Burberry follows the latest trend

Earlier this month it was the historic HP Sauce factory in Birmingham, now it is the slightly less iconic but nonetheless vitally important Burberry factory in South Wales which is closing for the final time.
There are similarities in both cases.Despite the committed and high-profile fight to keep the factories open, hard-nosed business sense has won [...]

Home Office divides to conquer

The decision to split the Home Office in two was mooted several weeks ago but has now been confirmed by the Prime Minister.
Tony Blair has decided the Department for Constitutional Affairs will take control of probation, prisons and prevention of re-offending and be renamed the Ministry of Justice, more than likely under the leadership of Lord Chancellor [...]

Why am I fired by The Apprentice?

As much as I loathe the reality television phenomenon and as much as I realise how hypocritical it is, once again I was immediately sucked in to The Apprentice when it returned to our screens last night.
Exactly why that is could be linked to any number of issues and questions - none of which I’m prepared to [...]

Guinness refreshes runner who claims world record

Dedication, that’s what you need.
If you want to be the best, if you want to beat the rest, dedication is what you need.
That familiar refrain from the late Roy Castle would seemingly apply to Robert Garside.
The 40 year-old former student has earned himself official endorsment from Guinness World Records for his incredible achievement of becoming the [...]

Do YouTube awards point the way for TV?

The winners of the 2006 YouTube awards have been announced.
The big question is whether the seven award-winning segments will genuinely have TV execs quaking in their shoes?
There is certainly more creativity in some of the category winners than a lot of the output on UK television at present. Whether we see our TV listings dominated by YouTube [...]

Eating away at children’s self-esteem

We have yet further depressing proof of the extent of the unhealthy messages our youngest generation are exposed to on a daily basis.
A report to be presented to the annual meeting of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health reveals that eating disorders can affect children as young as six years-old.
The report is based [...]

Tesco left to drown sorrows

There are very few minor triumphs left to celebrate against the onslaught of the corporate world.
But hats off to Birmingham City Council. In a rare display of common sense, the authority has rejected an application from Tesco to serve alcohol at yet another new Tesco Express store the supermarket giant is opening in Bournville.
For the [...]

Net safety ignorance isn’t surprising

The revelation that half of the UK’s estimated 29 million internet users believe that responsibility for their own net safety lies with someone else is hardly surprising.
Surely this inability to take responsibility for our own actions is symbolic of a wider trend in society?
Far too often we are more inclined to look elsewhere for someone or some [...]

Getting back on the bike

At the risk of slipping into some foggy, black and white nostalgia-fest, I loved taking my Cycling Proficiency badge when I was at school.
A yard at the back of the school had been set out as a “typical street” and one our teachers, a committed cyclist and biker, used to take the lessons. It was great [...]

Open skies, muddled thinking

The majority of coverage of the EU’s decision to apporve an open skies deal between Europe and the US has been on the apparent negative impact it could have on the likes of British Airways and Virgin.
There has also been plenty of comments about how it will lead to cheaper trans-Atlantic flights and a better deal [...]