Member Info for CHEQUEMATE

Thanks for your post barchid. I am having a look - no great rush as things stand.

Regards

CM

Anyone invested here right now will be a rare happy bunny. If I still had a share account I would have been buying here a week or so ago, but my broker went bottoms up (thankfully after I had sold all my holdings to help finance a house move), Sitting the market out at present, so more luck than by design.

Good luck to all, whatever your holdings. The market will change at some time. When the FTSE100 moves up then that will be the time to be out of SUK2.

CM

Hope all is well with everyone here.

Regarding the market; well, when the tide goes out all the boats tend to go with it, rightly or wrongly. No telling how far the market will fall before there is a turn around. You would think that the market that GBG caters for wouldn't be so badly affected unlike some. General panic seems to be the order of the day. It will of course blow over in time.

I have been looking to open another share trading account but struggling to find a broker who isn't going to charge me an inactive fee and/or an annual fee as a % of my holdings. Had my previous broker, SVS, not gone bottoms up I would have been buying into SUK2, (goes up in price when the FTSE goes down) and up 50% over last month or so. NOT a tip.

The market will turn. Until then, I'm sitting this out and will await any buying opportunity.

Sincere good luck to all.

Regards

CM

Hello BT and folks. Hope all is well. Have noticed GBG has fallen back from its' all time high. Not unusual of course for GBG to fall back before advancing again.

Nearing a possible re-entry into the stock market. I am in the progress of opening a trading account with another broker, after my previous one SVS Securities went into administration. Thankfully of course i was out of the market by then. The market has advanced since the general election and the Tory majority. Think much of it was a relief rally that at last the market has something to go on now the way is clearer for Brexit (whether we agree with it or not). Not sure what the market will do after 31 January, but there will always be opportunities out there with the right company at the right time at the right price. And of course, just because a share price has risen doesn't mean it won't or can't rise further; nor the other way round too.

Bit out of practise re. shares having been out of the market since November 2018. No rush to get back in, in truth. Don't know where I will find the time to research as I use to; seems much of my spare time found has been taken up by other things, not sure what though.

BT - I hope you have come to terms with the new kitchen appliances telling you what you are doing wrong and resetting things. Thought that was the role of Mrs. BT!. Does she know she has competition?!. No such complications here. Trying still to get to grips with the heating but have found supply of firewood to see me through this winter all being well. Sometimes the easiest and basic solution is the most effective - like shares. We can over complicate matters trying to find an answer.

Good luck to all.

Regards to all

CM

Bob Hope once said of the U.S Presidential election between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter that it wasn't so much a matter of voting for the lesser of the two evils as voting for the evil of the two lessers. How apt for our general election (again!) between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, can either be trusted?. This is the first election when I truly at a loss of who to vote for any party. For the first time ever I may not even vote but don't like that idea either. Regardless I will stay out of the market for the forseeable future and until I have another broker lined up.

Very good to see how GBG has progressed over the last year since I sold out. I expect there to be more turbulence naturally but GBG so far have managed each time to battle through and risen each time. To think I initially invested at around 60p, about the same as BigTosh. However, the whole point of investing is making the most of the gains and knowing when to take them, otherwise there isn't much point. Long live GBG.

BT - good to hear all appears well with the new abode after all this time. Dare say the wait has now proved worthwhile. My first winter at my new spot. May need some of my gains from GBG to sort the heating. Super efficient modern day electric heaters (not!) look great but costly - think previous owners were taken for a ride by hype. Bit like some shares, don't believe everything we read.

Good luck to all and although a little early, Merry Christmas and a prosperous and Happy New Year (I don't post much these days).

Regards

CM

Although I haven't traded since November last year and moved all my funds out of my SVS account, I still thought my account was active. I went to look at my trading record yesterday evening and found I couldn't log in, not even being able to get into the SVS web site. On looking closer I noticed on Google there were articles about SVS going into "special administration" at the begining of this month!. Anyone with funds and/or shares in their SVS account are unable to access them or do anything at all until the FCA has investigated thoroughly which could take months. Just as well I moved all my funds into my bank account to enable me to have enough funds to buy my house at the end of May!. Had I been looking to move now I would have been completely stuck and any move would have fallen through. Doesn't bare thinking about and all the ramifications it would have had for all concerned. Good luck to all who have SVS accounts; they are covered up to £85,000 (way above what I had in funds) and truly hope they don't need the funds in the immediate future. Just shows none of us know what is ahead. Probably using a well known, reputable broker is worth paying a little more for their services.

