I am puzzle... Please, give me more information about the lack of freedom we have in the UK or any other European country with a monarchy for that matter (Sweden, Belgium, Monaco, Spain, Denmark...) but I am more interested on how lucky you are in that side of the pond where you enjoy exceptional kind of freedom. Perhaps we should move to the political area of the Forum because i have the feeling that development will go in that way.
I live 20% in Hastings, East Sussex, England, and near 80% in the Hebrides, Alba.
susieq76, when in Hastings I am in the borders with Kent, so if you want fire away the details. If you want to make it more private, you can send the details in a PM. It is up to you, I don't mind.
England Consumer affairs Licences and other types of official permission Consumer affairs - In England
Licences and other types of official permission
This information applies to England and Wales
Activity centres for young people
Alcohol (sale of)
Amateur radio
Amusement machines
Animals
Beauty specialist
Bingo clubs
Business names
Caravan sites
Car boot sales
Childminding and childrens? nurseries
Citizens? band radio
Companies
Consumer credit businesses
Debt collectors
Dog breeders
Driving licences
Driving instructors
Entertainments in public
Film and video shows
Firearms and ammunition
Fireworks
Fishing
Fruit machines
Fundraising events
Gaming clubs
Guns
Heavy goods vehicle drivers
House to house collections
Hunting and selling game
Hypnotism
Kennels
Lotteries or raffles
Market traders
Marriage
Metal detectors
Minibuses
Minicabs
Model aircraft
Motor salvage operators
Musical performances
Night cafes
Nursing and residential homes
Pawnbrokers
Pedlars and hawkers
Pet shops
Public service vehicles
Riding stables
Road haulage
Rubbish skips
Saunas
Scrap metal dealers
Sex establishments
Street collections
Street trading
Sunday trading
Taping at home
Tattoo parlours
Taxis
Tree felling
Waste disposal sites
Activity centres for young people
A licence is needed to run a centre providing the following activities for children and young people under 18:-
Caving Climbing (including abseiling and scrambling activities, except on purpose-designed structures) Trekking (including walking, pony-trekking, mountain biking, off-piste skiing) Water sports.
Licences are issued by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, 17 Lambourne Crescent, Llanishen, Cardiff CF4 5GS. Tel: 029 2075 5715. Website: www.aala.org.uk
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Alcohol (sale of)
Organisations not operating for private gain (for example, charities or trade unions), can apply for a temporary event notice for a one-off event involving the sale of alcohol. Applications should be made to your local authority.
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Amateur radio
An amateur radio licence must be obtained from the Radio Licensing Centre, PO Box 885, Bristol BS99 5LF, Tel: 0117 925 8333, website: www.radiolicencecentre.co.uk. A practical training course, and/or an examination, must be undertaken before a licence is issued. There are different types of amateur licence. For more information, contact: OFCOM, Amateur and Citizens Band Radio Licensing, 02-130 Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA, website: www.ofcom.org.uk.
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Amusement machines
A permit or licence is needed. Application should be made to the licensing justices at the local magistrates? court if the machine is to be on licensed premises, otherwise application should be made to the local authority.
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Animals
A licence from the local authority is required for individuals to keep certain dangerous wild animals at home.
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Beauty specialist
In some areas, you will need to register with the environmental health department of your local authority if you are offering certain beauty treatments.
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Bingo clubs
In some cases, licensing or registration may be required. If bingo is played for entertainment rather than for private gain, members of the public may take part without any licensing or registration being required, provided that only one payment (of not more than £4) is made by each player as an entrance fee or stake and the total value of prizes distributed during the entertainment does not exceed £400. If these conditions are not met, a bingo club licence from the local magistrates? court, together with a certificate from the Gaming Board for Great Britain, or (in the case of members? clubs) registration by the local magistrates? court, may be needed.
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Business names
If someone wants to know whether a limited company in England or Wales is already using a particular name, s/he can find out by contacting the Companies Registration Office (see under heading Companies for address).
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Caravan sites
A licence from the local authority (environmental health department) is needed to operate a caravan site. Planning permission from the local authority is needed before a licence can be issued.
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Car boot sales
A street trading licence from the local authority or planning permission may be needed for sales held in a public place and/or on a regular basis.
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Childminding and childrens? nurseries
Childminders who look after children at home, together with anyone running a childrens? nursery or other daycare facility must be registered with the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) in England, or, in Wales, with the Welsh Assembly. For more information, contact OFSTED on 0845 601 4771.
