VictorBroom

Thanks VB

My pleasure. Be sure to let us all know how you got on.

Also started a herb garden as well, Sage, Chives, Parsley and mint. The parsley is going like the clappers.

Be careful with some herbs as I've had a tricky time with some 'round at my parent's house.

Mint - Very evasive! Make sure you plant in a pot. Or, in a pot buried in the garden. It will just go berserk and take over otherwise.

Chives - As above but not as bad.

Rosemary - Keep it trimmed otherwise you'll quickly get woody stems. If you prune back into them it won't regrow.

Sage - As above really. I'm sure Sage plants only last a few years before they need to be replaced. Maybe it's just us?

My parents don't really have enough time, energy or inclination to keep on top of the garden as it should be. I try as much as I can to look after it for them. With more care and attention the herbs would probably do better.

We tried drying some herbs in the shed once, to use for cooking in the winter for example. Wasn't much of a success but it would would be worth a punt I reckon.

Good luck.

Also posted on the Hyperinflation thread...

Why Hyperinflation Isn't Coming to the U.S.

by Mike Stathis August 2010

He talks more about gold than hyperinflation really:

Instead of individuals like me, the media floods you with hacks whose only mission is to sell you gold. Many gold bugs continue to insist that gold is headed to 10,000 or higher, and that the dollar will fall to zero. Others have insisted that gold will never again fall below $1000. The volume of these ridiculous claims about gold is endless. And their lackeys, which are spread throughout the Internet, mirror these delusions when they write articles. It’s truly become a circus show of followers.

Isn't it largely irrelevant what the CB rate is anyway? Mortgage and savings rates broadly decoupled a long time ago. If the Bond markets demand it, rates will rise irrespective of what the CBs do.

 

The question for me is: how much of a real rate rise is needed before mortgage rates would be pushed up?

I think mortgage rates will continue to go up at a slow pace. Like you say, there isn't a correlation any more. When the CB rate goes up it may be too late for 'homeowners' to obtain a decent mortage, if at all. The governments 'special liquidity scheme' ends in January I think. Don't know much about it but it may affect banks funding abilities. Anyone know more about this?

Why did I always skip by this thread I wonder...?

Just picking up on the last few posts... I agree to a certain extent about music changing in the mid-late 80's/early 90's. My thoughts drifted towards a number of artists who play 'traditional' (best I could do) instruments, yet you would still class as electronic (again, best I could do).

Faithless:

From:

BT (Brian Transeau):

From:

IIRC, Brian Transeau is classically trained. His albums really are a good journey. Also, doesn't Moby play loads of instruments?

Can't find anything at the moment but Drum n Bass with 'real' drums and 'real' bass is a good listen. Actually, hang on...

From:

I wouldn't call myself an old git... but... what is all that Dub Step sh1t all about?

I had thought about setting a corner of a field aside for growing veg. - sell it to the local greengrocers and such like. An idea for the farming thread I think...

Maybe selling surplus to neighbours and/or friends and family could earn a few extra bob. Might pay for next years seeds, canes, cloches etc.

I am confident that I can produce far in excess of my original £10 "investment" when they purchase the equivalent of what I can grow from their local Sainsbury's.

I guess the thing is though... would you have courgettes every day if you had to buy them from the supermarket? My old man grows them and even freezing them by the tub load, he still has some left over come the next spring.

They have a far too high percentage of leeks in their diet through the winter as well.

In fact, I think I've still got some runner beans in the freezer from a couple of years back.(!)

This is all beside the point. I think you'll easily win should someone take up the challenge.

I am interested in the gold/acres thread I think you had about 2 years ago...do you know where I can resurrect it?

I notice that in the UK at least good ag land is increasing in price. How about NZ? Even woods in the UK are about 7000/acre it seems.

I guess it would have to be based on 'average' land values, such as these from Knight Frank. Perhaps Knight Frank could e-mail you their Farmland Index on a spreadsheet. They would have some good historic data I am sure.

