Given all the latest kowtowing to the Chinese government it is clear that our politicians and business leaders are not going to let a few murdered monks, parents killed in front of their children and the brutal Chinese oppression of an entire society in Tibet stand in the way of making some money.

Our own grovelling government are urging that more schoolchildren are taught Mandarin Chinese, the better to fill their pockets in later life. And the relief shown by our gullible politicians at the exciting possibility of getting Chinese funding for the deeply uneconomic HS2 disaster that will only ever benefit those with deep pockets is repellently palpable. Don’t they know the difference between an olive branch and a carrot on a stick?

Worst of all is the sick message being given to our children in all this sucking-up. Morals walk when money talks.

No-one with more than one brain cell is likely to be surprised by the allegations that the taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland, and other bankers have, over many years systematically filled their boots by forcing companies, specifically some hoteliers with property assets to grab, into administration in order to seize those assets on the cheap for their property divisions. It’s what bankers do, isn’t it?

And no-one should therefore be surprised by the pontifications of RBS ceo Stephen Hester in damage limitation mode at the London School of Economics in 2012 where he said “The current level of negative feeling is, in my view, particularly unhealthy. We need to reach a new compact with society where banks are better at balancing the interests of everyone who depends on them”.

Of course, when he said this the poor chap had absolutely no idea what was going on…

The panicked Liverpool groom who staged a bomb scare at St Gearge’s Hall on his wedding day to cover up the fact that he had failed to book it has been jailed for 12 months. (See Event Organisers Update, October, OLD GRIT’S DIARY, Thursday)

In a telephone call to the venue Neil McArdle, 36, told them “This is not a hoax call. There’s a bomb in St George’s Hall and it will go off in 45 minutes”.

Those looking for big conference capacity in the centre of a major European city will want to know about the CCH – Congress Centre Hamburg.

This is uniquely located, along with the city’s 87,000 square metres of exhibition halls at Hamburg Messe, in an attractive park area on the north (airport) side of the city, with its own S-Bahn station around 20 minutes (8 kilometres) train ride from the airport, and around 5 minutes from Hamburg’s main Hauptbahnhof station, so getting there is easy for delegates. And there is a four-star hotel on site and 50 more hotels of 2-5 stars within 3 kilometres. Continue reading →

A recent press trip to Hamburg included enjoying a two-night stay in the five-star Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten (Four Seasons to us Brits), one of the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts collection of 65 luxury properties around the world.

The Hamburg property has an enviable central location as part of the stately backdrop on the west shore of the Binnenalster, the 44-acre (18 hectares) lake to which Hamburg’s inner city owes a lot of its charm. Also contributing, on the south shore, is the nearby retail therapy centre, the Jungfersteig, Hamburg’s Bond-Street-on-Sea and part of what makes the city allegedly the best in Germany for fans of shopping till dropping. And on the lake is a fountain shooting a jet of water nearly 200 feet (60 metres) into the air, and a range of relaxing boat trips, some incorporating romantic dinner cruises, on the Binnenalster and on its larger neighbouring lake, the 3 kilometre (1.8 miles) long Ausenalster, and all just outside the hotel’s front entrance. Continue reading →

For many there is something adventurous and romantic about travelling through the night by train, especially in the comfort of one’s own sleeping compartment, but it possibly wont suit those who love their own bed and need their eight hours beauty sleep.

Courtesy of Rail Europe Event Organisers Update’s intrepid editor was recently given the opportunity to experience two overnight train trips, London to Hamburg via Paris and back, around 2,000 miles, 30 hours and £400 worth, including first class on Eurostar with excellent food and drink, and single occupancy of a sleeping compartment for two. Some things he learnt about overnight train travel follow. Continue reading →

Our survey has so far pulled in two responders, both of whom commute to work via bus, train or car. One spending £3,000 a year on the commute could do 75% of their work at home, would do so if offered the chance, but feels that their employer has to stay city or town-based. The other, commuting at an annual cost of £1,200, could do 90% of their work at home, would also do so if offered and feels that their employer doesn’t need to be city or town-based.

More confidential contributions from readers welcomed. See also this month’s FROM OUR READERS section.

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