There goes civilisation...

was this you then? wow!

Beer has just gone up, twice, once the actual cost of the commodity, once because of the chancellors new budget a few months ago. It looks like it will go up again soon due to grain prices. This doesn't affect the larger groups/chains as they will have very strong price/volume deals in place it will be the smaller places. I am surprised you have noticed prices creeping up in pubs.

I actually just found a reasonable pub that charges a flat £3 for a pint.
This is in the city. Out in the middle of nowhere where my gf works they're charging more! Fscking Fullers price fixing!

Pride of Spitalfields, £2:80 for good Guinness, price hasn't budged for the last 4 years

Hardly ever drink Guinness. Might start ;)

Alternatively, try the french cider in the pub at the other end of brick lane, the carpenters arms on cheshire street.

£8 a bottle!

I always go there when a mate offers to buy me a drink.

I actually just found a reasonable pub that charges a flat £3 for a pint.
This is in the city. Out in the middle of nowhere where my gf works they're charging more! Fscking Fullers price fixing!

Is it a Sam Smith's pub? The one just past the Barbican? Good place.

Pride of Spitalfields, £2:80 for good Guinness, price hasn't budged for the last 4 years

This is my off and on local. Unfortunately they were pretty low on the ales when I was there a couple nights ago - only had ESB and London Pride left!

ESB fucking rocks!

Fancy one now Horatio?

Some of you know, some of you dont, but i work in property investment, mainly putting together investment portfolios for the mega rich - in central London (knightsbridge, belgravia etc) the prices of homes for the mega rich are still going through the roof, and most of my clients are raking it in at the moment, mainly becaue they have seen this coming over the last 5 years and their strategies have been to milk it, then get out at the right time, keep yourslef cash rich, and then plunge back in when the chaos begins. They are rubbing their hand in glee with the fortunes they are about to make. Any one would be foolish to think that these people dont know, or didnt engineer indirectly through market activity the current situation - think George Soros and the pound

Last week a house belonging to the owner of a well know UK retail chain was sold in The Botoltons for 10m over its 43m asking price, with 2 cases of gazumping - the property wasnt even on with any estate agents.

Yesterday, the UK came closer to financial meltdown than anyone realises - Lehman are one of the largest occupiers of commercial property in the City/Canary wharf, owning vast tracts of realestate. When they went under they had 5 year guarantied up front rents owing of near a billion in the UK alone, god knows how much worldwide, all underwritten by AIG. - If AIG hadnt been bailed out ( a move which i personally think is just a stop gap) shit would have hit the wall big time, with the ripple effect would ha e been something to behold.

There is too much crap in this thread that is just directed at people rather than the problems at hand - i maintain that most city workers are just doing a job - mostly unaware of the machievelian dealings at the top.

The majority of 50 inch plasmas i have seen are not in bankers flats, but in council homes bought on 5 years finance at a bonkers rate, and perhaps it is more than anything else the cultral problem of "must have this and must have that" that permiate out society at the moment, which if anyhting is encouraged by the powers that be, and high st banks with our money in their possesion that is the route of many of our problems. It is these millions of finance/credit card deals that our unpayable now,rather than 10,000 acountants playing with money that has never been in or near our wallets, that we should be woried about

what i dont get is how you say all this, then say that the bankers who are creating the "must have" culture, and supporting it through agreeing to silly loans are only "doing their job". surely then they must bear some if not most of the burden for the problems and the narrowly avoided meltdown yesterday, therefore surely it is only right that people are angry at them. i find it hard to believe that bankers are nieve, they know exactly what they are getting into, a possibly volitile job with less security at certain times, and a whole lot of responisbility. yeah banker bashing wont bring about the end of these problems, but nothing we say on this thread will effect how the markets look tommorow, so i think its only right that we debate the situation and in turn slag off the majority of bankers, who appear to be rather greedy, useless and self centered.

the majority of bankers PEOPLE, who appear to be rather greedy, useless and self centered.

Fixed.

ESB fucking rocks!

Fancy one now Horatio?