Ag. land can vary by a large margin dependant upon type, quality and location. Have a look here as well.

I am going to subscribe to 'Farmland Market'. Will let you know if it is any good.

Also see this thread:

http://www.greenenergyinvestors.com/index....st&p=170858

Anyone have Sterling libor charts?

Not a chart... but just found this data which looks useful:

http://www.selftrade.co.uk/market-data/mon...erest-rates.php

You can alter the time frame in which to see a percentage change.

Some information here regarding the Gold Vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

http://cryptome.org/eyeball/gold-vault/gold-vault-frbny.htm

General design, plans etc.

5% down all over in the US

http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/Favorit...p;cmd=show,iday[Y]&disp=SXA

5% down all over in the US

http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/Favorit...p;cmd=show,iday[Y]&disp=SXA

Gold just went up to GBP 817

GBP/YEN low 129, high 142. Currently down 3%

What's occuring?

Nice gain in GBP this afternoon then! £805 £806 currently.

On a separate note - someone wants to sell some 1kg Metalor bars on HPC. Not sure of price...

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/ind...p;#entry2422089

I'm doing some data analysis at the moment on historial gold prices........

 

I'm looking for an excel file that had daily prices back to circa 1971 in GBP. I can only find a file online back to Jan 2000, couresy of World Gold Council. Any help much appreciated

Is it this?

http://www.lbma.org.uk/stats/goldfixg

VB

In other news...

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-...e_id=5&ct=5

Official probe into 'cash for gold' firms

Philip Scott, This is Money

21 January 2010

 

Following a spate of complaints the Office of Fair Trading is putting gold buying companies under its microscope.

 

The business of offering consumers cash in exchange for their unwanted gold has boomed in recent years as the price of the precious metal has soared.

 

A large number of firms have set up shop, heavily advertising that they will buy gold, but these have drawn complaints from customers and were criticised heavily in a report by consumer group Which?

 

Over the past 12 months alone the cost of gold has rocketed by more than 31% to some $1,120 per ounce.

 

Now the OFT is seeking to establish whether cash for gold firms are complying with consumer protection legislation.

 

As a result of the amount of customer grievances, the OFT has asked a number of companies to provide information on their business practices and to explain a number of claims made in their advertising and on their websites.

 

Among the OFT's concerns is whether consumers' rights to reject an offer for their gold and receive it back are being honoured in all cases.

 

The OFT will also be reviewing the companies' terms and conditions to assess whether they are fair for consumers.

 

At this stage, the OFT has said that no assumption should be made that any companies involved in gold buying have broken the law.

 

Juliet Young, of the OFT's Consumer Market Group, said: 'Buying gold using the postal service is a relatively new business model, and while innovation often brings benefits for consumers, we want to check that the market and businesses operating in it are developing in a way that treats customers fairly.'

 

The news of the OFT's probe follows an investigation by consumer group Which? into cash for gold firms.

 

It concluded that these companies are offering 'shockingly bad value', paying customers a fraction of their items' true worth. Three pieces of new jewellery purchased by Which? for a total of £729 drew an offer from one firm, CashMyGold, of just £38.57 for the lot.

 

Which? said: 'Companies that encourage people to sell their unwanted gold by post are offering consumers shockingly bad value and should be avoided.'

 

Although it is not possible for the OFT to intervene directly to resolve issues arising between individual consumers and firms, in this case the OFT says it would be interested in hearing about consumers' experiences of using the services of companies who buy gold using the postal service. The team can be contacted via the website at www.oft.gov.uk/goldpost.

Telegraph link as well.

No doubt nothing will become of the OFT's findings.

Looks like a few firms have been making some pennies though...

JFC!

How did you get it to do that?!

source as cheeply as posible

I would suggest agricultural supplies as apposed to diy/pet stores.

http://www.mcveighparker.com/mcvp_store/in...p;productId=243 - for example.

Good luck.

