The Evil Diaries: Pets at Home, Pantheon, Blair and Brexit

Pets at Home (PETS) offers a profits warning this morning and is down 8%. I think this trend is inevitable but concede that I originally went too early triggered by a Pavlovian response to KKR’s departure. However, profit warnings come in threes…

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I sold a smidgin of Pantheon (PANR) at 74p to cover teatime expenses – I want to rumba with a ‘cumber. But I am running the bulk since I like a bit of risk.

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Peter Oborne got stuck into Blair yesterday evening on Radio 4 and the con artist’s position looks shaky. However, the truth remains that Chilcot might have learnt that Bush bludgeoned Blair into invasion (“you are either on our side this time, buddy, or you can forget all future support…”) but, from a national point of view, this revelation will not see the light of day since it would be contrary to the national interest to publish it. Even if Bush did not so comment that also would not be published – and on the same grounds. Blair will therefore skip away. My instinct is that it is undeniable that Blair fancies himself visiting troops in M and S chinos. For poseurs, it’s so active, don’t you know!

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This morning’s DTel advises that S and P consider that a Brexit would be bad for the UK’s credit rating. This is of course pure balls since HMG can always print its way out of liabilities. So how does this S and P opinion emerge? It’s quite simple: the DTel got an email from S and P offering this info. So why did S and P develop this idea? It’s quite simple: the cabal of self-promoting sods in Brussels, knowing that they have finally been rumbled as to their style, has decided to go into back entryist mode – what better avenue than S and P?

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Finally, I yesterday listened to BBC Radio 4, covering the appeal of Brief Encounter, which, as some younger filmgoers may not know, starred Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. It was claimed that many in the 1946 audience would have known wartime liaisons outside marriage.

It was declared that one venue was The Piccadilly Hotel where a certain film producer often took those women he had picked up, some of whom would have been in house practising hookers that needed no practice. Anyway, on one occasion, he decided to go there with his wife. As they stepped up to reception, the lady behind the desk said “I am sorry, Sir, but we will have to charge you corkage.”