Do I!? Unfortunately I'm waiting for my missus to get home from work, have some lunch, and then we're going shoe shopping (for me). Although I might be up for one in a few hours if you're still free.

cool. hope she lets you get the pair you want

Pride of Spitalfields, £2:80 for good Guinness, price hasn't budged for the last 4 years

too expensive, Lonsdale; £1.90 (Sam Smith thought).

what i dont get is how you say all this, then say that the bankers who are creating the "must have" culture, and supporting it through agreeing to silly loans are only "doing their job". surely then they must bear some if not most of the burden for the problems and the narrowly avoided meltdown yesterday, therefore surely it is only right that people are angry at them. i find it hard to believe that bankers are nieve, they know exactly what they are getting into, a possibly volitile job with less security at certain times, and a whole lot of responisbility. yeah banker bashing wont bring about the end of these problems, but nothing we say on this thread will effect how the markets look tommorow, so i think its only right that we debate the situation and in turn slag off the majority of bankers, who appear to be rather greedy, useless and self centered.

i didnt say that bankers are creating the must have culture, that is a larger issue with society - bankers operate (and manipulate) within the rules, if anything it is the authorities that draw up and police these rules that should be looked at.

In any large scale financial institution, decision making that can lead to this sort of chrisis rest with only a few heads, and i wont take umbridge to them being referred to as wankers, but the majority of city workers do not make anything like the money, or live the lifestyles that we think, most are just trying to pay the bills like you and me.

You should try working in property were everyone behaves how they think big swinging dicks in the city behave, a la Gordon Gecko (Wall Street 2 out next year by the way . .), when in fact they drive a mini with London Langster Graphics

Proper Wankers!

And the Cardinal by Westminster Cathedral still does a pint for 2 quid - i have a feeling it a bit of a Unipack of a pint though

,,, but the majority of city workers do not make anything like the money, or live the lifestyles that we think, most are just trying to pay the bills like you and me.

Someone here stated earlier that their taxes would feed a family of four for a year

Someone here stated earlier that their taxes would feed a family of four for a year

That was me. And yes, it would.

I also live in Whitechapel, in the middle of a bunch of council estates, in a flat shared by 3 people that I found on Gumtree. One of the reasons I got a bike is because I think £93 per month for an Oyster card is absurd. The last time I went shopping for clothes or shoes was in May... and I'm a girl!

Does my lifestyle sound that drastically different from yours?

@Fruitbat unless your working in a front office position banking does not pay particularly well most jobs are in the back and mid office and not paid amazingly well. I worked doing one of these jobs a few years ago and was earning significantly less than the national average wage.

@ cg5154 : maybe your lifestyles are a bit different. fruitbat treats himself to at least two new pairs of high heels every week and you'll never see him in the same boob tube twice.

... and I'm a girl!

Does my lifestyle sound that drastically different from yours?

Yes, your lifestyle does sound drastically different from mine. My wages don't feed a family of three for a year,

And what difference does it make that your a girl?

Someone here stated earlier that their taxes would feed a family of four for a year

Theres always someone earning more or less, thats life - I earn 50k and my taxes could feed a family of four for a year, but i can hardly afford my occado bill at the moment ;(

so what's your point? cg5154 earns too much?

I earn peanuts and work like a monkey.

Yes, your lifestyle does sound drastically different from mine. My wages don't feed a family of three for a year,

And what difference does it make that your a girl?

So, what, now I'm supposed to feel guilty for being able to put aside a decent chunk amount of money each month, to guard against the day when I might be unemployed through no fault of my own?

The girl thing was simply a reference to the common stereotype that all girls love to shop. I love new clothes and shoes and makeup and handbags. But I think it's far more sensible to save the money for a rainy day.

Theres always someone earning more or less, thats life - I earn 50k and my taxes could feed a family of four for a year, but i can hardly afford my occado bill at the moment ;(

You're eating to much?

if we're talking feeding a family - so that's just food - then a lot of people's tax will do that I imagine. Hold on a minute - let's imagine you're on twenty-eight grand. Then let's say a fourth of that goes on tax and NI. seven grand.... that's about a family of four's food bill for a year isn't it? Is it? I don't know. It depends if they're used to high living I suppose.