iansheff Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I have read this morning about the Camerons and their gifts to the Obamas which were supposed to showcase the best of British. Unfortunately the Dunlop ping pong table which was decorated and customised here in the UK was actually manufactured in China. The silk scarf Samantha gave Michelle showcasing British fashion was made in Italy. In contrast the Obamas gave Dave and Sam a top of the range barbecue which proudly boasts all parts are American made. Would it have been that difficult to find a suitable gift that was designed and manufactured here by a british company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I have read this morning about the Camerons and their gifts to the Obamas which were supposed to showcase the best of British. Unfortunately the Dunlop ping pong table which was decorated and customised here in the UK was actually manufactured in China. The silk scarf Samantha gave Michelle showcasing British fashion was made in Italy. In contrast the Obamas gave Dave and Sam a top of the range barbecue which proudly boasts all parts are American made. Would it have been that difficult to find a suitable gift that was designed and manufactured here by a british company? Haven't you heard, manufacturing is old hat. Mrs T said we don't need 'smoke-stack' industies any more. Our future prosperity lies in the service sector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splodgeyAl Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Haven't you heard, manufacturing is old hat. Mrs T said we don't need 'smoke-stack' industies any more. Our future prosperity lies in the service sector. Perhaps we should have given them a bill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 That fairly accurately reflects the British economy; we are among the best in the world at designing and inventing things, we don't waste our efforts on two-bit construction that anybody can do. We hire anybody to do that. I suppose, if you were adamant on "British from start to finish," we could have given them a state-of-the-art piece of hospital diagnosing equipment, or a research laboratory; but that might have been considered a little over the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davi Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Its a bit like Sheffields "cutting edge" in front of the station to show that Sheffield is famous for steel and is at the cutting edge. Only it was not made in Sheffield! It had to be put out to tender , and Sheffield steel makers could not compete, on price! The fact that its ironic, with the word iron in ironic should have told them something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 We print the useless FIAT that people accept as payment. Perhaps we could have given them some freshly printed 10s, 20s and 50s to wipe their behinds on. For we do actually print them, and ban others from printing similar notes, even if they are designed to be used as tissues and are of a different size! http://www.financial-news.co.uk/4159/2012/03/bank-of-england-order-sale-of-50-note-tissues-to-stop/ Bank of England order sale of £50 note tissues to stop The Bank of England has banned a gift stop selling novelty tissues which look like £10 and £50 notes – in case people try to pass them off as real money. The floppy pocket tissues featuring the designs of £10, £20 and £50, notes are being sold on eBay in packs of ten for 99p. But stuffy bosses at the Bank of England have ordered gift shop Bright Ideas to remove them after claiming they breach forgery laws. Sarah Neale, who runs the shop in Melton Mowbray, Leics., started flogging the fun tissue notes online at the beginning of this month but was ordered to scrap them last week. Sarah, 50, said: “It’s just ridiculous. I was gobsmacked. “I couldn’t believe it when I got the email. “We said in the title that they were novelty bank note tissues and stated they were not real currency. “It’s obvious that they’re novelty tissues. “It’s just so stupid. They don’t look real at all – they are not even the right size. They are very thin paper tissues. It is such a big surprise to us. “I was told our listing wasn’t against eBay’s policy but they told us they had been instructed by the Bank of England to remove them. “Surely the Bank of England has better things to do than this.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mecky Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Haven't you heard, manufacturing is old hat. Mrs T said we don't need 'smoke-stack' industies any more. Our future prosperity lies in the service sector. Which is easier to export to India than manufacturing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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