[Dave W]

Surely you didn't really price the stuff at xx.01?

[cockney steve]

Of course not! Back in the day, £9,19/11 (that's a penny less than ten quid, when there were 240 pence to the pound, twelve to a shilling) the psychology was that this was "a bit " over £9.....likewise, 79.9 p/litre as "cheaper" than 80.00 or 80.1 a penny a litre is 4 1/2 p a gallon, we rubbed our hands when metrication came to fuel, the public largely ignored these (usually 0.9) fractions which added 4p per gallon,virtually doubling the margin.

[kanga]

.. and some of us even remember the '19/11 3/4' prices, ie 'and 3 farthings' or 1/960th less than a whole £ ..

[mmcp42]

.. and some of us even remember the '19/11 3/4' prices, ie 'and 3 farthings' or 1/960th less than a whole £ ..

so if we leave the EU can we bring back the groat?

[kanga]

..

so if we leave the EU can we bring back the groat?

as UK is not in the Eurozone, we could right now.

And other coin names formerly minted or otherwise commonly used in British Isles, including

- from my memory of use: Threepence, Sixpence, Shilling, Florin, Half-Crown Crown, Guinea ..

-- and from earlier even than that (what could possibly be the problem ? ): Mark, Franc, Napoleon, Ecu .. (Sestertius, Denarius ..)..

[Paul_Sengupta]

(Sestertius, Denarius ..)..

And of course the Pound (Libra....L, S, D). These together, which the Romans introduced, was the first common European currency, before everyone else went away from it.

[Dave W]

The second aspiring contender being the Reichsmark? [/Godwin]

[Paul_Sengupta]

Maybe the third after the Napoleonic ones mentioned...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napol%C3%A9on_(coin)#%22The_Euro_before_the_Euro%22

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Monetary_Union

[cockney steve]

Ha! Our local baker priced a loaf with a farthing (early 1950's) but there were very few actually in circulation, so running errands also involved memorising "I owe you a farthing" or "you owe us a farthing from last time" Over the course of a day's trading, these notional farthings would have cumulatively been enough to buy a couple of pints. I also remember Ration-books still in use and they were only thrown out when we moved, around 1959.

[MichaelP]

The CAA Complaints department is responsive, and seem to be proactive.
I received an email from them yesterday, this instead of the promised response from CAA FCL.

Now it seems I should get a response from FCL next week...

I wrote back to the Complaints department as follows:

Thank you *****,

Yesterday I went to the memorial for long time instructor Toon Ghose and met many grey haired aviators on (*of) my time there.

It was depressing as several told me that they had given up flying due to both the cost and the difficulties they have had with the CAA.

After nine months I know the CAA would rather me go away, and perhaps private pilot training and small general aviation itself: go away.
GA as such is dying here in England and CAA is complicit in its demise. It’s a very different CAA to that of the 1980’s when its staff were enthusiastic about what they did, and realistic in the decisions they made.

There needs to be a cultural shift, back to being British perhaps?

I may go back to Canada for a few weeks where I am licenced, respected, and desired as an instructor. It would be nice to live and fly in England, I love this country, but if I have to go abroad to practice my art then I will for as long as I am fit to.

I look forward to a response from CAA next week.
As an instructor I must be patient with people, but that does not mean I suffer other’s incompetence well.

Best regards,

[Ben K]

There needs to be a cultural shift, back to being British perhaps?

And what exactly does "back to being British" mean, and how would the CAA effect such a shift?

[MichaelP]

Being British?

In Thailand the Thais refered to the English as being “Polite people”.

I made the tea and provided the biscuits in Canada.
An ‘Indian’ of Kenyan origin who did his engineering training in Britain announced to all that this was “British hospitality”.

In my past I have known and still know many very decent people here in Britain.

Now what?
Some people in their thirties are abrupt in their response.
Several times recently I have had the impolite rebuff, gruff, attitude in customer relations from that generation, while at the same time receiving polite assistance from people who are older and brought up in an older way.

The CAA personnel I am dealing with are not as polite as they ought to be in addition to being inefficient.
Politeness means responding when you write you will respond. Ignorance is no response when you assure a customer of that response.

On Radio 2 yesterday afternoon there was the question of us losing face in Europe through our obvious inefficiency in Brexit, and the embarrassment in needing to ask for extra time.
British meant being decisive in history, good and bad, but decisive nevertheless.

Am I alone in noting the differences between the 70’s 80’s and now?
This is not about looking at the past through rose coloured glasses, it’s about how people treat people and the apparent change in the way this is done now.

[MichaelP]

Complaints department at the CAA is very good and has resolved my issues with CAA FCL.

But, they give me little credit for what I have done.
To gain the Instructor Rating here will require 30 hours ground training, and 15 hours flight training, plus the flight tests, and the CAA fees... Somewhere around £5,000.

In Canada the night rating requires five hours dual and five hours solo at night, and a total of ten hours dual instrument flying.
I have taught, and issued many night ratings in Canada.
They offer me a reduced course here based on a flying school’s assessment of what I need.

Now what about the Multi Engine Rating?
The IMC Rating (my IR is valid until next month).
The seaplane rating... I’ve taught a few seaplane ratings.

Everything expensive.

So I give up... I will go for the CRI perhaps.

[townleyc]

What a pathetic response!

As I said earlier, have you thought of complaining to the top, or perhaps the AppG?

KE