Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/12/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hello David, thanks for going into more detail on the Channel Islands, now I remember that it was only Sark which had a Seigneur. For Channel Island fans there are some wonderful passages in Lawrence Norfolk's wonderful novel "Lempriere's Dictionary" describing the landscape. cheers Douglas David Morgan wrote: > Hi All, > > Douglas was nearly right about the Channel Islands, but not quite... > > The Channel Islands (British to differentiate them from the islands > off the Californian coast) are made up of a large number of islands, > some not much larger than rocks. The 4 main islands (in order of size > and population) are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. These islands > are self-governing and so are NOT part of the UK, but ARE part of GB > (confused yet?) > > We in the Channel islands have different tax laws from the UK. I am > not certain about the other islands, but Jersey's tax status was > granted by Charles II in appreciation of the Island's support during > the civil war. Going back a little further, Jersey was part of the > Duchy of Normandy so when William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy) > invaded Britain he made it part of the Duchy of Normandy. So it could > be argued that Britain belongs to Jersey!! > > From a political standpoint, the Channel islands are split into 2 > bailiwicks (overseen by a bailiff) - Jersey and Guernsey with > Guernsey assuming responsibility for Alderney and Sark. We have our > own parliaments (or states as they are called) and make our own laws. > However, as we are effectively British, the laws are very much in line > with UK law. But we are not members of the EU. > > Sark was feudal until a few weeks ago - gradually getting into the > 18th Century. The Jersey states until last Monday had a governing > system based on committees - no prime minister or cabinet as in > Britain. We have just moved to a more UK - like system after about 500 > years. > > As a Jersey resident I have a Jersey passport. As I was born in Wales > I have rights allowing me to work in the EU. My wife, who is a Jersey > girl by birth and of a Jersey family (ie all 4 grandparents born in > Jersey) has a stamp in her passport saying that she is not entitled to > work in the EU.. > > Hope this makes everything simple!! > > David in sunny Jersey > > At 00:07 13/12/2005, you wrote: > >> Adam, >> Great Britain is an island, the largest of the British Isles. >> England, Scotland and Wales are countries on the island of GB, Northern >> Ireland is a part of the island of Ireland. The other part of the >> island of >> Ireland is Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland, aka Eire, whereas the >> northern bit is sometimes known as Ulster. >> Add to these thethe semi-independent Channel Islands and the Isle of >> Man, we >> then have an entity known as the British Isles (purely geographic in >> nature). >> >> Now the political bit: Subtract Eire from the equation and we now >> have the >> United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the political >> bit) Usually shortened to the United Kingdom or just plain UK.. >> >> Subtract Ulster (N.Ireland) the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man >> and we get >> back to Great Britain, which, although ruled from London, does have >> regional >> capital cities with regional parliaments, Scotland has Edinburgh, >> Wales has >> Cardiff, The Isle of Man is out on a limb with it's Tynwald in the >> capital >> Douglas, a sort of local government related to the Nordic idea of a >> Ting or >> Thing, a meeting of elders to decide the fate of a nation, The IOM is >> actually allowed, along with the Channel Islands, to make their own >> laws and >> set the level of their tax levies. To make it even more fun the Channel >> Islands are ruled in a form of feudalism with a bloke called a >> Seigneur at >> the top of the political pile. Then there's also a pile of rocks way >> out in the Atlantic Ocean called >> Rockall, the only use of which is to extend our continental shelf >> rights and to act as a training site for Royal Marines to mount >> amphibian assaults - nobody lives there. >> Douglas >> >> >> >> Adam Bridge wrote: >> >>> I was listening to the news today and I heard a reporter sign off from >>> London, England. >>> >>> Someplace along the line I was bashed pretty hard (not here) about >>> there >>> being a United Kingdom but that England wasn't precisely a place. So >>> I've >>> always used U.K. >>> >>> What's "correct" and what's general usage. And does it really matter? >>> >>> I'm curious and wanted to know. >>> >>> An aside: Has anyone tried the McCallan Scotch that's aged in oak wine >>> barrels? It sure sounds mellow to me. Read about it in the Wall Street >>> Journal's article on Scotch that was out this weekend. >>> >>> Thanks! >>> >>> Adam >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >