OneGuyFromBarlick

I must say I'm surprised to hear that. Is there much of a buy to let market there? I guess I just assumed all the enormous blocks of flats were state owned. There's a lot of business in the other direction - plenty of Chinese buyers for flats in Cambridge.

House (mainly apartments) ownership in China is very high with 90% (official figure!) of families owning their own property, one of the highest rates in the World. Ownership is regarded as being important to give you mianzi - "face". There is also a thriving rental market because property prices have soared in cities and it makes economic sense to rent.

That figure surprised me as well. Surely the 90% must refer to some landlords as well?

Stanley wrote: ↑22 Sep 2019, 01:55 That figure surprised me as well. Surely the 90% must refer to some landlords as well?

I would guess so. We have 3 apartments so people like us must skew the figures. The government figure is 90.0% and hasn't changed for a few years which is highly suspicious. Home ownership is almost 100% in rural areas but this includes self built houses which are best described as hovels and are really unfit for habitation. These links tell a slightly different story:

http://www.jllapsites.com/research/char ... -in-china/

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/cou ... rates.html

That fits China.....

Thanks for the info - very interesting and very surprising.

Would they sell a flat to a gweilo.
I doubt it.

Is it all done on a capitalist basis - can you offset expenses etc, and what rate of tax is paid on the profit? Many Chinese have bought here and in London and rent them out. I wonder if anyone does the reverse.

Tripps wrote: ↑22 Sep 2019, 11:26 Thanks for the info - very interesting and very surprising.

Would they sell a flat to a gweilo.
I doubt it.

Is it all done on a capitalist basis - can you offset expenses etc, and what rate of tax is paid on the profit? Many Chinese have bought here and in London and rent them out. I wonder if anyone does the reverse.

The position as I understand it, is that foreigners can own ONE apartment for their own residence but cannot sub-let it as it is supposed to be your residence. Our apartments are in joint names so there is no problem as my wife is legally the landlord. Yes - renting is on a capitalist basis. You're supposed to register your rental contract and pay tax (I think at 10% rate) on the profit after expenses are deducted. But if you divide the value of the property by 53 years remaining land lease you could argue that we make nothing! There are always ways of mitigating your liabilities.

I'm qualified to be granted a Chinese permanent residence permit and if I applied for that I'd have property rights equal to any other Chinese citizen. I'm just too lazy to apply at the moment!

Everything about China is surprising. It isn't the oppressive place that the newspapers and anti-China propaganda would have you believe. It is true that it has a different type of government. No problem, and from what I see it's a great way of running a country.

chinatyke wrote: ↑22 Sep 2019, 13:27 No problem, and from what I see it's a great way of running a country.

Thanks for the information - very interesting. I'm glad you're happy with your situation. From the news, I see not everyone is keen to embrace it though.

Tripps wrote: ↑22 Sep 2019, 13:36 Thanks for the information - very interesting. I'm glad you're happy with your situation. From the news, I see not everyone is keen to embrace it though.

Do you mean the situation in HK? The protestors are idiots and China is being very restrained in not interfering. That sort of civil disorder would definitely NOT be tolerated in mainland China, rightly so.

Or in London come to think....

A couple of photos I copied with my camera while at Corfe Castle station museum...

Women workers putting timber into a pressure vessel for creosote treatment to make railway sleepers:



Railway carriage converted for a hospital train in WW1:

Lovely. They applied a high vacuum first, then flooded the vessels with creosote and put about 30psi pressure on and left them to soak like that for a while, then drained the chamber. The creosote went right to the heart of the sleepers and was a nuisance if you wanted to saw them. Telegraph and electricity poles were done the same way.....

You're mention of the creosote being a problem chimes with something I've just read in my book about the chemical elements. A group of welders used their oxyacetylene torches to cut off some bolts in one of the towers of the Severn Bridge. They didn't have breathing apparatus and inhaled cadmium which coated the bolts. They all had to be taken to hospital and one died.

Vaporised metal can be very dangerous, some poisonous like Zinc but some inert ones can be just as dangerous in the long run. Stainless steel is very bad as it doesn't oxidise in the lungs but stays there as a contaminant.
I've just had an away day to Kelbrook. Gladys Redfern and Jimmy Talbot wouldn't recognise the Craven Heifer now. Jess and Mo were commenting on the changes since they were there last. I told them that where we were sitting used to be a newspaper shop.....

