HOSPITALITY WELL REPRESENTED Three of the 25 employers named and shamed by the Government in June for illegally underpaying their staff comprise two hotels and …

BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN Many West End theatres are not fit for purpose and urgently need refurbishment, or demolition. This is the view of Howard Panter, CEO of …

SURGE IN WORKING FROM HOME CONTINUES A record number of 4.2 million people – 14% of the workforce – worked away from the office in the first quarter of this …

A CINEMA NEAR YOU? If you’re a fan of film you’ll want to know about Scalarama. This group promote an annual September programme of films, many in the specialist …

BE POLITE TO US, FROGGY French taxi-drivers, waiters and locals need to stop being hostile, aggressive and rude to foreign tourists, or risk losing the valuable business …

SHAKESPEARE CENTRAL The boutique Arden Hotel, Stratford-on-Avon, is located in the centre of town with its own car park, is opposite the Avon River and a very short step …

BIG AND RELAXING IN MANCHESTER Those who like a large bedroom with a proper bath to relax in will like the fully air-conditioned four-star Renaissance Hotel in …

MORE BY THE AVON Meanwhile, further down the Avon, near Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, the rustic and quirky Old Manor Hotel in a four-acre rural setting is also a …

REFURB IN CHESHIRE A £1.5 million refurbishment is taking place at the Best Western Plus Pinewood on Wilmslow hotel, in Handforth, Cheshire, around ten miles from …

THAILAND NOW A BIG RISK Those organising overseas events will know that the recent imposition of military rule in Thailand makes the country a no-go area as a destination …

LASER POINTER DANGERS More warnings have been given out regarding laser pointers, popular with trainers and presenters for highlighting items on a screen…

COLLIDING RIGHTS Calls for all meat products to be labelled with the method of slaughter have been made following the latest controversy over halal meat – animals …

HOSPITALITY TOO EASY Hospitality and media studies, considered soft options that are easy for the “less academic” to get a qualification in, could be scrapped as GCSE …

PLAY A PIECE OF HISTORY Croquet as a competitive, stylish and fun corporate activity is offered by Berkshire company Croquet for Events. (croquetforevents.com)

CAMELOT OR WHAT? “Camelot on the Thames” is how Lady Nancy Astor enthusiastically described, in the 1900’s, her rather lovely home at Cliveden, Berkshire…

GARDEN WALKS IN WARWICKSHIRE Those whose idea of relaxation is strolling around a beautiful English country garden will love the ten landscaped acres around the Mallory …

MEETING IN SALFORD One well-located Manchester hotel is the four-star 166-bedroom Millennium Copthorne, the first to be built on the waterfront at Salford Quays, with easy …

MORE SALFORD QUAYS The area is of course well-known as the home of the contemporary Lowry art and entertainment centre – not to be confused with …

A NICE TOUCH IN CHESHIRE It’s always worth checking the cost of using the room phone in hotels, often considerably more than using one’s mobile, and a recent 37…

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT Following the recent introduction of sharia law in Brunei by its absolute monarch, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiahhe, there have been calls for the boycotting …

BULLYING AT OXFORD UNI? A former events co-ordinator at Kellogg College, Oxford University has lost an employment tribunal case she brought against its management …

GET FRESH AND FUNNY Fresh, locally-sourced and seasonal food for events is increasingly being specified by organisers looking for sustainability, according to food …

NIGEL PULLS IT OFF? As readers will know it recently emerged that a female “voter” featured saying supportive things about Ukip in their European election …

QUANDERRY Event organisers visiting Northern Ireland’s second-largest, attractive, compact and friendly city will be first faced with the small problem of what to call it …

LOOKING FOR A WINE TASTING VENUE? One newly-opened London wine shop offering tasting opportunities for groups is Vagabond Wines of Fulham, now also …

DON’T BUY CURRENCY AT AIRPORT A survey by the Post Office has found that the 1.63 million travellers who buy their foreign currency at British airports are paying £21 …

VENUE SELECTION CRITERIA SURVEY It’s early days yet but so far “Presence on social media” and “Membership of trade body” are not highly rated by event organisers…

POLLUTION RISK TO EVENTS? Lots of those hearing about the Saharan sand pollution hitting the UK on April 1st thought it might be an April Fools joke – remember the …

TAKE YOUR PARTNERS Those who regularly travel by train with partners, colleagues or friends, and can travel together after 9.30 am, might find the latest national railcard a …

LOOK AT PORTUGAL Organisers of events overseas are invited to a free London showcase, Visit Portugal. This is being held at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel …

NEW IN MAYFAIR A meeting room for up to 48 for private dining, sixteen boardroom style is offered at a new luxury Mayfair hotel, The Beaumont, planned to open …

CHECK THEM OUT? If you use an event management company would you like to know how they are doing financially? Do you need to care? …

PLACEMENTS The Society of Event Organisers (SEO) has started to build a list of students on event courses currently looking for placements with organisations staging …

SAMPLING OPPORTUNITIES Those organisers wanting and/or needing to improve their knowledge of food and drink should look at the wine and food tasting opportunities …

ARE THEY, OR YOU, REALLY SAFE TO DRIVE? Here are some important questions about moderate drinking at events …

TIME TO GET EVEN Have you noticed how much we are being ripped off for buying bottled water from airside airport shops and airlines? Are they exploiting sensible …

WE’LL NOW TELL YOU WHEN WE RIP YOU OFF  Awards for business integrity are due, it seems, to a number of large online ticketing agencies that have agreed, after …

BOB CROW DEAD Bob Crow, the £145,000 a year leader of the RMT trade union has died suddenly of a heart attack. He was 52. …

WORKING FROM HOME Two more survey responses in from two readers who commute to work, one by train at an annual cost of £2,224 and one by car at an annual …

A LOOK AT THE IOD The headquarters of the Institute of Directors (IOD) at 116 Pall Mall, London offers seven elegant and Regency-styled function rooms. These comprise the …

CENTRAL IN NOTTINGHAM The Park Plaza Nottingham, located in the city centre, offers 178 modern and comfortable guestrooms, including King-size bedded Executives…

GO UNDERGROUND? One unusual option in Nottingham, for small groups of up to 20, is offered by one large and connected network of man-made caves lying underneath…

LUNCH AND CROQUET AT CLIVEDEN Organisers from the corporate sector responsible for booking events into luxury hotels are invited to apply for complimentary …