Northern Insight - December 2015

NORTHERN

INSIGHT DECEMBER 2015

COME FLY WITH ME 80 years of Newcastle Airport

business property media technology motors leisure issue 6

No17 Northern Insight Magazine (273x180mm) w\c 16\11\15

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6 1 0 2 a year to remember...

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2016 RACEDAY FIXTURES JULY

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NOVEMBER

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Saturday 23

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Collingwood Insurance Beeswing Ladies Day

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Lord’s Taveners Racenight

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John Smith’s Northumberland A Plate Festival

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Fighting Fifth

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DCCC Raceday

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Friday 7 (TW) Newcastle International Airport Raceday

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Saturday 8 (TW) Friday 14 (TW) Sunday 16 Equine Products Raceday

Betfred Gosforth Park Cup Night

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Betfred Seaton Delaval Raceday

Tuesday 8 (TW)

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ITPS / Cellular Solutions Raceday

Vertem Blaydon Races

MARCH

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NORTHERN INSIGHT

foreword Welcome to the December edition of Northern Insight Magazine.

As we approach the end of the year our inaugural Christmas issue illustrates the depth of tremendous support we have had since our launch.

At 124 pages issue 6 truly is a bumper edition jam packed with social photographs, entertaining profiles, topical news and reviews as well as our celebration of 80 years of Newcastle Airport.

I hope you find much to read and enjoy during those cold, dark Winter nights.

May I wish you all the best for a very happy holiday period and a prosperous 2016.

Michael Grahamslaw, publisher

18

contents december 15

Business News - 6 Cover Story - 12-13 80 years of Newcastle Airport

Entrepreneurs Interview - 38-39 Alastair Waite

Fashion - 40-41 Technology News - 76 Arts News - 90-91 Brenda Edwards Interview - 92

62

Leisure News - 96-97

credits Managing Director - Michael Grahamslaw Design & Web - Louise O’Rourke, Ruairi McGuinness Lead Photography - Crest Photography Additional Photography - Gordon Taylor

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Editorial Contributors Ken Spearen, Jack Grahamslaw, Holly Grahamslaw, Gordon Taylor, Alex Nelson, Alastair Stewart www.northern-insight.co.uk

facebook.com/northerninsight

@ninsightmag

All photos are copyright MJG Publishing Ltd and are taken solely for use in Northern Insight. If you wish to purchase a photograph please contact Michael Grahamslaw on mjgrahamslaw@outlook.com Photo charges £50 for a single image, £295 for full buy out of a photo shoot Advertising charges: There is a £25 charge for every set of amendments, following the first initial set of amendments, which are free of charge, for adverts designed by Northern Insight (MJG Publishing Ltd) Cancellations: If an advert is cancelled by the booker within a 7 day period prior to our print deadline, the advert will be charged in full, plus VAT. Editorial Editorial Contributions should include a stamped addressed envelope. No responsibility is accepted for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission, or while in the Managing Directors or Printers hands.

Editorial must be received by the 15th of the month or no responsibility is accepted for errors.

Advertisements Although every care is taken to ensure accuracy the Publishers regret that they cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by an error in the printing or damage to, a loss of artwork, tranparencies or photographs.

Complaints will only be considered for up to a week after publication. Advertising must be received by the 20th of the month. No responsibility is accepted for errors.

© 2015 Published by MJG Publishing Ltd

5

BUSINESS NEWS

UNW helps client with strategic manufacturing appointment County Durham building envelope specialist, CA Group, has bolstered its senior management with the help of business adviser UNW’s Strategic Talent team.

The company, one of only a handful of NorthEast companies held in an Employee Benefit Trust, enlisted chartered accountants UNW’s unique Strategic Talent department to help it bring in John Tweedlie as Manufacturing Director.

John Tweedlie brings with him 25 years’ manufacturing experience, in roles from production engineering to interim Managing Director. He has formerly been a board member of six companies, in five countries and most

recently Operations Director at County Durham subsea equipment manufacturer, Tekmar Energy.

CA Group Managing Director Des Webster said: “We have just undergone a period of significant growth, growing turnover from £35m in 2013 to £53m in 2014. Now we have more than 200 staff, up from 165 people in 2013, so our requirements for a Manufacturing Director role became clear.

“UNW already understands what is unique about our business so the Strategic Talent team very quickly understood what we were trying to achieve, immediately introducing us to John, whose experience and like-minded approach make him an invaluable addition to the team.”

UNW head of Strategic Talent advisory services, Peter Neal, said: “Our deep knowledge of CA’s business, in particular its unique cultural aspects, made us well placed to help them in this latest component of their growth.

“I had known John for a long time and knew he would be a good cultural fit for the business, sharing its values and vision. This insight and intuition, resulting from knowledge and expertise built up over many years of working closely with our regional businesses, is difficult to replicate.”

Newcastle-based UNW have taken on two former senior managers this year: John Tweedlie and global recruitment specialist, Nigel Wright.

Box office bonanza for classroom superstars Teachers across Northumberland are being rewarded for their hard work in and out of the classroom with cut-price nights out in front of the big screen.

Specialist recruitment business, The Education Network, has teamed up with Vue Cinema Cramlington, home of the biggest screen in the North East, to provide up to half-price tickets so registered teachers can enjoy all of the very latest blockbuster movie action.

Wayne Daley, Partnership Manager at The Education Network said: “I am delighted that Vue Cinema has partnered with us to give something back to the hardworking teachers who play such an important role in our communities. Along with our professional development programmes, guaranteed pay schemes and training packages, the reward card is another way in which we recognise the immense contribution teachers make.”

It pays to advertise...

The Vue Cinema reward card is available to new supply teachers and support staff who register with The Education Network, as well as to those who have previously registered and are now in teaching or support posts.

Rachel Carter, General Manager at Vue Cinema Cramlington, commented: “We regularly welcome school visits and see for ourselves the dedication and professionalism of teachers.”

1996

...but you have to do it with the right people.

2015

THE MEDIA PLANNING & BUYING SPECIALISTS

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6

BUSINESS NEWS

Bigg Market transformation is one step closer with the appointment of architects

Business generator for SME’s launches with benefits for region’s charities

NE1 Ltd is pressing ahead with its plans for the transformation of the Bigg Market, with the appointment of MawsonKerr Architects.

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the project will reinvigorate the Bigg Market, restore its historic significance to the city centre, unlock private sector investment and secure the city’s heritage.

There are 31 listed buildings in the Bigg Market and MawsonKerr will define what is required to bring them up to standard, as well as redesigning the public realm to create a flexible, high quality public space in the heart of the city.

A business lead generator officially launched their new branding this week at an event at Wallsend Town Hall.

SME Business Chat has been ‘chatting’ since January this year and is the first web chat orientated contact centre in the region. It is manned 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. The contact centre is based in Wallsend Town Hall Chambers and now employs 10 staff.

On the back of the launch, ten charities from the region have been given the web chat service for free, as part of a social impact pilot being set up by SME Business Chat.

Smailes Construction announces key appointment

SSP to enhance offer at Newcastle International Airport with arrival of Caffè Ritazza

An expanding Amble-based construction specialist has announced a key appointment, adding further to its management team.

Launched by Managing Director David Smailes three years ago, Smailes Construction has significantly increased its turnover year on year to its present level of £1.5 million. They have appointed James Backx to the newly created position of Finance Manager.

Having worked for Procter and Gamble in its European Financial Service Centre, James brings detailed knowledge of commercial financial and accounting practices.

SSP, a leading operator of food and beverage brands, is to offer passengers at Newcastle International Airport a new food and beverage concept, Caffè Ritazza. The new facility will welcome its first customers later this year.

Caffè Ritazza has been designed to ensure that passengers will have a choice of high quality coffee offers and a broad selection of hot food, from breakfast through to late in the day.

Golf just one attraction at Hill Top Farm Dere Street Homes’ exclusive Hill Top Farm development near Ramside Hall has shown the adjacent golf facilities are not the main attraction to potential buyers.

With 4 out of the 13 available homes sold within a month of the five bedroom Farmhouse showhome opening, Dere Street are confident that the high levels of interest will quickly turn to further sales before Christmas.

Hill Top Farm consists of 13 farmstead style, detached and semi-detached luxury homes which come complete with one year’s complimentary membership to both the Golf Club and Ramside Hall Hotel’s new Spa and Leisure Club.

North East law firm builds up Wills Trust and Probate team Gordon Brown Law Firm continues to expand its Wills Trusts and Probate Department.

30-year-old Solicitor, Laura Brydon, has joined the Firm’s Wills Trusts and Probate team and will work closely with Partner Rebecca Harbron-Gray, bringing the team total to seven.

Laura said: “I see making the move to Gordon Brown Law Firm as a natural progression of my career as it is such a renowned firm with a great reputation.”

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7

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Intelligent decision-making

SearchBI’s Richard Deas says identifying and recruiting experienced talent is key to securing the future growth of business intelligence software

The market for business intelligence (BI) and analytics software is worth billions of pounds a year. Richard Deas, Director at niche IT recruiters SearchBI, looks at how technologies such as Agile BI are fast becoming the systems of choice for SMEs.

As large legacy IT systems become increasingly out-dated, we are seeing the rapid rise and adoption of advanced, highly flexible BI software technologies that help businesses define their growth strategies and boost the efficiency and effectiveness of intelligence and data gathering and forecasting. Demand is being driven by business executives who need to have quick and easy access to management information wherever they are on a range of different devices, from laptops to smartphones.

BI tools are recognised for their ability to operate in real-time and give users the most up-to-date data to avoid process delays, while improving market response and decision-making.

Agile BI takes this a stage further, offering an approach to business intelligence, which incorporates Agile software development methodologies to accelerate and improve the outcomes of BI initiatives. The software provides flexibility by accelerating the time taken to deliver value with BI projects, and can include technology deployment options such as self-service BI, cloudbased BI, and data discovery dashboards that enable users to begin working with data more rapidly and adjust to changing needs.

Technologies such as QlikView and associated Agile BI tools including Tableau, deliver a better user experience alongside the benefits provided by easy-to-implement and cost effective solutions. They can be integrated as part of an overall IT strategy in a matter of months rather than years, and have the benefit of ‘in memory data’, ensuring that all information is quickly accessible (via the cloud) rather than being stored on servers.

BI provides the insight to give SMEs a real competitive advantage as they gear up for growth and look to expand their operations to meet customer demand. However, while the onward march of this most capable of technologies appears relentless, industry reports indicate that a shortage of skilled BI professionals, and the difficulties of managing critical business demand, may emerge sooner rather than later as a factor deterring longer-term sustainable growth.

