Ashtead - Building on Powerful Rental Growth!

As a newcomer I too have enjoyed the quality posts from the exceptional contributors here.. and also hope to learn from the experience.
After a disastrous foray into the AIM stockmarket in late 1999 at the advice of a cowboy outfit posing as stockbrokers in Canary Wharf (i lost a small fortune) i had a near breakdown and shyed away for six years as it took that long for the wounds to heal.
Those dot.com companies have of course now long gone. The lesson i have learnt is to do your own homework when investing and not be dazzled and deceived by the false promises and rhetoric many of these brokers employ to offload unwanted 'principle' stocks in their own portfolios.
Im sure weve all been gullible at some point, but i find this forum very informative. If opinions are given they are often backed up by links and latest reports so we can reappraise our positions on a daily basis. The camaradarie is a bonus too.. although its no guarantee against calamity i'm sure we all try to steer each other away from jagged rocks n choppy waters when we can.
A happy new year to you all.