How to sell a model railway

It is unlikely the entire populace are on benefits. Many will have taken the chance to do something else, even if it means leaving settlements created for the express purpose of supporting the now-defunct mines. There are lots of people doing interesting and rewarding jobs in nice places who are jolly glad not to have had little choice but to follow their fathers and grandfathers down pit.

Railways replacing canals are a classic example of changes which caused problems for the people involved, but long term benefits for society. Should we give up our motor cars to support farriers? Unplug the internet so that boys can once again be paid a few pence to carry messages?

Few people actually want working class jobs: given half a chance the working class man will become middle class. The pit/trawler/mill is good for _other peoples'_ children, but we want our own kids to do something better paid, safer, or with a bigger future.

At various times my grandad was a foundry worker, docker, soldier and builder, and he made damned sure my mum (FWIW), and then my brother and I wouldn't be any of those things.

There are former Jaguar trim-fitters around here sweeping the forecourt at Morrison's for minimum wage or else selling imported BMW's to former Jaguar customers. I fail to see how either benefits the UK economy in the long run?

(kim)

Nope, price of electricity is directly related to the lack of offwhatevers ability or desire to do anything about the current cosy relationship between suppliers. Of course ultimately it is the governments responsibility. So no chance of anything happening there.

Lets be fair it wouldnt be the entire populace, some got other jobs and many have now died - before you say but lots of youngsters would have taken theyre place, I think not. The average youngster today wouldnt go near a pit - far too sensible. It would have been more immigrants than locals.

Now we would have to get someone to calculate the cost of mining subsidy vs cost of unemployment benefit. Also the huge regeneration grants from the EU. Possible shortage of employees in other industries - there were some capable people in the NCB, as long as they could cope with a different work ethic.

You make think but what about the local supply industries aka shops. The bit that remains after Tesco's slice is very happy thank you - most of our local villages have doubled in size with influx of refugees from Birmingham. Housing estates flying up like nobodies business in what were real dumps whose existance depended on the local coal mine. Sad places they were too. Some still are, just bigger with new houses.

No, no, no. New Tory they are not. They pretended to be whoever the people they were talking at wanted them to be. Said the right things but screwed up everything they touched and wasted billions. Now they dont even know who they are pretending to be. Make a right mess of what they say. But still screw up everything they touch and waste billions.

As to the loss of productive 'working class' jobs, how come the Japanese have been able to manufactor cars for a profit for a lot of the time in this country but local companies cannot ?

Cheers, Simon

Well I play trains because I found it a great pleasure and the opportunities for learning new skills, gaining new knowledge, creating new things in a variety of ways, excitement as made, modified or bought new kit or whatever, chance to discuss variety of topics with new people .....After got board with learning in career and realised not interested in progressing up the greasy pole.

Do remember enough of the late 70's and early eighties. Have seen the effect on some friends, aquaintences, family and the local area. One of the most fasinating books on the topic is 'The Leicestershire Miners' by Colin Griffin - Senior Lecturer at Trent Polythech. Published by the NUM it gives an interesting view of the whole business.

Cheers, Simon

I was watching an episode of Locks and Quays with Matthew Corbett following the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, built in the late 18th century. At one location, a railway had been built immediately adjacent to the canal; it had since been abandoned and become part of the Pennine cycle path. I realise that canals no longer carry freight, but it seemed rather ironic all the same that the canal had outlived the competing railway.

They make Jaguar sales more exclusive. (?)

On the other hand, the very busy London Bridge - Brighton railway is partly on the course of a truly-defunct canal.

Why do we never hear people saying that typesetters should have been protected from desk-top publishing, or telephone operators from Strowger switches?

MartinS wrote: > Arthur Figgis wrote: > >> Railways replacing canals are a classic example of changes which caused >> problems for the people involved, but long term benefits for society. > > I was watching an episode of Locks and Quays with Matthew Corbett > following the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, built in the late 18th century. > At one location, a railway had been built immediately adjacent to the > canal; it had since been abandoned and become part of the Pennine cycle > path. I realise that canals no longer carry freight, but it seemed rather > ironic all the same that the canal had outlived the competing railway. On the other hand, the very busy London Bridge - Brighton railway is partly on the course of a truly-defunct canal. Why do we never hear people saying that typesetters should have been protected from desk-top publishing, or telephone operators from Strowger switches?

