For months I have been bombarding the kindly editor of The Argus with articles for his august newspaper.
Last week, he finally grasped the nettle, saying: "Well, Tim Parker. Get on with it. You can start next week." So here I am.
I am going to write about business matters. I will not load you with reams of figures taken from the latest company accounts or reports from the City news agencies.
I will record my impressions of the people I meet. I will talk to directors, executives and tea ladies (if there are any left).
How quickly does a company respond to a request for information? Where are the good new ideas that give prospects for the future? I will tell you of any snippets of information I may acquire, which may help you with your own decisions.
I come from a manufacturing background. My mother's family business was a respected hat manufacturing company in Stockport. Remember the old saying "If you want to get ahead, get a hat." Alas, nobody took this advice seriously and, after many years, the company was closed.
My father worked for ICI, as did I for a few years after National Service. I was a company buyer. It was a good job but I was rather cross that I had to have a senior buyer sign orders over £20,000. Mind you, £20,000 was a lot in those days. I was riding for a fall.
When ordering foreign currency I got the dot in the wrong place and ICI acquired a million extra escudos.
Now financial analysts and our great institutions also make mistakes and when they spot a trend they all jump in. Bingo or not bingo? Do you remember when many of the banks decided to invest in estate agents just before the recession in Nineties?
What a shambles.
In the early part of this year, I was in America. The question was and still is: "Is there going to be a recession?" All the television channels had their own opinions. Some economists said "yes", some economists said "no".
What do I think? Well, I don't know either but I was not impressed with the company that suggested we should all buy gold.
All is not lost. There are lots of splendid British companies with excellent prospects.
Next Tuesday - God willing and a following wind - I hope to entertain you and give you an insight as to what is going on.
Postscript: No, I did not get the sack from ICI but everybody enjoyed my discomfort. As it happened, the exchange rate went the right way and ICI ended up in profit.
- Tim Parker
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