It's not all doom and gloom!

A recent email from one of our UKBA members in response to another doom and gloom report from one of the banks

Don't believe everything [anything] you read in the newspapers. My experiences over the last few weeks:

1. This morning I had a call from a RBS/NatWest Regional Director who I have known for many years. He is asking me if I can point him in the right direction to find people who want to borrow money from the bank. He tells me he has no restrictions on the amount he can lend - the hurdles in the credit approval department are a bit higher - but still nobody wants his money!

2. I have a long standing Client who has asked me to do more work for him - he runs an up-market bistro. His turnover is still increasing month on month. We had to abandon our meeting last Wednesday as the rest of the place was so full and he needed the table for paying customers!

3. I was in a meeting with the Chairman of the Peak District Tourist Board earlier this month and he was telling me that bookings for 2009 are already up on 2008.

4. I have friend who owns a pub/restaurant in the Peak District and he had his best year ever in 2008. I called in for a bite to eat on my way home at around 7.00pm one Monday evening last month (my wife was at work so I decided on the best option!) and he had only one table free!

5. Our eldest son's girlfriend works at Thompson Holiday's head office. She is working at weekends to keep up with demand.

6. I am trying to get some Turnaround work out of the banks and, other than complete basket cases, there is hardly any work going!

7. I have a friend who runs a large independent bus company. He tells me they have had 5% real growth in 2008 and continuing into 2009.

8. I have a cousin who runs the fleet of trucks which delivers the food to a very well known high street name. He had to put on a full extra shift - nationwide - just before Christmas or their shelves would have been empty.

In fairness, anybody involved in house building and associated businesses, the motor industry and some parts of the retail industry are finding it really tough out there. It might be cold up here in the frozen Midlands, but the economy is far from being a lost cause.