CRAIG BROWN: And now on BBC Radio 4, doom with extra gloom 

In south-east, variable, rough or very rough with cloudy patches developing, giving way to deep unhappiness. (Stock image) SHIPPING FORECAST: Covering shipping areas Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Mental Health, Humber, Thames, Diss, Functional, Self-Pity, Trafalgar, FitzRoy, Panic Attack and Sole.  In south-east, variable, rough or very rough with cloudy patches developing, giving way to deep … Read more

Brexit Britain can defy gloom says Santander boss

Brexit Britain’s economic recovery this year could be stronger than most experts predict, according to Santander chairman William Vereker said a return of business investment and consumers unleashing savings will drive growth  He believes the Brexit deal along with the roll-out of vaccines could lead to a stronger than expected bounce-back this year Mr Vereker expects a … Read more

Asos deifies Covid gloom as sales rise by 36%, with Just Eat and Lidl following suit

Asos deifies Covid gloom as sales rise by 36%, with Just Eat and Lidl following suit Asos’ sales rose by 24% to £1.36 billion in the four months to December 31  It has focused on pyjamas and T-shirts with customers forced to stay at home As takeaway orders soared, orders at Just Eat spiked by 58% … Read more

ALEX BRUMMER: A stock market rally that bucks the gloom

The bizarre juxtaposition of the US Capitol invaded and trashed and share indexes on both sides of the Atlantic hitting fresh highs looks inexplicable. Conventional wisdom is that the bigger the political uncertainty the worse it is for equity prices. The current exuberance shows a willingness of investors to look over the hill to the … Read more

Shares at Next defy Covid gloom thanks to surging online sales 

Next has emerged as a clear winner from the High Street’s brutal Christmas after its booming online business cushioned the blow of store closures. In an update that sent its shares to five-year highs, the fashion and homeware retailer said full-price sales in November and December fell just 1.1 per cent – far better than … Read more

So will we escape the gloom? We ask travel experts to share their hopes and fears for 2021

How long will it take before we’ll be able to whizz around the globe like in the good old days?  Or will it be more confusion and ever-changing plans for the next 12 months? No one knows for sure, but these insiders are good people to ask… DialAflight – Peter Stephens, managing director For unspoiled … Read more

So will we escape the gloom? We ask travel experts to share their hope and fears for 2021

How long will it take before we’ll be able to whizz around the globe like in the good old days?  Or will it be more confusion and ever-changing plans for the next 12 months? No one knows for sure, but these insiders are good people to ask… DialAflight – Peter Stephens, managing director For unspoiled … Read more

HENRY DEEDES watches ‘Captain Cautious’ Chris Whitty deliver more Christmas gloom 

If it were left to Captain Cautious we’d eat turkey with Swarfega: HENRY DEEDES watches Chris Whitty deliver more Christmas gloom By Henry Deedes for the Daily Mail Published: 22:54 GMT, 16 December 2020 | Updated: 00:08 GMT, 17 December 2020 Boris Johnson looked as though he had been forced to swallow a three-day-old sardine. … Read more

High Street gloom deepens as Bonmarche goes under 

High Street gloom deepens as women’s fashion chain Bonmarche goes under By Daily Mail City & Finance Reporter Published: 21:51 GMT, 2 December 2020 | Updated: 21:51 GMT, 2 December 2020 Women’s fashion chain Bonmarche has collapsed into administration for the second time in just over a year, putting more than 1,500 jobs at risk. … Read more