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Citizens? band radio
The installation and use of all citizens? band radio receivers must be authorised by an annual licence which can be obtained from the Radio Licensing Centre (see under heading Amateur radio for the address of the Centre).
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Companies
Information about how to register a new company can be obtained from Companies Registration Office, Companies House, Crown Way, Maindy, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ. Tel: 08703 333636. Website: www.companieshouse.gov.uk
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Consumer credit businesses
A licence from the Office of Fair Trading is needed to run many types of businesses which involve consumer credit, including a consumer credit business, a consumer hire business, credit brokerage, debt management, pawnbroking, debt counselling and debt collecting. The address of the OFT is Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX. Tel: 08457 224499. Website: www.oft.gov.uk
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Debt collectors
Debt collectors are required to obtain a licence from the Office of Fair Trading (see under heading Consumer credit businesses for details).
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Dog breeders
A dog breeder is anyone who keeps more than two breeding bitches. S/he requires a licence from the local authority.
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Driving licences
A driving licence is needed to drive most vehicles on the public road. Licences are issued by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The address of the Agency is Customer Enquiries (Drivers) Unit, Swansea SA6 7JL. Tel: 0870 240 0009. Application forms are available from the DVLA and from post offices. For more information, see Driving Licences .
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Driving instructors
Anyone who gives professional paid instruction in driving a vehicle must be registered as an Approved Driving Instructor or hold a trainee?s licence to give instruction. Further information and driving instructor starter packs are available from the Driving Standards Agency, Stanley House, 56 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GU. Tel: 0115 901 2500.
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Entertainments in public
A licence from the local authority is needed to hold any public entertainments, including music, dancing, boxing or wrestling, whether or not an admission charge is made. Certain events may be exempt from the need for a licence. The licensing of public entertainments in London is subject to separate statutory controls. On Sundays, there can be no admission fee to public dances.
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Film and video shows
Subject to certain exceptions, premises may not be used for the public showing of films or videos unless they are licensed by the local authority. There is an exemption for premises used less than six days a year and for showings conducted by non-commercial organisations, which are covered by an exemption certificate.
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Firearms and ammunition
In most cases, anyone wishing to possess, buy or acquire a firearm (other than an airgun) or ammunition must be covered by a firearms certificate granted by a chief officer of police. Anyone dealing in firearms or ammunition must also apply for a certificate.
What is wrong with all that? They are laws and regulations to protect the public from abuse not to control anyone.
In the other hand in UK this people have the chance to write to his member of the parliament and demand an explanation. If they lobby signatures enough they even can put down the law.
If people don't complain is because they AGREE with them. British still believe that there is not enough laws to protect them. They want more...
So if the people in the street like it in that way, then is not lack of freedom, is the way that the British themselves are. In USA you see things in different way so you can not agree, but in this side is quite OK.
There are a lot more regulations in Spain than in UK and we don't feel oppressed, we just give a damn about them and do what we want to do. If the police get too pestering, we just accuse them of fascism and they go to prison. Can you do that with the FBI and CIA in USA? In Spain the national sport is jumping the law. Before I left Spain I had accumulated about 120 traffic penalties that I never paid. Actually I can remember paying a fine in my life. The idea is that if all of us jump the law there is not administration enough to cope with the workload and they will never reach us. So we all jump the law. Can you do that in USA? And Italy is even worse... Don't' you come up now with that "that" is anarchy... We call that "total freedom". So we cheat the law, we cheat the taxes, we cheat in the examinations, we cheat in every thing. Can you do that in USA?
Certainly, because I don't like it and I don't agree, I am in the UK where people is more civilized and there are more laws to protect me. you see?
In France and in Spain NO ONE stops in a traffic lights nor in a pedestrian crossing (The worst place I ever seen about this is Marseille. Run, man, run...!).
The funny thing is that in the old continent we believe that live in an illussion: You believe that you are free... as far the FBI let you be.
It is always a matter of point of view and since we all come from different environments, uses and habits, then is quite difficult that we agree with the way of life of the others. Certainly I don;t like people carrying guns next to me. It is not need of carry a gun. In this side be strongly believe that any one that carry a gun is a potential criminal. I wouldn't trust a person that I know have a gun, I would keep as far away from that person as possible. I used to have guns because I was in the regional Olympic Shooting Team in Spain, but we were not allowed to keep them at home quite rightly. Sorry, buddy, but is the way we see things...