From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, the following shows the shorted AIM shares with positions from 2019 and thus far in 2020 (by net short position %, those in bold not on the list at the start of 2020) – and if this position has increased (red), reduced (green) or remained unchanged (black) since last week...

Hello, Share Chompers. Once again, I include in my article a word you probably don't know. See if you can identify it. Now, nobody need tell armchair tycoons like ourselves that nothing travels in a straight line. The most promising share will take two steps back for every three it rises. We also know that everything in Shareland takes longer than expected. Now I agree with Uncle Tom (a fairly rare event) that before long the virus will become far less common and will no longer trouble the world’s economy. But the threat is not receding as fast as we might have expected.

A week ago shares in Wildwood and dim t restaurants company Tasty plc (TAST) recovered a further more than 26%, to 2.85p, on an announcement that it had “re-opened seven restaurants (representing approximately 13 per cent. of the estate) for takeaway services only. Over the next few weeks, the company intends to cautiously open further units for takeaway and/or full table service, in compliance with Government regulations, and by mid-July expects to have some 25 units open for trading”. Now a “Statement re: Redundancies”...

Live performance and entertainment marketing group Reach4Entertainment (R4E) has announced results for the 2019 calendar year, including “confidence in the group's ability to withstand the current situation and… anticipates that when live venues finally reopen - at whatever capacity - the requirement to market shows should ensure that r4e quickly returns to previous levels of trading”...

Touchstar (TST) has updated including “positive trading has flowed into greatly improved cashflow” – and the shares have currently responded nearly 20% higher to 55p...

Thanks to all of you who have written to your MP about the soft and, we think, illegal soft taxpayer loan to Versarien (VRS). I have an update on where at least one MP has taken it but urge you all to drop an email now using the template HERE. I also comment on my own mortality, prompted by the MCC, Big Sofa (BST), Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG), Iconic (ICON), Greatland Gold (GGP) and urge you to book your seat for July 18 and MineProphets HERE

“Shoe Zone PLC (SHOE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Foot as Finance Director, with effect from 6 July 2020. Peter will replace Jonathan Fearn whose resignation has been accepted with effect from 31 July 2020”. Hmmm...

Highland Gold Mining (HGM) has updated on its COVID-19 response, with its programme of measures enabling its mining, processing, sales, supply chain and capital construction projects to ‘continue as planned’...

Everyone says silver is a better bet than gold but everyone is wrong says author Mickey Fulp. He regards as "crazy" some equity valuations that have developed and what he coins “Market Covidicy.” He cautions that if gold or silver were to suddenly head multiples higher, you would probably want to have a bug-out bag by the door and a survival bunker nearby.

As a good citizen, yesterday, I reminded FastJet (FJET) and its loathsome, journalist smearing, motherfucker evil PR spinner bastards at Citigate Dewe Rogerson that they had promised us a trading statement by “the last week in June”. Duly nudged a statement arrived today and it is dismal. The crash landing at Tits Up Airport has been postponed but not for long.

Early this year we showed the Shorted AIM shares at the start of 2020. How's the performance as at the end of June? (those in bold remain from 2019)...

Hello, Share Swatters. For a bit of fun to lift these dreary lockdown days, I’m introducing a new feature in my modest daily view of shares you might consider. Every article will contain a word you may not know. You might do, but let’s see. And now for today’s commendation, it’s BlackRock’s Greater Europe Investment Trust (BRGE). Now where nearly all other share funds have been hit by the virus, this share has hit new highs...

First up  I again mention booking your MineProphets tickets for July 18. I hope to have more news on speakers shortly but book ahead HERE. secondly my local MP, understandably, hates me and is not very bright so may not act on my Versarien (VRS) letter so I beg you to send one to your MP. Then I discuss Tomco (TOM), its news today and how clever I am before tackling Mosman (MSMN), as it tries a multi-currency turd polish. 

I concluded on aircraft charter and aviation safety & security consulting and training company Air Partner (AIR) in May with the shares around 50p that they were at least worth continuing to monitor and possibly a small, speculative buy and most recently last month, with they rising above 80p, that the outlook suggests to me it at least worth those in here continuing to hold. Now a further update from the company...

Following yesterday’s series of questions for EY, formerly known as Ernst & Young) – auditor to Airbus (EPA: AIR), another enormous question has emerged.

I am gravely concerned about the soft loan given to Versarien (VRS) by Innovate UK. It seems to me that rules have been broken and taxpayers cash should not be used in this way. I have, therefore, written to my local MP here in Wrexham, Ms Sarah Atherton, asking her to raise this with the minister responsible, Alok Sharma as soon as possible. I urge you to copy this letter below, adapt it for your local use, and contact your MP too urging him  or her to act on this matter at once.

 Two days ago St James House (SJH) published a trading and finance update and the shares rocketed up 350% to a mid-price of 67.5 pence per share. They have since slumped back to 35p, but that is still 35p too high.

I pointed out yesterday that £5 million of your cash as a taxpayer is going to the serial liars at Versarien (VRS) via Innovate UK when Versarien quite clearly does not qualify for such funding.  I have asked Innovate boss Nigel Walker to explain this but he has declined to comment.  However, as his tweets below show, Nigel has been very close to Versarien and its corpulent boss Neill Ricketts for three years.

Forterra (FORT) “announces the successful completion of the non-pre-emptive placing… raising gross proceeds of approximately £55 million… at a price of 195 pence per placing share”… but less than a month ago it argued, with the shares above 200p, “well positioned to take advantage of the attractive long-term market fundamentals in order to continue delivering sustainable shareholder value”!...

My guess is that the long awaited meeting of FastJet (FJET) PLC with a crash landing at Tits Up Airport cannot be postponed for that much longer. It is not as if this company could ever make any money pre Covid. But while I await that moment as one that I celebrate with champagne and noxious phone calls to its journalist smearing motherfucker PRs at Citigate Dewe Rogerson, I remind the company that it had promised us a trading update by Monday at the latest.  Specifically, on 8 June it stated: