Member Info for FJGooner

Fair enough - many thanks for your reply.

Posts on these boards can often lose something in the translation. :)

For clarity, my comment about a pathetic post was aimed at this unhelpful offering:

"FJGooner how’s your buy back 10% cheaper going lol

Looks like the saga share price has set sail hehe, is it you I can see in the distance been left behind at the pier lol"

Pathetic post.

The latest UK and global vaccination update for those interested.

Total people in the UK that were newly vaccinated: 334,679
Total people in the UK vaccinated to date: 17,582,121
Total people in the UK that had received their second jab: 615,148

More than 204 million doses in 88 countries have been administered, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 6.55 million doses a day, on average.

United Kingdom Patients admitted to hospital with Covid (daily, total)
17-02-2021 1,397 432,213
16-02-2021 1,492 430,807
15-02-2021 1,491 429,315
14-02-2021 1,531 427,799
13-02-2021 1,419 426,268
12-02-2021 1,493 424,849
11-02-2021 1,671 423,356
10-02-2021 1,725 421,685

The latest UK and global vaccination update for those interested.

Total people in the UK that were newly vaccinated: 482,110
Total people in the UK vaccinated to date: 16,423,082
Total people in the UK that had received their second jab: 573,724

More than 186 million doses in 82 countries have been administered, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 6.34 million doses a day, on average.

United Kingdom Patients admitted to hospital with Covid (daily, total)

14-02-2021 1,531 427,799
13-02-2021 1,419 426,268
12-02-2021 1,493 424,849
11-02-2021 1,671 423,356
10-02-2021 1,725 421,685

TheFarEnd,

You're entirely right.

I know what you mean and I have always felt exactly the same. What sort of weirdo would change tack like that?

Although I've sold my Saga holding, it is only a very temporary measure.

Whatever happens to the share price, my Saga holding will be restored (plus or minus a few thousand shares depending on the market reaction next Tuesday morning) over the next month or so.

It is rather rare for me to act on an instinct like this, so I'm quite sure that doing the opposite could well prove the most sensible route.

Like I said in my post earlier, my admission of such an act is to gain accreditation to the Hall Of Fame of Losers on this BB. It is in no way a recommendation to follow suit.

But, on reflection, the core reason that I posted my amended position is that I felt a moral obligation for transparency when I've been such a proponent for holding these shares for so long.

And, of course, I remain such a proponent for holding these shares ... but it's just not for me until after next Monday's route map declaration.

All the best to you for next week.

I have a feeling that I may prove to be the biggest plonker next week. So, get ready to add me to your Hall Of Fame of Losers.

After holding Saga consistently for a rather long time, I have moved my holdings this week to cash for the time being.

Why? Just ahead of the roadmap on the 22nd?

Well, every time Boris has been talking this week, he keeps insisting that he will take a "cautious and prudent" approach. He “won’t be rushed” etcetera.

Unless he's bluffing for effect (which he may well be - the old Prince Hal routine), I think the market reaction next week will be unforgiving. As we know, when the Saga share price decides to take a journey north (or south) it can really move rapidly.

Of course, the issue here is in no way one of fundamentals. Saga, as a company, will do just fine even if cruising & travel don't get usefully included on the roadmap next week. If cruises don't resume until September (when the whole of the UK has been fully vaccinated), Saga will be absolutely fine as we all well know. But the market over-reacts in the most ludicrous way.

I (already!) hate not holding Saga - the first such occasion in an exceptionally long time. Once the uncertainty ahead has been removed, I will happily re-take my position at the prevailing price - whatever that may be.

But however much I try, I just cannot envisage Boris standing behind his podium next Monday outlining any prospects of international leisure travel whatsoever - given his remarks over the last 2 or 3 days.

Much more likely, he'll trumpet the "glorious" prospect of a "tremendous" UK staycation this summer as our reward for this seemingly interminable lockdown.

I’m quite sure that I’ll be proved wrong as usual – so please feel free to add me to your Hall Of Fame next week.

No, that's fine.

I just wanted to be sure that you had read it.

Have a great week.

Hi Roxbury,

Did you see the reply I posted to you on the ADVFN BB about the British Isles cruises?

It may have got swamped by the hundreds of puerile posts over there.

It looks like the Government is determined not to implement Vaccine Passports, as these would somehow create a divide between the "haves" and "have nots" in our population, stoking divides until the vaccination roll-out completes its first full cycle of the adult population.

So if they can achieve exactly the same thing by calling them Vaccine Certificates or Cards then that is an acceptable workaround.

It's all a bit laughable really, but if the ultimate affect is to enable safe summer travel corridors between countries that have similar Covid-19 caseload & vaccination profiles then we can all be happy.

