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Scilly Helicopter prices 2007 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Rob Laughton
- Start date
Give in on that one.
DunnoKev
Guest
Rightho, before we get going, I'll say I have blood relations with US passports, and as a whole I like Yankies more than Yorkies, but as you asked here goes..
At least the Scillonians mug you and diss you with a smile..
It must be the case you need a degree in sadism to work in US customs and passport control nowadays - the inability of these people to even use words like please and thankyou is just the start. But when late last year, as a transit sheep being made to queue up and go through your finger dip at Abu Ghraib International I heard one of the 'I luv this uniform it so covers all my inadequecies' types saying he was happy to keep all the passengers on a Virgin flight stay on board their plane for a second sweltering hour at least and he didn't care 'cos most of 'em were Brits anyway.. special relationship eh?? My rs! They're happy to torture everyone. Someone has to explain to 'em humanity doesn't end at their border.
........
Two Yanks, a Canuck and a Brit are birding at Point Pelee when a Blue Grosbeak flies over, calling. The Brit calls it, and the two Yanks are amazed as the Canuck agrees, but then the bird lands and the i.d. is confirmed..
"Gollee" says one of the Yanks "Are all you Brits this good?"
"No sir" comes the reply "they just send us bad ones over to practice.."
DunnoKev
UN Ambassador for Mordor
-------
"..listen to the voice of the soldier, down in the killing zone
Talking about the cost of living and the price of bringing him home.." B Bragg
At least the Scillonians mug you and diss you with a smile..
It must be the case you need a degree in sadism to work in US customs and passport control nowadays - the inability of these people to even use words like please and thankyou is just the start. But when late last year, as a transit sheep being made to queue up and go through your finger dip at Abu Ghraib International I heard one of the 'I luv this uniform it so covers all my inadequecies' types saying he was happy to keep all the passengers on a Virgin flight stay on board their plane for a second sweltering hour at least and he didn't care 'cos most of 'em were Brits anyway.. special relationship eh?? My rs! They're happy to torture everyone. Someone has to explain to 'em humanity doesn't end at their border.
........
Two Yanks, a Canuck and a Brit are birding at Point Pelee when a Blue Grosbeak flies over, calling. The Brit calls it, and the two Yanks are amazed as the Canuck agrees, but then the bird lands and the i.d. is confirmed..
"Gollee" says one of the Yanks "Are all you Brits this good?"
"No sir" comes the reply "they just send us bad ones over to practice.."
DunnoKev
UN Ambassador for Mordor
-------
"..listen to the voice of the soldier, down in the killing zone
Talking about the cost of living and the price of bringing him home.." B Bragg
Conorbirda2
Well-known member
Who are these Yorkies that you keep refering to?
Alan G
Well-known member
I assume you've met us all Steve........hats off, thats some feat???
DunnoKev
Guest
Oh this'll get me into even more trouble but basically its anyone who can understand the following gibberish..
Wheear 'as ta bin sin ah saw thee, On Ilkla Moor baht 'at?!
Tha's been a cooartin' Mary Jane On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Tha's bahn t'catch thi deeath o'cowd On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Then we shall ha' to bury thee On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Then t'worms 'll cum and eat thee oop On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Then ducks 'll cum and eat oop t'worms On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Then we shall go an' ate oop ducks On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Then we shall all 'ave etten thee On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
That's wheer we get us oahn back On Ilkla Moor baht 'at
Actually most of the ones who irritate me are those who've moved south for the better life and then just go on and on and on abhat hoow greet Yarkshire is, how Roogby leeege is best and sing the only line they know of that bloomin' song over and over and over again.. On Ilkla bl**dy Moor baht bl**dy 'at..
They've always been a rare breed on Scilly, what with having to pay for inte-island crossings in the first place, and are more usually found back in their own county eating vagrant Nearctic ducks raw..
DunnoKev
Citizen of the World and friend to all..
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
Ah Scilly in the good old days . . . ticking the cat that ate the Grey-cheeked Thrush, my best mate dipping on Rose-breasted Grosser by going for breakfast, my other mate getting the worst ever case of Scilly fever and turning a Wheatear's head into a "certain" Cream-coloured Courser, having my scope requisitioned by Franco for better views of the Two-barred Greenish Warbler, and feeling good about reporting a Grey Heron and a Greenshank from Bar Point somewhere in the fug of Mike Rogers' do it yourself smokescreen & log. I also learned the hard way that cheap bins and camping on the Garrison in the rain are a shocking combination - it took me 20 years and a ferry ride in Japan to finally catch up with Pom Skua!
OK, back to the thread - on 25th October 1986 The Scillonian got all the way to St Mary's in very rough seas, but was unable to dock and had to return to Penzance. I also got my first Bonxie and had my one and only experience of DIY chumming. Added to all this the company that owned the Scillonian paid to chopper over all the passengers that day! You don't get value for money like that any more! Anyone else on that one?
