Fitzdares plays it safe (or so it thinks)
I tried to open an account yesterday at Fitzdares the West End bookmaker. My bank statement does not show my name and address at the top left. So that's no good. And I then handed over my file to my wife who does not readily lose her temper and told Fitzdares that she would find the relevant papers that constitute proof of ID. She was told that she would need a Power of Attorney. At which point I gave up. Written by Simon Cawkwell, June 2026
19 hours ago1 min read
Capitalism in action
“As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind: every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.” American astronaut John Glenn Written by Simon Cawkwell, June 2026
1 day ago1 min read
Catchy naming
In the distant past companies/firms carried telegraphic addresses. I considered Corkscrew but turned down this irreversible warning to potential customers. Elsewhere there was a bookmaker trading on southern point to point pitches whose board was headed Rob The Rich. It was of course unclear that this was intended to advise that the bookmaker, Rob, was rich and therefore well able to pay out or whether it was a clear warning as to the intent of the bookie. Finally there was a
4 days ago1 min read
Tommy Robinson's real name
is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. I know this because the BBC cannot refer to Tommy without simultaneously advising what the BBC terms his real name. I doubt if anybody else is so treated. But that is the BBC's brief - although how determined I have no idea. As to the BBC's commentary on current names and events it is quite amazing that events in Belfast are clearly described and explained by the host people on the ground but by the time the news mangling gets back to Broadcasting Ho
5 days ago1 min read
Referees can be dangerous
Quite how this top referee, a Somali, can be denied entrance to play his agreed part in America and the World Cup is completely beyond me: Anyone got any theories?
6 days ago1 min read
Invinity (IES)
People who claim to know when a stock has gone down sufficiently to cause the greedy to feed are usually misleading. But I suspect IES has again become a buy at 35p.
7 days ago1 min read
Salt beef
Forty years ago I used to buy salt beef sandwiches from a small shop around the corner from my office. They were cut on the spot from a chunk of meat described by the proprietor as brisket. But I have never encountered brisket in that delicious form since. So I asked around and was informed that the relevant salt was a form of gunpowder and since the IRA were operational it could not be held for use by salt beef sandwich vendors. This seems very unlikely and I expect it is a
7 days ago1 min read
