing 2 fake castles to elevations of probably around 50 to 70 metres from the starting point at the weekend and I managed ok without the GTN spray.

    This is one of the two castles, second one was Igorot Kingdom.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    This next one is the Igorot Stone Kingdom

    [​IMG]

    And my kids terrifying me at this place (images on the wrong phone, not on internet yet)

    [​IMG]
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2026
    oss, Apr 29, 2026
    #76
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    • Winner Winner x 1
  17. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    After my heart attack in 1996 age 48 I was on gtn spray for a few years till I had angiogram . I now take angitil and no need for gtn Now 78
    bigmac, Apr 29, 2026
    #77
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  18. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I've not been to a doctor about it yet... was thinking I might do that when I do my next visa run (which is coming up) ... lost a few kilos this month which has taken my bp down from 140 to 129... still on the diet.

    I have a daily exercise routine, walking mainly with some light weights, after 10 minutes or so I feel nothing at all

    I do sometimes wonder whether it's a combination of gas and/or angina :D - think I'd like to know what it is - just in case and all that.
    John Surrey, Apr 29, 2026
    #78
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  19. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    I just got my results letter from my Cardio CT scan back in February and my Echo Cardiogram in late February.

    As I summarised elsewhere here in a private message it basically says (in a Scots accent in my head) 'f*ck off there's nuthin wrang wie yie............ya fat bastard' :lol: :frust:

    All very politely.

    Echo:-
    (Left Ventricle Ejection Fraction)
    LVEF 60-65% Normal (the range is 55-70%, 40% might be considered the start of heart failure, so I'm very much normal.

    Right heart normal
    Valves all look fine no significant regurgitation.

    Heart structurally and functionally normal.

    CT Scan:-
    Very minimal coronary artery disease in all three vessels showing moderate plaque burden. Heart structure normal.

    They want me to continue aspirin and atorvastatin.

    'Lifestyle changes are very important and you're discharged back to your GP' that's the '.....ya fat bastard' bit:lol:

    Thing is the pains I get are real and severe, I believe them when they're saying it's not the heart, so I'll need to go back to the GP and bring up lymph system and or pulmonary hypertension although the second one seems unlikely now although I was told in the Philippines that I had mild pulmonary hypertension.

    Anyway back in the UK now and absolutely knackered after a grueling journey 27 hours door to door.
    oss, May 2, 2026
    #79
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  20. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    atorvastatin.
    none of the usual statins worked with me--then i was put on crestor (rosuvastatin)--result! Cholestrol now consistently below 4.
    bigmac, May 3, 2026
    #80
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