Good luck and regards to all

CM

Good evening BT
hope all is well on all fronts. Looking at your last post and the date of it, it looks like you may have moved into your new abode by now. Sorry it has taken me a while to reply. To be honest, I don't look into things much these days and only noticed you had posted when I checked things over yesterday evening, so it is a bit of a catch up. Trust everything has gone well and that you are now settling in with nothing has caught you out. It can be somewhat unsettling initially but most times things work out well. Still getting use to things in a different neck of the woods here, so much more peaceful and relaxed though.

Thanks for your kind comments re RR. Yes, she has been diagnosed with dementia. She has some excellent care, although at present she doesn't need a great deal. There is a befriending service which I can not praise enough. Elderly folk can feel so isolated and lonely so they play a heroic role. Unsung heros. I was last with her a few weeks ago when the last of the work was being done to re-instate the house after the header tank damage done in February. Thank goodness all the work is done. Mum will now (should now) feel much more at ease which should help the overall situation greatly. I expect another visit sometime in September, or sooner, as required.

Re Brexit......well, will it ever be over?. And now we have Boris as PM!. If ever they are looking for leading roles for a remake of the film Dumb and Dumber, then they need to look no further than Trump and Johnson. Trump, fearing people are forgetting he is the centre of the Universe has decided to take another swipe at the Chinese with the consequential affect on the markets. "Will no one rid us of this "meddling priest (President)!" Things can only get better.....can't they?!.

Yes, staying out of the market for the time being seems to be the best play, for me anyway. Hardly any of the shares I held at the time of selling out, have risen above what I sold out at, GBG excepted (although not a great deal) and BOO (which I feel is likely to take a thumping when folk react to fast fashion, wear it once and throw it away, in the same way as they have done to plastic in the environment). To be honest, I feel far more at peace and wonder just how I had the time to be constantly checking and re-checking anything and everything to do with my investments and potential investments. Maybe I will re-invest before year end. GBG, well, yes they do seem to be holding up well, compared to other companies. They have a great deal to offer as always and have never disappointed. They seem to be stuck in a range between somewhere around 530-600p. Still a large number of A trades though, algorhythms (sorry about spelling) by the looks of it. Never happy about that, never was. Seems we need to identify the game and deal with as best we can.

Best wishes to Mrs BT and the not so puppy puppies!.

Regards to all

CM

Good evening BT. et al. BT, thank you so much for your posts and apologies for not responding until now. I appreciate your very kind words and concerns, very good of you. I have very largely been chilling out as best I can since the move, which unbelieveably is now over a month ago. It's taking some time to get use to the different area, but when I can look out from the garden and see the Helvellyn range, Blencathra etc it really is quite breathtaking and I realise how fortunate I am.

Regarding RR, yes, it's been difficult. There are days when things seem ok, and I wonder if the onset of dementia is all in my mind (excuse the non intended pun!). And then there are the other days when as you say you want to scream. Makes me realise we all have to make the most of the time we have because we just don't know what lies ahead for any of us. I make my next visit South next Monday for a number of days so that I am there when the final re-instatement work is done on the house. When things are bad each hour seems like a day and each day seems like a week. It's very difficult to stay strong at such times.

Being totally out of shares has given me some much needed breathing space during some challenging times without the stress of watching the share market. In truth not a lot has happened with the share price here, now at 552p after selling out at 518p back in November; is it really that long ago?. During that time the share price has been above 600p and close to and maybe below 500p. My other investment(s) are generally lower now than when I sold out. GBG continues to push out some excellent results and RNSs I notice. No rush to re-invest at present. I need to see how finances go with the house move and then may re-assess the situation, For those who remain in the market I wish you all every success.

I tend to agree with you about the nonsence going on in the world. Trumpty Dumpty gets stressed out when he hasn't been the centre of attention (Universe) for more than a week so comes out with anything to grab the headlines. And now we have Boris to look forward to being Prime Minister it seems!, unbelievable, swear you couldn't make it up if you tried!. And the alternative..............Jeremy Corbin?...........someone's having a laugh!.

From re reading a previous post of yours BT, it seems you may be in the new house by now. Hope all has gone well and if you are not there yet that you will be shortly. I am sure it will all have been worth it once you are in and you can look back on things with a beer in your hand or of course the old Jura!.

Sorry I haven't a lot to add about GBG specifically. I have taken my eye off things micro speaking and just look at the bigger (macro) picture. Things may change in time.

Wishing all the very best. Special regards to you BT and Mrs. BT and K9s.

CM

Good evening BT. So very good to hear from you again my friend. I thought you had called it a day. Hope all is well with all.