Went over to Harrogate to visit youngest offspring this morning. We went for a walk at Nidd Gorge, the autumn colours are quite something.

Stanley wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 02:58 Vaporised metal can be very dangerous,

Late night post. . .
As Engels remarked -

By far the most unwholesome work is the grinding of knife blades and forks, which especially when done with a dry stone entails certain early death. The unwholesomeness of this work lies in part in the bent posture, in which the chest and stomach are cramped; but especially in the quantity of sharp edged metal dust particles freed in the cutting, which fill the atmosphereand are necessarily inhaled. The dry grinders' average life is hardly 35 years, the wet grinders' rarely exceeds 45. Dr Knight in Sheffield says.

Those pictures are breathtaking!

David, Engels was right about it being dangerous and naturally assumed it was the metal but of course he was wrong, it was more the grinding dust. look up needle polishing at Redditch....
The colours in Barlick are good also this year.... Lots of sugars forming in the leaves I think.

Marilyn wrote: ↑04 Nov 2019, 01:59 Those pictures are breathtaking!

Thank you Marilyn. I only used my smartphone so was quite surprised at the outcome.

Yesterday afternoon and night, Leeds Beckett University Students Union for a Labour Party Rally with Jeremy Corbyn speaking. Both Sally and myself got invitations on Thursday via email, we applied and got confirmation emails on Friday.

The event was 5.45pm for a 7pm start so we drove to Skipton parked and got the train into Leeds, bus up to the University arriving around 5.30pm. We joined the queue with about 150 in front of us. Doors didn't open until 6pm and the queue was all the way down the street and round the corner by then. With the events of Friday on London Bridge there was advanced security on the door with full body and bag search before being allowed in. I think we got through the doors by about 6.30pm. We managed to get right to the front in the auditorium which was all standing. it took until nearer 8pm before they got everyone into the building through security. There were over 1000 at the event.

The event started with a minutes silence for the victims of the terror attack on London Bridge. There were a number of speakers including three of the candidates for wards around the Leeds area, we had a couple of Nurses who spoke about their experiences in the front line of the NHS, followed by Angela Rayner before Jeremy came on. He spoke for about half an hour before bringing the proceedings to a close around 9.45pm. All filmed by multiple cameras for posterity. We walked back down to the train station from the Uni via LGI which is at the bottom of the street and an area and route that we are more familiar with. Train home was at 10.26 and we chose a carriage that looked to have the most sober and normal looking folk alighting. We managed to get seats although the train was rammed. Lots of folk making their way home after a night out and Leeds C playing at home. Train went via the Kirkstall Loop and when it stopped there two lads and a couple of lassies kicked off in the door compartment of the carriage, fists, tooth and claw, eventually spilling out onto the platform. Local constabulary were called and they carted them all off, train didn't move for half an hour. We eventually arrived back in Skipton at 11.45pm, the female driver gave a squeal and a "yay we are finally home" over the intercom.

Sounds like an eventful evening!
Is this par for the course in modern Britain?

We had a Christmas with a difference this year. We flew to Sydney and went out of the harbour with the Sydney to Hobart yacht race fleet. It was amazing; a brilliant atmosphere. We followed the lead yachts out through the heads until we couldn't keep up any more. Once we lost them we turned around and came back into the harbour through the smaller yachts.

Sydney turned on perfect weather for us, but the ocean was like a washing machine once we got out of the harbour. I have to admit to feeling a bit sick by the time we got back. My husband is a yachtie and he loved every minute.

We caught up with family for Christmas celebrations when we returned.

Sounds good Liz. I got as far as Earby and Burnley. Long distance for me!

Last night anyway, we went down to the Craven Heifer to meet Jack's girlfriend, Jemma's mum and stepdad, Elaine and Rob. They run a four bedroom guest house up in Gretna and have been down here visiting Jemma and her brother Robert who also lives down in this area. They have been staying at the Heifer as a base for the last couple of days. Due to travel back up the M6 today, I don't envy their journey! We had a nice meal and a couple of drinks and general banter, nice normal folk, which we had already picked up from Jemma.

We have just been out for a short walk on a particularly lousy morning. It couldn't be much nastier. The only plus point is that the sleet and hail isn't heavy! Bitterly cold in a strong wind.