The extent of the railway network in the Ardennes is remarkable given

The extent of the railway network in the Ardennes is remarkable given the terrain, increasing use of cars and economic and population changes. Even though many station buildings are now disused or converted to private homes, trains continue to call, as regular as clockwork, at lonely platforms. The tourist office for Brussels is in the Town Hall, on the Grand’Place: Hotel de Ville, Grand’Place, 1000, Brussels (00 32 2 513 8940). The office is open every day including Saturday and Sunday, 9am-6pm.The Belgian Tourist Office – Brussels and Wallonia – is also in Brussels, very near the Town Hall, on Rue du Marche aux Herbes 63 (00 32 25 04 03 90, ) open 9am-6pm daily, except with a 1pm-2pm lunch break on Saturdays and early closing at 1pm on Sundays.It sells the Brussels Card for €30 (£20), which offers three days of free public transport and access to the main museums Bear in mind that most museums are closed on Mondays. Getting around is easy, with extensive tram, Metro and bus services if you’re venturing beyond the centre: a day pass costs €3.80 (£2.50).REST ASSUREDThe Amigo, 1-3 Rue de l’Amigo (00 32 2 547 4747, ), just off the bustling Grand’Place, has been given the full Rocco Forte treatment, with a swish steel-and-black lobby and luxurious rooms whose decor nods to traditional heritage without compromising the contemporary feel Doubles start at €210 (£140) Check the website for discounts. In the Sainte-Catherine district, the Welcome Hotel, at 23 Quai au Bois ?r? (00 32 2 219 9546, ), goes around the world in 15 rooms, with fanciful decor inspired by the likes of Zanzibar, the Congo and Marrakech Doubles start at €95 (£63), B&B.

The stock is still attractive given the growth prospects.EUROPEAN MOTOR HOLDINGSEuropean Motor Holdings is a company purring like a well-oiled engine. Although sports betting is its biggest game, it is cashing in on the rise of online casino games, particularly in the US. Have a flutter.LAIRDNew business opportunities can come from unexpected places, as Laird has shown. That opens up new products, such as the braking system in a car, which may require the sort of protection that Laird’s products can provide. Sophisticated electronic systems are increasingly used in a range of goods beyond computers. The engineering company’s whizzy technology division was created as a spin-off from its business which makes seals for windows.

Books and music are some of the goods most suited to internet retailing, providing a massive challenge to high street players. For now though, the big rise in DVD sales is compensating for the drop in music. And physically being in a Waterstone’s book shop has shown an enduring appeal among shoppers. Amvescap also has scope to cut costs across what is still quite a bloated organisation.The shares have been trading at a valuation a little below the sector average and that seems justified after recent events, but there is a long-term buying opportunity here.HMVHMV, the music and books retailer, appears to be suffering none of the problems facing high street generalists such as WH Smith Strategic challenges remain, of course. Buy.SPORTINGBETThe world is full of closet gamblers, according to Sportingbet, the online bookmaker whose profits more than quadrupled last year. A fairly grim outcome is already being priced into the shares, though.

If the issue is settled by the end of June as planned, the shares could recover some poise.The bigger picture remains that people in the US and in the UK, where Amvescap owns the Invesco brand, simply have to save more for their retirement. The bear market mauled confidence in the savings industry, but it will – slowly – return. Its run-in with the New York authorities over the market timing scandal (a hedge fund trading strategy which disadvantaged the little investor) has taken longer than expected to settle, which has pushed the shares lower. It isn’t easy to put a positive spin on this week’s debacle at Amvescap, the transatlantic fund manager. The secret internal forecasts that it accidentally sent out, and later had to formally publish, are well below the profit and earnings figures expected by the market.