Gone very quiet

[Forester1965]

The Bribery Act changed things a bit. I imagine enforcement of it isn't as effective as it should.

[okgo]

It hasn’t changed anything to my eye. Lots of my pals in the industry still taking people here there and everywhere.

Though predominantly you’re taking the agency who represents the client not the client. So probably easier to skirt the rules. You’re right that clients directly were always harder to snare.

[RayDonovan]

Corporate stuff is still alive and kicking in the Alcohol trade. Not sure how they bypass the rules but it happens all the time.

[Dr Interceptor]

Happens in my industry too. We have an annual trade expo called Spatex at the start of February, used to be down in Brighton, now it’s in Coventry as the Ricoh Arena (or whatever it’s called these days).

Exhibition during the day, at night, the big corporates schmooze the pool company bosses with dinner, clubs, casinos, and some extra curricular activity in exchange for the promise of their business for the forthcoming season.

[okgo]

In advertising it’s a weekly occurrence - my bosses would be annoyed if I wasn’t out with clients on a Thursday night or Friday lunch getting them pissed up.

Every Friday lunch/Thursday night whole areas of London eateries (it used to be Charlotte St in my day) are full of people entertaining clients - I.e spend your money with us not the next newspaper/website/tech platform. So much so that I remember attempting to book one of the places for my partner and I for dinner on the weekend, they informed me that they didn’t open weekends - such was the trade from the ad industry in that area in that time that there was no point/didn’t need to.

[Frimley111R]

okgo said:

... So much so that I remember attempting to book one of the places for my partner and I for dinner on the weekend, they informed me that they didn’t open weekends - such was the trade from the ad industry in that area in that time that there was no point/didn’t need to.

There are a few places like that in London that are effectively totally closed at weekends. I took all my mates to Holborn one Saturday night for a big piss up only to find all the pubs were shut and it was like a ghost town!

[okgo]

You’d expect it of the city and places near it. But Charlotte St is 2 mins walk from Oxford St!

[Digga]

okgo said:

In advertising it’s a weekly occurrence - my bosses would be annoyed if I wasn’t out with clients on a Thursday night or Friday lunch getting them pissed up.

Every Friday lunch/Thursday night whole areas of London eateries (it used to be Charlotte St in my day) are full of people entertaining clients - I.e spend your money with us not the next newspaper/website/tech platform. So much so that I remember attempting to book one of the places for my partner and I for dinner on the weekend, they informed me that they didn’t open weekends - such was the trade from the ad industry in that area in that time that there was no point/didn’t need to.

Digga snr was selling capital equipment in the 1970's for Ruston Bucyrus, part of US Bucyrus Erie. We're talking cranes and excavators, so even way back then £200k-£300k orders in some cases. Ford Granada and an expense account was the order of the day.

They would get hauled into directors office if they were not spending enough on lunches and dinners. Similarly, cars were audited to make sure you had the right amount of giveaways, not only corporate gifts, but cigarettes too.

[Earl of Hazzard]

Digga said:

okgo said:

In advertising it’s a weekly occurrence - my bosses would be annoyed if I wasn’t out with clients on a Thursday night or Friday lunch getting them pissed up.

Every Friday lunch/Thursday night whole areas of London eateries (it used to be Charlotte St in my day) are full of people entertaining clients - I.e spend your money with us not the next newspaper/website/tech platform. So much so that I remember attempting to book one of the places for my partner and I for dinner on the weekend, they informed me that they didn’t open weekends - such was the trade from the ad industry in that area in that time that there was no point/didn’t need to.

Digga snr was selling capital equipment in the 1970's for Ruston Bucyrus, part of US Bucyrus Erie. We're talking cranes and excavators, so even way back then £200k-£300k orders in some cases. Ford Granada and an expense account was the order of the day.

They would get hauled into directors office if they were not spending enough on lunches and dinners. Similarly, cars were audited to make sure you had the right amount of giveaways, not only corporate gifts, but cigarettes too.

Bucyrus Erie, they made Big Muskie. BEAST.
https://youtu.be/DJQDZN-zDJY?si=m3MqKAP7Net0xsWt

[Digga]

Earl of Hazzard said:

Digga said:

okgo said:

In advertising it’s a weekly occurrence - my bosses would be annoyed if I wasn’t out with clients on a Thursday night or Friday lunch getting them pissed up.

Every Friday lunch/Thursday night whole areas of London eateries (it used to be Charlotte St in my day) are full of people entertaining clients - I.e spend your money with us not the next newspaper/website/tech platform. So much so that I remember attempting to book one of the places for my partner and I for dinner on the weekend, they informed me that they didn’t open weekends - such was the trade from the ad industry in that area in that time that there was no point/didn’t need to.

Digga snr was selling capital equipment in the 1970's for Ruston Bucyrus, part of US Bucyrus Erie. We're talking cranes and excavators, so even way back then £200k-£300k orders in some cases. Ford Granada and an expense account was the order of the day.

They would get hauled into directors office if they were not spending enough on lunches and dinners. Similarly, cars were audited to make sure you had the right amount of giveaways, not only corporate gifts, but cigarettes too.

Bucyrus Erie, they made Big Muskie. BEAST.
https://youtu.be/DJQDZN-zDJY?si=m3MqKAP7Net0xsWt

Also the humble, but ubiquitous 22RB.



And the digger I first 'drove' (with help) at 3yrs old, the 20H.

[Earl of Hazzard]

Digga said:

Earl of Hazzard said:

Digga said:

okgo said:

In advertising it’s a weekly occurrence - my bosses would be annoyed if I wasn’t out with clients on a Thursday night or Friday lunch getting them pissed up.

Every Friday lunch/Thursday night whole areas of London eateries (it used to be Charlotte St in my day) are full of people entertaining clients - I.e spend your money with us not the next newspaper/website/tech platform. So much so that I remember attempting to book one of the places for my partner and I for dinner on the weekend, they informed me that they didn’t open weekends - such was the trade from the ad industry in that area in that time that there was no point/didn’t need to.

Digga snr was selling capital equipment in the 1970's for Ruston Bucyrus, part of US Bucyrus Erie. We're talking cranes and excavators, so even way back then £200k-£300k orders in some cases. Ford Granada and an expense account was the order of the day.

They would get hauled into directors office if they were not spending enough on lunches and dinners. Similarly, cars were audited to make sure you had the right amount of giveaways, not only corporate gifts, but cigarettes too.

Bucyrus Erie, they made Big Muskie. BEAST.
https://youtu.be/DJQDZN-zDJY?si=m3MqKAP7Net0xsWt

Also the humble, but ubiquitous 22RB.



And the digger I first 'drove' (with help) at 3yrs old, the 20H.

Explains your username

You'd probably like this vid about rescuing an old dragline - a good channel in general

https://youtu.be/9K5HqkMkn-4?si=4S8ui1kxyOhGnmy4

[RicksAlfas]

A good few years ago we printed the books everyone had been waiting for:
Lincoln's Excavators: The Ruston-Bucyrus Years 1945-1970 and
Lincoln's Excavators: The Ruston-Bucyrus Years 1970 - 1985.

Did you get one as a Christmas pressie Digga?

[Digga]

RicksAlfas said:

A good few years ago we printed the books everyone had been waiting for:
Lincoln's Excavators: The Ruston-Bucyrus Years 1945-1970 and
Lincoln's Excavators: The Ruston-Bucyrus Years 1970 - 1985.

Did you get one as a Christmas pressie Digga?

No, but I do have the full set of sales manuals here.

[Digga]

Latest figures for insolvencies and liquidations make grim reading. I am hopeful the economy is (mostly) already recovering and that the first rate cut when (not if) it comes, will bring a further optimism. However, for some, in terms of cash flow or the will to continue to risk, it is too little too late.

https://www.cityam.com/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-uk...

[urquattroGus]

Digga said:

Latest figures for insolvencies and liquidations make grim reading. I am hopeful the economy is (mostly) already recovering and that the first rate cut when (not if) it comes, will bring a further optimism. However, for some, in terms of cash flow or the will to continue to risk, it is too little too late.

https://www.cityam.com/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-uk...

This marries with what I am hearing anecdotally - and the Government and B of E seem largely complacent/asleep of the wheel - or maybe we'll power out it?

Punitive Net Zero Policies, potential fiscal over tightening for too long and other things such as the 10% NNM/NLW increase are clumsily timed and could just pour petrol onto the fire?

So much for the budget offering any substantial easement to either employees or employers.....

[Essarell]

I appreciate this has been covered but driving past Arnold Clark Birtley today and they have an absolute mountain of stock, must be some big collapses coming this year from the car / van retail sector.

[skwdenyer]

urquattroGus said:

Digga said:

Latest figures for insolvencies and liquidations make grim reading. I am hopeful the economy is (mostly) already recovering and that the first rate cut when (not if) it comes, will bring a further optimism. However, for some, in terms of cash flow or the will to continue to risk, it is too little too late.

https://www.cityam.com/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-uk...

This marries with what I am hearing anecdotally - and the Government and B of E seem largely complacent/asleep of the wheel - or maybe we'll power out it?

Punitive Net Zero Policies, potential fiscal over tightening for too long and other things such as the 10% NNM/NLW increase are clumsily timed and could just pour petrol onto the fire?

So much for the budget offering any substantial easement to either employees or employers.....

Don’t forget energy costs, which have been a major problem for some businesses.

[Mr Whippy]

urquattroGus said:

Digga said:

Latest figures for insolvencies and liquidations make grim reading. I am hopeful the economy is (mostly) already recovering and that the first rate cut when (not if) it comes, will bring a further optimism. However, for some, in terms of cash flow or the will to continue to risk, it is too little too late.

https://www.cityam.com/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-uk...

This marries with what I am hearing anecdotally - and the Government and B of E seem largely complacent/asleep of the wheel - or maybe we'll power out it?

Punitive Net Zero Policies, potential fiscal over tightening for too long and other things such as the 10% NNM/NLW increase are clumsily timed and could just pour petrol onto the fire?

So much for the budget offering any substantial easement to either employees or employers.....

The data in the USA isn’t making great reading on inflation resurfacing.

The UK is a different kettle of fish but we’re broadly led by what the USA does.

It’s bad news or bad news.

My clients for the first time ever are actually saying they’re quiet, rather than not giving anything away.

And trying to sell some resi dev property via our agent has proved very slow… finding people willing to put £millions into something for a few years and hoping they make a profit out the other side is clearly now a very real risk… especially as government keep flapping around with planning, stamp duty, taxes, etc.
The first round of bids had a spread of about 40% which says to me a heck of a range of outlooks, which suggests a lot of unknowns/uncertainty… so not great.

[urquattroGus]

skwdenyer said:

Don’t forget energy costs, which have been a major problem for some businesses.

And insurance, a 30 percent increase on our motor fleet premium, just renewed in feb…

[LimmerickLad]

Digga said:

igga snr was selling capital equipment in the 1970's for Ruston Bucyrus, part of US Bucyrus Erie. We're talking cranes and excavators, so even way back then £200k-£300k orders in some cases. Ford Granada and an expense account was the order of the day.

My 1st tracked excavator was an MF450 but my 2nd was an RB175, 5cyl air cooled Deutz with bog tracks.....great memories.