Bar Humbug - closed for private party

The chairman is feeling festive but a look at the financial press could lead to a cynical Christmas

"Cheer up, old boy," said the chairman of the insignificantly-sized investment group SmallBluePlanet as he slapped me on the back, causing me to spill half my pint of Violated Principle all over the floor of The Enormous Cheque. "After all, it is Christmas time and I am reliably informed that, as such, there's no need to be afraid." "I don't think I'd describe myself as being afraid," I said. "More that, looking at the world outside my window, it's a world that's just really, really dull and depressing. Don't you feel that at all at the moment?" "Crikey, you're not much fun today," said t...