BI and analytics extract important information from an organisation’s data, thereby enhancing the business operations by analysing the current and future course of actions to bolster strategic decision-making. It also heightens the visibility of the business processes (and delivers ubiquitous solutions) that play seminal roles in almost all industry sectors.

Richard Deas says it’s critical to address the issue now, adding: “Identifying and recruiting experienced talent is key to securing the future growth of BI. The role of firms like SearchBI, which possess a unique insight and understanding of the critical issues, are paramount in finding and selecting a new generation of BI software specialists with the requisite skills and experience to drive the sector forward and deliver the expertise clients want.”

As the technologies evolve, BI will continue to undergo numerous changes to meet emerging trends, better enabling companies to track these in their own market and product lines. In turn, this allows management to make more accurate and better-informed business decisions using the advantages of high quality, real-time information and intelligence, which is readily accessible and available whenever and wherever required.

In a time where information is key, Agile

SearchBI specialises in niche IT recruitment, supplying professionals such as developers, consultants, project managers, business analysts and sales and account management executives, to specialist markets throughout the UK. This includes recruiting for professionals skilled in QlikView data visualisation technologies as well as those experienced in advanced BI systems.

More at www.searchbi.co.uk or contact 0191 481 3888.

8

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Growing pains? The perfect solution The Ofice Co. offers a flexible approach to accommodation for SMEs

Entrepreneurs and SMEs are the driving force of economic growth according to the Government’s latest Business Population Estimates*. But the elements propelling these dynamic forces forward – creativity, collaboration, innovation – should also be considered when it comes to the working environment says Rebekah Milne of The Office Co., who believes more should take the flexible approach to office accommodation.

Business owners will always be the embodiment of their brand: living it, breathing it day-in, day-out. So why shouldn’t it be the same for the space they inhabit? One area commonly overlooked when it comes to brand immersion is the work environment – anyone whose brand encompasses the dynamics of technology, innovation and customer service should be receptive to new approaches and fresh thinking.

And this includes managed and serviced office accommodation that embraces more open workspace and shared working set-ups. We are seeing increasing traction among North East start-ups and entrepreneurs for solutions like these because they provide the right environment for ambitious companies that are ready to take the next steps to enhance ideation, innovation,

and brand.

Innovation has to be evident across all areas of business. How can people live their brand, and fulfil their potential, if they’re not creating the right environment that encourages big ideas and collaboration? We want to create the workspaces that reflect who a company is, and where it wants to go.

The attributes of open workspace living, which companies could do well to remember, enable employees to have options about where they work. Flexibility here doesn’t mean they should have to stare at the same people all day, every day. Why not create break-out areas for small groups to meet, or have quieter areas for when people really need to sharpen their focus.

Leverage your technology: allowing data to be accessed and shared from any alternative work environment is important, as the more mobile we become, the more we need fixed places to come together to connect and interact in-person. Plan for growth and changes – keeping an open mind helps to alter things if a particular set-up isn’t working, while breaking down physical barriers eases the freedom to customise areas and create space for others who join as the company grows and takes on more staff.

Altering the physicality won’t necessarily change the feel of your work environment, so show some creativity when it comes to design. Demonstrate that you’re committed to reinventing the workspace through new and eyecatching colour schemes, new furniture and even new technologies such as whiteboard walls and interactive smart tables. There are many great things you can do to the workspace to inspire increased collaboration.

Another approach is to opt for co-working space, a shared office where multiple businesses, usually similar in size and scale, can work together under the same roof at a lower cost than that of a traditional office lease and on very flexible terms. These home-from-home places can be inspiring, creative hubs, providing a stimulating environment where intellectual ideas and ambition flourishes.

As we move towards a world where connectivity and mobility are increasingly more important, companies need to evaluate not only how people want to work, but also how the work environment reflects their brand. After all, how can you expect the people who work for you to be ambassadors of your brand if every day they’re surrounded by an environment that is anything but that?

The Office Co. offers a range of serviced and managed offices, virtual offices and meeting rooms for a wide range of businesses.

Clients include Checkatrade, First Contact, Utilita and Toma Fund. Contact Rebekah Milne, Sales and Marketing Director at rebekah@theofficeco.co.uk www.theofficeco.co.uk *Business Population Estimates have shown regional business growth from 123,700 to 135,000 in 2015, with the North East having 1,000 more businesses employing people than it did in 2014

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BUSINESS INSIGHT Phil Mulvain

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“

A new approach to Phil your business with sales talent!

Recruitment isn’t just about what someone has done, it’s all about who they are, their attitude towards work, and what they are capable of.

- That’s the view of durhamlane’s Sales Recruitment Manager - Phil Mulvain.

Recruitment can be a strange old game, what works for one business may be an utter disaster for another. One company’s diamond can be another company’s carbon waste. That’s why each client should have a tailored recruitment plan.

role, in the hope something sticks. The approach I take towards recruiting for our clients, is that the candidates must display more than just a few competencies or skills for me to put them before a client, as we always say here at durhamlane ‘Skills can be learned, attitude cannot’.

But how can you have a new plan for each individual client – I hear you ask?

Firstly I use various screening filters to drill down and seek out only candidates who have relevant qualifications or knowledge of the industry sector in which the role lies. This further knowledge is vital and ensures a richer understanding of the client industry, and in our experience, makes for greater sales conversations once in the role.

It’s actually not as hard as one might think, it comes down to finding round pegs to fit round holes, and that is the nature of recruitment in a nutshell. Any attempt in plugging a vacancy with the incorrect fit will ultimately end in tears or poor performance. That’s why in my role as Sales Recruitment Manager here at durhamlane, I do things differently, very differently!

I’m a big believer that almost anyone can succeed in sales, especially if they are in the right environment to match their interests and skills set. That’s what differentiates us from 99% of the recruitment firm’s out there, who merely match five to ten job-seeking candidates to a

Secondly I meet the candidate/s either in the office or in an informal environment, to make an assessment on their interpersonal and communication skills, and to really understand the person, so I can quickly identify if they would be happy, would be a good fit, and could deliver real value for my client.

Thirdly I like to discuss with the candidate why with their qualifications they are looking to

move into sales/business development. This kind of question can tell me a lot, and 99% of the time helps me identify the seriously ambitious sales leaders of tomorrow, from the typical job hopper who is unsure of what they want in their career.

Finally and most important of all – I ask real life in-role scenario based questions (ones usually given to me by my business client), this is a test to see whether the candidate responds with a great answer, answers with what they think I want to hear, answers honestly, or goes into buzzword overdrive. This is a real test of character, something which can speak volumes. In my experience, never be afraid of asking too many questions, after all you are balancing and aligning a business’s future success with a person’s career and happiness. So ask away!

This kind of specific yet agile approach has allowed me to find, match and place numerous excellent candidates with some of the UK’s biggest and best companies, and I’m sure it will help you fill your business with great sales people too.

For more information about both durhamlane’s experienced sales recruitment, as well as their unique sales graduates for business programme visit www.durhamlane.co.uk or call their recruitment team for a free consultation on 0191 481 3800. You can now follow durhamlane on twitter @durhamlane, and join in their sales conversations via their LinkedIn group - ‘Selling at a Higher Level’.

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COVER STORY

12

COVER STORY

‘Your Airport’ Regional airports are vital assets to local public and business communities.

They provide services that are essential to the commercial wellbeing of the area as well as providing a superb starting point for holidaymakers.

of the airport remains high. Connectivity is vital for a region growing its inward investment and local authorities here recognise the fact, working closely together with the facility to give the finest impression of the North East to international companies and visitors.

“Initially, we thought this year might be flat but ended up, 2%, due to some great individual performances. KLM and Air France have set records in July, August and September 2015 month on month and Emirates had their best ever month in August of this year too, so things are very positive in the long run,” David states.

When Emirates first arrived in the region, flown exports from the airport stood at around £20,000,000 and for the last few years our figures have indicated the figure to be approaching £250,000,000. Our latest analysis shows these figures have risen further and that the total of all exports from the airport could be as high as £600,000,000 by the end of 2015, a large proportion of which are flown.

A regular American carrier has been long desired by the people in the region. United Airlines responded by commencing operation to New York which started in May this year on a schedule of five movements a week and performed well. The trial flights have been so successful, that United will be returning in May of 2016 with an expanded operation covering six days a week.

For the future, tidying up the land side will be the priority. Wellknown brands such as W.H. Smith have long had presence in the terminal area, as well as local international company, Greggs. The M&S brand is being brought to the airport in December 2015, bringing with it a new concept called ‘Food to Go’ and Newcastle will be the first transport resource to have such concept. An additional long stay car park will be created to accommodate increased passenger numbers. During the winter, construction will begin to build another 1500 spaces.

South side of the airport is also due for upgrading, including the business park located there and this is hoped to be underway in 2016.

Planning permission has already been granted.

David attributes his successful management career partly to his involvement as a licensed football referee, dealing with footballers and large crowds up to Championship level, “On the face of it, those experiences seem incompatible with commercial management but when you have crowds up to 50,000 in size barracking you, it gives you the ability to deal calmly and rationally with any situation.”

David’s personal year has been quite phenomenal too, with his appointment as president of the North East Chamber of Commerce in its 200th year and recently named North East Business Executive of the Year.

Those experiences, along with his previous involvement with Cramlington Juniors football team and a rise through the ranks at the airport, have provided the ability to tailor his management style accordingly, understanding the individual and supervising appropriately.

David Laws is Chief Executive of the airport. A man who began his Newcastle Airport life as a trainee fireman in 1979, rising to the ultimate position, “Looking back on 2015, it’s obviously a massive year for the facility, celebrating this significant anniversary. Since our 75th milestone, time has proved transformational for the airport and has flown over.

For example, we have listened intently to our customers views which culminated in our new departure lounge which cost 15 million pounds to create,” he advises.

The emphasis has been on more choice for the customer in the new lounge. Considering the massive disruption that could have been caused with such a massive project, it’s testament to the hierarchy and employees, who managed to continue operations without closing down the airport. Not an easy task. It’s quite unique to have achieved such a feat and the airport staff are to be congratulated on their efforts throughout this period. It was opened on time and feedback from the passengers has been overwhelmingly positive.

The strapline for the airport is ‘Your airport’ and the whole of the employee base live that. There aren’t many organisations who can boast a sickness record of 1.4% demonstrating the workforces attitude to the success of the project.

