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Beautiful Scottish island goes on sale for the same price as Edinburgh city centre flat – Edinburgh Live

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

Let's be real - when it comes to property-hunting in Edinburgh it can sometimes feel like you could get more bang for your buck elsewhere in Scotland.

Properties in Edinburgh had an overall average price of 305,344 over the last year according to property site Rightmove.

So when you consider you can now actually buy your own private island for the same price as a one-bed flat on Dundas Street, you feel something may have gone wrong.

READ MORE - Edinburgh locals shocked as Jaguar spotted 'on top of the Pentland Hills'

That's right - The Holm of Huip, an isolated island located in the Orkney Islands, has gone up for sale for 300k, less than the average property price in Edinburgh.

The island is being marketed by luxury private island specialists Vladi Private Islands and comes with its own private beaches, farmhouses and ruins - although you'll need a row boat to reach it.

Their listing reads: "The charming Holm of Huip Island stretches over a surface area of approximately 250,000 square meters.

"Whilst most of its beaches are made up of slate and stone, a long, sandy beach can also be found towards the south of the island, close to the ruins of an old, stone house.

"As with the two farmhouses, it would be possible to either renovate or rebuild these ruins in order to make the buildings habitable.

"The island can certainly be described as well-connected as well as a daily flight from Kirkwall - the capital of Scotlands Orkney Islands to Stronsay (the small town directly opposite the Holm of Huip), it is also possible to make the short journey (approx. one and a half hours) via ferry.

"From the small harbour in Stronsay, it is possible to then make the transfer to Holm of Huip via either rowing boat or by motor boat."

Peter Fripp is the current owner of the island and told our sister site My London that he couldn't think of anything better to spend his money on.

He said: "I have owned it for 17 years, I am an archaeologist and the island has hidden treasures.

I believe it was once a Viking graveyard, it has great wildlife, seals come to the island and the weather is nice.

I bought it for 125,000 euros back then, I think this is a better way to spend money. I bought a big adventure where some people may buy a Porsche or a house.

It's certainly a pretty spot if the isolation isn't too much of a bother, but how does it compare to properties in Edinburgh?

Well a quick scan of property site Zoopla throws up a range of possible options in the same price range, including this one-bed flat on Dundas Street.

Described as "a comfortable and newly decorated apartment in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town on the prestigious Dundas Street", the apartment features one bedroom, one bathroom, living room with dining area and fully-equipped kitchen.

It's a tempting offer, but is it better than a private island? Let us know in the comments.

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Beautiful Scottish island goes on sale for the same price as Edinburgh city centre flat - Edinburgh Live

Islands receive more than $2 million in recreation… – Journal of the San Juan Islands

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

Submitted by the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office.

On June 30, the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board announced the award of 342 grants across the state to provide recreational amenities, conserve wildlife habitat and protect working forests and farms. Projects in San Juan County received $2,158,206 in grants.

These grants are fundamental to keeping Washington the beautiful state it is, said Gov. Jay Inslee. The funding comes from state and federal sources and is invested in hundreds of projects to give our kids places to play, ensure our food is grown close to home and keep our green spaces healthy for wildlife.

The grants total more than $164 million and are matched by more than $221 million in resources from grant applicants, such as cash, donations, staff time and equipment, bringing the total investment in Washingtons great outdoors to nearly $386 million.

The grants will be spent on projects in all of Washingtons 39 counties and include projects to refurbish aging parks, maintain trails, build boating docks and conserve land used for farming and timber harvest. The grants also will conserve important habitat for wildlife species in danger of extinction.

Washington wouldnt be Washington without these grants, said Ted Willhite, chair of the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. Washington is known for its rich outdoor spaces that provide everything from jobs to places for us to exercise and relax, to homes for wildlife. Our studies[1] have shown that people spend $26.5 billion annually on outdoor recreation trips and equipment in Washington. That spending supports 264,000 jobs or 6 percent of all jobs in Washington, which rivals the aerospace industry. It is a wise decision to invest in something so important to so many areas of our lives.

The grants come from 10 different grant programs administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Grants are awarded once every two years.

The grants are very competitive, said Megan Duffy, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, which supports the funding board. Every grant is evaluated by advisory committees made up of local residents and technical experts. They rank the applications ensuring that the most needed and best projects rise to the top. Thats important because nearly 40 percent of the applications remain unfunded. Theres just an incredible need out there.

Grants received by county entities include:

Port of Friday Harbor received $207,806 to upgrade the Jackson Beach boat launch The Port of Friday Harbor will use this grant to pave parking areas and replace the restrooms at the Jackson Beach Boat Launch. The boat launch is near Friday Harbor and serves as the only boat launch with 72-hour free parking. Nestled in Griffin Bay, the boat launch area offers a shelter, restrooms, picnic areas, barbecue pits, open beach, and views of the Olympic Mountains. Currently, the boat launch has only three paved parking spaces for trucks and trailers, and the Port will expand that to 20. The Port of Friday Harbor will contribute $110,250. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-2119 for more information and photographs of this project. This grant is from the Boating Facilities Program.

* Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission received $1,843,000 to replace the Stuart Island State Park Moorage State Parks will use this grant to replace the moorage facility on the Reid Harbor side of Stuart Island State Park. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-2189 for more information and photographs of this project. This grant is from the Boating Facilities Program.

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission received $107,400 to restore San Juan Island Prairies State Parks will use this grant to restore 120 acres of grassland balds and prairie habitat in Moran State Park on Orcas Island and Jones Island Marine State Park. The native prairie communities at both parks are threatened by tree encroachment and invasive species. State Parks will remove encroaching trees, control invasive plants, and restore treated areas with seeding and planting of native prairie species. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-1587 for more Grant Awards information and photographs of this project. This grant is from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Programs State Lands Restoration and Enhancement Category.

Additionally, other grants to issued for use in multiple counties across the state including San Juan, those grants are as follows:

Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Garfield, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Okanogan, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Stevens, and Yakima counties: Washington Trails Association received $75,000 to care for Backcountry Trails Statewide The Washington Trails Association will use this grant to engage volunteers in 30,000 hours of trail maintenance on 330 miles of trail throughout the Cascades, Olympics, and Blue Mountains. Backcountry crews will perform a wide variety of annual maintenance such as clearing trails of debris and improving trail surfaces, as well as technical projects such as clearing fallen trees and moving short sections of trail to create safer and accessible trails for visitors. The Washington Trails Association will contribute $581,280 in donations of cash and labor. This grant is for the first year of a 2-year award. The same amount of funding for the second year will be added upon federal approval. This grant is from the federal Recreational Trails Program. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-1990 for more information and photographs of this project.

Chelan, Clallam, Cowlitz, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Lewis, Okanogan, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Stevens, and Whatcom counties: Washington Trails Association received $75,000 to engage Youth Volunteers in Statewide Trail Maintenance. The Washington Trails Association will use this grant for youth work parties to maintain 92 miles of trail. The youth, who will contribute 27,000 hours of work, will address deferred maintenance backlogs to improve hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian opportunities on trails across Washington. The project will consist of day-long work parties on urban or front country trails, which typically are near major cities like Seattle, Spokane, Bellingham, and Vancouver, and Grant Awards week-long volunteer vacations in more remote backcountry areas. Each work party will vary in scope but will focus mainly on general maintenance activities such as removing overgrown brush, restoring trail surfaces, and improving drainage to create safer and accessible trails and mitigate damage. The Washington Trails Association will contribute $521,550 in donations of cash and labor. This grant is for the first year of a two-year award. The same amount of funding for the second year will be added upon federal approval. This grant is from the federal Recreational Trails Program. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-1989 for more information and photographs of this project.

Clark, Cowlitz, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish counties: Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance received $62,500 to maintain mountain biking trails in Western Washington The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance will use this grant to engage volunteers in 15,882 hours of maintenance on 350 miles of trails that serve mountain bikers, hikers, equestrians, and motorized activities in western Washington. Volunteers from four western Washington chapters of the alliance will maintain trails with supervision from crew leaders. The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance will contribute $380,000 in a local and private grants and donated labor. This grant is for the first year of a two-year award. The same amount of funding for the second year will be added upon federal approval. This grant is from the federal Recreational Trails Program. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-2099 for more information and photographs of this project.

Island, King, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties: Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission received $75,000 to care for Trails in Northwestern Washington. State Parks will use this grant to maintain 224 miles of trails in 13 state parks in northwestern Washington. The trails provide a backcountry experience to hikers, mountain bikers, runners, and horseback riders. The parks included are Bridle Trails; Dash Point; Deception Pass; Fort Ebey; Larrabee; Mount Pilchuck; Squak Mountain; Twin Falls-Olallie; Saint Edward; Saltwater; South Whidbey; Moran; and Wallace Falls. Much of the work will include repairing and replacing trail and drainage structures, clearing debris, removing windfall, and maintaining trail surfaces. State Parks will contribute $87,460 in staff and donated labor. This grant is for the first year of a two-year award. The same amount of funding for the second year will be added upon federal approval. This grant is from the federal Recreational Trails Program. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-1985 for more information and photographs of this project.

Island and San Juan counties: Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission received $291,000 to assess moorage buoys in Puget Sound. State Parks will use this grant to assess long-term needs for moorage buoys in northwestern Puget Sound, including San Juan and Island Counties. The agency will inspect moorage buoys to determine what needs to be replaced or moved and where new buoys should be installed. The agency also will submit applications for environmental regulatory permits and produce construction specifications. Visit https://secure.rco.wa.gov/prism/search/ProjectSnapshot.aspx?ProjectNumber=20-2191 for more information and photographs of this project. This grant is from the Boating Facilities Program.

