Hand Up, Not Hand Out

Posted on March 10th, 2010, by james

There are many of us who think that small business will be the engine that drives us into recovery, so whilst I often comment here on the FTSE, and large corporate profits, that is more a factor of the availability of content than an indicator of my bias.  It is therefore a great delight to [...]

Royal Mail Strike Averted, and FTSE Climbs Further

Posted on March 9th, 2010, by james

The ongoing dispute between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers’ Union appears to have been resolved, with the Union accepting a 6.9% pay rise over three years, and revised working practices.  This is good news for those individuals and businesses that rely on a reliable universal mail service – especially those in mail order.
Elsewhere, the [...]

It’s not what you’ve got, but what you do with it.

Posted on March 8th, 2010, by james

If you’re Lithuanian!  This weekend brought us the amazing result from the Davis Cup, where Lithuania beat Great Britain in the biggest victory in their history, and Great Britain sank to an all-time low.  Bad news (though not unexpected news) if you’re British, but the cue for wild celebrations in Vilnius.
And I think there is some [...]

CBI and EEF Look on the Bright Side

Posted on March 1st, 2010, by james

After a weekend with dozens of ambitious owner-managers at the BGP, it is always easy to look on the bright side on a Monday morning.  This is helped by the BBC  reporting today that both the Confederation of British Industry and the Engineering Employer’s Federation are reporting increased optimisim amongst their members.  This is especially good [...]

Good News Stops Me Spreading Good News!

Posted on February 19th, 2010, by james

I can’t believe it is over a month since my last post, but I am happy to say that the key factor in my lack of presence has been the continuing growth in my own business – and the fact that I have more work on my plate than at any time.  It is a [...]

Good News For The Fuller Figure

Posted on January 14th, 2010, by james

New research in the International Journal of Obesity (that’s got to be a heavy read) claims that extra weight on your hips, bum and thighs can protect against heart and metabolic problems, as well as putting you in the attractive company of J-Lo.
According to the BBC report this week, the research team at Oxford have found [...]

Cabbie Declines Reward

Posted on January 13th, 2010, by james

On Monday I blogged about my friend Peter being loaned £3.20 by a railway station ticket attendant to pay for his car park.  Well, you can trust America to come up with a bigger and better story!
Today, the Press Association are reporting on Mohammad “Mukal” Asadujjaman, a Bangladeshi cabbie in Manhattan, who found approximately £13,000 in [...]

Record Attendance for Small Museum

Posted on January 12th, 2010, by james

Pendon Museum at Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire has just broken its own record for the largest number of visitors ever received on a normal opening day, with 286 people paying a new year visit on 2nd   January. The Museum was featured at peak Christmas viewing time on BBC 2’s ‘James May’s Toy Stories’, one of a [...]

Random Act of Kindness

Posted on January 11th, 2010, by james

On Friday I met with some colleagues from BGP Ltd, and because of the snow most of us had travelled by train.  Peter had this excellent story of human kindness.  He had turned up at his station in Cambridgeshire, only to discover he had no cash to pay for his car parking ticket, and the [...]

Arctic Misery or Winter Wonderland?

Posted on January 6th, 2010, by james

We’ve had a few inches of snow overnight, and I know other parts have had more.  Our take on whether this is a good thing or a bad thing obviously depends on whether we had important meetings today, or have elderly relatives who can’t get out, but there is an opportunity to step away from [...]