Is that a lot?
I have no clue. I live in London, you see, which is a proper city, so I have no idea what these silly little places would call a population.

Edit: just googled, nearly 8 million of us it seems, can see get a special category?
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:46, 2 replies, latest was 13 years ago)

London is the only real city
none of the others even manage 1m people
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:49, Reply)

Damn right.
I think we should go for independence and let the rest of this os-called 'country' sink under the e=weight of it's own mediocracy.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:51, Reply)

Not a bad idea, however I would probably like to keep the everywhere South of Oxford across to cornwall
I need somewhere to have a second home
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:53, Reply)

Sounds fair.
A bit of coastline is nice. Can we loose Essex though?
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:57, Reply)

Yeah and Kent, pointless fucking county
I would have suggested south of th m4 but I wanted Oxfordshire
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:01, Reply)

Kent's a lot less nice than it makes out.
If you make the border the M4, then I wouldn't be in the good bit of the country. I'd have to move back to Guildford before the borders shifted :(
( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:03, Reply)

we'll cut you a penninsular
it'll make an interesting feature
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:08, Reply)

Kent is pretty enough
But it is full of arseholes.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:08, Reply)

it's also in the way when you want to go to France

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:09, Reply)

Depends which way you go really.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:10, Reply)

the correct way

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:14, Reply)

Via Agincourt?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:17, Reply)

Huzzah, I do declare us victors on this St. Crispins DAAAAAAYYYYY!

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:18, Reply)

Oh god, please do
the sooner we can place a huge export duty on everything into London the better for all of us. Except london.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:56, Reply)

Aww bless!
I think we'll live without the tartan tea towels and..... um other vital stuff you chaps make.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:59, Reply)

I like shortbread

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:00, Reply)

Well, yes
So do I, but I reckon I could make my own, if needs be.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:01, Reply)

With all the flour grown in London.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:02, Reply)

We're keeping some countryside
See above.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:03, Reply)

sorry, can't have you changing the goalposts now. you wanted just London

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:03, Reply)

You don't get a say Jocko
Myself and Mr. Ape are dividing things up here.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:28, Reply)

course you are.

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:30, Reply)

Really?
You want to play "The area where you live is not self-supporting"? Oh I shall laugh if you guys ever get independence. I've never understood why anyone on this side of the boarder was against it. Last poll I saw, more English were for it than Scotts, which show's you're not all stupid at least.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:36, Reply)

it's no more or less self supporting than London.
You can't eat money. especially pretend money.

I've no interest in scots independence, i'm not scottish for a start, but the idea that London could be self sufficient is breathtaking in its idiocy, mate. what are you planning to eat and drink?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:42, Reply)

CQ isn't exactly known for his intellectual capacities, he just likes to puff out his chest and bellend it up.
As any fule kno.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:47, Reply)

Course, not, it's a joke at the end of the day
rather loike scotch independence.

it's=d be interesting to see how much the money would buy though. I reckon if we kept the bet bits of the south, as suggested by APe, we could make it work and probably be better off.

I think we'd do better to kick Scotland out and most of the north, and such, never seen what we gain from hanging on to the shit bits.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:49, Reply)

scotland is responsible for a hell of a lot of governments revenue right now
but mostly what you gain is not having the crushing certainty of the tories in power for the rest of time. you may wish to consider this.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:52, Reply)

This is a good point, well the torries bit anyway
I suspect the revenue comes form Oil and I suspect we'd keep that.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:03, Reply)

Either you want Scotland and their contribution to the economy or you don't.
The oil comes mainly from Scotland. The rest from the English side of the North Sea.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:11, Reply)

Scotland, or the waters around?
fuck it, point less arguement. I'm not running this country, or things'd be run betterer.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:14, Reply)

"Even if all revenue from North Sea oil and gas had come to Scotland, the country would have had a 'persistent deficit'," says Professor Arthur Midwinter, an adviser to the Scottish Executive's finance committee.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:16, Reply)

Everything else I've read on the subject says quite the opposite.
That if Scotland had gained independence first time around in the 1970s it would now be as wealthy as Norway or Switzerland.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:19, Reply)

boo fucking hoo
It's our oil now
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:28, Reply)

Course, not, it's a joke at the end of the day
rather like scotch independence.

it'd be interesting to see how much the money would buy though. I reckon if we kept the bet bits of the south, as suggested by APe, we could make it work and probably be better off.

I think we'd do better to kick Scotland out and most of the north, and such, never seen what we gain from hanging on to the shit bits.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:50, Reply)

oh does scotland grow everything it eats itself?

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:50, Reply)

nope
although it could. but I was thinking much more base then that - London has no power generation and nowhere near enough water.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:53, Reply)

But as CQ rightly points out, it's not really a serious consideration

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:57, Reply)

And, as you point out
SO is Scotish devolution.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:20, Reply)

Scotland had devolution back in the 1990s you twat.

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:21, Reply)

independence then you irrelevant fuck-nugget

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:23, Reply)

dunno, maybe we could try, maybe, importing stuff

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:04, Reply)

www.b3ta.com/questions/offtopic/post1559051
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:05, Reply)

Yeah, I reckon we could be self financing on tourist money alone.

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:05, Reply)

I bought a tartan scarf when I was in Edinburgh.
I'm not sure whether the fact that is was in my own family's tartan makes it more or less of a lame touristy thing to do. I shan't be wearing it. It's just nice to have.
( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:02, Reply)

I was tempted to do the same.
I settled for a little silver badge with the family motto and crest on it, and some Edinberg Rock, as I was there.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:05, Reply)

I bought a tartan scarf from TK Maxx

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:05, Reply)

TK MacX

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:06, Reply)

I have bought a jacket and jeans from TK Maxx in the past.

( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:07, Reply)

This should have a thread of its own
Have you ever bought something from TK Maxx?
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:09, Reply)

(!)

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 13:09, Reply)

I'm not thinking of Scotland
I mean "all of th UK bar London" and specifically how you were planning to import everthing you will need - ie everything - into a landlocked state without being raped for import taxes?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:02, Reply)

Meh, we have all the money
I reckon once we stop having to support you lot, we should have a bit spare.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:29, Reply)

we'll just take it off you
what with you not having natural resources or power generating capacity. Or enough water.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:31, Reply)

I wonder how much power the Thames tide could generate

( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:32, Reply)

I can answer this for you
"about enough to power my telly"

even the planned offshore one in Scotland across one of the most powerful tidal races in the world will barely do a small town
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:38, Reply)

Surely it would depends on the amount of turbines you place across it?
Plus London's got quite a number of now underground tributaries in it. Whether the cost vs benefit would make it worth it is probably an entirely different story, one to which I do not know the plot.
( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:44, Reply)

not really, it's an effeciency of KE transfer thing I think
you maybe right though. although it's much less than you think
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:54, Reply)

I'm certainly not suggesting it'd be enough to power even part of the city
I was just curious.
( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:59, Reply)

we'll just sneak up the m1
and take it for free.

not the deep-fried mars bars though. you can keep that kind of crap.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:31, Reply)

I thought you like the Scots?

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:33, Reply)

that's your wishful thinking talking

( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:34, Reply)

Yep.

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:34, Reply)

they are only for tourists, you know that?
good luck drving the water and the electricity down the M1 though.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:39, Reply)

You know the M1 stops at Leeds, right?

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:49, Reply)

darling i don't go further north than halifax
i so can't pull this off. unlike my desperately posh colleague arabella who, in an interview, covered up shocking ignorance about not knowing where birmingham was by drawling:

sweetie, i've never left zone one.

they thought it was funny and she got the job.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:54, Reply)

Fuckssake, are people still called Arabella?

(Reverend Fister "a disciplined fuckwit", Wed 14 Mar 2012, 15:31, Reply)

op art
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:55, Reply)

Dunstable is over 10 times bigger
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_United_Kingdom_settlements_by_population
(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:49, Reply)

And Milton Keynes?
How does that stack up?
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:52, Reply)

We've got about 200,000

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:54, Reply)

It seems like they're doing it via relative importance
rather than sheer size. In this, as in other things, just battering away at the gates is not as important as using what you have well.
( Kroney, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:56, Reply)

Why the fuck does anyone chose to live in Dunstable? It's a shitpit

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:53, Reply)

dunstable MK
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:55, Reply)

urrrgh
i am just dealing with a break notice for a big building in the "town centre". the client wants me to go on a site visit. i am thinking of doubling my hourly rates just to avoid it. it's bad enough having to go to northampton for an arbitration in a couple of weeks.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 14 Mar 2012, 14:33, Reply)