Euroblog

FixDinkum We now have full official confirmation that the bond markets are well and truly in summer mode.

Beer Market We’re sure that every bank has a department where several analysts spend all day, every day working out a way that they can be top of the league tables.

Fix Dinkum Ah! The middle of summer! The markets have quietened down, the stories are drying up and some analysts have taken to stating the bleeding obvious to have something to do.

BondDame It’s been a hard 18 months and it’s no wonder some of London’s trusty syndicate bankers are beginning to crack a little at the edges.

Barry.donlon@ubs.com I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to recover from James “the Meerkat” Marriott’s nuptials in Poland. Actually, I think I might give up drinking altogether. It was great, well I think it was anyway... I can’t really remember.

Bond Dame The continuous rain in London can only mean one thing: it’s summer again! And with that come the various bank summer parties.

Bambi This weather is brilliant, especially combined with a slight lull in the new issue flow. Ice creams, picnics in the sun, ambling along the riverbank. Oh, sorry Duane — I didn’t mean to rub it in.

FixDinkum Oh, I am exhausted. I have been off my feet all week running after borrowers at the Euromoney Global Borrowers conference at the Hilton in London. As ever, the crème de la crème of the issuers’ world was there and it was a delight to catch up with everyone.

FixDinkum We shall never again complain again of not being taken to exotic places by bankers anymore. This week, the UBS boys treated us to a tour of the underbelly of London when they took us out to dinner.

FixDinkum Close followers of Eirik Winter’s twitter feed might think they know everything, but Euroblog has additional information on Mr Winter. We have it on very good authority that while cycling around Richmond Park in his very tightest Lycra outfit (think Christano Ronaldo on holiday), Eirik got distracted by two passing members of the fairer sex and seems to have lost concentration altogether and crashed.

Bond Bitch The organisers of this year’s ABS conference must had a bit of a challenge on their hands. After swanning about in Cannes last year and Barcalona the year before, how on earth were they going to top those locations for the 2009 event?

chris.tuffey@cs.com It’s that time of year again people! I’m kitting myself out in the latest sporting gear and heading to Turkey for my annual sports holiday. Beach football, beach volleyball and soft-sand running à la David Hasselhoff. The syndicate desk won’t recognise me when I return.