It's not all doom and gloom

Well the festive season has gone. The weather is wild and it seems to be dark most of the time. Isn't life fun during a Scottish Winter! I am sure that some of you had fun getting home yesterday, what with bridges closed, lorries overturning on motorways, garden fences being blown away and a new one trampolines, yes trampolines. During this recent spell of inclement weather it has been reported that trampolines blown from back gardens have been flying around parts of Scotland!!!!

To cheer myself up I looked at the press and listened to the radio. What do I get? Yes, more gloom and doom! Financial markets took a pounding yesterday, sterling hit fresh record lows against the Euro. Today sees day two of the Bank of England MPC meeting. Will there be a cut in interest rates? Maybe a 0.25% cut? Let's wait and see.

Also the World Economic Forum has voiced fears of a recession in the US over the next 12 months and also expressed doubts that consumption-led growth in Asia could take over as the driver of the global economy.

Here at CIOBS of course the sun always shines and so do the people. We have some students doing online exams today. I am sure that they will be happy at the end of it all.

Just a reminder for Chartered Banker students the enrolment window for the Spring examinations opens on 15th January 2008 and closes on 1st March 2008.

Revision courses are planned prior to the exams and details of these will be posted on our website in due course.

Our weekly podcast will be posted on the website today and it is not all doom and gloom

I was talking to a friend of mine earlier who had just read an article on the dangers of heavy drinking and excessive smoking. It scared the life out of him. So that’s it after today, no more reading!


Michael (Keep your sunny side up)