Any punters living in Birmingham Area interested in a Pie, Pint and jaw, one evening in a pub in Birmingham area.
Personally interested in small time investing(gambling), developing an appetite for CFDs. Also developing an interest in Charting or TA.

I use Sharescope, Moneyam, Barclays, Comdirect and IC

Fred.... yes, I wondered why you'd posted the Australian thing.....
Don't forget if you've been sleeping in the desert overnight then look in your boot next morning before you put it on - to check no scorpions in it - they can give you a nasty bite (a bit like Market Makers).....

Apologies I was thinking of the ostriches on the Jezzer for prime minister thread.

Evening Fred..... It's the 'medication' that does it......
The ostriches (in form of burgers) are available at the Farmers Market (New Street) next Wednesday.....

... and now back to the serious subject of choo-choo's....

Ministers and officials are to look at re-opening the Great Central Main Line, which ran from London's Marylebone Station to Manchester via Rugby in Warwickshire. An extension linking it to Birmingham is expected to be added if the project goes ahead.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=old-london-birmingham-rail-lines-may-re-open%26method=full%26objectid=20331942%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

(Let's hope they don't try to fit the Rugby bit in between Christmas & New Year.....)

Here's the original route:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Central_Main_Line_(diagram)

Bulletin board posters sued for defamation
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml;jsessionid=XKTPOHOMJFFOPQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/money/2008/01/13/cnadvfn113.xml

Blair and the cherry could make another fortune.

Be careful what you say Fred -):

Fred....
you'll like this one then:

Blair's bank job worth $5m a year

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7186975.stm

There are very few times when I would endorse murder. In the cases of Blair and Bush, if I was a witness such a deed against them, considering the misery and mayhem that they have been responsible for, my sympathies would be with the perpetrators.

The Anchor Inn, in Bradford Street, won the Campaign for Real Ale's Pub of the Year award for its commitment to sourcing good real ales from micro-breweries around the country and serving top quality brews.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/2008/01/15/anchor-inn-scoops-award-97319-20351548/


Budget airline Ryanair has announced a new base at Birmingham International Airport.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7188963.stm

Shrewsbury Railway Station is to get a 700,000 upgrade when direct train services to London begin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7191085.stm

A timetable has now been agreed with Network Rail for the timetable period starting in December 2007 and we expect to be able to operate train services from Spring 2008. An announcement regarding the launch date will be made in the New Year.
http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/launching.html

Interesting to see The Anchor back in favour, not keen on Ryanair as a Company but never used them.

Always useful to have facilities improved, but don't like the terminology "aims to achieve journey times of..". If you look at the timetable their claim of 2hrs 50min to London is way out, just hope that it is going to be improved as the service gets going. Time will tell.

>An announcement regarding the launch date will be made in the New Year.

Await the date with interest....... I presume they'll be doing some dummy runs before the first public launch date....
With the 'longish' journey times, wonder if they'll offer a day return ticket?

>not keen on Ryanair as a Company

I've not met many people that are keen on using Travel WM busses - but that company (National Express) seems to make a 'nice' profit as well.....

Seemed to have updated http://www.beerintheevening.com/ I see Boys and girls.

... and an updated report on The Anchor in the Post...

The Anchor Inn in Digbeth has been named the top pub in Birmingham for the fourth time.
"...we've got very brave and adventurous customers."

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=anchor-inn-named-no-1-pub-in-birmingham%26method=full%26objectid=20366531%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

Seems it's safe to say I'll have a Station Porter please....

Station Porter 6.1%: A smooth, dark ruby brown ale with an aroma of roast malt, coffee and rich fruit. It has a similar, complex and spicy, rich bittersweet taste, and a long, smooth warming roast finish. A multi-award winning Porter

http://www.wickwarbrewing.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=4

I see our Stan 's position on the monthly comp is improving by the minute. He's got an even bigger lead than last month. Surely this time.........

A German operator has announced plans to takeover a British rail company.
Laing Rail, owners of Chiltern Railways, which operates services between London and the West Midlands, is to be owned by Deutsche Bahn (DB).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7200275.stm

Trying not to think about the competition after last month 55 -):

Chris, Thought that Laing had already been taken over last year or so, no news on fair prices yet.

If any of you on here are around in Birmingham center this Saturday at about 6.45pm I'm up for a pint or two as I will be coming back and changing at New Street, might go for some food as well.

Stan..... there had been noises about wanting rid of the railway part of the group because it didn't 'fit-in' with core infrastructure activities of John Laing - Henderson (the fund manager) bought John Laing last year for around 950 million pounds. After that KPMG were appointed as advisers for a sale of Chiltern. So now it's finally rid of. Price they were looking for last year was an offer over 80m. Will let you know Thursday if likely to be around Sat pm.

The flag did hover by me on the way down, maybe it will do the same on the way back up........ I don't think anyone in recent history has been successful at either end of the scale. I had been wondering earlier if Stan hadn't even been a mite optimistic with his choice.

Note the rail comments Survive, but you will recollect my remarks re the ability to operate the timetable with the number of sets they claimed to be using. If the journey now takes longer still, then there will be added cost of hiring more sets. A couple a trips a little while back led to strange detours to avoid darkening the doors of New Street and Wolverhampton. Presumably this is the route the new service will take, but it is far from High Speed.

Reckon there may be something of a culture shock for DB - the cartoonists should have a field day.........