I have occasionally looked at what is happening to individual shares but still am out of the market. I really have had other things on my mind. Have I missed things?, no, not at all. I made a good amount overall for me but for the time being enough is enough.

The move goes ahead on Friday BT; not there just yet. It has been a very difficult few months. The easy bit has been the house move in some respects; the difficult bit has trying to deal with Red Rum starting to suffer from dementia. It has meant numerous visits South, especially as she has had damage done to the house from a split header tank. I have been dealing with the insurance, co-ordinating the work and being there at the time and supporting RR. Desperately need some holiday and "me" time which I truly hope doesn't sound selfish.

Keep in touch. I will look in from time to time.

kind regards

CM

Good evening folks. Just touching base so to speak, checking how you are.

I have been out of the stock market completely since November last year when GBG was at 518p. This is pretty much the first time since then that the share price has risen above what I sold out at at the time. Good to see for you folk still invested. It may well rise further and may even hit an all time high given time, subject to what will (eventually) happen over Brexit (will it EVER be over?) and what Trumpty Dumpty may do or say or imply etc., etc.

It is extremely doubtful that I will return to the stock market in anywhere near the near future. I have taken all my funds out due to being in the process of moving house. It's all in the hands of the solicitors now. I knew all along that I was likely to need to find the funds from my investments to be able to move due to the vast difference from what I would receive for my present humble property to anything else. Should you be interested BT I decided against the converted barn due to the commute, my enthusiasm was ahead of the reality and have gone with my head and not my heart. I have ended up going for the first property I looked at in Penrith, still some distance from work but not much further than what I have to travel now.

Hope all is well with all................including K9s.

Regards and good luck

CM

You're welcome. I'm sure you will get it sorted. You won't be the first to have lost a share certificate and won't be the last. These things may seem rather daunting initially but taken step by step it will work out.

Regards

CM

Good evening BT, good to hear from you as usual.

Puppies settling down after a year?, some chance!. My friends' border collie is just as lively at one year old. Has to be the centre of attention. Bit of a thug (loveable) at times but no malice in him whatsoever.

Thanks for asking about Red Rum. She has a problem at the stables, leaking tank upstairs causing some damage. I think she has someone dealing with it. I phoned this evening and will again tomorrow; didn't want her to say too much before she went to bed, didn't want her to be worked up and not sleep. If necessary I will shoot South. I have a visit planned for 2 weeks time. At 92 little things are difficult for her. Fortunately she has some good friends and helpers around her.

Good luck with the house. Hope there is no Beast from the East, nor a Pest from the West.

Had some deep snow on the hills here recently, knee and thigh deep when I was out, total white out, sleet stinging face and walking on a compass bearing to take me to a wall down to a col and then down into the valley. Oh the fun of it all!........not!.

I have had an offer on my house today, gulp!. I have found a great property, a converted detached barn. Only concern is it is some distance away and would mean a longer and more difficult commute to work. Right property, right time, right price (really!!!).....just not necessarily enough in the right location. Need to have another look, stop over in the area perhaps and dummy runs to work etc. Big decision to make.

Take it easy my friend. Regards and to Mrs. BT too. Watch those puppies.

CM

Interesting proposed acquisition in after hours RNS. No details of price of new shares to be issued to help finance the deal. To date, all acquisitions by GBG seem to have been well made (that I can remember). The issuance of new shares may drag the share price down initially I suppose. One to keep an eye on.

Still out of the market but keeping tabs on GBG in particular. My funds are earmarked for other purposes for the time being.

Good luck all

Regards

CM

Hi Dave

Best advice I can give is Google "Lost Share Certificate". I have just had a look for you. I think you will probably find what to do. Far better than me try and explain things; wouldn't want to make a mistake. There shouldn't be a problem selling the shares.

Good luck

Regards

CM

Hello Cagney, good to hear from you and know you are still around. Hey, don't fret over GBG - I had the opportunity years ago to buy into ASOS at 9p a share, but with the spread being 7p - 9p I thought the spread was too high so didn't bother. I would only have bought about £500 of shares in those days; but imagine what they would be worth now!,.............er...........no, on second thoughts don't!.......please!. Of course I would never have held them all this time. Anyway, we can have too much money, so I am told..........by somebody..........who possibly has never been in the situation where they have never had enough.

