Luton Airport

[James Curry]

I wouldn't worry about vans, taxi's or even fatcats riding around London and paying the ULEZ or other charges, because they all claim it back from the taxman. So, in short, if you pay taxes in the UK, you pay the charges for them.
Mr Khan sends his gratitude to you all.

Khan may have extended the ULEZ but if you thank anyone , Ulez was created by Boris Johnson back in 2015 when he was Mayor of London.

[happy daze john in oz]

Taxi fares in London were not that bad, beer in many pubs cost more.
Only a few Diesel ones left, they have until 2025 to convert to EV.
Here in Oz we still have a good number that run on LPG, either been converted or as was the case some years ago built as LPG versions.

Has a warning today in the paper about home batteries.
One of the biggest manufacturers had issued a warning about the number that have caught fire.
Most are situated in the garage, fine if yours, like mine, is all brick, but many are only timber and Gyproc built as part of the house.

[James Curry]

Seems to be more and more batteries going on fire Phones and other IT items. Think we have mentioned this before un plug laptops etc!

[Steve Singleton]

What I found rather strange, was that the Senior Fire Officer immediately....ie, whilst fighting the fire..... said that the initial vehicle involved was a Diesel.
What happened to the first rule of talking to the press? You do not make sweeping statements like that, you hedge your bets and speak with caution.
Such fires are always subject to analysis and forensic investigation which can take weeks to reach a conclusive report....which even then may contain some element of doubt.

But no. Not on this occasion. Statement: "It was started by a diesel powered Range Rover." End of discussion. Who is pulling whose strings here?

Unless the Range Rover was quite an old model, it would more likely be a diesel-hybrid, than a straightforward all-out diesel......and from the pictures and videos I have seen....it looked like a recent model.

I agree with James Curry here, that many a fire at sea has been caused by a fractured diesel/fuel line......but how likely is that on a modern, newish,diesel car with little vibration? (It's hard to tell if they are diesels these days!)


(By the way: I also served as a Full time-Fireman in the UK......Back then, the usual explanation of "Cause of Fire" was "Careless Use Of Smoking Materials"... But I never heard of a SFO making such a bold statement at the scene.)
Cheers.

[Johnny Kieran]

Probably not allowed to say it was an EV, even if it was. It'd cause EV sales to plummet.

[Keith Tindell]

Ref14, Steve, i think you are guilty of making a statement, that you are accusing the fire officer of. You have no knowledge of what information he had gleamed, even though the incident was ongoing, he may have spoken to persons much closer to the source, etc etc. I would have thought he would have had some idea to cause him to make that statement. truth is, we don't know. my observation also as a full time Fire Service officer. just my observation of what see from a distance without knowledge.

[Steve Singleton]

Hi Keith not really making a statement or an accusation...... Merely saying that I thought it odd that the SFO made that statement so early in the incident, I mean, did he really need to?
The process in all incidents is one of tact and diplomacy and most statements boil down to "Our inquiries are ongoing."

I quite agree with you: Many are speculating from afar and without much of a solid basis with which to do so. (Which is why I don't subscribe to social media channels of gossip, tittle-tattle and and trivia.)
But I think when you hear such a firm confirmation as to what caused the fire, even DURING the raging fire: Ones suspicions are aroused.
Cheers.

[Keith Tindell]

Hi Steve, no offence intended, just an observation. Completely off thread, but seeing as you are near the Coronel, my great uncle from Portsmouth was on HMS Good Hope in November 1914, when the British fleet were defeated by the German fleet, and the Good Hope went down with a loss of all hands, my got Uncle was 17 years old. i had to look up where the Coronel was when i went in to the story.

[Steve Singleton]

Hi again Keith..... No offence taken my friend, I can assure you.
As an update...here's a link to a YouTuber discussing the "Luton Incident"........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-zK...=GeoffBuysCars He makes some good points I think as regards the Hybrid theory, with some humour thrown in!

Ah! Yes indeed: The Battle Of Coronel..... The RN Certainly got some heavy losses there. There is a small memorial near the port.... not particularly impressive it must be said. (I could get some photos of it if you like....?)
There is also a restaurant, well, more of a Cafe actually.... It has some memorabilia, a model of one of the ships involved, various photos and other odds and sods. (Been a while since I was in there.)

Still, the "return match", in the Falklands went the RN's way and I believe all of the German flotilla was lost.

Incidentally: There is a "Monitor" which was captured by the Chilean Navy from the Peruvian Navy in the Battle of the Pacific. This is anchored in the Port Of Talcahuano, just up the coast from here.
It is called the Huascar and....was built in Birkenhead! I've been on board a couple of times and it is a an amazing little warship.

Cheers.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Incidentally: There is a "Monitor" which was captured by the Chilean Navy from the Peruvian Navy in the Battle of the Pacific. This is anchored in the Port Of Talcahuano, just up the coast from here.
It is called the Huascar and....was built in Birkenhead! I've been on board a couple of times and it is a an amazing little warship.

Cheers.

I remember seeing her when I was in Talcahuano in the early 1950's, have a photo somewhere. Chile one of my favourite places, remember being taught to dance by a very elegant Chilean lady (who was with her husband) on the balcony of the Casino in Vina del Mar, I was 16 (not allowed on the gambling floor) it was like being in heaven, must have been the tan, blond hair and hazel eyes and looking about 12 years old, she probably wanted to mother me. And just so that I cannot be accused of going off theme, she lit some kind of fire in me!