Continued here:

Islands receive more than $2 million in recreation... - Journal of the San Juan Islands

Carnivals First Cruise Live Blog: Day 7, Heading Home (and a COVID Test) – Cruzely.com

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

Note: We are live-blogging each day aboard Carnival Vista on the first Carnival cruise to return to sailing since March 2020. You can read previous days here:

Day 7 of our cruise is reaching its end, as is the trip itself. Today is another spectacular day of weather. Throughout this trip weve been blessed with day after day of blue skies.

Skies are partly cloudy today, the seas are calm, and we are making our way back to Galveston. The one drawback is with a southern wind as we cruise north, theres not as much breeze on the deck, so it has been plenty hot. Of course, that makes it perfect pool weather for our last day at sea.

Before hitting the pool, lets start with last night where after grabbing a quick dinner in the deli, we headed to see the evening performance in the Liquid Lounge theater. This show was Flick, a musical and dance number where the crew performs hit songs from movies, including Skyfall (James Bond), I Will Always Love You, and medleys including songs from Jurassic Park and Star Wars.

If you remember, we went to a show a few nights ago that was good, but didnt blow us away. Flick simply went above and beyond. The show is a cant-miss in our book. Throughout, there are a number of neat special effects along with the great performance from the crew.

The singing of Skyfall featured a whirlwind of fans that kept massive loose cloth suspended magically in the air. Later a dancer seemed to bend and break lasers as they flashed around the room. Truth is, its hard to explain the special effects or give them due credit, as weve never really seen anything like them. Bottom line: It was a great performance. If you get the chance, see it. It was a fantastic end to the day in Cozumel.

As the last day on the ship, this is one of those days filled with different emotions. First, youre always a little bummed the trip is ending. Second, you are excited to be heading back home. Finally, its still a day at sea so you have the ship to enjoy for just a little longer.

This morning I was up early, so I hit the gym for a quick workout. Apart from a couple of other early birds, it was empty.

Then it was off to breakfast. Even around 8:30 a.m. it was already toasty by the time we were done eating. We played a quick round of mini-golf with our son, working up a sweat without doing much. From there we made a quick trip back to the room to change, but noticed something from the balcony.

As the ship was sailing, we passed through several schools of flying fish. Sometimes it was one or two, other times it was dozens of flying fish skirting over the top of the water. We watched until the sun beating down on us got to be too much. Then it was out again for more time in the waterpark to cool off with the kid and work on our tans. Due to the great weather and so much pool time, my wife and I have been able to get some nice color, which was definitely not the case before this trip.

One thing that I did notice today is that the outdoor crew such as lifeguards and cleaning staff are no longer wearing masks. Previously, everyone on the staff was masked both indoors and outdoors.

I asked one of the lifeguards, who said that due to being in the sun and that masks were getting wet, they were allowed to go maskless. I did see one poor crew member that had a very distinct mask tan line across the bottom half of his face from previous days. Im sure hes happy about the change.

Finishing up at the pool, we dried off, headed back to the room, and planned to go eat some lunch. Then the phone rang. It was the ships staff saying that we needed to come down immediately to deck four for COVID testing for our son.

As part of the CDC protocols, unvaccinated passengers must be tested before they get off the ship at its conclusion. We were anticipating this test, but never heard a single word about when it would happen until the phone call.

Heading down, I noticed that the list of unvaccinated passengers to be tested was almost entirely finished, except for few stragglers. I asked how everyone knew to come get tested and was told we should have had a flyer on our door. We never received any notice until the phone call. Dropping everything to go get our son tested was a bit of a surprise.

No matter, the lounge where we arrived was largely empty and we went straight back to test. The crew was in full PPE gear, took a quick swab inside my sons nose, and then we had to wait about 20 minutes for the test results. With a negative test, we were then given a letter showing the result and were able to go about the rest of our day.

We elected for a lunch at BlueIguana, sitting outside near the pool where the Groove for St. Jude event was going on. The last day at sea, the music was pumping, the weather was beautiful, and it seemed like the entire ship was out here enjoying the last few hours before going back to the real world.

This afternoon we are spending our time packing things up while our son naps, and also figuring out what we want for our last meal on the ship. Cruising is hard work.

So whats the bottom line on the first Carnival cruise to return to sailing? In my eyes, that depends on if you have the shot or not.

If you are vaccinated (which most people who sail will be), then as Ive mentioned the cruise experience is largely back to normal. You can set sail, head to the pool, eat all your favorite restaurants, play in the casino, watch a show, and go ashore.

The differences you notice are small. The staff wears masks, you have to wear a mask in ports of call and terminals, and lots of the printed materials like menus and the daily planner arent around.