Just don't mention the word "Passport". Or the war. :)

The latest UK and global vaccination update for those interested.

Total people in the UK that were newly vaccinated: 503,116
Total people in the UK vaccinated to date: 14,012,224
Total people in the UK that had received their second jab: 530,094

United Kingdom Patients admitted to hospital (daily, total)
08-02-2021 1,908 418,148
07-02-2021 1,842 416,133
06-02-2021 1,875 414,291
05-02-2021 1,994 412,416
04-02-2021 2,133 410,422

More than 159 million doses in 76 countries have been administered, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 5.80 million doses a day, on average.

Believe me, I understand your sentiment fully as a British traveller and as a Saga shareholder.

But if a particular country - or the whole set of EU member states at some point - require a standardised Vaccine Passport for entry, well ... that will be what is required - however much you or I both know and insist that it is utterly pointless for our fully vaccinated and wealthy customers.

The same logic would be to say to a country's immigration officer "You know damned well that I'm British - why should I show a Passport ... just because it's your little country's requirement." Maybe throw in a well-judged "Who won the war, anyway?".

I doubt that would result in achieving an enjoyable excursion on many occasions. :)

Today's UK and global vaccination update for those interested.

Total people in the UK that were newly vaccinated: 549,078
Total people in the UK vaccinated to date: 12,014,288
Total people in the UK that had received their second jab: 511,447

More than 131 million doses in 73 countries have been administered, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 4.69 million doses a day, on average.

Pianista,

Re your: "what difference would a vaccine passport make?"

A week ago when the vaccine passport story was big news, they were being touted as a mechanism that might allow British tourists to take holidays abroad this summer.

Saga's vaccination policy is great, but if other nations move to require VPs then the UK travel industry needs to pressure the government to change its mind on this issue. However well vaccinated our cruise ships' passengers are will prove irrelevant if they are refused debarking at ports due to not having a compliant VP.

A few one-liners that make me chuckle ...

I don't do jokes about an elephant who's packed his trunk and left the circus. Not on your Nellie.

I went into this pet shop. I said 'Can I buy a goldfish?' The guy said 'Do you want an aquarium?' I said 'l don't care what star sign it is'.

I bought a pair of shoes off a drug dealer. I don't know what he laced them with but I've been tripping all day.

As a kid I was made to walk the plank. We couldn't afford a dog.

A woman walked into a library and asked for a book on euphemisms. So the librarian took her up the rear aisle and let her have it.

I don't see the news of the Oxford Covid vaccine offering this limited protection affecting Saga's share price too badly.

At worst, as the FT article says, they should have a suitably modified version of the vaccine by the autumn. As long as the SA variant does not spread widely here or in Europe, our vaccines will surely still be fit for purpose.

The booster jabs available in that next iteration will keep currently approved vaccines efficacious into the following year. That seems good enough, surely?

In terms of negative press today, I'm more annoyed that the Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi ruled out vaccine passports on the BBC's Andrew Marr program this morning, suggesting that such a move would be 'discriminatory'.

That seems ludicrous to me - how can being properly vaccinated be 'discriminatory'?

Vaccine passports seemed to be gaining traction over the last couple of weeks, so it's really not helpful at all to have the travel sector torpedoed by a Conservative government minister of all people.

I'd agree with that - £300K is about right for the majority of flats in this location, possibly with the exception of some penthouse offerings on the top floor.

Hi Banbury,

Re your: "Anyone know how long Saga have occupied the building ? "

We moved into that Middelburg Square building in 1986 from the old Enbrook House that was basically a big old mansion set in the current Sandgate grounds where the Saga Pavilion building now sits.

Saga has occupied the Middelburg Square building ever since, even after moving the headquarters back to the new Enbrook building in 1999.

That's correct.

This building is actually larger than the other two up for sale (over 72,000 sq ft) and is right in the middle of Folkestone. It has some good views to both the south and the east from the upper 2 floors.

Goodness only knows what this site could be worth if re-purposed as domestic residences.

Conveniently, there is a 550 space NCP car park right next door and it is only 5 minutes walk from Folkestone Central station (54 minutes to London St Pancras).

Ndn71,

One last comment from me on this topic and again an abject apology to you.

I now see your point entirely - you are quite correct in your objection. I have always used the Message View on this forum, so I couldn't understand your complaint - that's why I glibly suggested that you could just scroll up an inch or so.

But when switching to Thread View, you are quite right - my update posts are littering the thread titles in there. I will endeavour to contain all my future updates within the latest thread created today. (I'm sure from time to time I'll get it wrong - please be patient with an old git.)

To others, apologies to you too for causing this misunderstanding and the flaming that sadly seems to have ensued.

I can't believe that I didn't notice that Thread View option existed - just getting old I guess ... :)