Most people enjoy seeing aircraft so all food and beverage areas are housed overlooking the runway, another significant gesture toward the pleasurable experience for the traveller. A six minute security procedure is yet another important innovation, It’s as thorough and intense as any similar strategy worldwide and yet another example of thought toward comfort and experience of passengers. There are times when this duration is exceeded but for 95% of travellers, it’s the norm.

“We want our customers to say, my holiday or business trip began at Newcastle Airport and it started in a very positive manner. The way to achieve that is by attention to detail in every aspect of airport operation, both air side and terminal side,” says David.

This philosophy is clearly working. For three years in succession, readers of ‘Which Magazine’ have voted Newcastle the best large UK airport, beating the likes of Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham etc. To reinforce that, readers of ‘Wanderlust Magazine’ have also voted Newcastle Airport, best in the UK. Seven local authorities have a 51% stake in the airport and the remainder of the investment is by Australian company, AMP. “Whenever there is something to be done for the airport, our local authorities come together and do what is right to protect this regional asset. It’s a good example of everyone working together in a bid to ensure the reputation

“

“

Newcastle International Airport which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, Is striking example of forward thinking culture, that listens to its customers and puts into practice as many of the suggestions it feels appropriate.

The next 80 years should be just as interesting.

13

Airport celebrates 80th Newcastle International Airport continued to celebrate its 80th anniversary year with a gala dinner at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel. Chief Executive David Laws delivered a keynote speech to guests that included airline partners, local authorities and business executives, with Newcastle Eagles head coach Fabulous Flournoy the evenings guest speaker. North East football legends Bob Moncur and Jim Montgomery were also in attendance and were called upon to make a raffle draw which saw ÂŁ5,000 raised for the airports two adopted charity partners, the Newcastle United Foundation and the Foundation of Light. Music for the evening was provided by local singer Hollie Shearer and a group of six singers from the Brit School.

BUSINESS INSIGHT Kerry Pearson

New recruit at Rowlands Insolvency specialist Kerry Pearson is the newest recruit at Rowlands, Restructuring and Insolvency, www.rowlandsaccountants.co.uk, the region’s largest firm of independent accountants. Here she discusses her areas of expertise and highlights how early advice can mean the difference between survival or failure for a business facing financial problems.

You’ve just joined Rowlands as an associate restructuring and insolvency practitioner. Tell us about your background in the sector.

I started my insolvency career in 1995 as an office junior. A year later with a move to a different firm I became an admin assistant and then an Insolvency Administrator. I studied and gained my AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualification whilst working on all different types of insolvencies – Liquidations, CVA’s, Administrations, Bankruptcies, IVA’s – and I then went on to sit my Certificate of Proficiency in Insolvency exams in 2003. I was promoted to an Insolvency Manager in 2005 and became a qualified insolvency practitioner in 2010 after passing my JIEB exams and began taking formal insolvency appointments in July 2014.

It’s a challenging area but I take pleasure in meeting different people. I particularly enjoy assisting companies in an attempt to save the business as a going concern should they end up entering Administration, which in certain circumstances can mean we keep the business trading whilst trying to find a buyer. One of my specialities is dealing with solvent liquidations, which involves the winding down of a company when it is coming to the end of its life or when the trade of the business has been sold. This allows the owners to maximise their return in the most tax efficient way.

What attracted you to work at Rowlands and what will you bring to the role?

There is support available and it’s important that people know that.

I was approached by Rowlands because of my technical experience. The variety of work and clients the practice has means every day offers a different challenge. I will be working around the North East for Rowlands wherever my skills are needed.

The Rowlands team has expertise across the spectrum so we always have someone who can help with your particular problem. But the key message for businesses is speed is of the essence if things aren’t looking good.

One of my remits is to develop and extend the solvent liquidation offering that Rowlands has successfully provided in the past, using the vast technical knowledge I’ve built up. I’ll also be working to make sure that we remain compliant with all the new insolvency legislation that has come into effect recently.

What sort of help can you offer to struggling businesses to help them continue trading?

You’ve spent your career working in insolvency. Are businesses using rescue and recovery advice earlier – or are you called in when a firm is in serious trouble?

Rowlands’ restructuring and insolvency division specialises in working with businesses that are facing difficult conditions, and we can support them through their current problems and advise on what needs to be done to help them to recover.

We are often called into businesses when they are in serious trouble but companies need to be aware of the help we can offer if they ask for advice earlier. If they approach us sooner, there may be more options available.

Because of the vast amount of experience at Rowlands, we are able to help with all aspects of business recovery and in many cases that means a company not only survives its current problems but is able to grow in the future. We look at each situation individually and then work with the business owners to decide on a realistic course of action.

Often, businesses will panic and not do anything because they think they can work things out themselves and it will be all right. But if they speak to an advisor, there may be a number of things that can be done to limit financial issues.

It can be very distressing if your company is struggling or if you have taken the decision to exit the business, but we can support you with expert, confidential advice to achieve the best possible outcome.

For more information, please contact Kerry Pearson on 0191 4112468 or 01642 790790 or at Kerry.pearson@rowlandsaccountants.co.uk.

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Over 100 years of accounting experience at your side.

At Rowlands, our years of experience mean we’re committed to accounting excellence. But our expertise doesn’t stop there.

We’re also big on personal service, that’s why you can count on us to be at your side.

With six offices in our region, you can rely on us to provide up-to-the-minute knowledge and advice. So if you’d like to see what we can do for your business, get in touch.

Hexham 01434 602 230 | Ponteland 01661 871 919 Sunderland 0191 565 1870 | Yarm 01642 790 790 rowlandsaccountants.co.uk

Crook 01388 762 478 | Portobello 0191 411 2468

Audit & Accountancy

Taxation & Planning

Restructuring & Insolvency

Development & Consultancy

Rowlands at the Races Rowlands Accountants recently entertained clients and guests to an afternoons National Hunt Racing at Hexham Racecourse.

The Coast al Account ant s

ReadMilburn & C O M PA N Y

Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors

71 Howard Street, North Shields, NE30 1AF t: 0191 257 0355 e: info@readmilburn.co.uk Annual Accounts • Self Assessment • PAYE Compliance • VAT Compliance • Management Accounts • Statutory Audits • Tax Planning • Revenue Investigations • Contribution Agency • Investigations • VAT Investigations • Company Formations • Business Start-Ups • Information technology • Forensic Accounting • Special Assignments

BUSINESS INSIGHT Stephen Slater

goetzpartners put their UK expansion plans into action in the UK in the coming years, goetzpartners has now asked RMT for support in all administration, regulation and accounting matters.

North East knowledge and expertise is set to help one of Germany’s leading business advisors put their UK expansion plans into action.

Stéphanie Catala, Director of Finance and Controlling at goetzpartners, said: “The continuing improvement we’re seeing in the economy means we’re looking to grow our presence in the UK in 2016, and RMT’s support will be central to helping us develop and implement these plans.

goetzpartners is ranked among the ten largest advisory firms in Germany and advises on all key issues of entrepreneurial activity, such as strategy, M&A and transformation, in a range of key sectors, including energy, finance, healthcare, automotive, retail, FMCG and telecommunications.

“The industry in which we work is very highly regulated, and RMT will support us in appreciating the fine detail of what’s required by the Financial Conduct Authority to meet these requirements.

The combination of corporate finance and management consulting creates sustainable added value when determining valid courses of action, reaching decisions and implementing them.

“We have a strong relationship with the RMT team, and the work they carry out so reliably and comprehensively for us is a key part of keeping our UK operations running as smoothly as possible.”

The Munich-headquartered firm, which has 12 offices in 9 countries around the world, has worked with RMT Accountants & Business Advisors for over a decade on managing its bookkeeping, payroll and management accounts in the UK, as well as ensuring it meets the regulatory requirements set down by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Stephen Slater, Director at RMT Accountants, added: “Being chosen by goetzpartners to help their UK expansion drive is testament to the impact that our team’s expertise can provide, and we’re excited about the potential for growth that we’ll be helping them to realise.”

In order to successfully implement their new expansion activity

Stephen Slater, Director RMT Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd Gosforth Park Avenue Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8EG T: 0191 2569500M: 07974 427264 F: 0191 2569501 W: www.r-m-t.co.uk

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Pathways4All Annual Ball Following a Strictly Come Dancing theme, an amazing £110k was raised at the Pathways4All Annual Ball. The amazing guests turned a dream into reality by funding an extension onto The Tim Lamb Children’s Centre. In return the guests were surprised, when as part of the evening’s entertainment, Greek dancers Stavros Flatley performed.

The Centre caters for children aged 0 to 25 years old, with any disability or additional need. It is ran by dedicated volunteers, 7 days a week. www.pathways4all.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHT New starters: UNW expands its workforce and service lines off the back of 10 years of sustained growth.

UNW celebrates 10 years growth with another 10% rise in turnover Entrepreneurial chartered accountants and business advisers UNW LLP - who have grown every year for the last 10 years have once again cemented their position of delivering long term, sustainable growth after reporting a 10% rise in turnover.

In the six months to September 2015, Newcastlebased UNW delivered an annualised revenue rate of more than £8m.

The firm, which says it never actively pursues revenue growth, attributes its track record over the last decade to adding value to its clients, developing and looking after its people and being entrepreneurial in its own right.

The news comes after UNW’s corporate finance team reported a record-breaking first quarter of this year, having completed an unprecedented number of deals with a combined transactional value of around £100m.

As well as winning work across all the traditional lines of tax, audit, corporate finance and accounting services, the St. James’ Boulevard business has also established innovative new services, such as its Strategic Talent, Forensics and Outsourcing divisions, not traditionally associated with chartered accountancy practices.

Now UNW say they are as optimistic for future growth as they have been at “any time in the last five years” as the market recovery filters through

to its clients’ confidence, activities and growth plans.

UNW LLP Managing Partner Andrew Wilson said: “We have grown in every single one of the last 10 years, despite the recession, but we have never chased revenue growth. For us, it’s about looking after our clients and our people and then growth has followed naturally.

has recently recruited for a number of high quality roles across the firm and the team is now more than 100 strong.

UNW, whose client list includes many locally based entrepreneurial businesses, is also committed to investing in young talent, and has successfully developed its own in-house training, graduate and apprentice schemes.

“We have consistently managed to win work across all the traditional service lines but we have also heavily invested in new people and services too. This strategy has been driven by a desire to meet our clients’ needs

Mr Wilson said: “In terms of future growth, our clients are certainly more optimistic than they have been for a while and have started to invest and develop more exciting business plans than at any stage in the last five years.

