BongoBill9999

Well said, Steve, and I agree entirely.

Hope it goes well Jim. BTW, interested that they offer flights from Portsmouth! Portsmouth Airport closed and became a housing estate in the 1970s!!

I'll give you first refusal Tom, but don't hold your breath!

Perhaps now I will be able to spend my Qmiles for my next but one trip in may. Hope springs eternal.

Nick, hope that is 930 euros! Will she wait? Of course she will (what's happening to my nose?) Have a good one

Nick, Rather depends what your return date is - you don't say. Emirates can get you out there for £560 from LHR or LGW but that will vary somewhat depending on your return date. Don't know what DUB-LON will set you back but not much I guess. I looked at www.traveljungle.co.uk Emirates is also electronic ticket so no messing around waiting for paper in the mail. Good luck Bill

I have rented out successfully in the past and I was 3000 miles away. If I rent out this time I will have two (big) brothers and a sister living within 2 miles. Also a large catchment of teachers and civil servants as potential renters almost within walking distance. That is not to say it is without risks. Equally, selling and investing the proceeds on the stockmarket is not without risk. House prices have sometimes been volatile in UK, Niall thinks they will crash, maybe, maybe not. Wish I had a crystal ball, or crystal balls even. Ouch. Horses for courses methinks.

If I could get £400 a WEEK for my 3 bed bungalow I would be well chuffed!

I can only repeat what I wrote earlier. Bill

Wow, you got to screw her as well? That is First Class!!

Tom, Actually I was wrong on the tax charged:- Flight 380.00 Tax 39.60 Total 419.60 Makes me even more convinced there is a cockup somewhere along the line. Oh well, its paid for now! Got the parking with APH - little bit of a hike to the airport but not too bad, transfers are on demand but reliable. Used them before. £44.85 for 29 days! Bill ps Out of interest I just checked e-bookers for the same dates with Emirates. They quote total of £480 and the tax is the same at 39.60 so an extra £60 for the ticket cf Thomas Cook!

Tom, Still got no joy with Qatar and my airmiles. Put a formal complaint into their London office so will see what happens. Did a trawl on Travel Jungle and got Emirates on 8 Feb for four weeks at £419.60 total through T Cook of all people. Don't know if this is a cockup somewhere as everyone else is quoting £480 and up. Only £49 tax which seems low) Anyway, grabbed it quick. I'll try again with my Qmiles and Qatar in the summer. Also got four weeks parking at MAN (off site) for £45 which is less than half of the normal price. Just have to while away the next 80 d

This is something I am looking into at present and it is a bit of a minefield for the novice. The taxable rate is 22% Alan. You are broadly right about the CGT but the fact that you are abroad is largely irrelevant, I think. What counts is whether it is your main residence so it would apply to someone in the UK just renting out also. The CGT allowance is 8.5k pa and I presume this could be used to offset CGT if and when the house is sold. In my case it would hardly be relevant as I have no intention of selling and if I am pushing up daisies they can do what they want! This is

Sad to say it looks as if you will be hit Moby. Saw on the news that it will affect those now under the age of 50. That said, it is only a report at present and things will almost certainly change. Keep your fingers crossed....you too LancsLad... For my part this is about the only thing I can find good about gusting 60!!!! For LancsLad,,,,,,yes, she made her pile alright. Still remember as a kid going into Lofthouse Chemist to buy some in a brown paper bag for 6d...now a bloody great factory and you can buy them all over the world. FWIW, although I had some good times in the

Absolutely. What is wrong with these people?

And now they are talking seriously about raising the retirement age to 67. Wonder when that will kick in? Actually the details are in the Financial Times here:- http://news.ft.com/cms/s/e53cb63e-56e8-11d...000e25118c.html

Forget the bum!!!! and the rum, although I did get a tot for three years before it was abolished. The guy who abolished it, Admiral 'Ginger' LeFanu, promptly got leukemia and died. Sailors might read something into that!! As for the baccy, it was nice getting duty free cigs (even when on a shore base) but couldn't afford it so gave up years ago - yes, all the wrong reasons to give up but..... Joined the Gravy because I had been to sea fishing with my old man and that seemed too much like hard work! So it was a case of get out of Fleetwood or work at the ICI plant making plastic pipes!!

Some silly old buggers on this board The day I started work a recruiting Chief from the Navy came and asked if I wanted to go into the Navy early as someone had gone sick. Gave my notice in and was in HMS Ganges four days later. Boss was not best pleased! Dave, Didn' realize that about the contributions if you're living abroad from 60 onwards. Another reason to keep a base in the UK. Alan, Spot on there mate. Remember exactly the same! Bill

Even if it doesn't connect quickly to BKK it will syphon off some of the pax who currently use QR and EK enroute to Pakistan, India and other gulf states so still good news for prices.

Nidnoyham, I started work 4 Jan 62, my 15th birthday, delivering orders for the Co-0p on a black bike with a big basket on the front - LOL - looks like we are about the same age! You will get 5 years NI credit if you are not working from 60 to 65. I will be a few years short and my pension will be reduced by the princely sum of about £2 a week (taxable of course). Bloody pathetic. Worthwhile getting a pension forecast from Newcastle to see where you stand. Fortunately we (increasingly oldies) will get something of a state pension but I am sad for our children and their child

Tom, The guy I spoke with is Arshad Jamal. He was extremely sympathetic, unlike the London office, and has sent an email to Doha (copy to me) explaining the situation. Thanks for the further mention - will let you know how it goes. Bill

Tom, Thanks for that. Will give MAN a call and see what happens. I'll let you know in due course. Bill

Tom, I have been trying for two weeks now to use my Qmiles with Qatar for a flight out in Feb/Mar and getting absolutely nowhere - they just come back flight not available!! Have you experienced the same problem? Have to say I am getting a might pissed of with Qatar, especially after my drama over a lost ticket on my last trip. Bill ps Who did you book with for the £480 trip?

Totally agree with Monkeyman. I started work on my 15th birthday, four days later I was in the RN. Stayed for 30 years and then ran my own consultancy business for 10 years. That was stuffed by this labour government who thought I would pay over half my income (40% income tax & 10.2 employers NI) plus all the other taxes for the glory of socialism! I ditched the work and live quite happily on my naval pension, taxed at 21% and pay not a penny in National Insurance. I have never claimed a penny in my life and now I am ineligible for any benefit whatsoever because they are all means

From what I hear it is 0% - but you get the option of taking it tax paid or tax free!!!