????

Solid first ever post :)

Si Mangia - staff are great; relatively easy to get a table......never been completely convinced by the food though if I am honest

plus this from Germany's EU Affairs Minister... "Given Britain's size, significance and its long membership of the European Union, there will probably be a special status which only bears limited comparison to that of countries that have never belonged to the European Union," he said.

Never been to the Boat Race (although been to most/many other sporting type events in London)

Current Update - Employment at record high this morning (and in July it went up against forecasts) Earnings up FTSE (250 and 100) both way above pre-Brexit Several big companies now saying no material effect from Brexit experienced yet London Retail sales booming although inflation is up and the ? still lower ....of course it's early days massive uncertainty ahead, but Armageddon it's not thus far is it Come on Lordship - how are we doing?

Obvious other suggestions are Cotswolds or Chilterns

or Premium bonds as 'you never know' but safe

As you're saving for something specific (deposit) you would be mad to put it in shares, so I think you're stuck with low rates. Investments & Savings are different things, really. I thinks savings accounts if you have spare cash are crap and then you should be thinking about investment BUT you are not you are saving for a deposit...stay with poor returns in a savings account

Game of Thrones

4300

you and me too rendel - good old capitalists they were too :)

It was me who started this before - it was soon flamed by Viz Tips and the scorn of Snorks, deservedly so. It is probably buried around page 200 or somewhere.

Stuffed and stuck in a glass case behind the bar at the EDT

...and who was the second? :)

IN

Cup Winners Cup was always my favourite :)

In

Yup - the trains from the South East of England and all points there in are packed with the sweaty toilers of the proletariat during rush hour. You really, really think that most trains aren't massively skewed towards those in middle class occupations???

Back on taxpayer funding - I'm not sure that taxpayers should fund Middleclass commuters from the Home Counties (see also Tax Payer Funded Higher Education as another form of 'regressive' funding).

rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I strongly believe in the power of markets, > competition and incentives, but it totally > dogmatic to think that it is appropriate in all > and every case to bring in the private sector. To > say that there is only one way is the definition > of dogma. Private sector created it in the first place. It's not a free market - operators have restrictions on charges etc for eg. Bidding for franchises for a local monopoly is a form of competition? Anyway interesting thread on Guardian Online on this I noticed this evening

rendelharris Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ???? Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > How nationalisisng and freezing fares will > solve > > overcrowded over stretched services without a > > massive investment from THE TAXPAYER is beyond > my > > logic - can someone explain how 2+2=5 > > > > It's dogma - don't believe it. > > But some of us want massive investment from the > taxpayer, funded by some tax rises for those who > can well afford it and closing of all offshore > loopholes. Sensibly managed infrastructure > investment will increase employment, tax revenues > and reduce spending on benefits. And if there's > one bit of infrastructure that needs investment, > it's the railways. > > ETA: And, as many economists have pointed out, at > a time of historic low interest rates which we may > not see again in decades if ever, what better time > for a programme of borrowing for infrastructure > investment? I have less problem with the investment in infrastructure, especially when money is cheap (see also cross rail) but that's not much to do with the service operators

I think that support for re-nationalisation of the Railways, and i accept it's widespread, is dogma driven idiocy. Rose tinted memories from people of my age( in the extreme) but just naivety from those younger people that didn't use British Rail back in the day. Are all private train operators great? No, but the massive increase in train use is the main problem here and the strains that puts on networks and the track infrastructure (in public hands anyway?). The operators are victims of their success. Before privatisation; - train use was in decline - reliability was very poor - rolling stock was dilapidated and falling to bits - service/information was appalling despite more visible staff; it ranged from some occasional really excellent people to downright abuse (remember the Not the Nine O'Clock News sketch - this happened a lot) but was mainly shoulder shrugging indifference -the railways ethos seemed run entirely on their provision of employment to its emplyees than any passenger concern How nationalisisng and freezing fares will solve overcrowded over stretched services without a massive investment from THE TAXPAYER is beyond my logic - can someone explain how 2+2=5 It's dogma - don't believe it.

rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is she OK? Sounds like she may have some mental > health issues Nah, Louisa's just trolling :)

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