I rcall that Printers had the tightest of grips on the industry and had the world believe that theirs was the most complex of activities. The words "web off-set" were the holiest. Their union managed to keep them so well paid that it was obscene and even then it was one of the most agitated and strike prone. pre WWII a printer earned 8 GBP per week against the norm of 28 shillings. No wonder the world of industry sought to shake them off!

Regards

You have raised a question which I have always had wandering in my head --- where does all the loot go in the UK? Costs are astro, wages have a differential which is gob smackingly huge and the social attitude is F Y J!

Here in France they take care of their disabled and weak in normal society and that includes keeping manual trades and other lower order jobs open for the hard of knowing and doing. The UK race to eliminate manpower will end up with a rather bizarre society in which customers with the ability to pay will not exist ( no-one having jobs). What will become of society when it consists of a machine run infrastructure but populated by unemployed goat herders shivering in straw and plastic sheet rondevals?

Regards Peter A

Pensions, health, subsiding the EU, bombing people who the Americans don't like, individual wealth.

Costs are astro,

And the immigrants?

and that includes keeping manual trades and other lower order

I'm met a few French people who have suggested the French attitude is along the lines of "I've already got a job thanks, so stuff you". Employers are very relucant to take on young people entering the job market, as they can't easily drop them if it doesn't work out in the future. This causes growing problems for school leavers and graduates. It is of course fantastic if you are (say) a horribly unproductive railwayman, safe in the knowledge that it won't affect /you/ if all the UK Europe freight shifts to Polish lorries instead of unreliable and expensive rail.

On a French steam train I was corned by two chaps in their 20s who live on a series of probationary-type contracts. They were saying it must be wonderful to be in the UK where people can just try things and see what happens. One was planning to move here...

The problem is there is no suitable alternative employment for them. Not all offset printers were highly paid, it was mainly those on Fleet Street. A friend who served his apprenticeship in printing and was by no means highly paid was made redundant in his fifties. He initialy took a job as a postman until they too culled most employees over 50. Then he took a job as a part time office cleaner. A few months over the age of 60 he discovered he could get more by not working at all and claiming minimum income guarantee instead.

Old habits die hard and he still designs DVD covers, labels and booklets but purely as a hobby, not for money. The BBC actually copied the designs he made for their second release of Quatermass on DVD.

(kim)

You are quite correct regarding the employment situation -- this a direct result of union driven socialist government. The very reason Sarko was elected. The basic premise is that you have to work to earn rights or be kept by your family. This of course leads to some conflict when there is no family. There are also oddities in the UK. The French lads referred to will get cash and help in the UK but I would be entitled to zero despite paying taxes all of my working life to the UK exchequer. Immigrants here are entitled to zilch except allowances relating to children.

Regards

Peter Abraham schrieb:

May I ask what this hast to do with selling a model railway ???

me

On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:27:24 +0100, me wrote:

Peter Abraham schrieb: > On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:37:04 +0000, Arthur Figgis > wrote: > > Peter Abraham wrote: > > On Sun, 9 Mar 2008 00:03:35 -0000, "simon" > wrote: > > > > > > "John Turner" wrote in message > > news: snipped-for-privacy@news.supernews.com... > > >

Of course you can!

Regards

This has to do with model railways in the sense that once Britain was the center of model railways, with people employed in the production of such items, not only for your own market but also for export. Now you're basically an importer of those items. I'm reminded of a Railway Modeller "railway of the month, "Llarggub" where the Welsh village survived by all the wives taking in each others' washing.

Regards, Greg.P. NZ

Things have changed since Dylan Thomas' time, then?

Even more ironic is the porposal from various (non-transport) groups recently that more freight should go back on rail. Not that it'll ever happen, all the marshalling yards have Tesco's or housing on them now.....

Cheers Richard

At 38 I was told by the agencies I used (freelance software engineer) that I should only expect testing/build manager/etc roles from then on as I was "too old".

Cheers Richard

When I was about 22 I was told one job needed 10 years experience of