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Messages - general_lee

#1
General discussion / Re: extortion
Today at 11:16:46 AM
Quote from: Franko on Today at 10:26:05 AM
Quote from: general_lee on March 27, 2024, 10:26:12 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on March 27, 2024, 01:53:24 PM
Quote from: general_lee on March 27, 2024, 12:11:01 PMSo why is a pint in Belfast £6+?
Is it solely because of some imaginary cabal price gouging (see Beannchor) or is there actually more to it?

Belfast city centre pubs pay 20% VAT, in Dublin it's 13.5% (was 9%). UKGov refuses to reduce VAT for hospitality & tourism.

There is no rates relief in Belfast city centre (or NI) for hospitality businesses that is available elsewhere in the UK. So when the council raise their non-domestic rates, pubs and restaurants here get slaughtered.

Despite handsome profits last year, Diageo have announced their latest price increase - this is the one that makes the news but other breweries and suppliers have also put their prices up in the past 12 months.

Many Belfast city centre pubs employ people on minimum wage. When that goes up next month, they will be paying their bar staff more. They then have to pay supervisors, managers etc more as well. If they hire external contractors such as a cleaning company, that bill will also increase.

Wetherspoons, despite being a messy, under-staffed, McDonald's that serves alcohol and cheap, nasty food, has still increased prices twice in the last 6 months. The industry is fucked.
I was in Belfast over the weekend and plenty of hoardings up around construction sites for new "coming soon" bars, restaurants etc. You'd think Belfast is a saturated market but business owners must think there is profit to be made from the tourist sector in particular.
They'll be heavily backed by whatever group they're owned by so not as much risk attached, compare that
Quote from: Franko on March 27, 2024, 04:14:14 PM
Quote from: general_lee on March 27, 2024, 12:11:01 PMSo why is a pint in Belfast £6+?
Is it solely because of some imaginary cabal price gouging (see Beannchor) or is there actually more to it?

Belfast city centre pubs pay 20% VAT, in Dublin it's 13.5% (was 9%). UKGov refuses to reduce VAT for hospitality & tourism.

There is no rates relief in Belfast city centre (or NI) for hospitality businesses that is available elsewhere in the UK. So when the council raise their non-domestic rates, pubs and restaurants here get slaughtered.

Despite handsome profits last year, Diageo have announced their latest price increase - this is the one that makes the news but other breweries and suppliers have also put their prices up in the past 12 months.

Many Belfast city centre pubs employ people on minimum wage. When that goes up next month, they will be paying their bar staff more. They then have to pay supervisors, managers etc more as well. If they hire external contractors such as a cleaning company, that bill will also increase.

Wetherspoons, despite being a messy, under-staffed, McDonald's that serves alcohol and cheap, nasty food, has still increased prices twice in the last 6 months. The industry is fucked.

Bollocks

As someone pointed out, Beannchor Group posted a 5m (net... I repeat net) profit after tax on a 28m turnover in 2022.

They are printing money

And wanting an already underfunded BCC to put the cherry on top
Beannchor are the cabal. They can set prices to whatever they want in their establishments and people will pay it. A few others often follow suit but that's a lot different to saying the Downeys, Conlons etc are all in on it.

The size of the Beannchor group is largely irrelevant

If they "can set prices to whatever they want in their establishments and people will pay it" then why can't others?

It's not as if the people of Belfast flock to Bill Wolsey's pubs out of love for the man
That's like saying if Diaego announce a price increase, why don't Heineken? Or Tennents?

The size of the group is very much relevant, more so when they have 3 or 4 outlets slap bang in the Cathedral Quarter - two of which happen to be arguably the most popular bars in Belfast. If all 4 start charging a premium for a pint and one outlet struggles (unlikely), it's no major problem as it can be easily offset by the other 3 that are probably raking it in.

The Downeys might hypothetically see the Dirty Onion next door up their prices and think they want a slice of the action, and both bars will probably get away with it. That's not the same as them all sitting around with Colin Neill at the head of the table deciding how much the next price increase will be, as some people seem to suggest.
#2
General discussion / Re: extortion
March 27, 2024, 10:26:12 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on March 27, 2024, 01:53:24 PM
Quote from: general_lee on March 27, 2024, 12:11:01 PMSo why is a pint in Belfast £6+?
Is it solely because of some imaginary cabal price gouging (see Beannchor) or is there actually more to it?

Belfast city centre pubs pay 20% VAT, in Dublin it's 13.5% (was 9%). UKGov refuses to reduce VAT for hospitality & tourism.

There is no rates relief in Belfast city centre (or NI) for hospitality businesses that is available elsewhere in the UK. So when the council raise their non-domestic rates, pubs and restaurants here get slaughtered.

Despite handsome profits last year, Diageo have announced their latest price increase - this is the one that makes the news but other breweries and suppliers have also put their prices up in the past 12 months.

Many Belfast city centre pubs employ people on minimum wage. When that goes up next month, they will be paying their bar staff more. They then have to pay supervisors, managers etc more as well. If they hire external contractors such as a cleaning company, that bill will also increase.

Wetherspoons, despite being a messy, under-staffed, McDonald's that serves alcohol and cheap, nasty food, has still increased prices twice in the last 6 months. The industry is fucked.
I was in Belfast over the weekend and plenty of hoardings up around construction sites for new "coming soon" bars, restaurants etc. You'd think Belfast is a saturated market but business owners must think there is profit to be made from the tourist sector in particular.
They'll be heavily backed by whatever group they're owned by so not as much risk attached, compare that
Quote from: Franko on March 27, 2024, 04:14:14 PM
Quote from: general_lee on March 27, 2024, 12:11:01 PMSo why is a pint in Belfast £6+?
Is it solely because of some imaginary cabal price gouging (see Beannchor) or is there actually more to it?

Belfast city centre pubs pay 20% VAT, in Dublin it's 13.5% (was 9%). UKGov refuses to reduce VAT for hospitality & tourism.

There is no rates relief in Belfast city centre (or NI) for hospitality businesses that is available elsewhere in the UK. So when the council raise their non-domestic rates, pubs and restaurants here get slaughtered.

Despite handsome profits last year, Diageo have announced their latest price increase - this is the one that makes the news but other breweries and suppliers have also put their prices up in the past 12 months.

Many Belfast city centre pubs employ people on minimum wage. When that goes up next month, they will be paying their bar staff more. They then have to pay supervisors, managers etc more as well. If they hire external contractors such as a cleaning company, that bill will also increase.

Wetherspoons, despite being a messy, under-staffed, McDonald's that serves alcohol and cheap, nasty food, has still increased prices twice in the last 6 months. The industry is fucked.

Bollocks

As someone pointed out, Beannchor Group posted a 5m (net... I repeat net) profit after tax on a 28m turnover in 2022.

They are printing money

And wanting an already underfunded BCC to put the cherry on top
Beannchor are the cabal. They can set prices to whatever they want in their establishments and people will pay it. A few others often follow suit but that's a lot different to saying the Downeys, Conlons etc are all in on it.
#3
General discussion / Re: extortion
March 27, 2024, 12:11:01 PM
So why is a pint in Belfast £6+?
Is it solely because of some imaginary cabal price gouging (see Beannchor) or is there actually more to it?

Belfast city centre pubs pay 20% VAT, in Dublin it's 13.5% (was 9%). UKGov refuses to reduce VAT for hospitality & tourism.

There is no rates relief in Belfast city centre (or NI) for hospitality businesses that is available elsewhere in the UK. So when the council raise their non-domestic rates, pubs and restaurants here get slaughtered.

Despite handsome profits last year, Diageo have announced their latest price increase - this is the one that makes the news but other breweries and suppliers have also put their prices up in the past 12 months.