Although there has been some recovery in the markets since the very end of last year, it only takes one more crisis manufactured or otherwise by Donald Duck or other characters from his own little world of Walt Disney for the markets to take another down turn. It is only due to the more dovish tones from the Fed over interest rate direction (possible) and the positive mood (at present) over U.S/China trade deals that have helped the DOW in particular and that may all change. DT has worryingly NOT been the centre of the World news for what, maybe a few days or a week?, so it is about time he got things straight again and made us all realise/remember that what REALLY matters in this world of ours is not poverty, climate change, equal rights etc. etc, but DONALD TRUMP! Mr Teflon man himself. In my experience though, Teflon never lasts for ever, so somewhere down the line he will come a cropper. With a bit of luck the next term he will serve will be for another 4 years but somewhere else, and the wall I am talking about has bars too. Not so much for keeping folk out but keeping him in. Think a lot of folk would be prepared to pay for that wall. Whoops, can I say that, or will this post get reported and deleted?.

Sitting out of the market after many years of all the stress and nerves, I feel greatly more relaxed. I am keeping an eye on things from the sidelines but now I have got my (small) private pension sorted with hopefully the first payment due or having been paid out I no longer feel the need to be looking to improve things by investing in the market. That may well change of course. The house move is now my priority and I just don't want to chance losing what would be a very useful deposit when there is no need to chance it.

Red Rum has good and not so good days. She decided to face plant a window the other day; shook her up of course. I am in regular contact and on call for a blast down South; expect to be visiting in the near future. Still, at 92 she is doing pretty well.

Regards and good luck to all

CM

Hope house continues to progress BT, and watch out for those (no so much now) puppies!.

Good for you Investinvalue - but do calm down.......please!.

I remain out of the market, but keep an eye on things. My circumstances have changed greatly and I no longer need or have to put up with the hassle and the nerves of investing. Although, at present, my view that the market was in or heading for a bear market no longer looks quite so true, it is largely down to the U.S dovish tones made by the Fed on interest rates and (for the time being) the positive mood over U.S/China trade deals. Should the latter fall apart and/or Donald Trump decides he needs to be the centre of World attention again by saying something (even for him) stupid, then the market may change again. They can turn on a sixpence.

At some time we all should enjoy the fruit of our labours (investments), isn't that what it is all about?. The difficult part is recognising when that time should be.

Good luck all

CM

I think the main reason for the rise today for DOTD and over the last best part of a week for the stock market generally is the comments from Fed Chairman Jay Powell that the Fed will take a more dovish view on any interest rate increases if necessary and additionally that the trade talks between the U.S and China will end positively. The rise in the DOW has been mirrored to some extent with the FTSE100 and most stocks. However, it only needs Donald Trump to open his mouth to reverse things so I am not over confident on the trade talks. DT has a need to be the main news for his own self esteem and he has been reasonably quiet over the last few days - apart from the wall of course.

I am totally out of the market at present but keep an eye on what is happening, particularly regarding stocks I have held previously. I am less bearish than a week ago, but remain very cautious.

Good luck all

CM

Pleased to see some rise for you Investinvalue.

Good Luck

CM

Happy New year to all.

Good to see some positive movement here; long may it last, although I still sit on the sidelines.

Good luck all

CM

Good evening BT.

Hope you managed to get all of the last minute shopping done. Perhaps now you can relax and look forward to the festivities properly with a Jura in hand.

Agree with your comments regarding politicians,or most of them anyway. I wish they would at such times stop point scoring and do what is right. Does Jeremy Corbyn really believe the country wants a general election!?, for heavens sake get Brexit or no Brexit sorted and now. Seems like the country can be given a referendum when we didn't ask for one but not a 2nd. when many are now we have a greater understanding of conditions. Trumpty Dumpty spitting his dummy out of the pram across the Pond thinking he is some latter date Caesar. The words "will no one rid me of this meddlesome President?", come to mind...or something close to that. He can't take being out of the news for more than a week or two at most. At least there is another Presidential election in less than 2 years time; but can the world wait that long?.

Re pension. I appreciate your thoughts BT. With my pension maturing imminently, within 2 weeks, I really don't want to defer it further when it was always my intention to take it at age..........er..........hmm.....something ending in 0. I have been paying into it for over 20 years and now it is time to enjoy some payback and not wait another 5 years of paying in. Things can change a great deal in 5 years. Hopefully, the market will hold up sufficiently to not affect my pension much.

I wish you and your whole family a Merry Christmas BT, and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

CM

Oh, by the way. If you do manage to keep the puppies and turkey in seperate rooms, just make sure the door is closed!. And if the phone goes, make sure the room with the turkey in is occupied with a human. Memories of phone going and when I came back to the kitchen there was mans' best friend with the last piece of chicken in his mouth!. His eyes met my eyes and there was a big thought bubble above his head saying "oops!". Loved him all the same. As he did me since he let me have that last bit of chicken...........