Dubbya

There will be massive lobbying to extend the stamp duty holiday AND the reduced VAT rate AND the car scrappage scheme. The main (only ?) parameter in whether these will be extended is the planned election date. As was made very clear on the Newsnight special last night, an effective approach to managing the economy continues to be ruled out by the short-termism of the political cycle.

Ah, then the FT story will not remain un-tolled ?

Della, many thanks. Perhaps the first thing I should do is e-mail this to 7 people and suggest strongly that they each do the same - what do you think ?

"A Fannie spokesman, Brian Faith..." I know, I know, but please allow me a giggle at his business card

...all of which would be severe enough with stable employment and incomes

Can someone please tell them about the pent-up demand ?

Theatre-goers queue for refunds after the opening night of Phil & Kirsty's live sex show

"....the other people standing in the photos were genuine potential buyers who had been told to gather there last Thursday to receive brochures and see a special sculpture of the complex made from sugar cubes.." and to think there is criticism of the word "sheeple".

He's still got it: http://armstrong-test.s3.amazonaws.com/int...rket_270509.pdf John Davis, property commentator and managing director of financial planning company Davis and Armstrong, said people should be careful when they see what appear to be queues for property. “Everyone and his dog is trying to talk up the market so that people again feel panicked that they should get back on to the ladder,†he said. “Someone ill-informed and looking at this picture on face value might think there is going to be a V-shaped recovery. “The reality is that there is very little demand for property in the north of Ireland because people do not have the money. “We all want to live in beautiful homes but unless you’ve got money behind you then you can’t buy them.â€

"With the scrappage incentive scheme fully operational, industry is optimistic about the positive impact this will have on the market and on UK production facilities," said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive. For gritting his teeth and identifying these "Brown shoots", Paul Everitt gets my Balls of Steel award for this week

Well, it fills the gap between Spring Watch and Autumn Watch (in fact it would have been a whole lot better with Bill Oddie scanning for "elusive FTB's" with his binoculars)

Muttha o' god, it's an HPC'ers wet dream

Watched it - and learned from Ray and Martin how to borrow the maximum possible amount, with the least deposit, in a rapidly falling housing market. Sound advice I'm sure.

I stopped buying the Indie a couple of years ago when it got into the habit of using the whole of the front page to picture it's latest "cause". (essentially no different from the Daily Wail's "campaigns", and certainly not why the paper was launched)

This cheered me up (sorry, not Les Dawson) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDUTTRGOJdE