REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Over an expresso this morning with a golf buddy of mine we were bemoaning the prevailing gloom this week, punctuated by the Chancellors Autumn Statement, the public sector strike,the intensifying crisis in the Eurozone and yesterdays Financial Stability report from the Bank of England. Our antidote to this was to create a list of "reasons to be cheerful" (as the late,great Ian Dury once declared)...we came up with the following gems; 1. Coffee is apparently now good for you. 2. Stoke City are through to the knockout rounds of the Europa League 3. Julian Barnes novel "The Sense of an Ending" 4. Berlusconi is NOT our Prime Minister. 5.The mild weather is predicted to persist this weekend so golf assured. 6. We are not in the euro. 7. I am going to see Coldplay in Manchester on Sunday. 8. The sheer doggedness of charity fundraisers. 9. Gary Oldman in Tinker,Tailor Soldier,Spy. 10. The John Lewis Xmas TV advert. 11. Having great people in our businesses. 12. A new Jaguar car plant for the West Midlands 13. Rory McIlroy 14.The Leveson enquiry. 15. Children of all ages at Xmas................and so many more reasons I'm sure.