Something for the weekend
Wandering legs
You know you’re onto a winner when a press release is entitled: "Deadly spider wanders into Coventry store", so thanks to Coventry University for sending it along. The story? Oh, well. A live specimen of the world’s most deadly spider was captured in a Coventry warehouse this month, and brought to university student Brian Cochrane’s KBN Reptiles store in the city centre for identification and safekeeping.
The Brazilian Wandering Spider – otherwise known as the banana spider – was delivered to third-year BA Enterprise and Entrepreneurship student Brian, who started up his exotic animals shop in the City Arcade last year.
Brian, from Stratford-upon-Avon, immediately contacted experts at Stratford Butterfly Farm for confirmation that it was a species of the genus Phoneutria, a classification of aggressive and highly venomous spider found in tropical South and Central America.
The spider is now on display in one of the Butterfly Farm’s infamous ‘Nasties Tanks’, which also house a Black Widow Spider, a selection of scorpions and a venomous centipede. In deepest Coventry? Who’d have thunk it.
The old Bill
The new head of an accountancy firm’s education division is hoping to teach Europe a lesson in tennis when he takes on the continent’s best in a prestigious tournament.
Bill Devitt, a partner at Chantrey Vellacott DFK in Birmingham and newly-appointed head of the firm’s Education Group, will be competing in the European Senior Club Championships for the over 45s.
Bill is in a squad of seven from Leamington Lawn Tennis Club to be representing Britain in the competition which will be held in Spain from September 7-11.
A right Royal retirement
When Alumet's national construction manager Graham Hindley retired after 45 years in the industry, he did it in style; not just a few drinks after work for Graham - he hired the Royal Yacht Britannia for the evening.
Graham celebrated his retirement by inviting work colleagues, friends and relatives for a sumptuous meal on board the Royal Yacht, harboured in Edinburgh.
Graham has spent his working life in the facade industry, starting as an apprentice in the drawing office at Henry Hope and Sons in 1966, in fact Graham still has his first pay slip showing his earnings of £6 per week. He joined the Southam based Alumet Group in 2001 and earlier this year celebrated ten years at the award winning company.
As a thank you to the people with whom he had worked with over the years, Graham invited the entire board of directors (and partners) from Alumet along with several directors from main contractors with whom he had also become personal friends.
The Alumet Group's chief executive Gary Summers said: "The whole evening was a once in lifetime experience that will live in the memory for many years to come, Graham was very popular with everyone at Alumet and will be sadly missed. He is one of the old breed of construction managers and he is an amazing character".
Gary's son Blake will now fulfil Graham's role.
