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

... 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.........

.

Well, I look forward to Class 605 ICE VT units linking Snow Hill and Marylebone.....
http://www.einbahn.org/DB-MU/605014.shtml

with perhaps these on the Stratford route:
http://www.einbahn.org/DB-MU/772145.shtml

plus one of these to get thru any landslides caused by building supermarkets:
http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/ro/work/snowplow/P6040071.jpg

perhaps they'll need to train new drivers:
http://www.moviemarket.co.uk/Photos/T101658_B79917.html

PS: I see that during forthcoming half term then there will be no Chiltern through trains between Brum and London:
http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/latest-news/february2008blockade/

The Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway Company is a joint venture between the shareholders of Renaissance Trains Limited and Deutsche Bahn Regio, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company

http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/admin/userfiles/Wrexham%20&%20Shropshire%20statement%2021.01.08%2012.30pm.doc

"The team at Wrexham and Shropshire continues its hard work to ensure that plans to run a new, direct service between North Wales, Shropshire and London Marylebone this spring remain on schedule.

..........with all the rain you've been having, they might need bouyancy tanks..........

Seems that Digitalook have blown Birmingham out as far as Seminars are concerned, at least in Jan and Feb. this year.

by chance was perusing thru different seminars this afternoon ..... noticed only thing in Brum was a Traders University one .....
I see Marston's are due to issue a Trading Statement tomorrow .....

Yep. noticed MARS finished up over 10% today.

in thirsty anticipation of tomorrow I presume .....

I'm not actually in MARS just on my Drinks watch list.

They came up quite a bit this week Stan. Am thinking of adding a few small holdings of breweries/pubcos in certificate form. Maybe after a bit more weakness..............

Nice idea to have a jar this pm, but apologies for absence today I am afraid!

Council employees writing on Adrian Goldberg's The Stirrer website claim that:
* Staff at children's homes are being forced to use their own money to buy food for residents....
... Last night the council said Service Birmingham, the arm's-length company run by outsourcing firm Capita, which introduced the Voyager system on the grounds that it would make cash transactions more efficient, was working hard to iron out "glitches".
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/2008/01/28/30-000-bills-unpaid-by-city-council-as-computer-fails-65233-20401519/

BIRMINGHAM today faces the spectre of black rubbish bags piling up in the streets and a city services shutdown as a strike vote by council workers is confirmed.
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/2008/01/28/countdown-for-strikers-97319-20403204/

But on a brighter note:

Two of the world's best known banks are on the verge of signing a deal to open UK headquarters in Birmingham.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/2008/01/26/big-banks-set-to-birmingham-hqs-65233-20401520/

Should be allowed out again in about 2 weeks. Thinking of a meet up again towards the end of February.

Can't run far and would like a rendezvous with possibility of nearby parking, other wise open to suggestions. Time is fairly irrelevant.

Good news Fred, Feb.18th (Mon) prefer afternoon but later if better for parking, again venue up to you (parking wise). Chris not available Weds (I think) me not Av.Tuesdays. Corgie does not like the evening. As an added benefit The Anchor's hosting the last day of their 4 day Beer Festival on that Monday -):

Other views please.

ED: In addition to the above I will be In Birmingham In the "evening" on the 3rd of March. from about 6ish until about 8.30pm.