“We have done things like establish a Strategic Talent team so we can help our clients recruit and retain board and senior management team members. That’s not what some expect a chartered accountancy firm to do but it has worked because we have demonstrated a willingness to understand our clients’ businesses and support them with their plans.

“So that’s exciting for us too because, generally speaking, when our clients are busy and are considering expansion plans that creates more opportunities for us.

“It’s all about working with our clients and delivering a UNW team with breadth, we never adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and tailor our offering to each client. We aspire to be the best at what we do, and are happy to be judged by our clients and team members in this regard.”

In order to keep up with the significant growth the firm has experienced in recent years, UNW

www.unw.co.uk

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“But what we have always been interested in is long term, sustainable growth shown through our commitment to developing people, attracting and retaining talent, investing in the brand, IT and systems, solely to help us to serve our clients more efficiently and effectively.

“We believe we have a decent foundation here, and yes, we can scale it further. But we know that we will only do that by continuing to place personal relationships at the heart of everything we do and continuing to build a team that can really deliver to our clients.”

BUSINESS INSIGHT Jayne Dolder

The Winners Best Creative Award Sponsor: NL Productions Jayne Dolder, The Bazaar Group - Northumberland Best Home Based Business Sponsor: WIN Ltd Margaret Manchester Durham Hens Limited - Durham Best New Business Sponsor: NECC Kelly Bentham and Helen Godfrey Amber North East- Durham

Women celebrate success at North East Entreprenuer Awards Achievements of the region's top female business leaders have been celebrated at the 16th annual North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Owner of the UK's leading designer and manufacturer of bean-filled furniture Jayne Dolder of Cramlington-based The Bazaar Group scooped the top honour with the prestigious Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship.

Held during a glittering awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle's Stephenson Quarter, judges scored candidates based on providing clear leadership abilities whilst either running or playing key roles in the North East business scene.

A record breaking number of entries came forward from a variety of sectors, with categories including best creative award, best home based business, best service award and STEM award.

Overall winner Jayne Dolder, who also won the best creative award category, said: "I was astounded to be shortlisted not only in one but two categories, so that in itself was a great achievement, but to have walked away with both awards including the prestigious title of North East Female Entrepreneur of the Year is just a dream come true. It is an honour for me but also

Best Service Award Sponsor: WIN Ltd Fran Mulhall GFW Letting - Newcastle upon Tyne Best Small Business Sponsor: Tees Valley Unlimited Angela Sterling Lingotot - Durham Best Use Of Innovation Sponsor: Newcastle College Laura Leigh Wayman Child’s Play Private Nursery Newcastle upon Tyne

to my fabulous team who have helped make the business a success."

Event organiser Nickie Gott, who chairs the North East Chamber of Commerce's Women's Advisory Board, WIN Ltd, and is the founder of events management company She's Gott It! said: "Congratulations to all winners who are proving to be successful role models and such an inspiration to the next generation of female talent in our region. Learning from peers is vital for female business owners with growth aspirations and all winners will do just that, inspire and encourage others.

"Jayne Dolder is the latest in a long line of acclaimed female entrepreneurs to win the Susan Dobson memorial Award.

"Her outstanding success in creating and growing her business and her vision, enthusiasm and leadership skills really made her stand out as this year's winner."

NECC Director of Policy Ross Smith said: "I am delighted that the NECC is so closely involved with the WIN Awards. These awards are a clear demonstration and celebration of the great accomplishments of so many individual women and it is very special that we come together to celebrate their endeavours."

Heart Of The Community Sponsor: The Sage Group Paula Gascoigne Smile For Life Children’s Charity Leadership Award Sponsor: WIN Ltd Holly Armstrong George F. White - Northumberland STEM Award Sponsor: Business Durham Ruth Plummer Clinical Professor of Experimental Cancer medicine Newcastle University (Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre) - Newcastle upon Tyne The Susan Dobson Award For Entrepreneurship Jayne Dolder The Bazaar Group, Cramlington Northumberland Young Entrepreneur of the Year Sponsor: Natwest Lyndsey Johnson LJ Retail Group - Durham Best Apprenticeship Award Sponsor: Accenture Victoria English Caterpillar Peterlee

Runners Up STEM Award Giselle Stewart Ubisoft Reflections Limited Newcastle upon Tyne Best Small Business Margaret Manchester Durham Hens Limited - Durham

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

In the Hot Seat Michael Grahamslaw meets

Cyd Smith of CS Accounting although I don't know if my honest answers were always appreciated!

Did you always envision a career in the world of accountancy?

Moving into my own premises was a highlight also.

Most definitely not! I wanted to be a fashion designer after I was taught embroidery and needlework by a Great Aunt of mine. I always excelled at Maths at school though so I suppose you could say I had an affinity with numbers.

Who are your heroes in and out of business?

No great heroes as such but I do admire businessmen like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson as well as many of the clients we have worked with, many of whom are unsung one man bands and have been very successful on a smaller scale.

I trained under articles but hated being in practice which is why I moved into industry and also temping which offered a greater variety of work.

Is there anything exciting your currently working on?

What inspired you to establish CS Accounting?

Beta Testing on new Sage Software which, as one of their online development partners I love.

By accident I suppose. I applied for a part time job preparing management accounts for a joinery company and they asked me if I would consider doing the work on a self employed basis. I soon started to acquire other clients and it snowballed from there. I loved being able to fit my work around my family commitments.

Through the rise of cloud accountancy and various other technological advances has the industry changed for the better?

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Day to day operations, sorting issues out and very much keeping clients on track. Having the chance to be involved in our clients’ businesses is also very enjoyable.

Yes it means we can look at information in real time and react quicker to developments in our clients’ businesses.

What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?

Don't be an accountant? Although the profession has changed so much from when I first started it would be a different experience now.

Basically get to know your clients,get involved and mentor where possible to help them through decisions and problems.

Describe a typical day in the life?

There isn't one ! Certain days bring certain issues such as payroll etc but often its more about reacting to things as they happen and fitting the rest of the work around that.

Looking to 2016 what does the future hold?

What stands out in your career so far?

Perfect clients would be nice! We are trying to get clients who would benefit to move to the Cloud so we are able to give them business advice from real time information.

I was recently picked as one of only 6 accountants in the country to meet the CEO of Sage and discuss new products. This was great

For further information contact www.csaccounting.co.uk

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Let’s dance Vinay Bedi

In the never-ending quest for greater knowledge, one occasionally stumbles across a statistic which not just surprises but gives you a rare edge around the dinner table…so here goes: - what is now Britain’s most popular leisure activity? The usual response is fishing.

Wrong. The correct answer is dancing. (It may be argued that shopping is top but I consider that a necessity rather than a leisure pursuit, some may beg to differ!)

I find the answer somewhat depressing, not least because I and the vast number of male friends generally do not, and probably cannot, dance. But, I do know many of those friends are involved in voluntary work for charities, whether it be acting as a trustee or committing their own leisure time to helping out in whatever way they are needed or can. And so, it should not be surprising that charity work comes second on the list of activities the British get up to. Yet, somehow, I am still surprised.

I have been involved as chairman of the board at a charity for some years now and it is hard work and does take up a fair bit of “leisure” time.

But, it is also very helpful in terms of opening new horizons, new industries and differing views on how the world works. Hence, I have frequently

encouraged “younger” colleagues and friends to “volunteer” whenever they can.

The most frequent retort is that voluntary work is something to be considered after retirement and this is an attitude that we need to change.

Boards of trustees, in particular, need a younger more vibrant approach. Trustees nowadays need to be fit enough, energetic enough, even

For information purposes only.

This feature does not reflect a UBS offer or solicitation of an offer to make any investment.

commercial enough, to cover all of the specific needs of charities today. Yet for those people who do take the plunge and get involved before retirement there are a lot of positive rewards to be found. As well as experience of other areas of business and life, charity involvement creates fantastic networking opportunities with one’s contact base expanding significantly.

Within the North East, which is of course well known as a “small village”, this involvement can also lead to an enhancement in one’s own status and perception as professional or business minded individual.

If you’re still unsure, remember, Charities and Foundations are now a critical part of our economy. Charities are a fundamental cog in the machinery of our economy and our society.

I had the pleasure of talking to Hugh McGouran from the Tees Valley Community Foundation the other day regarding the impact of the closure of Teesside Steel site. It goes without saying that that excellent Foundation is going to be put under more pressure to help and support the region.

Without it, the fabric of the Teesside economy and society would fracture just that little bit more. If we want to do something to help – volunteer. You will be in the company of plenty of others.

Vinay Bedi, Executive Director, UBS Wealth Management.

Tel: 0191-211-1015. Email: vinay.bedi@ubs.com www.ubs.com/northeast-uk

Corporate & Commercial Funding Solutions With more than 25 years of experience in the asset finance, banking and cashflow finance sectors we are well placed to facilitate the right funding solution for your business needs.

If you are an SME business and are looking at arranging funding in the following areas please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Cashflow Finance

Business Loans

Asset Finance

Peer to Peer Lending

Vehicle Finance

Vehicle Sourcing

Property Finance

Short Term Finance (Bridging)

To see a selection of recently transacted deals in the North East please visit www.ccfundingsolutions.com

Peter Cromarty | Director Corporate and Commercial Funding Solutions Ltd e: peter@ccfundingsolutions.com m: 07715 409386

BUSINESS INSIGHT Stuart McKinnon

I’ll (not) be back!

Arnie’s famous words from the Terminator always spring to mind when the question of termination payments to employees are mentioned. The system of tax free payments (assuming they are non-contractual) is pretty well understood but our good friends at the Office of Tax Simplification (“OTS”) have decided it is time to look at this again and therefore feel changes are necessary. The Government agrees and has issued a consultative document setting out proposed changes.

haven’t given any indication as to what this maximum should be but the smart money is on the fact that it will be somewhat less than £30,000.

The Government feels that this would be a fairer system which would proportionately reward long serving, lower paid employees.

Termination payments can be a useful tool for employers in cases where staff are required to leave in cases other than redundancy, for instance where a contract is ending, where a role no longer exists or where more often than not an employee has performance issues.

They are also considering whether the exemption should only apply to cases of redundancy. In other words this looks like an enhanced exemption for genuine redundancy payments.

Currently these payments can be tax-free up to £30,000 for employees, with employers also avoiding paying the 13.8% National Insurance contribution (“NI”). This £30,000 exemption makes it easier for employers and employees to negotiate an amicable split, with the employee receiving a tax-free sum, and the employer not required to go through the formalities of a redundancy or disciplinary process. Such settlements have recently been approved under the Employment Rights Act.

This move could prove considerably more expensive for employers used to paying off under-performers quickly and quietly, and without having to invoke any long-winded formal processes in order to exit them from the company. This is likely to lead to more conflict and ultimately more cases going to employment tribunals.

However, the OTS feel that the rules are overly complex, are misunderstood by many employers and are easily manipulated by higher earners. To address this they believe that the Government should

There is a proposal to retain the exemption for such things as injury or disability and for HM Forces payments. In addition, a new exemption for compensatory payments for unfair and wrongful dismissal and also for loss of future earnings following discrimination are being considered.

remove the distinction between contractual and non-contractual payments

The overall proposals will effectively hamper the ability to ‘hire and fire’ staff at a time when employers really need more flexibility in the workforce. By attempting to make the issue of termination payments simpler, the OTS have quite simply made it more blunt.

a lign the income tax and national insurance treatment of termination payments review the existing exemptions with consideration being given to removing some or all of those exemptions.

If this process is repeated in other areas of tax law, we are likely to see more and more tax changes taking place which will potentially be money raisers for the Government disguised as simplification. The alignment of tax and national insurance is next on their agenda. Having been previously confined to the “too difficult” pile expect to see some radical thinking very soon!

The Government agrees with the first two points and on the third are broadly recommending that rather than having a flat £30,000 exemption, a sliding scale would apply increasing with each year of continuous employment. Nothing would be paid for the first two years but a fixed sum per annum up to an overall maximum would apply thereafter. They

For more information on termination payments or other taxation issues, please contact Stuart McKinnon on 0191 255 7000 or email stuart.mckinnon@rsmuk.com or your usual RSM contact.

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The RSM network is administered by RSM International Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 4040598) whose registered office is at 11 Old Jewry, London EC2R 8DU. The brand and trademark RSM and other intellectual property rights used by members of the network are owned by RSM International Association, an association governed by article 60 et seq of the Civil Code of Switzerland whose seat is in Zug.

BUSINESS INSIGHT Jonathan Gold

Celebrating the financial year; looking forwards to 2016 As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting through the eyes of an investor. We should celebrate that 2015 sees the successful end of the current investment of the North East JEREMIE Funds.

I’m told well over £130m has been invested and an additional £150m attracted from private investors. We await the next funds for 2016 and the following five years with interest. As I write this, there is no clarity when these funds will be available and how.

This has been the year at Rivers Capital where we completed investments of £9.5m from the North East Angel Fund plus a further £8m leveraged from other investors into 66 businesses.

We made the Micro Loan Fund work for so many great small businesses, over 400 in total.

Interestingly a recent survey by Business Banking Insight (BBI), who surveyed some 5,000 UK SMEs, reported that businesses were increasingly looking to ‘alternative’ sources of finance.

What is not a surprise from the BBI survey is that they report 73% of businesses consider investing their own money to expand their business. I had always assumed that was the case, far more sensible to do this, if you can, than taking the responsibility and cost of accepting money from others. Of course it’s best to do a bit of both, using their own hard earned cash but also leveraging that with investors’ money, bank, VC, angel or the crowd. The BBI go one to say that 63% would consider a bank loan. Well these days that might be our Micro Loan Fund or a crowdfunded bond or other ‘alternative’ lender.

Interestingly this chimes with our own survey conducted at Rivers Capital; 58% of our responses from North East businesses would consider a loan as a source of finance for their business. 75% have answered ‘growth’ as the primary reason for applying for funding. It’s encouraging that growth is on the agenda, something that has characterised 2015 as more businesses seem to be considering or actually financing growth.

So-called ‘alternative’ lending is now mainstream and should be treated as such. There is no soft money and one of the things I think will mark out 2015 is that it was the year that crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending and others came of age. This has been marked, if you look carefully, by mainstream banks and the City of London’s big investors starting to invest directly into online platforms. I suggest this trend will continue in 2016. We could see Finance Circle and others becoming mainstream banks.

The other notable event in the North this year has been the emergence of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ as a concept. I’m not yet sure what this means for start-ups and growing small business in our region. One thing is clear to me, we need to embrace the concept and be part of it to better coordinate investment activity across the whole of the North.

However, that does not mean, as I have heard rumours, giving control over future investment funds from Government and the EU, the next

JEREMIE programme, to anyone outside the region. The North East has one of the most successful programmes run here by North East Finance let’s not break the model just to meet a political agenda.

During the year we also saw two fantastic examples of why the North East is a great place for entrepreneurs, innovation and finance. Alice Hall was awarded ‘Emerging Entrepreneur’ of the year with her fantastic local success and online retailing Pink Boutique. A true entrepreneurial start-up built by Alice in 2012 with an initial £90 and in 2014-15 turned over £6m and exports to 59 countries. The other example is the new innovative business Atom Bank, the mobile banking platform. They not only have closed major investment rounds this year but in July were granted their banking licence, a tremendous achievement and of course they were founded here and based in Durham. Watch out for Atom Bank’s launch in 2016.

So, like Matt Ridley, I’m a rational optimist (read his book on the subject it’s good) and think 2016 will be a steady build on 2015 with more businesses growing and more ways for them to access finance.

So to all entrepreneurs and investors out there, have a great festive season and I hope Santa delivers the cash you need plus that prosperous New Year.

Jonathan Gold is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Rivers Capital Partners; contact him on 0191 230 6370 or via www.riverscap.com

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Fenwick celebrates the opening of its new look food hall - a world-class dining and retail experience Following a multi-million pound investment, the grand redevelopment of the Food Hall at Fenwick Newcastle is now complete and open to customers.

Work began this summer to transform the Food Hall in a full redesign, introducing new eateries, brands and products. The project, two years in the planning, followed a wide-ranging consultation with customers to discover what they wanted to find in a modern Food Hall.

The development now offers exciting dining experiences alongside a retail offering that showcases the very best regional and international produce. To celebrate, selected guests from across the region were invited to Fenwick for the official launch event on Friday 23rd October.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

In Conversation With...

David Elliott Tax Partner, KPMG Newcastle.

What were your career ambitions growing up?

Rather strangely, from about the age of 13 I always wanted to be Chartered Accountant. I am not quite sure why this was my preferred choice, as I didn’t actually know anyone who was an accountant or what an accountant did.

At school I was quite good at maths, so I suspect this must have indirectly influenced my career choice.

Can you briefly outline your career path for the readers?

I had a slightly unorthodox route into the world of accountancy. I received some disastrous careers advice that I should do my A Levels at College rather than at school, and left after one year as I realised I had made the incorrect choice.

I applied for (and got) a job working as an accounting technician for a firm called Thomas Rodger in Hexham. I persuaded the Senior Partner to allow me to do my studies by day release, and I spent 3 years at Newcastle College where I did a BTEC. Looking back, working in Hexham was as far removed from my job now as it is possible to be. As the new person I had to make the teas and coffees for everyone, did any menial task anyone didn’t want to do which were delegated to me, all for a starting salary of £150 per month. I did work with some excellent people and learnt how to prepare accounts and master double entry book keeping. Looking back it was a fantastic working environment.

My BTEC qualification allowed me to apply for an Accountancy Foundation course at Newcastle Polytechnic, which I did full time for 1 year, with the promise of a training contract from Thomas Rodger. I passed the course and started my training contract, and after 3 years of a studying I passed my Chartered Accountancy exams at the first attempt. I then decided to see if there were any opportunities beyond Hexham, as I was interested in specialising in tax, as this was the exam subject I enjoyed most.

Price Waterhouse Cooper offered me an interview, and I went along only for interview practice as I didn’t wish to work for them. I had a second interview a week later with them and was offered a job which I accepted. I spent 18 great years at PwC in Newcastle rising to tax director. I was then headhunted

by KPMG in 2007, and joined them as a partner in early 2008 to lead the Newcastle tax practice.

staff, you can genuinely defend your actions as being both right and fair.

What is your greatest business achievement to date?

The achievement I have taken most satisfaction from is how I have built and developed my tax team at KPMG Newcastle. Over the last 8 years there have been 5 directors promoted in our tax and legal team in Newcastle, plus numerous other promotions. It is good to be able to occasionally impact what I see is the benefit of a mature opinion, but a lot of my staff tell me I am just old!

Who are your biggest influences both in and out of business?

Outside of work my biggest influence is my family, and in particular my wife Caroline whom I have been married to for 27 years. There have been too many influences to mention within work, but I hope I have picked up and copied the great working practices I have seen over the years.

What are you currently working on?

At the moment I am spending time on talking to clients about significant tax changes called BEPS, I am very busy with clients who are involved in transactions at present, and I spend a significant amount of time thinking about how I can develop our business locally by maintaining and strengthening relationships, and seeking to meet new contacts.

Can you describe a typical day in the life of David Elliott?

I wish there was a typical day! Most days I come into work with a list of things I wish to accomplish, but it is rare that I get to achieve it. Unexpected client requests come in, usually urgent, and it is then about providing timely advice to the client’s deadline. The key to achieving this is to delegate well, and trust your team to deliver, and not micro manage.

I am fortunate in that I have excellent staff in my team, many of whom have specialised in particular areas of tax for many years, so can deliver expert advice locally. I was delighted that two new directors, Michelle Wilson and Fiona Nash, were promoted in my team in October.

Do you have a favourite hotspot for a business meeting?

It depends on whom I am meeting, but my three personal favourite meeting places are KPMG’s new client meeting rooms called Number Twenty in Mayfair, Café 21 and Close House Golf Club.

Outside of the office what do you do to relax?

My two main forms are relaxation are holidays and playing golf (which can be combined). I believe it is important to take your full holiday allowance as it is important to spend time away from the office. Most weekends I can be found playing golf at Close House, which is a fantastic golf course.

Is there a mantra you aspire to when doing business?

I would say it is to always do the right thing. You must be able to look yourself in the mirror and say whatever decision I have made, both with clients and

For further information contact David Elliott, Tax Partner, KPMG, Quayside House, 110 Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DX Tel: 0191 4013881 Email: David.Elliott@KPMG.co.uk www.kpmg.com

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BUSINESS INSIGHT Ryan Harrison

HMRC failing UK taxpayers As figures are released from the Public Accounts Committee suggesting HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is “failing UK taxpayers”, Ryan Harrison from Leathers LLP discusses how help can be more readily available than via a prolonged wait through a call centre.

It’s a situation we have all encountered hours spent on the phone to a call centre, being transferred from department to department, struggling to get anywhere fast with your query. It is certainly a frustrating process and one that often results in you giving up and resolving to try again another day.