In other words, it was a Carnival cruise before the pause and its still a Carnival cruise despite small changes.

But if you dont have the vaccine or are sailing with someone that doesnt have the shot, then things are different.

On the ship many things are largely the same as before without the shot due to the high vaccination rate across all passengers. Masks are recommended, but not required (seems like fewer kids are wearing them as the trip goes on). You are free to go to all parts of the ship, and there are no distancing rules in place. The staff is also ready to make sure you have a great time. Hit the dining room, the pool, the theater its all there to enjoy.

Regarding life onboard, this cruise had the kids area closed for smaller children, marking the biggest difference. There are also testing requirements before boarding and before leaving. Still, the tests are quick and easy, so they werent a big deal.

Where there is a bigger change for the unvaccinated is going ashore. Right now only a handful of bubble tours are available unless headed to one of Carnivals private islands. If you dont book one of those trips, then it means you have to stay on the ship. And even if you do one of the excursions, expect the rules to be stringent on shore.

So youll need to either be prepared to spend a lot of time on the ship or spend a lot of money paying for one of the very few excursions offered.

One final note: My experience describes just this single cruise. Its almost certain that things will change one way or another in the future. If there are higher cases on land, then Id expect more restrictions on the ship.

For instance, Ive seen Royal Caribbeans sailings from the U.K. (where cases are spiking sharply despite vaccines) require tests, even from vaccinated passengers. They are also implementing other rules on the ship. Personally, I am worried that another wave of cases here in the United States could happen given whats seen elsewhere.

But if cases stay low and cruises can sail with limited positive tests, then easing of restrictions such as offering more excursion options could be in order.

For now, however, my take is the cruise experience is back if you have the shot. If not, you can still have loads of fun like we did, just know that most of it will be on the ship.

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Carnivals First Cruise Live Blog: Day 7, Heading Home (and a COVID Test) - Cruzely.com

Revisiting ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’: Marlon Brando’s fever dream – Far Out Magazine

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

Operating as the wet dream of the collective Furry community, John Frankenheimers The Island of Dr. Moreau is a cinematic fever dream, merging sticky special effects with several horrifying cat costumes to create 90 minutes of titillating science fiction. Based on one of H.G Wells more lesser-known novels, the film was created under notorious strain thanks to complications from the films cast that helped to make it one of the most troubled productions of all time.

Its difficult to really know where to start with The Island of Dr. Moreau, a film so bafflingly bizarre that it seems to replicate the sprawling imagination of a frenetic child high on e-numbers with a chocolate stained mouth.

Perhaps its best to first address Dr. Moreau himself, a maniacal scientist who has created an island of human-animal hybrids in his search for a higher being, incapable of harm. Depicted by the iconic Marlon Brando, the actor brought his own wit and idiosyncratic behaviours to the films production, both simultaneously helping it become a cult film and box office failure.

The film itself follows a man, Edward (David Thewlis), who crash lands in the sea before being picked up by a boat destined for Moreaus island, whilst his wounds are tended to by doctor Montgomery (Val Kilmer). Making their way onto the island, Montgomery turns against Edward and locks him in a room in Moreaus house, only for him to escape and learn the truth about the doctors monstrous island.

Crisis hits almost immediately as the film went into production with the initial director of the project, Richard Stanley, becoming frustrated with actors Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer who immediately proved difficult to work with. Brando had a fair excuse, with the suicide of his daughter, Cheyenne, causing him to retreat to his own private island, whilst Kilmer attributed his obnoxious behaviour to the fact that, on-set, he learned he was being sued for divorce by his wife Joanne Whalley.

To make matters worse, suddenly the Virgin Islands where the film was being shot was pounded with bad weather, causing further problems for Stanley, particularly when his lead actor Rob Morrow was unable to bear the tension and hostility on-set any longer and tearfully begged the New Line chairman to let him go.

John Frankenheimer soon came in to replace Stanley who was fired from the project, with Thewlis coming in to replace Morrow together with a complete rewrite of the script. Though even with such significant changes to the cast and crew, issues with Brando and Kilmer continued to persist. Frustrated with the constant changes to the script, Brando refused to learn his lines, so, instead, he was equipped with a small radio receiver that his assistant could use to feed him his lines.

Thewlis later reported that this would lead to even more difficulties, explaining, [Marlon would] be in the middle of a scene and suddenly hed be picking up police messages and would repeat, Theres a robbery at Woolworths'.

Spending hours in his air-conditioned trailer when he was supposed to be on camera, by the time Marlon Brando came onto the sweltering set, the cast and crew were so relieved to see the actor that they were more than willing to go along with his antics, explaining why, in one scene, Brando bizarrely wears an ice bucket on his head.

The mood on set was so hostile that Val Kilmer often engaged in furious arguments with the cast and crew, reportedly becoming so angry with Frankenheimer that the director later reported, I dont like Val Kilmer, I dont like his work ethic, and I dont want to be associated with him ever again.

Though, just like any trainwreck, theres a strange beauty to it all. Its a melting pot of bad personalities, eccentric sci-fi concepts and peculiarity that certainly elicits a strange, innocent charm. For better and for worse, there will never be a film quite like The Island of Dr. Moreau ever again.

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Revisiting 'The Island of Dr. Moreau': Marlon Brando's fever dream - Far Out Magazine

Secluded Camp with 4000 ft of Lake Frontage in NY’s Adirondacks Scheduled for Luxury Auction July 16th – Markets Insider

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

LAKE PLACID, N.Y., July 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --A 37-acre lakefront property in New York'sAdirondack region that has been searching for a buyer at a list price of $3.2 million will now be sold to the highest bidder at a live auction without reserve on Friday, July 16th. Miami-based auction firm Platinum Luxury Auctions was retained by the property owner to manage the luxury auction sale in cooperation with listing agent Jodi Gunther of Adirondack Premier Properties, an affiliate brokerage of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Affectionally named Paradise Peninsula by its owner, the property is located on Big Tupper Lake, just a short distance from the charming town of Tupper Lake in Franklin County, NY, and within a 25-30 minute drive of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.

"Building on the success of three consecutive sales for significant lakefront camps in the Adirondack region, Platinum is excited to be working on its fourth luxury auction offering on Tupper Lake with the Adirondack Premier Properties team," stated Platinum's founder and president, Trayor Lesnock. The auction house sold two lakefront camps on Upper Saranac Lake - one in 2019 and another in 2020 - in addition to a camp on Upper St. Regis Lake in 2020. Paradise Peninsula marks the firm's first offering in the Tupper Lake market area.

"Tupper is more of a 'hidden gem' right now as compared to the other, more populated lakes in the region," Lesnock noted. "Only a select few folks have discovered it thus far, and much of the lake's shores are state owned or preserved, preventing excess development and ensuring privacy into the future." To be sure, Paradise Peninsula and a small handful of luxurious, multi-structure estates form a small residential enclave on the lake known as Grindstone Bay, which is surrounded by preserved/protected lands on each side.

The peninsular shape that forms some of the property's parcel (and inspired its name) affords more than 4,000 feet of lake frontage, or nearly of a mile. The property also includes two small, "private islands" located within a short swim of the shoreline - a truly unique amenity that is perfect for diving, sunbathing, camping and more.

While there are 37 total acres that comprise the property, approx. 14 acres (including the islands) are dry land, with the remainder being submerged/wetlands. Given the expansive vistas available throughout the property and it pedestrian-friendly topography, the owner developed gently winding paths on the grounds, complete with various "lookout" clearings and welcoming firepit stations.

Living structures were built with longevity in mind and "winterized" for year-round enjoyment. The main residence offers 5 beds and 3 baths, with 3,500 sf of living area on two upper levels. There is also a large basement and garage on the lowermost level that is perfect for a workshop or for conversion into a "man cave" or entertainment lounge. Adjacent to the main residence is a 2-bed guest cabin with sublime vistas of the lake and surrounding mountains, in addition to a 3-bay garage with oversized bay doors.

More information on the upcoming sale is available online at LakefrontLuxuryAuction.com, or by contacting Platinum's project manager for the sale, Aaron Carmody, at 800.997.4235. The property is available for previews by daily appointment through July 15, the day prior to the auction sale. Buyers must register to participate in the auction and are encouraged to call in advance to schedule appointments with Mr. Carmody.

About Platinum Luxury Auctions:Platinum Luxury Auctions is responsible for developing the luxury auction model for high-priced real estate auctions and owns the trademark rights to the term "luxury auction." The firm specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties within and beyond the United States. Platinum's team has closed more than $1 billion in luxury real estate auction sales to date, while consulting on more than $2.5 billion in additional luxury property assets worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/secluded-camp-with-4-000-ft-of-lake-frontage-in-nys-adirondacks-scheduled-for-luxury-auction-july-16th-301327208.html

SOURCE Platinum Luxury Auctions LLC

EXCLUSIVE Dover warns of Brexit trade disruption as tourists hit Europe – Reuters UK

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

DOVER, England, July 9 (Reuters) - Trade disruption could return if British holidaymakers head for European summer breaks, the head of the country's biggest port said, calling on the government to urgently reconsider funding to redevelop Dover to prevent long-term damage.

Britain's passage out of the European Union was eased by a lack of tourist traffic to France during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling port staff to process the extra paperwork now required for trucks to access Europe and keep goods moving.

But the government dropped a travel quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Britons on Thursday, potentially increasing the number of vehicles that could descend on the south-west port over the summer holiday months. read more

A pre-Brexit trade rush led to 20-mile queues, but Doug Bannister, CEO of the Port of Dover, told Reuters the site had so far managed the switch to customs checks well, after Britain left the EU trade bloc at the end of 2020.

"That's because we haven't seen the demand for tourists coming from our facilities, as we would normally expect to see," he said on a bright sunny day as a ferry departed for Calais.

"There will be longer transaction times and more processing," Bannister said, if there was a rapid return of passenger cars to Dover, which was used by some 2.4 million trucks, 2 million tourist cars and 74,000 coaches in 2019.

Britain's transport minister Grant Shapps has said that new vaccination status checks could also cause queues at airports and ports, including the busy cross-Channel route.

BREAKING POINT

British industry had warned in the run-up to Brexit - which took Britain out of the EU's single market and customs union - that the supply chains could be strained to breaking point.

Even the government said that some 7,000 trucks could back up from Dover if they failed to fill out paperwork correctly.

Instead, a December rush to stockpile goods in the country meant trade dropped off in January and enabled manufacturers and logistics groups to adapt to the new demands.

Dover, just 21 miles across the Channel from the French coast, had applied to the government for 33 million pounds in funding to adapt the port for the additional checks it needs to make, an application that was rejected.

It is challenging that in court.

Now it is asking again, and for more, to build increased passport checking capacity, to reroute some traffic and make it easier for trucks with the wrong paperwork to leave a site that is sandwiched between Dover's towering white cliffs and the sea.

Dover is also unclear on what changes it would need to make, if any, before the introduction of a new EU security plan, the Entry/Exit System, that collects data on the movement of people.

"We handle 122 billion pounds ($168 billion) worth of trade every year, and that is significant," Bannister said. "Now if that starts to curtail, then that's going to be felt throughout all regions of the United Kingdom."

"If the money is not forthcoming then we've got some tricky decisions to make."

Bannister said it was only logical that the government should fund the redevelopment because increased customs checks formed part of the Brexit deal it had negotiated. He said an "alternative funding mechanism from government" was now needed.

A spokesman for the government, which has given money to the local area and built nearby customs processing centres, said it could not comment because of the legal proceedings, which it said it would "robustly" contest.

($1 = 0.7256 pounds)

Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Smith and Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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EXCLUSIVE Dover warns of Brexit trade disruption as tourists hit Europe - Reuters UK

EU says UK liable to pay 47.5 billion euros to EU in post-Brexit settlement – Reuters UK

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

British and European Union flags are seen ahead of a meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in Brussels, Belgium December 9, 2020. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

July 8 (Reuters) - The European Union said that the United Kingdom is liable to pay 47.5 billion euros ($56.2 billion) to the EU as part of its post-Brexit financial settlement.

The EU's consolidated budget report for 2020 said that the money is owed under a series of articles which both sides agreed to as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

The UK Treasury, however, insisted the Brexit divorce settlement remained within its previous central range of 40.74 billion euros to 45.40 billion euros, the Financial Times reported late on Thursday. The Treasury did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The 47.5 billion euros amount is significantly higher than expected. The UK's Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicted in its March 2018 economic and fiscal outlook report that the bill would amount to 41.4 billion euros.

An initial amount of 6.8 billion euros is due for payment in 2021, the EU's consolidated budget report added, with the remainder of the amount to be paid later.

A sum total amount of 47.5 billion euros was mentioned in the report as "net receivable from the UK".

A trade and cooperation deal between the UK and EU was struck in December after more than four years of acrimonious negotiations and lingering mistrust as Britain ended 47 years of EU membership.

On Tuesday, the European Union urged London to consider a Swiss-style veterinary agreement with Brussels on agri-foods to end a post-Brexit 'sausage war' row over certain goods moving between Britain and its province of Northern Ireland. read more

Tension has mounted over trade arrangements for Northern Ireland, particularly for chilled meats, because the province's open border with EU member Ireland is Britain's only land frontier with the EU and its vast single market.

($1 = 0.8448 euros)

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Sonya Hepinstall and Richard Pullin

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EU says UK liable to pay 47.5 billion euros to EU in post-Brexit settlement - Reuters UK

UKs Frost says EU dodging heart of problem in post-Brexit trade – POLITICO Europe

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

The EUs latest concessions on enforcing post-Brexit trade rules at Northern Ireland ports dont touch the heart of the problem as Brussels still seeks to impose an impossibly rigorous trade border there, according to U.K. Brexit point-man David Frost.

Frost told the Policy Exchange think tank Thursday hes determined to reduce current volumes of checks on goods arriving from Britain without imposing more, as the EU expects.

He left open the prospect of Britain defying the EU when a ban on shipments of British chilled meat products is due to come into force at the end of September.

The Northern Ireland protocol, agreed as part of the U.K.s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, requires Britain to enforce EU customs and sanitary controls on goods shipped to Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. It's designed to avoid imposing such controls on the 500-kilometer border with the Republic of Ireland.

