Whitey Grandad

Wasn't the talk at the time that Markus was paying for it out of his own pocket? The point about capital expenditure is that it is normally amortised over a period longer than just one season, and we are a 'debt-free' club, whatever that means. We have been splashing a lot of money but we have also been taking a lot from the larger crowds and from the cup runs. The JPT alone would pay the purchase price for Rickie Lambert.

That would be capital expenditure and not revenue, and it has not happened yet.

They used to be preferential creditors but that has not been the case since September 2003. Now they have the same status as the others.

I've got two cruises booked from Southampton and the ferry to France is booked for the July jaunt down to Spain with the caravan so at least we'll still get our foreign holidays. What really gets me going is all this talk about how brave and exciting it was to spend two days on a bus and train to get from the other side of Europe. For people of my generation that was the normal way to travel. My missus went to Sweden on a school trip by train and two ferry crossings and I've lost count of the number of times I've driven 6 or 7 hundred miles in a day to get back to the channel ports. The ones I feel sorry for are those with weddings booked in Antigua and suchlike. For the others, sit back and enjoy the countryside.

Do you not think so? I'd like to see the figures but I would think that we must be close to break-even this season, if the initial purchase costs are not included and assuming a rent-free stadium.

I don't even want to think about it. It was interesting to see the bit on the tele about the Rochdale supporters who have gone 36 years since their last promotion.

Well they would, wouldn't they. You're quite correct, of course, it was Salina. Apparently the beach has sadly suffered from vandalism and erosion from motorboats since the film became popular. When I'm old I'd like to go and visit this and other off-the-beat places before it's too late. There' something romantic about islands (no, not this one).

There's a good film set on there called 'Il Postino' by Massimo Troisi. Look out for the girl: Maria Grazia Cucinotta.

I can't see it myself, but it would be really annoying if we eased up now and then the others slipped up in their last couple of games.

Vesuvius is one of the potentail super-volcanos and is 'overdue' another big one. Typically, the more smaller eruptions that occur, the less likelihood there is of a 'big' one since the magmatic pressure is relieved. The whole of the Bay of Naples was originally one giant caldera with the islands of Ischia and Capri part of its rim but that was a long time ago. 3m people live locally and will be affected by the next one but the authorities hope that they will have 2 or 3 weeks of warning and they plan to evacuate a large number of them. Yellowstone Park is another giant volcano waiting to happen and the ground there is swelling ominously. It shouldn't affect us physically but the American economy will be smothered for a very long time. Still, it might never happen... ...in my lifetime.

Yes. I prefer to think of it as insurance.

Ah... Did he say what I should do about it?

You forgot to allow for the weight of the mains lead. It's a common mistake.

Yes, they could have dented our promotion chances but you can't afford to pick and choose which games you will turn up for. The additional revenue will also have come in useful, no matter how wealthy the owner, and I'm sure that Markus enjoyed his day in the sunshine.

I was at the Bournemouth game yesterday and heard nothing along those lines. I go to their games now and again and as it happened I was sitting between two Saints regulars who do the same. I wish them well and look out for their results but I think that somehow we are far more important to them than they are to us.

We've got one of those in the workshop and it's not sucking as well as it used too. The whites of its eyes are a bit bloodshot and the pupils are dilated. Should I be concerned? As a responsible employer, what should be my course of action?

You missed out that tongue-in-cheeky smiley thingy. What's he planning to do? Land 747s on it in mid-Atlantic and then ship them back?

I agree with you on the whole but he has scored some potentially important goals lately.

That's what I can't understand. Even the Channel Island flights are grounded but they can go at low levels. Flybe aircraft may be turboprop but Aurigny are noisy piston buggers. They would just need lots or airfilters.

There's no way of knowing. It doesn't look like the weather will change much before the end of the week and the volcano is still spouting so the only way that aircraft will operate is if the restrictions are lifted and that would probably only be a partial lifting. After that the prioritisation of passengers wll be down to the airlines so I would expect frequent flyers, First and Business to have a better chance. There is bound to be disruption for at least a further week after full restoration, in my opinion.

The late decision by Lowe is the most important factor, but the team could also have won those enough points last season for the 10 points to have been applied then and not carried over.

Just ask for £50 extra from anyone who wanted to go. For North American & Caribbean flights keep below 12,000 ft for the first hour and Bob's your mother's brother.

The Orient Express stopped going to Istanbul years ago. It stops at Venice now.

Results are far more important than performances at the moment. We've won the last four. Why not the next?

He was spotted in the Marriott Portsmouth this morning going into the sports/gym area. Is he appearing locally?