Martin,

Regarding your statement of September 2nd @ 4.46 p.m.

"Steve, remember the United Kingdom is a Europe country."

Martin, I just checked my National Geographic map of The World, and the United Kingdom is not shown as a Europe country, but it is shown as a country in those pesky Britannic Islands.

Martin, my map is quite old, so I have just now double-checked some maps on the internet, and the United Kingdom is still not shown as a Europe country.

However I noticed on most maps of Europe, that there were various shipping lanes going north-west towards the United Kingdom.

Maybe if the United Kingdom is not part of Europe, then maybe it is part of North-West Europe.

Searching on the internet, I came across a United Kingdom state regime website that recommends places for U.K. subjects to visit. One of them indeed, is North-West Europe. In the fervent hope, Martin, that you will visit them all, I shall list the North-West Europe places:

NORTH-WEST EUROPE
1. The Dyle
2. The Escaut
3. Amiens
4. Arras
5. Boulogne
6. Calais
7. France
8. St. Omer-La Bassee
9. Wormhoudt
10. Cassel
11. Foret de Nieppe
12. Ypres-Comines Canal
13. Dunkirk
14. Somme
15. Seine
16. Cherbourg
17. St. Valery-en-Caux
18. Saar
19. Bruneval
20. St. Nazaire
21. Deippe
22. Gironde
23. Normandy
24. Pegasus Bridge
25. Merville Battery
26. Port en Bessin
27. Authie
28. Sully
29. Putot en Bessin
30. Cambes
31. Bretteville L'Orgueilleuse
32. Le Mensil Patry
33. Breville
34. Villers Bridge
35. Tilly sur Suelles
36. Odon
37. Fontenay le Pesnil
38. Cheux
39. Tourmauville Bridge
40. Rauray
41. Caen
42. Carpiquet
43. Mont Centdouze
44. Esquay
45. Noyers
46. The Orne
47. Bourgebus Ridge
48. Cagny
49. Troarn
50. Maltot
51. Faubourg de Vaucelles
52. St. Andre sur Orne
53. Verrieres Ridge
54. Tilly la Campagne
55. Mont Pincon
56. Quarry Hill
57. La Variniere
58. Souleuvre
59. Catheolles
60. Le Perier Ridge
61. Brieux Bridgehead
62. St. Pierre la Vielle
63. Estry
64. Noireau Crossing
65. Falaise
66. Falaise Road
67. Laison
68. Quesnay Road
69. Clair Tizon
70. Chambois
71. St. Lambert sur Dives
72. Northern France
73. Dives Crossing
74. La Vie Crossing
75. Lisieux
76. La Touques Crossing
77. Vernon Crossing
78. Risle Crossing
79. Seine Crossing
80. Foret de Brettone
81. Foret de la Londe
82. Amiens Junction
83. Brussels
84. Antwerp
85. Montebrugge
86. Hechtel
87. Gheel
88. Heppen
89. Neerpelt
90. Aart
91. Dunkirk Harbor
92. Le Havre
93. Boulogne Harbor
94. Calais Harbor
95. Moerkerke
96. Wyneghem
97. Antwerp-Turnhout Canal
98. Nederrign
99. Arnhem
100. Nijmegen
101. Vegel
102. Best
103. Scheldt
104. South Beveland
105. Walcheren Causeway
106. Flushing
107. Westkapelle
108. Leopold Canal
109. Woensdrecht
110. Savojaards Piaat
111. Breskens Pocket
112. Lower Maas
113. Aam
114. Opheusden
115. Venraij
116. Asten/Meijel
117. Geilenkirchen
118. Venlo Pocket
119. Kapelsche Veer
120. Roer
121. Zetten
122. Ourthe
123. Rhineland
124. Reichswald
125. Waal Flats
126. Cleve
127. Goch
128. Moyland
129. Moyland Wood
130. Goch-Calcar Road
131. Weeze
132. Hochwald
133. Schaddenhof
134. Xanten
135. Veen
136. Rhine
137. Emerich-Hoch Elten
138. Ibbenburen
139. Lingen
140. Bentheim
141. Twente Canal
142. Drierwalde
143. Leese
144. Zutphen
145. Deventer
146. Aller
147. Apledorn
148. Arnhem Junction
149. Groningen
150. Brinkum
151. Friesoythe
152. Uelzen
153. Ijseelmeer
154. Kusten Canal
155. Bremen
156. Delfzijl Pocket
157. Bad Zwischenaham
158. Oldenburg
159. Leer
160. Artlenberg

Martin, I have checked all of North-West Europe above, and the locations are in the following countries:

Indivisible Republic of France
Holy Catholic Kingdom of Belgium
Holy Catholic Duchy of Luxembourg
Kingdom of The Netherlands
Federal Christian Socialist Republic of All-Germans
Kingdom of Denmark

Martin, you may have noticed that the United Kingdom is not on the list.

Any suggestions Martin, as to where the United Kingdom is located on Planet Earth, if not on the Britannic Islands?

If you need help, see site:

http://www.weights-and-measures.com

And topic:

Common Time

P.S.
Martin,
When you finally complete your tour of all the locations above, be sure to let the United Kingdom state regime know of your accomplishment, as you will then be awarded a six-pointed solid brass star, with the words "NORTH-WEST EUROPE" emblazoned thereon. Apparently the star was instituted by U.K. King George VI at the suggestion of U.K. First Minister & War Minister Sir Winston Churchill.

BON VOYAGE CHERI BLARE TOOTS AMOOR, MARTIN, & DON'T RUSH BACK!

I think this whole xcole thing is no more than an elaborate hoax.

I saw the lengthy message when I opened this thread (by looking at the scrolling bar at the right of the screen) and was totally shocked that xcole's message managed to generate so many responses.
Then I saw that it was all the message itself.

XCOLE has managed to mis-interpret information. One of the British medals that was awarded at the end of the Second World War was for service in North West Europe. The list of placenames were all World War II battlefields.

I would suggest visiting the COuncil of Europe website to see what they think constitutes Europe. The COuncil of Europe is not to be confused with the European Union - it is more like a United Nations of Europe.

Its website can be found at any one of the following:

http://www.coe.int/DefaultEN.asp
http://www.coe.int/DefaultDE.asp
http://www.coe.int/DefaultFR.asp
http://www.coe.int/DefaultIT.asp
http://www.coe.int/DefaultRU.asp

If you look around the website, you will find a list of the 45 member nations (which include United Kingdom, Eire and Iceland).

AS far as I could see, the only nations that do not have full membership, but which are eligible for membership are:

Belarus (membership suspended)
Monaco (applied for membership)
The Holy See (observer status)

I still think that if you gave the average Brit a globe and said "circle europe with your finger" they's miss out UK and Ireland!

Try it.

Actually, this time I think you might be wrong.

Oh, ok then.

(SteveH adopts a face of concern!)