enough of this island! back to the mainland i think

@hippietrail I told you its a boring place.. u never believed me..

@JoErNanO, if you can find the right question for that image of Morello, I will give you a PERSONALLY guided tour of the Bank of England Museum. Totally promise!

@Gayot (a) TQ for your kind offer re 'secrecy' of subsistence levels for UK visa and (b) sincere apologies in advance for what is probably my Google fail. Immihelp has great details for Schengen countries (so obviously not UK in that listing) but an equivalent search there "Means of Subsistence for UK Visa" returns nothing relevant and my 'link' ("no requirements" - intended to point to your second quote but no doing so :( - was all I could find re UK gov financial guidelines.)

ie no quantification such as "Germany Euro 45/d".

@pnuts Yes, there are no secrets and NO concrete numbers

it actually works better that way

Even in their restricted stuff and training materials... No secrets

It's a better system than Schengen in that way

Not necessarily EVERY way, but in that way

I see why that works better for Immigration (and us Brits in general?) but not how that is better for prospective visitors. OK the rules are flexible (that’s good, I hate rigidity where “corner” cases are to apply to a circle rather than a square) but “You have not brought enough” / “How much is enough?” / “Depends” is tantamount to what I meant by “secrecy” – ie “I know but am not telling you”.

@pnuts You've got to figure that 20 million people pass through on leave to enter

And most of them, particularly Americans, have NO CLUE at all what just happened

They think it's a pleasant chat about their holiday plans :) :)

That's why "circle" (infinite edges) rather than "square" (only four sides and corners).

And yes, I have no evidence that powers are being abused - and would expect plenty even when not!

@pnuts LOL, ok, I can tell you something about that which isn't published, but isn't secret if it's of any use....

And for sure it's not unreasonable or abusive

@pnuts OH! Important to note something. When they perform an enforcement operation INLAND, you will absolutely see abuse of power.

We should restrict it to port operations only :)

I can describe the port scenario for you, but you need to stay with me because it's lengthy

I’d be happy to consider compromising with something like the addition to your second quote along the lines “There are NO concrete numbers. We judge the minimum based on numerous factors that are dependent upon individual circumstances. In 2014 we have considered £20/d sufficient for one and £1000/d insufficient for another. More typical was £40/d for someone staying with relatives in Manchester and £200/d for someone staying in third-party accommodation in London”.

@pnuts Sometimes that works; but more often they are not thinking in terms of a minimum. Trying to focus on a minimum is outside their criteria

@pnuts Tourists think in terms of a minimum,

because their personal budget works that way

But just because people make budgets in terms of a minimum, does not mean IO's are tied to that benchmark. Does this make sense?

"Tourists" - EXACTLY. UK earns $50B/a from tourists and we should not discourage them (I just avoid London). I am concerned for the innocent would-be visitor who simply does not realise a 5 minute bus journey can cost £3 (when used to 30ȼ) and so spends time/money/effort arriving in UK only to be turned back and for the one who thinks £1k might not be considered enough by UK, I'll go to France instead.

But most of all I don't like myself to have to comply with rules (eg my Nigeria visa meta question) when I don't know what they are so don’t want this for others also (ie back to start!).

@pnuts Yes, it's a fair conclusion on your part. But ultimately we have to cope with WHAT IS. Did you want some info on the process at Heathrow or it's irrelevant at this point?

I note for Schengen two take the same cop out as UK (Austria and Luxembourg) but ALL the others (20+) manage some guidance. We are a special case but being radically out of line is ominous. Given "Tourists think in terms of a minimum" I'd like they be helped with that (a few more words on a web site) rather than kept in the dark.

Any ‘minimum’ need not be ‘statutory’ – guidance would help even if on occasion the ‘minimum’ were raised (or lowered – the latter effectively already an option as I understand IOs have discretion to not bother to pursue financial matters).

Re LHR of interest but since this (my issue) is all theory I think might best be kept for when the context is a specific example?

But many thanks for the offer!

@pnuts That's fine; any time you want to take it up again, just SHOUT :)

Maybe if I change my nationality and still want to visit UK? :)

Also, take care that they will NEVER publish hard figures. Everybody would object. Including ILPA and JCWI. It won't happen. Everybody likes it the way it is :) Even their enemies :)

There I can agree. Hard and fast rules always end up with issues and some flexibility 'oils the system'.

In the case of ILPA - hardly surprising?

ILPA would be furious if they tried it. I'm a member and know them.

Also a member of JCWI and they would aggressively campaign against it

i'm in some kind of "outskir

ILPA fights anything just from knee jerk

ts" of hong kong waiting for the first train to the border in the morning (-:

what border?

@NeAnDerthal it's too hot and humid and expensive to find out whether or not it's boring d-:

hk has multiple borders??

i'm at mcdonalds at sheung shui

Lucky you. Sounds exciting, not.

I have to go and notarise a will

for my wife's friend's mother-in-law

Would you trade places with me?

ii'll be here experiencing the

'other' hong kong

A question to you @hippietrail...

i might not be very good at notarizing

Do you like, appreciate, Chinese opera?

The sort that is pulled from Chinese mythology?

I love that aspect of Chinese culture

i've only sern a glimpse of it on a street in malaysia

It's wonderful to experience their operas

i don't love the asprct which is the pig impersonation coming from the guy to my left

I am stuck with dvd's only of their performances

and dvd's are very VERY hard to get

pop over to hk. bring a bankroll though

I think to get some dvd's I have to go inland to Nanching or some place like that.

battery going cul8r...

@hippietrail If you go to the mainland and to the interior, you can scout about for dvd's of recent stuff, especially a Beijing production of "Madame White Snake" or "City in another Place" or "The Drunken Concubine" etc etc

Also "Ruse of the empty city"

If you get the dealer's contact details I can write to them.

In NYC you have to walk up 3 flights of stairs in a tenement reeking of opium to meet the dvd guy. And he hoses you down. And nothing at all in London