Seeking to avert a potential trade war, Frosts European Commission counterpart in ongoing negotiations, Maro efovi, last week announced a three-month delay on enforcement of the chilled meat ban. He also pledged new EU legislation to ensure British medicine supplies can keep flowing without restriction to Northern Ireland hospitals and pharmacies.

Yet under terms of the trade protocol agreed by Frost, the EU still expects chilled meat shipments from Britain to stop by October 1. On the same date, it expects Britain to launch customs and sanitary checks on consumer parcels and retail products coming from Britain but staying in Northern Ireland another part of the protocol deal that Britain unilaterally postponed arguing that companies, port staff and IT systems couldnt handle the load.

We need to find a new balance in the way this works. That needs to be taken seriously as a way forward, said Frost, speaking alongside Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis. If operating the protocol on the current basis is making the situation worse, then how can pressing for even more of it be the right response?

Frost said he would present the Westminster Parliament with his negotiating plans before it rises July 22. These plans, he said, foresee a big effort by both sides to resolve their protocol arguments in talks likely to extend into the autumn.

Yet Frost ruled out the EUs central proposal to eliminate four-fifths of proposed checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain: a temporary agreement aligning the U.K. to the EUs food and veterinary standards.

Obviously, aligning with or adopting the EUs agri-food legislation is not going to be a solution, Frost said. We are sometimes accused of being ideological for not accepting that. But actually, the ideological thing is to say that the only solution to these problems is that we adopt EU law. That is simply a non-starter for this problem.

He accused the EU of not providing detailed responses to more than a dozen issues highlighted in U.K. position papers, nor engaging seriously with the U.K.s counterproposal for an equivalence agreement. This would involve the EU accepting that U.K. standards dont currently deviate from EU requirements; it wouldnt bind the U.K. to observe any upcoming EU legislation on food or animal health.

Wed like to discuss this in depth. It hasnt been possible at the moment. But an alternative solution is on the table [and] can be discussed, he said.

Frost said efovis conciliatory moves last week were welcome signs of flexibility, but theyre not really the heart of the problem. This reflected Prime Minister Boris Johnson's assessment Wednesday that they represented only "a stay of execution."

If the protocol is implemented in a way in which the GB-Northern Ireland trade boundary is like any other external boundary of the EU, then we will definitely have problems, because it isnt that and we cant operate it as if it was.

Lewis said the upcoming October 1 rules, if enacted as the EU wants, would require British supermarkets with no outlets in the Republic of Ireland (such as Asda and Sainsbury's) to face the same level of bureaucracy as those like M&S and Tesco that do ship goods there via Northern Ireland ports.

The threat of increased red tape and costs for veterinary certificates would deter many firms in England, Scotland and Wales from continuing to fulfill orders in Northern Ireland, he warned.

If you cant get a product through Amazon or from your supermarket that you used to be able to get, that as a U.K. citizen you should be able to get, that is an issue, Lewis said.

Both Cabinet ministers were asked about blistering criticisms levied against them this week by John Bruton, a former Irish prime minister and EU ambassador to Washington.

Bruton argued that conceding to British demands for lax or loophole-filled controls at the ports of Belfast and Larne would set a dangerous precedent and undermine Irelands own essential access to the EU single market.

Frost and Lewis, he predicted, would spend the three-month extension of the chilled meat ban inciting feeling against the EU and endeavoring to pressurize EU states individually, in the hope that the EU will dilute or corrode the legal foundations of the EU single market in the interest of domestic U.K. politics.

Frost and Lewis declined to respond directly to those criticisms. But Frost said the current poor state of U.K.-EU relations couldnt improve until their deadlock over the protocol was decisively broken.

The issues around the protocol are obviously central to the tensions between us, Frost said. I dont think we will ever get this relationship onto a new and constructive footing unless we can find a good solution to this problem which everybody in Northern Ireland can live with, which we can work with and which the EU can work with."

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UKs Frost says EU dodging heart of problem in post-Brexit trade - POLITICO Europe

Britain’s car industry is finding Brexit far less of a problem than expected – The Economist

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

Jul 10th 2021

FIVE YEARS ago, straight after Britains vote to leave the European Union (EU), Nissan, a Japanese carmaker, warned that the future of its factory in Sunderland was in doubt. On July 1st it announced a 1bn ($1.3bn) investment in a new battery plant that will secure the factorys future. And on July 6th Stellantis, another motor manufacturer, said it would be investing 100m to produce electric vans in Ellesmere Port. Further news is expected soon from BMW and Toyota. The trade deal that Britain struck with the EU in December 2020and eye-watering amounts of government cashhave bosses musing less about upping sticks, and more about the advantages of post-Brexit regulatory freedom.

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Before the vote, things had been going swimmingly for Britains motor industry. Production hit a two-decade high in 2016, at over 1.8m units. Measured by vehicles per employee, Britain had become one of Europes most productive carmakers by 2016, with around 160,000 employees producing almost 11 vehicles each annually, compared with an EU average of less than eight. By making it harder to transport parts across borders, Brexit put this at risk.

A modern car is the result of a complex, international production process. It typically has around 3,000 components. For cars assembled in Britain, only around 40% of those components are produced domestically. The crankshaft in a BMW Mini crosses the Channel three times before being installed in Oxford. Around four in five cars made in Britain are exported, over half of them to the EU. Nissan opened its Sunderland plant in 1986, drawn partly by the prospect of a liberalising labour market, but also by easy access to Europe. Others followed, and since the failure of MG Rover in 2005 all the volume manufacturers in Britain have been foreign-owned.

Although the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) between Britain and the EU did not give the industry all it hoped for, it came close. Trade can mostly continue without tariffs or quotas. Customs checks and fees introduce some friction, but are minor compared with the threat of 10% tariffs under World Trade Organisation rules if no deal had been struck.

Rules of origin requirements are more troublesome. These aim to stop companies importing goods from a third country, and re-exporting them as if they were domestically produced. For the purpose of tariffs, the TCA treats Britain and the EU as a single bloc, but excludes countries with which both have a trade deal, such as Japan. By 2027 the percentage of components by value originating from outside Britain or the EU must be cut to 45% for most cars, if tariffs are to be avoided. Manufacturers that sell in the EU and have supply chains that extend into Asia thus have a choice: shift from Britain, or double down on it. They are making different calls. Nissan is investing in Britain; Honda is closing its Swindon factory next year.

All this coincides with industry-wide reinvention, as carmakers shift to electric vehicles. Batteries, like the engines of petrol-fuelled cars, are expensive. If you are not sourcing the batteries domestically, I dont see how you can stay compliant, says a production manager. Britain currently lacks a so-called gigafactorya word coined by Elon Musk of Teslato mass-produce them.

Nissans planned new plant, a joint venture with Envision AESC, a Chinese firm, will be able to produce 9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually by the mid-2020s, enough to power 100,000 cars. Capacity could reach 25 GWh by 2030. Britishvolt, an independent consortium of battery manufacturers, plans capacity of 30 GWh by the end of the decade. But both together would not reach the 60 GWh that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, a trade body, reckons will be needed by 2030 if as many cars are to be made then as now.

In the upheaval, Britains government spies an opportunity to influence carmakers thinking about where to invest. The super deduction, an especially generous time-limited tax break announced in the budget in March, will let firms reduce their tax bills by up to 25p for every pound of capital investment this financial year and next. Billed as a pandemic-recovery measure, it is better seen as a huge subsidy to cover the costs of supply chains adapting to Brexit, says an accountant. Cash is also being splashed. Nissan and its partners will receive around 100m of direct subsidy for the new gigafactory, on top of 80m from Sunderland city council to build an energy grid connecting it to wind farms and solar parks. Such measures would have been possible while Britain was in the EUbut might not have been needed.

Rather more pleasingly for those who hoped Brexit would mean less red tape, rather than more handouts, climate-change targets and new technologies are providing a pretext. Carmakers think the British government will be nimbler and more forward-looking when it comes to regulating electric and autonomous vehicles. European regulators, who must hold the ring between 27 countries, always move slowly. Moreover, they are bound to be heavily lobbied by the big German carmakers, for whom the industrys reinvention is a serious threat. Industry bosses point to the fact that, whereas Britain has already pledged to ban the sale of new diesel- and petrol-powered cars by 2030, the EU is still only debating banning them from 2035. Big car firms are pressing it to move slower still.

Overall, Brexit is still likely to be negative for Britains economy, reducing potential growth. But subsidies, tax breaks and fewer barriers to innovation mean that for carmakers, life outside the bloc will be cosier than they once feared.

For more coverage of matters relating to Brexit, visit our Brexit hub

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Pedal to the metal"

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Britain's car industry is finding Brexit far less of a problem than expected - The Economist

‘Divorce is always negative’: Michel Barnier gives an overview of Brexit – Euronews

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Danzig

As the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, managed what some considered the impossible. He and his team came to an agreement with the UK for its departure from the union. They did so in 1600 days during which time twists and turns in the Brexit tale were frequent.

The former French Minister and former European Commissioner has now written a book that describes his time as the EU's chief Brexit negotiator. It's entitled "My Secret Brexit Diary: A Glorious Illusion" and will be available in English from October.

In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Barnier tells us about his book, Brexit, his thoughts on Europe and his plans for the future.

To watch the full interview of Michel Barnier, click on the media player above.

You have written a diary that tells the story of when you battled with your British counterparts to try to find a Brexit agreement. Now it's been around six months since negotiations ended, what word would you use to describe all these years? Disappointment, relief, concern, disgust?"