Greece - a basket case?

Greece seems to be in a serious mess financially, although the EC seems desperate for the Euro to survive the current crisis. It would appear Greece became a member of the Euro club based on rather dubious figures. Tax avoidance and early retirement ages appear to be a way of life in Greece and this is anathema to countries like Germany. If Greece doesn't get kicked out of the Euro, they certainly need to change. We will see what happens. I expect we'll see yet another fudge and somehow Greece will survive, although it is not clear for how long. I'm very glad not to be Greek right now. Life there must be very hard, especially if you have no work.

UPDATE 1726z:  It sounds like Greece may be on the brink of a financial rescue. Time will tell.

Feedback forms

Whatever you do these days it seems there is a request for an online feedback form.Some of this data must be sold on so that you get bombarded with spam calls. I am sure many are genuine but the next time you fill one in think about ALL who may read it.

The hospitality industry and overseas workers

Workers from Eastern Europe work hard and earn every penny. However, when was the last time you were served by anyone English in a cafe or hotel? In our current (excellent) hotel everyone seems to be from Eastern Europe. In the Botanical Garden cafe all the catering staff seemed to be from Poland. There was a TV programme a few years ago suggesting British workers are work shy. Or is it cheaper to employ Eastern Europeans on minimum wages?

Further FTSE 100 falls

Not unexpectedly, the FTSE100 index has fallen further today and is now about 400 below its recent peak.

Dry!

Even though we have had some rain today, our garden is very dry. The grass is very dry and starting to turn yellow. In East Anglia it is not unusual for the lawns to be dry in August, but it is only mid-June!  Usually things recover well when cooler weather returns in the early autumn.  I gave everything a good soaking last night, but we need some heavy rain for a few days really.

"The Gondoliers" G&S

Nearly every year we go to a summer theatre held in a barn in a nearby village. They always do a Gilbert and Sullivan production. This year it was "The Gondoliers". As usual, for a totally amateur group, it was excellent. This has become part of our June landscape now. The Gondoliers was first produced in 1889.

FTSE 100 - up a bit?

The FTSE 100 share index is currently showing very modest gains, although a lot can happen in a day. Based on the continuing uncertainly in, and about, Europe, I'd expect volatile markets for a good while longer. Maybe after the situation in Greece becomes clearer and after the new budget, things might become more stable, even if lower?