Many Belfast city centre pubs employ people on minimum wage. When that goes up next month, they will be paying their bar staff more. They then have to pay supervisors, managers etc more as well. If they hire external contractors such as a cleaning company, that bill will also increase.

Wetherspoons, despite being a messy, under-staffed, McDonald's that serves alcohol and cheap, nasty food, has still increased prices twice in the last 6 months. The industry is fucked.
#4
General discussion / Re: extortion
March 26, 2024, 01:53:15 PM
Guinness sales are through the roof.
All sorts of hipsters, young 20 somethings, young girls etc are drinking it nowadays. All sorts of social media accounts are set up rating pints of Guinness, instagram, TikTok, Twitter etc - basically doing the marketing for them. Diageo are just sticking the hand in while they can.
#5
General discussion / Re: Petrolhead culture
March 25, 2024, 11:24:00 AM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on March 25, 2024, 10:49:54 AM
Quote from: general_lee on March 25, 2024, 10:22:21 AM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on March 25, 2024, 10:19:35 AM
Quote from: general_lee on March 25, 2024, 10:17:50 AMTeaching learners how to drive on the motorway would be a start. Absolutely ridiculous 1. That they aren't and 2.
They're restricted to 45mph on a road where most users bomb on at 80+

There are less deaths on a motorway than country roads I'd imagine. It's country roads which are killing people
Motorways are the safest roads to travel on but where else are they going to learn how a vehicle handles at 70mph?

Country roads are 60 for large parts, dropping to 50, 40 and 30 coming into towns. No need to learn to be at 70mph, I'm not sure there is evidence that learning to drive at 70mph on the safest roads (motorways) will help youngsters on country roads with blind spots, dips and exits/entry roads
I think there is every need for a new, inexperienced driver to learn what it's like to have control of a machine at 70mph in a supervised environment, surely that's infinitely better than just letting them f**k around and find out once they've passed.
#6
General discussion / Re: Petrolhead culture
March 25, 2024, 10:22:21 AM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on March 25, 2024, 10:19:35 AM
Quote from: general_lee on March 25, 2024, 10:17:50 AMTeaching learners how to drive on the motorway would be a start. Absolutely ridiculous 1. That they aren't and 2.
They're restricted to 45mph on a road where most users bomb on at 80+

There are less deaths on a motorway than country roads I'd imagine. It's country roads which are killing people
Motorways are the safest roads to travel on but where else are they going to learn how a vehicle handles at 70mph?
#7
General discussion / Re: Petrolhead culture
March 25, 2024, 10:17:50 AM
Teaching learners how to drive on the motorway would be a start. Absolutely ridiculous 1. That they aren't and 2.
They're restricted to 45mph on a road where most users bomb on at 80+
#8
GAA Discussion / Re: RG at arms length
March 23, 2024, 02:09:41 PM
Quote from: tbrick18 on March 23, 2024, 01:39:34 PM
Quote from: general_lee on March 23, 2024, 11:26:07 AM
Quote from: nrico2006 on March 23, 2024, 09:53:54 AMWere DJ Carey, Gerard Cavlan or Darren Gleeson ever banned?
Speaking of completely irrelevant tangents; and this is purely hypothetical here... but if allegations were to emerge of a former county player/county manager committing child abuse, what happens then?

If the alleged victim was to go public on social media with a lengthy post detailing allegations dating back 27 years, do we take it at face value or do we dismiss it as one person's word against another's?

Like any alleged crime, we let due process through the legal system take its course and stay out of it until an outcome is reached. All you have is one perspective on whatever did or did not happen and no actual facts backed up by evidence.

Like I said earlier though, it is crime dependant. If a coach is accused of something like that, I believe as part of the gaa's safeguarding policy that person should be stood down until any legal proceedings have come to an end to remove any potential risk. But if there are no legal proceedings, then there are no grounds to do anything as its just heresy imo. And if someone is tried and found not guilty, again that should be the end of it.