PS I will laugh for a long time to come every time I think about the UN (Goodwill?) Ambassador for Mordor.
PPS Big Phil . . . sincerely hope you're not putting the Mujaha back into "the 'Deen".
Then again - if you do fancy a first hand experience of DunnoKev's warm and welcoming friends across the Pond, then admitting it (preferably by shonky digicam recording on Al-Jazeerah's website) would be a good way to get a free flight to Gitmo (with very attentive in-flight service) - you may even get a few Cuban endemics through the wire. It would even be cheaper than the chopper!
Cheers
Mike
OK, back to the thread - on 25th October 1986 The Scillonian got all the way to St Mary's in very rough seas, but was unable to dock and had to return to Penzance. I also got my first Bonxie and had my one and only experience of DIY chumming. Added to all this the company that owned the Scillonian paid to chopper over all the passengers that day! You don't get value for money like that any more! Anyone else on that one?
PS I will laugh for a long time to come every time I think about the UN (Goodwill?) Ambassador for Mordor.
PPS Big Phil . . . sincerely hope you're not putting the Mujaha back into "the 'Deen".
Then again - if you do fancy a first hand experience of DunnoKev's warm and welcoming friends across the Pond, then admitting it (preferably by shonky digicam recording on Al-Jazeerah's website) would be a good way to get a free flight to Gitmo (with very attentive in-flight service) - you may even get a few Cuban endemics through the wire. It would even be cheaper than the chopper!
Cheers
Mike
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Mike E
Well at least I saw another Pitta- All 33 now UTB!
On my first vist to Scilly in 1975 (I twitched the Sapsucker for the day) it was £5 day return on the boat. The following year it was £17.60ord return on the chopper at student rate! How times have changed.
It maybe of interest that the Scottish Parliament are consdiering some heavy reductions in the costs of transport to the Isles and as of next year a pilot scheme is developed for the Hebrides and hopefully if successsful will be introduuced to all the Scottish Isles. Maybe the scilly seaon will never be as it was??
It maybe of interest that the Scottish Parliament are consdiering some heavy reductions in the costs of transport to the Isles and as of next year a pilot scheme is developed for the Hebrides and hopefully if successsful will be introduuced to all the Scottish Isles. Maybe the scilly seaon will never be as it was??
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Re the 86 stormy weather, I was on the islands when the boat didn't arrive, and not only had everyone been turfed out of their B&Bs and not allowed back in when it was clear nobody was going to get off that day, but originally there was no provision for travel the following day. The steamship company staff locked the office door and would only talk through the letterbox and the High Street was full of angry birders and close to riot, breakages, fires rape and pillage. I exaggerate not.
It was through the good offices of cool heads among whom Will W was counted that the town hall was opened to those lacking accommodation: I am not sure who influenced the decision to fly everyone the next day.
At the time I don't think anyone was impressed with the attitude of the business community on the islands. Now it is much better and problems are routinely squared away to everyone's advantage. Unfortunately no-one can afford to go in the first place!
John
It was through the good offices of cool heads among whom Will W was counted that the town hall was opened to those lacking accommodation: I am not sure who influenced the decision to fly everyone the next day.
At the time I don't think anyone was impressed with the attitude of the business community on the islands. Now it is much better and problems are routinely squared away to everyone's advantage. Unfortunately no-one can afford to go in the first place!
John
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
Ouch!
Sad to hear of such difficult situations - can't blame anyone for the weather, but a shame that that the same consideration that I received was not given to those trying to get off the islands.
However, it does give you sense of having earned your ticks the hard way, which seems to be less the case these days.
Sad to hear of such difficult situations - can't blame anyone for the weather, but a shame that that the same consideration that I received was not given to those trying to get off the islands.
However, it does give you sense of having earned your ticks the hard way, which seems to be less the case these days.
Which "market" ?
Which "individuals"?
Scilly visitor numbers are 125,000 pa ( 2005)-up 25% in 10 years.
85% of their economy derives from tourism-which generates 37% of their employment.
They have 90% to 95% occupancy rates.
Maybe they actually understand their customer base -and a few hundred birders in October on budget spending is , I suggest , not a significant part of it.
I was there in May, after a gap of some years & was shocked by all the prices-mostly the Off-Island boats. But they were all full-they were all newer-they were all bigger.
There were very few young families with children & I think that says it all-they are in a different market.
I sat and watched a cruise liner in Crow Sound disembarking boat load after boat load of passengers on trips to the shops in Hugh Town. They get 25 of these little beauties every year.
I don't think birders feature in their plan at all....and every one of those 125,000 people has to fly or sail to Scilly.For those folk my guess is that a few quid over the top on the trip over is neither here nor there-or they wouldn't keep going in such numbers.