Victor,

 

My problem is the total oposite really, it's the hight of the chicken wire thats of more consern to me really, I recently "lost" a chicken as she decided to fly over, and my golden retriever didn't really appreciate the "invasion" of his area and delt with her in a simular fashon to how he deals with rabbits.

Have you thought about getting one of their wings 'clipped'.

http://www.addisonousebank.co.uk/Keeping_Hens.html

Chicken Wing Clipping

 

We found out that in order to keep them within your garden you need to clip just one wing on each bird. Be careful though - only clip the primary feathers. Do not clip down too far as you will hit blood vessels which can lead the the chicken bleeding to death. Seek advice from a VET or professional if in doubt. Our chickens wings were successfully clipped they and now no longer escape.

I have no experience of this but it might be worth looking into.

VB

We always have foexes around so I am wary about letting them run free during the day.

I had some chickens in my Mum and Dad's back garden when I was young. Rural location, I grew up on our farm.

How has everybody here got their chicken wire for them to go outside? I used to pin the bottom of the wire into the ground. Perhaps have the wire too long at the bottom and pin six inches or so horizontal with the ground, if you see what I mean. Foxes did get in on one occasion, so I then buried the bottom of the wire in the ground. Seemed to work ok.

You do have to keep checking the wire though. Foxes may come back every night/day to have a go. As soon as they can make a small gap it won't be long until it's game over.

VB

VAT up from 15 to 17.5% ?

Yes.

Just sneaked my order in before...

I'm still waiting for mine to arrive.

 

Ordered them over Christmas, but the guy at Weighton sent an email on the Wednesday before New Year saying he'd decided to wait until Monday the 4th to post them, with the excuse of the "pending bank holiday and weekend coming up".

 

He could have dispatched them on the Wed/Thurs before New Years Day, then maybe I'd have had them delivered on the Saturday.

 

So I get a delivery note on Tuesday because I was at work, and then it snowed and I couldn't go and collect them from the Post Office.

Arranged a redelivery for today (Saturday), checked the status on Royal Mail tracking system, which says they are "out for delivery", but nothing turned up today!

 

Have arranged for another redelivery for Tuesday, but I bet they won't arrive if there's more snow by then....

 

It's really annoying not knowing what's happened to my order!

 

Especially when it could have been dispatched a day or two earlier with a simple trip to the post office.

I ordered mine on the 30th. I had to e-mail them and ask for a different delivery address as I was back at work the 4th. They mentioned that they would be despatched on Monday 4th, which they did. It was still Thursday before they arrived though.

Like you say, it does play on your mind slightly until they arrive.

I am sure all will be fine.

Gold Bullion Doorstop

Hmmm, might have have to get one...

VB

Weighton Coin have an offer on 20 x Britannias 2010 at the moment. £360 inc. VAT.

http://www.weightoncoin.co.uk/coins/index....roducts_id=1757

VB

Gold's Surge Unlikely To Slow As China Could Emerge As Massive Gold Reserve Buyer

December 1, 2009 11:10 AM EST

With government's around the world devaluing their currencies, pumping their economies with liquidity created out of thin air, and with central banks around the world choosing to diversify into gold, do you really need another reason to own the precious metal? Well, comments from senior Chinese official yesterday on gold are adding fuel to the fire and puts another feather in the cap of goldbugs.

On Monday, Ji Xiaonan, chairman of the supervisory board for large firms at State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, said the Dubai crisis could give China a buying opportunity to put some forex reserves into gold or oil reserves.

A Chinese paper, the China Youth Daily, quoted Ji as saying a task force was set up last year to look at the issue of gold reserves. "We suggested that China's gold reserves should reach 6,000 tons in the next 3-5 years and perhaps 10,000 tons in 8-10 years," the paper quoted Ji as saying. It was last reported that China's gold reserves had risen to 1,054 tons from 600 tons since 2003. So this could mean an increase of up to 10-fold!

After taking a breather Friday on dollar strength, due to the Dubai debt concerns, gold is back to all-time highs. Spot gold last traded at $1196.10, up from yesterday's close of $1178.90.

Link