Arrochar sits at the head of Loch Long dear boy, but as the Vikings managed to drag their longboats over to Loch Lomond you're not too far way. It's also one of the wettest places in Scotland.....and that's saying something! Hope you got a bit of dry weather to get out and about. The views from The Rest and be Thankful road are spectacular.

You'll also find Humberside Airport in Lincolnshire and Radio Humberside headquaters also in Hull, doesn't alter the fact that Humberside as a region doesn't exist. And I wish we could still smell fish here, it would mean the fishing industry was booming but unfortunately the smell of fish wafting though car windows in Hull hasn't happened since the early 1980's, sorry to disappoint.

Don't bother Steph, he's a troll and a pretty low grade one at that. If he saw DAZ on the side of a bus, he'd probably expect them to take his washing in

Shamelessly nicked from TB

Less than 3 miles from Loch Lomond. And the R&BT is a pain at the best of times.

When you add more people you add to the supply as well as the demand. With the NHS for instance if you removed all migrants then I guess there would be more pressure as we would lose a lot more of supply than demand.

Comparing migrants to native British in terms of fiscal contribution (ie what they pay in tax minus what they consume in terms of public services, pensions, benefits etc) shows that migrants pay more in than they consume whereas natives don't pay enough in to cover what they consume. As most of the population is natives this is why we have a budget deficit. The deficit is less than it otherwise would be because the migrants are contributing a net positive, they are subsidising the rest.

EU migrants especially are positive net contributors because of their age profile, they are usually young but working age so they don't consume education services, they are of an age where they don't consume much healthcare, they have a higher probability than natives of being able to find a job (because mostly that is why they have come here) and usually everyone that works makes a positive contribution anyway because what they pay in tax offsets what they consume.

The anti-immigrant tabloid press tries to work the argument that immigrants are workshy and coming over here to claim benefits but this is only a small proportion, which is why their argument relies on anecdotal evidence (eg meet Asif, the Muslim asylum seeker with 6 kids who claims £30k in benefits and preaches radical Islam because he hates Britain). When proper academic studies are done in to the composition and economic effects of migrants to the UK they always show that migrants make a net contribution and are not displacing Brits for jobs etc.....of course the Daily Mail likes to rubbish these as "left wing academic studies" just like they like to say climate change reports are from "left wing environmentalist academics".

Having free movement of labour in the EU in general is fine by me, I think its reasonable to put on some measures to stop freeloading eg restricting access to benefits or introducing user charges for some public services/requiring insurance.

Chucked it down most of the time, but was still a nice break. Got some nice shots from The Rest and be Thankful. I appreciate that Arrochar is at the head of Loch Long, but our trip was called 'Loch Lomond and Beautiful Scotland', I can only assume they thought Lomond was better known than Long, but as you say it's a short walk from Lomond.

It's well worth watching tonight's C4 News report on British retirees in Thailand. Some now reduced to living on the streets. Pattaya's small (24 bed) public hospital has bills of £100s thousands, unpaid by non-covered Brits

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5239054.stmArticle from 2006.[/url

Personally, I'd welcome a proper debate on immigration and migration: unfortunately, it's difficult as some on one side scream about the worst possible stereotypes and some on the other refuse to discuss and dismiss any concerns simply as racist.

In general, though, I imagine there'd be howls of outrage if opportunities for migration outwards from the UK were stopped, and one rather suspects that, were – say – France to stop the immigration of Brits, some of the loudest howls would be from those that are most shrill on immigration to the UK.

Add to these very important points the fact that those EU migrants who work here are usually, by virtue of their age, marital status, and their absolute need to follow the work, most able and most keen to be very flexible in terms of moving around a county or even a country in order to find that work.

Take a 25 year old British worker and transport him/her to Magaluf for the summer and they'll go anywhere to find bar work to support themselves but bring that 25 year old back to the UK and the chances are that he/she will return to their home town and not be prepared to move 50 miles away to live and work because thats where the jobs are - simply because they want to be near their family and friends.

Thats human nature and not a reflection on national character but the truth is that the EU migrant labour and its flexibility now suits the employment profile that many employers are demanding.

I should think though the substantial majority wouldn't ultimately object that much if at all to people migrating here who did not hate the country, and who were here to work, or self-sufficient, or monied retirees. Indeed, we actively seek to encourage migramts with money and/or skills. As do many other countries. Notably Malta, where a fee of something like £50K will actually buy you a Maltese (and thus effectively an EU) passport.

If Brits in France were noted for running organised gangs of beggars, slaves and pickpockets they might not be as welcome. OTOH no doubt loaded ex-criminal ex-pats are very welcome in the Costas by reason of their affluence, even if the occasional one may get his collar felt and extradited once a flood.

Was there any objection to Jose Mourinho, or any of the legion of Premiership millionaires from any country you might name, migrating here for work?

Still not seen any Bulgarians or Romanians............must be scare tactics ( lol ).