News / UK to send tanks to Poland. [36]

I don't know how accurate stats are. But I do know about queues in London because Poles reported back to me that their queues were long for a vote somewhere, presumably it was at the embassy in 2007 (I am not sure exactly when). Remember, turnout is not great in elections in the UK, so you don't need every Pole in the UK to vote to make a difference. Labour usually play to the immigrant gallery and always have, as any newspaper report will confirm.

Real Estate / Contemplating moving to Poland with the intention of buying a property out-right and living there [36]

He has to pay tax on his UK-derived income to the Poland tax office, doesn't he? That means if he lets (rents out) his home in the UK and earns UK interest on savings - it comes under the Poland tax office after a period of time, does it not? Doesn't it also mean that his oil exploration income is also taxed by Poland?

A reasonable flat in a city of 2 or 3 rooms is about 400 quid a month to rent excluding bills but including service charge.

Also, if a driver, tolls have to be paid on motorways now I think. And food is almost the same price as the UK.

It's all these expenses that makes me wonder how Poles afford to live in Poland, given the wages are so low compared to the UK. Rents here are double that of the UK when compared to 'normal' wages.

News / UK to send tanks to Poland. [36]

A lot of Poles there do. There were queues of Poles there to vote a few years back.

News / UK to send tanks to Poland. [36]


Immigrants traditionally vote Lab not Con, don't they? That's what the journos always say, anyhoo...

Real Estate / Contemplating moving to Poland with the intention of buying a property out-right and living there [36]

.


No one wise should buy a home in a foreign country until they have lived there for quite a long time and become certain they want to stay. Renting is sensible until a person knows whether they want to stay. And that usually means trying it for a year or more.

I also see no one has mentioned the tax situation. UK single person tax free allowance GBP10K (10 thou) approx. Poland GBP600 (six hundred) approx.

News / UK to send tanks to Poland. [36]

Is he hoping for the expat UK Polish vote come May?

Life / What do you like about Poland? [100]


LMAO :D

Nice!

Your wife must be exceptionally sharp to have learned English consumer law, so she is frankly the Nemesis of many of these communist-alike staff at shops in Poland. I'd like to let her loose on the customer service staff at a certain French supermarket here (not Auchan, who behave fine in my experience, very nice staff there too in the main).

I've taken things back to Biedronka twice now, I think both times there was no hassle although maybe some sarcasm from a checkout woman when I said the tea was awful. But I got my money back pronto.

Classifieds / Morrissey walks off stage in Warsaw [7]


Assuming the abuse was from a non native English speaker but in English, if I were Morrissey I'd have gone all Little Britain on him and pretended I didn't understand what he was saying and shown him up like that. (See Little Britain -- Fatfighters and the Indian lady at meetings)

I definitely wouldn't have walked off and punished all the majority of good people who paid to see my show.

I'm not sure why the security people didn't eject the numpty. Surely said numpty was not in a large group, so what's the problem? A path can be cleared to eject a numpty, no problem, even if he does kick off as he's ejected. He was probably intoxicated anyway so would have been quite easy to subdue and the worst would probably have just been that silly raucous roar-like scream they do when they're taken down. I'd certainly think that's far preferable to cancelling it.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

I've never known that to happen here with the cheese, or the frozen fish, or any of the lines I like. But, if I can I'll go back to at least one of those Lidls today or tomorrow and check if they've brought another 1 or 2 boxes out or there's any cheese there at all.

Cathedral City Mature 200g packs, 12.90 at Tesco. Not terribly cheap, unfortunately. Not long ago they were 9.90 and 10.90

Some Tesco stores do have Schweppes Ginger Ale, btw.


As does Auchan now, although they didn't a couple of weeks ago. Although some things are cheaper in Tesco (ex. Kerrygold cheese), Schweppes Ginger Ale is much cheaper in Auchan.

Deluxe cheddars return to Lidl on 8 December, but at an increased price (8.99 / 250g)
They may appear the day before, depending on the branch.

Love / Are women from Poland scared of good looking guys? [48]


Perhaps it's because you use open body language (ex. unfolded arms) and make eye contact across the floor space and smile. It's very easy for any reasonably good looking or even plain woman to get men to come over and say hi. It's not rocket science for a woman at all. Women however tend to either want to see a bulging wallet or media-like good looks. Preferably both, especially in the UK, unless under the influence of a good few Diamond Whites on an empty stomach.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

This is indeed grim news for Stiltonites. Although not into Stilton myself, I feel your pain.

Lidl Polska -- what say you? Yes, that's right, cower behind the washing powders, but we know you're there and deeply ashamed.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

^^ Mods, this is a thinly veiled attempt to torment and torture his countrymen, please delete his above post and consider suspending him for 3 hours ;)

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Lidl almost sold out of the cheddar (visited 2 branches here, in each approx. 75% sold*, few Vintage left, very few Coloured Scottish, most remaining are Farmhouse).

Warning Uwaga Achtung (baby) - stock may not be replenished again this week, not in my experience anyway.

*before I bought just a few packs as already stocked up with Kerrygold from Tesco (also available at P & P)

Life / What do you like about Poland? [100]


What I'm unclear on is whether the law in Poland on this matter is different to England & Wales? I.E. wrong prices are binding?


It's certainly given me a new hobby :)

Life / What do you like about Poland? [100]


I think here the law differs with the UK, if this is so for PL. In England & Wales, a physical (not online) supermarket or other shop can put the wrong price on and they don't have to sell it at that price.


This may well be different in Poland, however, as Biedronka refunded my money recently when the shelf price was almost half the price of the price required at the checkout. There was no fuss, they were very nice about it.