Whilst this is what we have come to expect in dealing with broadband or utility providers, worryingly, it is now also becoming the ‘norm’ in dealing with HMRC. Many years ago (or so I’m reliably informed!) there was a local tax inspector at a local tax office, who accountants in the area would know and have on-hand to answer any queries. Now, taxpayers and accountants alike are finding it increasingly difficult to get a personal service from HMRC. This could be for a number of reasons. Firstly, there’s clearly a greater demand on HMRC than ever before; around 10 million people now complete an annual self-assessment tax returns.

Secondly, we live in a society where information is now available in an instant at the touch of a button, and so our expectation levels of HMRC have no doubt increased. However, the simple truth is that HMRC are underfunded and lacking in resources.

Recent figures released in the press suggest that 18 million calls went unanswered in 2014.

Possibly as a consequence of this, in June, it was reported that HMRC had diverted £45million to improving their call centres and hiring 3,000 new staff.

We can only hope this additional funding will help in the long term, although, the benefits are yet to be seen.

We as accountants are certainly experiencing greater difficulties when contacting HMRC. Perhaps most worryingly, we are now simply have to accept that there will be lengthy delays when corresponding with HMRC. The average call waiting time was estimated to be 14 minutes 22 seconds (in March 2015); I can confirm from experience that the ‘pleasant’ holding tune becomes irritating after less than 1 minute!

In light of our own difficulties, we are also becoming increasingly aware of the problems faced by individual taxpayers when dealing with HMRC. Clearly, not all taxpayers have the support of an accountant or the technical knowledge required to navigate HMRC’s systems.

In the worst case scenarios, we have been approached for help by individual taxpayers who have received a deeply impersonal brown envelope demanding an unexpected tax payment.

Individuals who have previously dealt directly with HMRC for decades have found it impossible to resolve certain issues on their own. HMRC’s use of computer automated responses further removes the personal service and can include

unhelpful references to penalties of up to 100% of underpaid tax!

Even the process of submitting your tax return or other documents to HMRC can cause problems and uncertainties. While HMRC’s website is quite accessible, it is often a case of ‘it’s easy if you know how’. For people who aren’t used to filling in these types of documents online, it is not uncommon to face technical difficulties or response problems. But when the options are to have a go at filling it in, or trying to negotiate the HMRC telephone system, many people will opt for the former.

At Leathers we are a people-focused firm.

We take pride in our accessibility; we are always available at the end of a phone or in person for our clients. I’m often told how reassuring it is for clients to be able to speak with one of the Leathers team about their HMRC queries. We all want something which is supposed to be simple and clear, to be just that. Indeed several of our long-standing private clients came to us initially for a one-off piece of tax advice, which speaks volumes about the quality of our service.

We would encourage anyone who is struggling to deal with HMRC not to suffer in silence and leave yourself open to penalties or an incorrect tax bill. Help and advice is available, and it need not be the lengthy and frustrating process that many have come to expect from HMRC.

For advice in dealing with HMRC matters, contact Ryan Harrison at Leathers LLP on r.harrison@leathersllp.co.uk or on 0191 224 6760

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Scrooge Tax Man - Don‘t let him spoil your Christmas...

Hello and welcome to December’s column from everyone at KP Simpson and first off a happy Christmas and New Year to all of you and your families!

With the festive spirit in full swing, finance is probably one of the last things on your mind. Caught somewhere between Christmas parties and the New Year chaos, you are more than likely wanting to enjoy yourself than think about pounds and pence.

Among the planning that comes with the Christmas period, it would be a good idea to bear in mind some important dates regarding returns for the past tax year; that is April 6 2014 – April 5 2015.

Perhaps most importantly is the approaching deadline for online tax returns. For anyone with an online account at www.gov.uk (If you don’t have one you can sign up), midnight of January 31st 2016 is one to chalk down in your diaries.

It’s that date by which your self-assessment online tax return has to be submitted to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The selfassessment tax return system was introduced in the 90’s and revolutionised the way tax returns were submitted by tax payers and collected by the government. Now with online self-assessment, it’s become that little bit simpler to return your self-assessed taxes.

It’s important to note that online selfassessment tax returns cannot be used by the following, as according to gov.uk, other software must be bought or other forms downloaded; as a partnership, for a trust and estate or if you receive funds from a trust, if you’re a Lloyd’s underwriter, a religious minister or are required to fill in the non-residence part of the form.

This February’s Self-Assessment for the 2013-14-tax year saw a record number of digital returns, with over 10 million submitted by January 31 2015. A massive 85.5% of those were sent online – so you can see just how big online self-assessment tax returns are in today’s world!

So what are the advantages of getting your self-assessment return done, dusted and submitted online?

For one, it will save you a fine! Anyone who turns in their tax return up to three months late will get a penalty charge of £100. The charge will be more if it’s later or if you pay the tax bill late, with extra penalties charged after 6 and 12 months. So it really is a case of time ‘is’ money.

It’s also of advantage to your mind, as all calculations are performed automatically, saving you the headache of numbers after a busy day at

work or during your weekend.

There’s also a financial reward aspect to self-assessed online tax returns. The automatic system will pick up on any overpayment from you and within weeks will return any money owed to you. A lot quicker than waiting for someone from HMRC to go through the tax return with a fine tooth comb!

So it seems it couldn’t be easier to submit your self-assessment tax return than it is online.

But there is one other option – Here at KP Simpson Certified Public Accountants we specialise in book-keeping, annual accounts and – more usefully in this situation – taxation services.

This means our in house tax specialists will look at all aspects of your tax including tax minimisation, corporation tax returns and, funnily enough, self-assessment returns!

The tax system really is a minefield, but you needn’t tip toe around things. A new, personal tax client with us at KP Simpson is likely to save on average over £1,200 on their tax return.

Bearing in mind the fine for late return increases the later your tax returns are, it’s also true that the longer you wait to return your self assessment, the more you will have to pay.

Get in touch with KP Simpson’s taxation services team on 0191 420 0550 or fill in the form online at www.kpsimpson.co.uk to get your self assessment tax return off and running.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

The Dangers of Rising Interest Rates Three Counties Team

One effect of the 2008 Global financial crisis is historically low interest rates. In 2009 interest rates across most developed markets fell to record lows during an attempt to inject growth into the global economic market; the rationale behind this being that low interest rate lending will promote consumer spending and drive the economy. Along with massive amounts of liquidity being pumped into the market through Quantitative Easing (QE), the resulting rally in global capital markets can be seen as one indicator that these measures have succeeded.

Six years on, expectations are that the US will begin to raise rates following its next meeting in December; if this does happen it will be the first US rate rise since 2006. The reason is the strength of the underlying domestic economy, the most recent US job creation report highlighting over 280,000 new jobs were created last month against the expectation of 150,000.

The burning question to all of this is how will investors and markets react to this “normalisation” of interest rates? Many commentators say that, as the Federal Reserve have indicated the inevitability of this event, markets will take rising interest rates in their stride. Others point to the

trillions of dollars that have been injected into the global markets as a result of QE and the impact that rising costs of repayments will have.

Certain assets act in fundamental ways in the face of rising interest rates.

Fixed Income markets will suffer. In their very nature, a fixed payment will lose its desirability to investors in the face of rising rates. Furthermore, high quality fixed income markets are currently at historically high prices with little room for manoeuvre, therefore making them vulnerable to even modest rate rises.

At the lower end of the fixed income market a rise in interest rates can have a significant effect. Higher yielding, or “junk” bonds, offer higher income to investors based upon their increased likelihood of default. This end of the market has been very popular over the past 5 years with yields offered at over 6% pa and the market having a low default rate in comparison to history. However there is expectation that defaults will rise as those companies struggle to repay the debt issued in the face of rising borrowing costs.

In contrast developed market equities tend to benefit from rising interest rates as the leading indicator shows that underlying economic

conditions look firm and that is broadly positive for stock prices. However, this may not be the case for emerging market economies. A stronger US dollar, backed by higher US interest rates, tends to depress emerging market currencies, as already seen during 2015. The US rate rise could exacerbate the current emerging market turmoil and could even precipitate a full blown crisis.

Moving closer to home, there is no automatic or formal link between US and UK interest rate policy. However, the widespread expectation is that the Bank of England will be the next central bank after the US to raise interest rates. Not all economies may follow suit. As weakness in oil prices continue to keep inflation low, many global central banks will continue to promote QE expansion. Europe and Japan are currently on this path and the likelihood is that this will be increased.

It was inevitable that someday a normalisation process of interest rates would occur. It was always unsustainable to continue at such low levels and as such, some degree of unwinding will be felt across capital markets.

These events are out of the control of investors, with the only sensible path being that of disciplined asset diversification.

Andrew Alexander is Head of Investments and Product Development at Three Counties Limited and can be contacted on 0191 230 3034, andrew.alexander@threecountiesgroup.co.uk, website www.threecountiesgroup.co.uk.

Three Counties Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Christmas cheer that can’t be matched...but can be copied Yuletide is coming and money is at a premium so it’s understandable to be looking for value. But there is no need to wait until the January sales to get your money’s worth, thanks to Diamond Group.

A multi-divisional firm with arms focusing on copying, I.T solutions, telecoms and finance, you can be assured Diamond Group offer quality and reliability in the products they provide.

It’s no surprise then that their range of refurbished multi-functional copiers are not only stylish, but are also amazing value for money.

Encompassing printing, photocopying scanning and more, they are a cost-effective replacement for the outdated and expensive single units. And coming from brands as wellknown and respected in the industry as Olivetti, Ricoh and HP you know you will be getting some of the best products on the market.

From just £20 a month, you can replace the antique machine in your office with a colour copier offering top quality printing, and the ability to scan immediately to email. It really is the best present you could give your workplace as Christmas approaches.

With speeds of up to 24ppm (pages-per-

minute) the Olivetti d-colour range is a firm favourite among those customers who value productivity, ease-of-use and reliability. Featuring a high speed engine and ample memory to save your important documents, they even allow for printing directly from USB. And with Diamond Groups Winter special offers on refurbished D-colour copiers there really is no better time to get on board and upgrade your office tech.

So as the cold weather rolls in you can be

warm inside knowing that your output will improve for less than the price of a Christmas lunch.

No matter what you need, be it need a smaller unit or something a little more heavy duty, Diamond Group has you covered this winter.

Speed, value and style what more could you want? Well how about the security of knowing that if anything goes wrong with your product, a Diamond Group expert will be on site to fix it?

