| - |
|
Top story
|
Seasons greetings to all our readers
This is our last newsletter of 2008, a year in which Insider went daily and we launched a Liverpool edition of our popular email news. Over the course of what’s been a difficult year, we were the first to bring you exclusive news from the deals, property and business communities in Merseyside. For example, in October we were first with the news that David McLean, the Flintshire-headquartered property group, had gone into administration and we provided updates as the story unfolded. In the summer we followed the story of Liverpool brewer Cains as owners the Dusanj brothers battled with their bankers to save the historic company before finally coming full circle and buying it back from the administrators. It was a year full of administrations to report, but we also brought you news of deals completed by the likes of Alliance Fund Managers and The Royal Bank of Scotland as the region continued to battle through the banking collapse. Throughout 2009 we will continue to bring you all the breaking news every working day from across the city region. Insider Daily is back on 5 January.
|
|
|
Today's news
|
We are the Champion
Champion, the North West group that operates accountancy, consulting and financial services business in Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside, has reported revenues for the year to 30 June up 21.23 per cent to £6.23m and pre-tax profit of £350,000. Over the year it acquired accountancy practice Haworth Moore in Blackpool in July 2007 and then in September 2009 acquired Robinsons Rose of Preston. The number of fee-earners across the group has risen to 149 from 129. Chairman Kevin Philbin said: “We will look to grow organically and will still actively seek further acquisitions of the required quality. At the same time we will take whatever cost-cutting measures are necessary to maintain profitability.” 
How does your garden grow?
The Klondyke Group of garden centres, including Strikes Garden Centres, has acquired Brookside Garden Centre in Poynton, Cheshire, from administrators. Klondyke chairman Bob Gault said: “The acquisition of Brookside further consolidates our presence in Cheshire and we look forward to exploiting the full potential of the site over the coming months.” The acquisition was part-funded by Allied Irish Bank. The group already has five centres in Cheshire as well as Carlisle, Blackpool and Merseyside.
Funding sought for Solway barrage
Cumbrian entrepreneur Nigel Catterson, who heads social enterprise group nb21c, is seeking up to £200,000 for a feasibility study into a barrage across the Solway Firth that will harness tidal energy and provide a link across the firth not seen since the 1930s when a railway bridge crossed it. The Northwest Regional Development Agency, Scottish Enterprise and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will be among organisations to be approached for funding. The Solway Energy Gateway scheme has so far involved studies and input from universities in Lancaster and Liverpool, as well as numerous groups on both sides of the border.
|
|
Something for the festive season
|
The return of the king
Great news for fans of well-aimed potshots at government misspending, the green lobby and the uselessness of former government monopolies. Insider hears that the near-legendary blog put together by Liverpool’s own “Captain Networking,” PR man Dougal Paver, is to return in the New Year. The format will be slightly different, we’re told, but will still carry the air of Paver’s customary bullish joie de vivre. Roll on 2009.
Rocking into the New Year
Here’s something to look forward to in the new year. Plans have been announced for an event to mark Liverpool’s transition from its Year of Culture in 2008 to the Year of the Environment in 2009. To be held on 10 January at the Pier Head, Transition – the People’s Celebration – will feature a sound, light and visual review of Liverpool’s history across huge screens on the waterfront followed by fireworks from ships on the river. That night cultural venues around the city will stay open late and there will be street entertainment in public spaces. Earlier this month Liverpool City Council appointed Claire McColgan, executive for the Liverpool Culture Company, as the council’s head of culture to continue the city’s legacy of Capital of Culture into 2009.
Waltz into 2009
Mourning the end of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing? Yearning for some twists and twirls to lighten up your winter? Look no further than the return of Liverpool’s hugely popular balls at St George’s Hall. The Viennese Balls were a huge hit as part of Capital of Culture and now the culture team is bringing you the Spring Ball 2009 on 21 March.
Superlambanana news
BBC2’s Culture Show has produced a one-hour special to mark the end of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture and celebrate some of the year’s highlights. One of the features on the show, to be transmitted on 18 January, is the work of Cheshire artist Patricia Lee whose Mandy Mandala Superlambanana design was sold last September at auction for £25,000 to TV producer and chairman of National Museums Liverpool Phil Redmond.
Odd survey of the month
Thanks to the cheery souls promoting the Business Travel Show – it’s at Earls Court in February, if you’re interested – for their survey that reveals more than a third of business travellers regularly “play away” and 8 per cent have confessed to “joining the mile high club”, though not with their regular partners. There is some good news in the survey of 500 travellers if you keep on reading – after the stuff about technology wants and stealing towels from hotels – as 44 per cent apparently sneak their partners along on business trips, too. Lucky them.
A dash of Teachers?
ACC Liverpool, or the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre if you prefer, has been a runaway success and we were delighted to see this week that the convention operation has signed up the National Union of Teachers for an April 2010 conference. In homage to Liverpool’s unrivalled Santa Dash, we’d like to propose a charity race of comedy teachers complete with tweed jackets with leather elbow patches and mortar boards flying. Let’s go for it.
|
|
|
Contact Us
Insider
8th Floor, Boulton House
17-21 Chorlton Street
Manchester
M1 3HY
Telephone: +44 (0)161 907 9711
Email:
nw@insiderdaily.co.uk
|
|
Subscribe
To subscribe to the eBulletin,
click here.
|
|
- |
