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