To find out more about Diamond Group’s range of copiers or enquire about their other services, contact them on 0191 519 3700, email enquiries@diamond-group.net or visit their website www.diamond-group.net.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Successful entrepreneurs & sporting champions inspire North East business leaders Leading entrepreneurs, from a range of different sectors, inspired more than 200 North East business leaders at one of the most anticipated business events in the region when the Entrepreneurs’ Forum hosted its annual autumn conference.

The event, ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’, took place at Redworth Hall Hotel near Newton Aycliffe and featured a host of entrepreneurs from the business world, an Olympic champion, British basketball’s most successful player-coach, and a former England cricketer-turned psychologist.

Fabulous Flournoy, the inspirational coach of the Newcastle Eagles, is British basketball’s most successful ever player-coach. Fab shared lessons on leadership and teamwork. He outlined the difference between a goal and a purpose and how it can apply to business.

He said: “My purpose is not to win trophies; it’s to be the best coach the North East has ever seen. That is my purpose, not a goal. You could have a product, a service, an idea, but what is the purpose? You employ staff; make sure your staff, just like my team, share your purpose, just as it is their purpose. You have to have the same rightminded people. The power of your business is the power of your people, your team. You can’t be successful unless that team goes out there and performs.”

Entrepreneurial insights saw Graham Robb, chairman of the Institute of Directors in the North East and Senior Partner of event sponsor Recognition PR, interview four inspirational entrepreneurs about their experiences in business.

The session heard the stories of the people behind Newcastle-based agency Unwritten Creative, multi-site North East heating merchant Flame Heating Spares and Surrey-based flooring company V4 Woodflooring.

Olympian Ben Hunt-Davis won gold as part of the British eights rowing team in 2000, and helped transform the approach taken by the team from also-rans to champions.

He said: “We realised that for the previous seven years we had been doing exactly the same thing. Hard work just isn’t a differentiator.

Everybody we were competing against was

working really hard. We changed hundreds and hundreds of tiny little things, by making small conscious decisions, all the way along. Every decision had to be ruthlessly based upon whether it would make the boat go faster.”

Mentalist and ‘Master of Influence’ Gilan Gork, the man behind the book, Persuasion Games, flew in from South Africa to help delegates understand how they can enhance their professional, personal and social life, with his insights into body language and other non-verbal communication indicators.

Former England cricketer Jeremy Snape is now a psychologist and founder of Sporting Edge, a world-leading sports consultancy. He shared the pivotal moment in his career that ignited his passion for sports psychology and began him on a journey that sees him now work with some of the leading figures in sport, the arts, the military and neuroscience.

He said: “Whether we are in business or sport, we all have a psychological breaking point; whether we are individuals in a pitch we don’t think we can win, a difficult conversation with someone senior to us, or a team facing a challenging situation. I became fascinated with the way people face these defining moments.

“The best sport teams in the world stress test themselves. Way before you go into the heat of battle, or start a new challenge, get people to play devil’s advocate.”

Tony Cleary, who founded Lanchester Wines in his living room and built it to a group of companies with the most modern wine plant in Europe, shared his business story and his successes and mistakes along the way.

He said: “The best advice I can give is to employ someone smart. Hire clever and motivated people. If you don’t, you will never grow. When you employ them, let them fly.

Don’t try to micro-manage them. They will make mistakes, of course they will, but in general terms they won’t make many.”

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The Entrepreneurs’ Forum supports North East business owners, helping them to develop, create new opportunities and grow their business. For more information, call 0191 500 7780 or visit www.entrepreneursforum.net

37

BUSINESS INSIGHT

An entrepreneur interview with:

Alastair Waite Having built and sold a number of companies, Alastair Waite is now at the helm of the family business his father Ron established in 1978, turning it from a “typical lifestyle company” to a firm with strong growth.

His passion for business is as strong as it was when he started out 35 years ago and his activities supporting a wide range of companies, individuals and educational bodies ensure that his days are filled from the 5.30am alarm call through to 10.30pm.

With five non-executive directorships and as a mentor to 20 people outside of his business, as well as the management team and employees of County Durham-based Altec Engineering, his life is as much about giving to others as it is the rewards that are received on the back of his altruism.

Alastair, tell us about your business and its growth.

I think it is fair to say that until early last year Altec Engineering was a typical lifestyle company.My father and mother, who also worked in the business, retired almost 15 years ago and the business was then run, successfully, by three executive directors; David Steel, Nick Batey and Paul Lackenby.

I bought my parents shareholding in the business shortly after they retired but, until two years ago, I did not really take an interest in the business.

I had been a part of the team that built Onyx Group, first as CEO and then as Mergers and Acquisitions Director and decided in late 2013, two years after attracting Private Equity investment, that I wanted to do something else.

I re-engaged with the Altec Directors last year and pitched a strategic growth plan to the team which, to their great credit, they bought into and were excited to progress. In the past 18 months we have expanded our Bowburn facilities, raised £1.9m from banks and a further £6m from the Business Growth Fund for investment, acquired three new businesses, trebled turnover and increase headcount from around 50 to 170 employees.

How have changing markets affected the business?

Until about 10 years ago, we were a traditional sub-contract precision engineering and toolmaking business. We then developed a plan to expand into aerospace, which did not go well. We did not understand the market well enough, we did not do our homework and we hired the wrong people.

This was a valuable lesson that has served us well since. Today, we are reasonably strong in a number of core sectors; automotive, defence, aerospace, oil and gas, renewables and what I loosely describe as ‘manufacturing’. We understand what we need to do to be successful in each sector in which we operate and we understand our USP. For me, I think of USPs as follows. Draw three overlapping circles. Circle one is your company, circle two is the customer and circle three is your

competitors. Focus on the area where you can provide a product or service that your customer wants and that your competitors can’t deliver. This is the area where highest growth and profitability lies.

How does your motivation now compare with that when you started out in business?

I can honestly say that I can count on one hand the number of times I haven’t wanted to go to work in my 35-year career. I am an early riser and when my feet hit the floor each morning I am certain I can hear God saying ‘bugger, he’s up’.

Actually, that might be my wife! I left school with barely average academic results, I didn’t want to go to university and I didn’t know what I wanted to do either. I was given a chance, I worked hard from day one and was very fortunate in having great mentors who guided me and were keen to pass on their knowledge.

You mention mentoring and have many mentees. How did your relationship with mentoring begin?

I was pretty average academically, but I eventually blagged an interview with what would become Safeway, which is where I met my first mentor. There was an old guy, called Jack Johnson, who was 68 and worked part time. I was put into the office with Jack and he said: “It’s your first job, how fast do you want to learn?” I said: “As fast as possible.”

He taught me how to read profit and loss accounts, read ratios, variances and margins, and we prepared reports for the field teams to highlight areas for improvements for the stores. Within months I could look at a Profit & Loss account and within seconds determine what was going wrong and what was going right with a store long before I studied to become an accountant.

I will be eternally grateful that Jack took a shine to me, took me under his wing and gave me a kick start. I have been fortunate enough to lean from lots of different mentors since.

Working on the principle of ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’, I like to help others, as I

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have been helped, and give something back. I was honoured to be recognised earlier this year as one of the top 100 business people in the UK for giving something back and supporting others to grow their business.

Not many people know that I have had a personal mentor of my own for over 10 years. He is a Dutch guy, Peter van den Haspel, now living in Spain, who I meet three to four times each year.

He forces me to stop and think, write everything down that I am doing on a business, personal, family and project level and then have me justify the amount of time I spend in each area and on each project.

Basically, he kicks me around for 24 hours, challenges everything I do, forces me to really think about where I add value and then releases me back into the big wide world. The benefits outweigh the costs 100 times.

The role of mentor and mentee sometimes switches. We both have business problems, similar issues. We help one another now; it’s a more equal relationship.

So, what next for you?

For now, I am focused on building Altec Engineering. I want to succeed, I want us to be a world-class business, and I want each and every employee to enjoy the journey we are on. For me, it is the process and rarely the end result that matters. Getting up every day and creating value is what it is about.

I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar, through the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, where a guy called James Kerr was speaking and he was given unprecedented access to the All Blacks to see how the most successful sports team in the world operated. One comment struck a chord with me and that was that each individual player is encouraged to leave his jersey in a higher place, meaning to become part of the team and improve on the people who have worn that number in years gone by.

I guess my ultimate motivation is to build on what my father created, work hard, have fun and leave my Altec jersey in a higher place.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

“...my feet hit the floor each morning

I am certain I can hear God saying ‘bugger, he’s up’...

Actually, that might be my wife!”

Alastair Waite is a board member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, a unique group of like-minded people who come together through peerto-peer mentoring and a series of inspirational events to share best practice, create valuable connections and grow their business.

For more information, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net

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Debenhams Faith £55 Dune Mojito £99

Miss Selfridge black embellsihed panel premium dress £99 Debenhams Star by Julien Macdonald £69

Dorothy Perkins £75

Monsoon Onyx dress £179

Wallis Pearl & Facet Collar £15

Dress for Success

Being intu Metrocentre’s very own stylist means that Michaela Dale spends her days wrapped up in the high street – and designer – fashions, so who better to tell our readers all about the best ways to WOW at their Christmas parties this year.

Ever since Coco Chanel redesigned the little black dress for American Vogue in 1926 the iconic fashion item has stood the test of time. There is not a wardrobe in the world that is complete without the addition of a LBD and it’s not hard to see why. So rare is a fashion item that transcends age, size and occasion that there’s simply no substitute for this go to outfit.

Whether you’re heading to a business lunch or an office party, there’s a LBD that fits the bill and

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instead of buying a new one every time you can just change the way you wear it with some great accessories and some party shoes.

Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and add some pearls to make your outfit more elegant, or dress down with some big statement jewellery. But, before you start shopping there’s more to finding the perfect LBD than you think.

Whether mini or midi, sleeved or sleeveless, satin or velvet you have dresses of all shapes and sizes to choose from.

Luckily, here at intu Metrocentre there’s rails of dresses to choose from, and plenty of accessories to boot, meaning you can find a dress to impress at all your Christmas parties.