Life / What do you like about Poland? [100]


Dynamite post, Kamaz! Does your wife have an equally admirable single sister? ;)
I would usually find it hard to believe a shop would be boarded up after such a thing, but sounds like your wife knows her onions in some way and the fine for the transgression scared the proprietor into shutting up shop and disappearing.

I'm going to print your post out when my printer gets a new cartridge - it's definitely a classic piece of advice and anecdote! It should be pinned!

(Just to add, in the UK the consumer bureau or trading standards were as much use as a chocolate teapot. I had to research the law myself to bring the very same big firms to book which the TS people whimpered out of dealing with. In some cases, it was EU consumer law which even TS didn't know about or didn't want to use for whatever reason!)

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Thanks, will bear that in mind as a salvage method if someone buys me some with otherwise good intentions :)

Life / What do you like about Poland? [100]

No, only a few words, but the manager and some staff speak sufficient English for me to understand that they have no cheese and have never done anything or said anything to suggest they'd order any in for me, as just 1 person. As for legal redress, I take a Polish speaker with me or use a note. Generally, customer service at various shops is nothing to bring a smile to one's face when things are unsatisfactory with a purchase.

Life / What do you like about Poland? [100]

Your wife is Polish, I assume. She sounds like someone we could all do with (or use, in US English). Could you please ask her if there's any legal right to return a garlic press to a supermarket? The metal on it has already failed after less than 2 years. Also, how about tea bags that turn out to be nothing like tea but more like dust?

Life / Canadian Moving to Poznan, Poland - what to bring over, areas to avoid, school for a child. [54]

Regarding the TV, it's not just the voltage. It needs to be a very modern one with the ability to switch to PAL systems and the Polish PAL system at that, not the UK PAL system (or there will be no audio). US TVs and AV equipt are usually NTSC aren't they, not PAL.

News / Winnie the Pooh gets bum rap in Polish town [12]

That brings up lots of images, I don't know which you'd chosen. But I can guess what it might have looked like ;)

(I assumed the image you might have posted was blocked by the host of the image because they don't want it on another site.)

News / Winnie the Pooh gets bum rap in Polish town [12]

I think your image link there exceeded its bandwidth allowance!


The only hope left is it's all for a Polish version of Candid Camera or You've Been Framed.

News / Winnie the Pooh gets bum rap in Polish town [12]

But all stuffed teddy bears are nude, aren't they? So, I don't understand why people think it's odd.

I think those councillors said these things with a wink. Or at least I hope so.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]



You can say that again.

Quite a few surprises in Poland of that nature. Condoms by the checkouts in some supermarkets, and that pretty explicit telly ad for some male impotence tablet products, showing excited young women touching their body parts when they observe their middle aged or older manager taking the stuff and then following him excitedly. It's cheesy and yet they seem to be serious about it. It's the sort of stuff that used to end up on Tarrant on TV but here it is, large as life, in all seriousness as a presumably successful vehicle to help with 'erectile dysfunction', in your face as it were complete with caricature grinning nubiles seemingly keen to cop off with men who can do 'it'. To me, this sets the image of Poland right back for all the shining office towers and 10 different types of toilet paper.

And it's cheesy, so this post should stay on this thread I hope.


I checked a big Biedronka here, at random (not my usual). No Toblerone. No Schweppes anything. No ginger ale.
However, Carrefour have Heinz Ketchup.
Piotr I Pawel are doing a range of prepacked Kerrygold cheese and butter which I'd recommend if you can't find Cathedral City or Lidl's.

I do not recommend the unbranded or shop's own 'cheddar' in shops here. It's mainly only of use as a door stop.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]


I only go in there for a few things and it is the only supermarket that I can't wait to get out of. I absolutely hate it. In the UK, I quite liked Lidls and the staff there even saved boxes for me when I moved flat. Here, it's one of the most uncomfortable and pressured (because of the crowds always wanting to be where you're standing) shopping experiences imaginable, save for the week running up to Xmas in other shops. It's like that in Lidl all the time except maybe first thing and last thing each day.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Probably happier life there, frankly. A lot of people here are always rushing around (to afford huge mortgages, probably) and less likely to offer to help or order stuff in a store. I shall look out for the ginger ale at Biedronka -- that would be great because I just can't find any so far in the main supermarkets. They have mint and lemon and heaven knows what else that I've never heard of before, but no ginger ale (ginger beer yes, ale no).

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Next week's promotion will indeed more or less get stocked on the Sunday, but having tried that trick here in the past I found the English speaking member of staff said "No, we won't have that before tomorrow sorry". So I had to come back the next day for the cheese, and a large amount was already gone by midday, I pretty much got the last 3 packs or so.

I don't know about the handbags thing, but I can tell you I dread shopping at Lidl. It is an absolute scrum, horribly long queues, often disappointed to find the item has sold out or was never even carried - contrary to what the promo leaflet promised.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]


Ginger ale in Biedronka? I've been looking for that in many shops, inc Auchan. No chance. I'll have to check. As for Heinz tomato ketchup, never seen them in Biedronka. Only in Tesco online and sometimes in store.

As for Lidl managers ordering things here especially, that did make me laugh. Maybe if I were a buxom blonde with pouty lips playing with my long golden locks. Otherwise highly unlikely the response would be anything different to the "nie masz" that I have heard in the past.

I think, Sobieski, Wroc has fewer Lidls than some other cities and that is why there is such a crush at the branches here and stuff sells out like locusts descending on a field of crops. I would be surprised if the cheese is there beyond day 1 come the 24th. There are a fair few foreign nationals here and I have seen them taking 20 or more special products to the checkout, especially marmalade and cheese.

(Kamaz, if you're local to Wro, please tell me which branch has such a great manager and I'll go there and order)

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]


We can only dream about that around here!

I honestly don't know why they don't order more for the branches here, but for some reason they don't.

As for the Stilton, I've never had any so can't say.