I could go online now and write a whole set of accusations against a coach. Doesn't mean it's true. But it seems these days that's all it takes to have someone found guilty.

All this public outrage to online claims is bound to affect legal cases adversely if the allegations are true as well. A jury, for example, could have their decision made by an online frenzy before a trial even starts. Its not fair on victims or on those wrongly accused.


My point is, there's no use comparing ex-county player X with ex-county player Y when they're alleged to have committed two completely different offences. Stealing from an employer to feed a gambling addiction for example doesn't carry the same stigma as allegations of domestic abuse.

Each crime or alleged crime needs to be viewed on an individual basis. I also don't necessarily need a judge and jury to come to a verdict for me to have my mind made up on certain cases.
#9
GAA Discussion / Re: RG at arms length
March 23, 2024, 11:26:07 AM
Quote from: nrico2006 on March 23, 2024, 09:53:54 AMWere DJ Carey, Gerard Cavlan or Darren Gleeson ever banned?
Speaking of completely irrelevant tangents; and this is purely hypothetical here... but if allegations were to emerge of a former county player/county manager committing child abuse, what happens then?

If the alleged victim was to go public on social media with a lengthy post detailing allegations dating back 27 years, do we take it at face value or do we dismiss it as one person's word against another's?
#10
General discussion / Re: extortion
March 22, 2024, 10:36:59 AM
It's a pisstake - car insurance is a scam at this stage - my premium almost trebled for no reason.

BT saying they're putting the price up next month.

Grocery shopping another one - everything is up (but in smaller packaging) and is it just me or are the use by dates getting shorter? Tesco is a rip off nowadays.

#11
Quote from: AustinPowers on March 05, 2024, 10:40:05 AM
Quote from: trailer on March 05, 2024, 09:29:22 AMSo Gordon Lyons met with Stuart Andrew UK sports minister and never even discussed Casement. This is what we are dealing with. They'd rather no Euros and No Casement than see "the other side" benefit. The cost is an absolute red herring.



Ever since  Casement was back on the cards  again,  unionists have rabbited on  about the   funding for the local soccer game.

why is that only an issue for them now ? (Or was I not paying attention  previously?)
Think they may have been promised funding for local stadia which is besides the point as they gave zero fucks when Linfield FC's ground was pumped full of public money.
#12
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division Four 2024
March 05, 2024, 09:00:44 AM
Quote from: Horse Box on March 04, 2024, 02:15:34 PM
Quote from: Armagh18 on March 03, 2024, 09:22:30 PMMadness. Always liked Tipp I think from they beat Galway that time in 2016 and they caught us in Armagh in the league game as well that either cost us promotion or relegated us one year which was sickening. Is Quinlivan still playing? Great player.

That was some day out , Quilivan Hat Trick , the winning goal with 6 seconds to go . Quinlivan living in Dundalk now , probably continue to Play with Commercials . If Mickey Harte was still Louth Manager would he be tempted ?
Was a rumour doing the rounds last year that he was transferring to Silverbridge.
#13
General discussion / Re: The DUP thread
February 05, 2024, 01:42:54 PM
Apparently Colum Eastwood wasn't there either. Not a good from the SDLP.
#14
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on February 01, 2024, 03:50:28 PM
Quote from: AustinPowers on February 01, 2024, 02:28:35 PMComes into effect  today, 1 February.


Anyone  used this yet?

Is it easy  to use?  Any issues with it ?

They pay it into your card, so you might not like it
Says cash in the video.
I like it but I imagine it'll be a whole song and dance for some people.
#15
General discussion / Re: Diesel, petrol, oil price watch
February 01, 2024, 04:30:45 PM
Guilty your honour. I was passing by one of these petrol stations last year, needed to fill up and shamelessly queued up and saved myself a few pound. £10 better in my pocket than theirs