Would I Really Want to be Twenty One Again

Hi Everyone

Having worked for six years as the building manager in the late 1960s and early 70s for a company that was part of a national construction group, I thought that I had enough experience to run a business of my own. At that time, the main way to advertise your business was the Yellow Pages. Every office had two thick directories - the telephone book and the yellow pages, or, as someone advised me, be a regular at a local pub, something that I never subscribed to. When the Senior Partner learned of my plans, she pointed out that the biggest section in the whole of the yellow pages was for building and construction companies, asking how I could survive with all that competition. Easy, just make sure that you are better than most of them and build your business on reputation rather than advertising. Now, as anyone who has run a business will tell you, it is not all plain sailing with many highs and lows along the way. In my experience, there was always one contract that was either just breaking even or even losing money, and if that contract is fifty miles away, as happened to us once, then the pain is even more difficult to bear. All this Rubbish is leading to this week's headline about the hospitality section of our economy, pubs, restaurants, and hotels, etc., which is being battered by rising costs, government taxation and people's spending power. Just like in my time, there are too many of them competing in a changing market with the added competition of a rash of takeaways and ready meals in supermarkets. I have every sympathy with many owners who are probably working twelve hours a day and more just to keep their heads above water. About one pub a day is currently closing it’s doors with little chance of being reopened. Just like in my day, they have to ensure that their business is one of the best and offers real value for money. In this current climate, the customer is king, although, sadly, many have forgotten that the best and most economical way to eat food is to cook it yourself.

When it was my twenty first birthday back in 1958, the Senior Partner, despite the fact that she was tight with money, took me, the Main Contractor and the Junior Partner for a meal at a well known local restaurant. This week the Main Contractor found the menu from that occasion. Since 1958 until now means that £1 then is now just over £20. Converting the original figures to todays prices showed that a starter a Grapefruit Cocktail was £2-00, Prawn Cocktail was £5-50 and soup £2-00. Most comparable starters now cost between £6 and £9. In main courses Dover Sole with all the trimmings was £15, but you would rarely see that on a menu now and if you did it would be double that price. By comparison, grilled salmon was £17-50 about the same price as now. Fillet steak was £21-00 and rump steak £16-50. Both would now be in the high twenties or low thirties. It shows that generally prices have gone up more than inflation. It is good that I will not be twenty one again, as there is no way the Senior Partner could cope with those prices.  

I mentioned about three weeks ago that the Main Contractor had a winter project to reinvent or remodernise or whatever description you want to use for the downstairs toilet. I am pleased to report that I survived the ordeal and the completed project was given a score of ten out of ten and a small peck on the cheek for my efforts. I am not sure whether I deserve such a high score, as I fear tha I just might be being set up for another project, but I will certainly savour the small peck on the cheek.

Trump has thankfully been fairly quiet this week, except for sending his “Big, beautiful Armada” to the Gulf to threaten Iran. I would remind him what happened to the Spanish Armada when they tried to invade us in 1588.

Just a Thought:

It’s a five minute walk from my friend's house to the pub. It takes him thirty minutes to walk back. The difference is staggering.

The takeaway is the art of eating dinner on the sofa, covered with curry sauce. That’s probably the sofa as well as the dinner.

The great thing about inflation is that if you spend the same amount each week, the bags get lighter and easier to carry

Brian