Colin
Lichfield Birder
...should've been here 5 minutes ago, mate....
I think I was on that boat trip. If it is the same one then by lunchtime we had not even got much past Lands End. Each time the boat hit a wave there was an almighty BANG as if it had hit a rock, and with waves crashing over the bridge, it was a truly frightening time for a lot of people. With a lot of screaming, crying and human chumming over the side. Did not attact anything that I remember!!
The boat turned around no where near Scilly and returned to Penzance mid afternoon where as you say Mike, we were all choppered over to the islands. I presume this was the same instance??
They were good days in the 80s, I'm just a little sad my memory is not as good as it could be to relive it all!! Northern Oriole, Red Eyed Vireo, Penduline Tit, Rosefinch, Raddes, Arctic & Pallas's Warbler, Eye Browed, Gray Cheeked and Swainsons Thrush, Buff Bellied and Olive Backed Pipit, Short Toed Lark, Upland Sandpiper, not too mention loads of scarce migrants (Icky etc) that were new to me too. All in 4 years (86 to 89).
Alan
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
Alan's boat trip sounds more like the one I was on than Mike's. We turned back about half way, after it had taken as long as it should have done to do the whole journey. That was the point at which I started chumming as it seemed it was all for nothing. I can remember being in the bar when all the glasses slid off the shelves with a massive crash. Again we were choppered over, and this was a surprise when we arrived back in Penzance. I maybe wrong but I think it was '85. Maybe this happened a few times in the mid 80's ?
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Lichfield Birder
...should've been here 5 minutes ago, mate....
Larry, yes sounds more like same trip but def not 85 as I was not listing until 86. Could have been 87 with all the stormy weather that year. It would have been the first Saturday of the October I presume due to school half term. Can't find any mention of it in my notes though I have a paucity of info for 87. Just looking at 1988 in my notes and had Buff Bellied Pipit, Icky, Red Backed Shrike, Rosefinch, Northern Oriole (2nd time that Autumn) and Arctic Warbler all on same day (12th Oct). Wow!! They don't make em like they used to!!
Presumably they do not make too much of a habit of cocking up the crossings otherwise it would cost them a fortune?? But then again thats maybe why the prices are so high??:king:
Farnboro John
Well-known member
86 seemed a rubbish year at the time (i.e. just after 85), nothing but Grey-cheeked Thrushes - well, of course there was the one at Abbey farm Tresco that was obviously (with hindsight) a Bicknell's, even if the committees can't see it.... oh yes, a pink stink as well.
Now in 85 there were people arriving midd-October and nailing 13 BB rarities in an afternoon, racing round in shorts and running shoes... never seen anything like it before or since! Both Yank cuckoos, Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Night Heron, Booted Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo (several of those), over to Tresco for Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Spotted Sandpiper with spots, OBP, Bee-eater (think that was still a BB then) and a massive supporting cast of Ickies, Spotted Crake, Rb Shrikes, Yellow-brows etc. Absolutely frightening trying to keep up with stuff as it was arriving!
Later it died down but then we got Pallas's Warbler, Dusky, Radde's.... it was like rarity shopping at Tescos. Those were the days. (Oh yes, and a claim of Bonelli's on St Marins that turned out to be a Chiffchaff - why is everything big claimed on Martins rubbish?)
John
Now in 85 there were people arriving midd-October and nailing 13 BB rarities in an afternoon, racing round in shorts and running shoes... never seen anything like it before or since! Both Yank cuckoos, Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Night Heron, Booted Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo (several of those), over to Tresco for Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Spotted Sandpiper with spots, OBP, Bee-eater (think that was still a BB then) and a massive supporting cast of Ickies, Spotted Crake, Rb Shrikes, Yellow-brows etc. Absolutely frightening trying to keep up with stuff as it was arriving!
Later it died down but then we got Pallas's Warbler, Dusky, Radde's.... it was like rarity shopping at Tescos. Those were the days. (Oh yes, and a claim of Bonelli's on St Marins that turned out to be a Chiffchaff - why is everything big claimed on Martins rubbish?)
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Conorbirda2
Well-known member
Oh. As I thought. Thanks for clearing that up. Spoken like a true southern shandy drinking p****r!! From a South Yorkshireman currently enjoying a 'better' life in West Cornwall and looking forward to lots of inter island boat trips again this october. And as for the song...........knees arp mavva braan, My owd maan said folla tha vaan!!!!! LOL
DunnoKev
Guest
:-O Nice one! Proof positive of another Yorkie escaping to the beautiful south! Now Conorbirda2 you've obviously found a way of getting on and off them boats without cracking the combination on your wallet, what's the secret?? My money's on the old hide away in a very large rucsac technique..
(Which reminds me, I used to like the boat trip to Scolt Island when I was twitching, they'd collect the money when you got back, and there'd always be someone who would always jump off pdq as they tied up and leg it up the quayside... )
