Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes indeed...there was I internationally channel hopping and in a million to one chance I hit the very moment they said on Opal TV...
"and now from Douvres Paul Watkins"..etc etc
I occasionally have a look to try and get a feel for the French view on Seafrance and there we are I trawled up Paul Watkins himself. I was amazed as I wasnt expecting it. I had to grapple for a camera pretty quick. What Paul was saying was translated over in French but I got the tail end when he said..."we really need a second ferry operator"...but thats the only bit I got as it was all French otherwise.
So there...you didnt know Pauli Watkins was an international TV star did you.
The pictures are a bit close up so a bit distorted..not my doing but Opal Tv's.
Paul may be able to tell us more of what it was all about. There was a large gathering of the great and the good in this most unusual hall, the background you can see in Pauls pictures, and it was adressed by that little chap with the large moustache who we have seen here in Dover several times. He is president of the local Calais area or some such title.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
PaulB.
I am not surprised by his international aptitudes, he does champion for jobs and for Dover/Deal in his own omnipitous way.
Let's not forget he does come from a mining background.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
paul gets everywhere,maybe it was a meeting with the calais chamber of commerce?
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
The meeting was the Annual public meeting of the Calais District [CAP].
I was asked to attend and speak following the CAP President Philippe Blet's Annual Address- Philippe & I have an excellent working relationship.
Whilst Dover TC do the cultural twinning activities, DDC works closely with info exchange on Port, shipping & transport issues. We also engage on the green heritage and environment aspects as the French coastline mirrors ours.
We will be engaging on Olympic events & crossovers.
Obviously we had a serious conversation on SeaFrance & the community aspirations.
Natasha Bouchart-the Calais Mayor was in Paris trying to deal with the French government on the successor arrangements to SeaFance.
The EuroTunnel bid with the union co-op was very active despite DFDS & LD's proposals.
I made the point that the EuroTunnel option could affect ticketing prices & be anti competitive.
Philippe described the DFDS LD option as "social dumping".
Of course it will be the deal with ships that clinches it.
As always these are interesting exchanges but very constructive.
No mention of the Euro!!!
Spent yesterday with the Port's Minister, Mike Penning, DHB, DTC , People's Port etc. on the privatisation issue. Made the point that while we dither Calais' Port's proposals move on apace.
Watty
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
An excellent point that last one, Paul. I look forward to de-briefing Neil on that meeting.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
Yes our leader certainly puts in a lot of time and effort to progress our District .A full diary all the time .
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes that was certainly quite a heavy agenda there in Calais and by the looks of things it all went well. The 'entente cordiale' seems to be working well there. Thanks for letting us know all that Paul, very useful info. We probably wouldnt have known any of this if I hadnt caught you on by accident on French TV...so clearly quite a staggering amount of work goes on behind the scenes, often stuff that we dont know a lot about.
And speaking of 'entente cordiale'..here is a picture of Paul Watkins himself with the aforementioned CAP President Phillippe Blet taken a few years ago on the Bleriot weekend.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
thanks for info paul, i did wonder what happened at that meeting yesterday, i half expected neil wiggins to post this morning.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
We posted at exactly the same time there Howard...great minds think alike.
Yes re the Port...Calais certainly do move on at a fair pace. That place has changed so much in recent times over there and you always get the feeling they are fully funded and fully braced for the future. Boulogne as was mentioned in another thread had no hope against the slick operation in Calais. No time for dithering here on this side of the channel.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Ermmm just to add...am intrigued by the comment by Monsieur Blet describing the LD Lines/DFDS bid as "social dumping" ?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i was wondering that myself but thought i would make myself look silly for asking.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
paulb,we are a nation of dithera's.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
My interpretation of his comment-social dumping- is that he did not like letting SeaFrance fold & they[DFDS/LD] then pick up the pieces, select the workforce & apply its terms & conditions.
That's business!
Originally the DFDS proposals identified by the French were of East European crews & Portugese officers.
It appears the LD joint venture adds the French crew dimension.
But as I posted earlier this all depends on the ships.
Where's Ed?
Watty
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#7, I like the picture of our Dear Leader with Peter Sellers.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
As PaulW has said, Calais Port are doing well with their port development and know how to work the European funding, something which DHB seem not to know.
We need T2 to start asap so we can keep abreast of Calais - if they get that far ahead of us, they may start sending imports to another port in the UK, not just Dover
By the time we have pulled our finger out, we may have missed the boat (pardon the pun)
Roger
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
roger,that is what i've been saying for the past 12 months,a bit of eu money go's a long way.as a matter of fact dover in genrael could be presstine with eu money if the right badys apllied for it.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
As I mentioned previously on the long Seafrance thread, there was a march in Calais by people holding banners saying
"NON! LDA"
so we can see there that Monsieur Blet has sympathy for that line and was, I would suspect, clearly in support of the Seafrance workers. I couldnt understand initially why this NON LDA line was being taken, but as the dust settles we can see how LD Lines and DFDS may have played a waiting scavenging role. Waiting to pick on the corpse of Seafrance. So, good to see some support for the unions. As somebody mentioned on another thread, the ships would have been manned by Filipino crews by now if it wasnt for the strong French unions.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Surprised you are in support of the French Unions Paul - is that your old leftie views coming out ?
It was a lot to do with these very (French) unions that helped/caused SF to go under.
They need a Maggie over there to curtail their excesses.
Roger
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
roger,maggie is not needed,they got s&p in that sence.
email: dover7@msn.com