Topshop Freedom Clean Silver Bangle Pack £10

Next Velvet Dress £60

M&S Per Una Speziale Dress £129

Accessorize Flower & Bug Statement Collar £25

New Look Black lace high neck dress £19.99

House of Fraser Sportmax Code Printed fold dress £205

River Island £70

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Left to right: Peter McGirr, Green Energy Consulting, Kilian Coyne Green Energy Consulting, Mike Baggs AC Art Group

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Left to right: Kilian Coyne, Director Green Energy Consulting, Linda Hitman, CEO Exclusive, Peter McGirr, Director, Green Energy Consulting

Left to right: Peter McGirr, Director, Green Energy Consulting, Chris Gray, Head of Fundraising, CHUF, Kilian Coyne, Director Green Energy Consulting

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Left to right: Pat McDowell, Membership Relationship Director Exclusive, Wendy Khor, Head of Operations, Navada, Colin Bell, Business Technology Analyst, Applied Internet Consulting, Graham Hall, Chairman, Bradley Hall

BLACK TIE CHRISTMAS TAKEOVER Thursday 10th December 2015, 7pm - 12pm, The Glasshouse, Newcastle

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

How to handle a Counter Offer Bryony Gibson

Bryony Gibson, Managing Director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, shares her thoughts on what you need to consider when faced with a counter offer and how you can plan ahead to avoid the situation.

Picture the scene. You’ve decided you need a new challenge and invested months of time and energy into searching for the perfect opportunity. You think you’ve finally found it and, after applying and going through the interview process, you’re delighted to be offered the job.

It’s very satisfying to have an employer fight to keep you, but unless your move is purely money motivated, try not to be overwhelmed when you make your decision.

Don’t forget the reasons you wanted to leave are still there, they probably just seem easier to accept because of your new deal.

In my opinion integrity is a crucial characteristic for every successful team, so perhaps a better approach is to negate this situation from happening in the first place.

You go into work to have the awkward conversation with your boss, but suddenly it becomes even more difficult.

Whether you believe it or not, nobody is irreplaceable and your boss thinks this too. In all likelihood, they just don’t want to deal with the problem right now.

Why not talk to your employer before you begin to look around? You have nothing to lose by expressing a desire to move your career forward.

Rather than accepting your resignation, they say: “We’re shocked you’re unhappy. You’re really important to us and we’ve got big plans. We’ve already been thinking about promotion and a pay rise, so why don’t we bring these forward and you can stay?”

It’s the recognition and progression you’ve been craving, not to mention more money and it’s extremely flattering at a time when your head is full of different emotions.

So what do you do next; cast aside the doubts and stick with what you know, or take a chance on the new organisation?

Well the first thing you need to understand is that research suggests the average person who accepts a counter offer stays with that business for less than one year. In reality, it rarely ends well for the employee.

From the day you hand in your notice you may no longer be considered part of the company’s trusted employees. Your relationship could change to one that is financially led, which is not a healthy place to be.

Don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions, but in my experience when you say ‘I quit’, the first thing that goes through your manager’s mind is: ‘This is the worst time for me to lose a good team member. We’re too busy, I wonder if I can convince them to stay until I work out a plan.’

From that moment on you’re no longer seen as being on board with the vision of the business and, as a result, future opportunities can become scarce.

Now I know what you’re thinking when a recruitment expert suggests you shouldn’t accept a counter offer, but I’ve seen a lot of people

Contact Bryony for help finding the right tax & accountancy role or recruits on (0191) 375 9983.

Alternatively, visit www.bryonygibson.com, connect on LinkedIn or follow @bryonygibson.

stay with the right intentions only to resume searching for a job, like the one they reneged on, six months later.

If you’re unsure how to do this, try asking for some career advice. See if your manager can help you to understand where you’re heading and what might be coming up in the future.

Make sure to let them know you are happy but want a long-term plan.

This kind of conversation may seem scary but, if you’re good at what you do and have a positive attitude, it will be a breath of fresh air to your employer.

Following the discussion, if you’re still not satisfied it may be time to make a change, but this way when you submit your resignation, both parties will already know a counter offer won’t persuade you to change your mind. This will leave you to focus on a smooth transition which will only go to enhance your reputation and reflect positively on you.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

AIB to push its presence in North East

Business bank Allied Irish Bank (GB) is investing significantly to increase its presence in the North East, as it pushes on with its strategy to be the leading advisor to owner managed businesses in the region.

Allied Irish has operated across the region from its Newcastle base for many years, and has been involved in a host of major investments and refinancing projects during that time. It works with many of the North East’s leading owner managed ventures to provide bespoke finance packages, and has recently secured a host of new

client wins.

The bank is now investing significantly in its North East division, and has relocated from its base in Newcastle’s Collingwood Street to sought-after premises in Trinity Gardens as a sign of its ambition.

Allied Irish has built up a reputation as being a specialist in supporting owner managers and their businesses, and is behind the highly-esteemed Owner Managed Business Outlook report.

The report for 2015 found that ambition is high among owner managed businesses in the region, with almost half signalling their intent to

increase capital investment. Furthermore, almost three quarters expected to see top line growth during the year ahead.

Andrew Love, Senior Manager at the Newcastle Business Centre of AIB (GB) in Newcastle, said: “Over the many years we have worked across the North East, we have built up a reputation as a specialist in understanding the real needs of owner managed businesses. Our approach is very simple – we strive to build deep and long-term relationships with businesses and provide a very personal service to fully address their needs. AIB (GB) is very much a single minded business bank – we don’t try to be all things to all people “We will never be the type of bank you can only access through call centres and faceless voices – we pride ourselves on being available, open and willing, offering ‘Private Banking for Businesses’.

“We have significant plans for investment, and our new office is a bold move for us, but one which we hope signals our intent. As our Owner Managed Business Outlook shows, businesses in the North East are ambitious and are keen to progress – sentiments which are understood, and also shared, by ourselves. Already we have secured a number of new clients, but are keen to add more.”

LING FAST. PLACES SEMLIS S OUT DON’T

BUSINESS INSIGHT Leigh Taylor

Banking On It Hailing originally from The Midlands, Leigh Taylor is now Area Director for SME businesses across the North East & Yorkshire for Lloyds bank.

This month, we caught up with him and asked him all about his career and his successes thus far.

want to do business. Our managers have local discretion and 8 out of 10 requests get sanctioned. I explore closely those declined with the aim of finding a solution to any issues.

Did you always a envision within banking?

Not really and I suppose I started thinking this will either be the best or worst thing I have ever done. Fortunately it was the former and I have never looked back and have now been with Lloyds for 35 years.

What is the most rewarding aspect of working alongside SME'S?

Can you summarise your path through business so far?

Seeing people growing their business, providing new jobs, moving premises and extending their contract with us. Our specialist teams get out to those in the manufacturing, health, technology and education sectors and really do help.

I joined the bank straight from school after completing my O Levels and did various roles in the branch network. I also enjoyed a training role within our internal Uni before joining the SME department 20 years ago.

What exactly does your role as an Area Director entail?

I lead 80 managers across North East and Yorkshire supporting SME'S and trying to help them be as successful as they want to be. Naturally this involves many customer meetings.

What is your biggest achievement to date?

Describe a typical day?

For myself it is being given the chance to "come home" after a spell away and add value to the business.

For my team it would be delivering the lending growth that we have whist growing the customer base.

I have a 7.15 start and spend an hour clearing emails. I have 9 senior managers so spend at least 2 days a months meeting their clients. As I deal with everything from start ups to ÂŁ25 million turnover businesses the work is always colourful and interesting. I enjoy the sheer variety and dealing with numerous different sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, property and education.

Who are your greatest influences in and out of business?

I don't have a specific one in business although I read an enormous amount of leadership books. Outside it would be my father who is also my best friend and has helped me in every facet of my life,

What are your outside interests?

What measures have you employed to aid small business owners?

I am a long suffering West Bromwich Albion fan and follow them home and away with my dad. Indeed I enjoy most sports. I am also massive fan of the theatre and love to visit the Theatre Royal and Sunderland Empire when time allows.

Our slogan at Lloyds is "Helping Britain Prosper." Nationally lending has grown by 5% which is impressive in a market that is contracting. Locally it has grown by 6% which sends a big message that we are here and

For enquiries contact Leigh Taylor on leigh.taylor@lloydsbanking.com

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SUPPORTING BRITISH BUSINESS

WE COMMIT TO GROW OUR LENDING TO BRITISH BUSINESS

We help brilliant British businesses grow. In the last four years we have helped over 500,000 businesses start up, and we back over 80% of the FTSE 100.

We approve 8 out of 10 loans and are lending to all types of businesses across Britain.

To find out how we can support your business, please contact Leigh Taylor, Area Director North East and Yorkshire on 07860 309026 or at leigh.taylor@lloydsbanking.com Find out more at lloydsbank.com/business

Any property given as security, which may include your home, may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment.

Over 500,000 start-up figure relates to Lloyds Banking Group, correct as at December 2014. Lloyds Bank FTSE 100 figure correct as at January 2015. 8 out of 10 relates to period April 2012 – November 2014.

Calls may be monitored or recorded. Please note that any data sent via e-mail is not secure and could be read by others. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278. We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk. The Lloyds Banking Group includes companies using brands including Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland and their associated companies. More information on the Lloyds Banking Group can be found at lloydsbankinggroup.com

Falklands War hero Simon Weston was the guest speaker at the first North East business breakfast held by Marie Curie.

The event, attended by over 50 of the region’s leading business figures, saw Simon recounting his inspirational story of how he rebuilt his life following the bombing of the Sir Galahad warship in 1982. Despite being left with 45% burns and being given a slim chance of survival, he now lives life to the full.

A passionate ambassador for Marie Curie, he visited the Marie Curie Hospice in Newcastle after the business breakfast, which was hosted by Newcastle law firm Sintons.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

200 new jobs at fast-growing Careline

l-r: Ian Massey, Santander; Alok Loomba, Sintons; Rahul Sharma, Careline Lifestyles; Christopher Welch, Sintons; Angela Chau, Santander.

Specialist care provider Careline Lifestyles is set to create 200 jobs in the North East by the end of next year, after securing an eight-figure funding boost to fuel its plans for growth and expansion across the region.

Fast-growing Careline Lifestyles, which operates ten specialist care facilities across the region, is looking to add nursing staff to its ranks through the recruitment drive, which will take its total number of employees to over 1,000.

The business – which recently announced plans to relocate from Gosforth into new iconic headquarters adjoining Newcastle Central Station - has also secured funding from Santander, paving the way for further growth..

Careline Lifestyles, which will next year mark 30 years in business, is one of the leading providers of specialist and bespoke care for people with mental and physical disabilities, and prides itself on its close relationships with local authorities and NHS commissioning partners to achieve the best outcomes for service users.

The business – last year named as the region’s fastest-growing business in the Fastest 50 Awards – boasts outstanding care, and invests heavily in both its facilities and its training and development provision, to ensure high staff retention and career and progression opportunities.

Rahul Sharma, Chief Executive of Careline Lifestyles – the business founded by the Chairman, Dr Sharma, in 1986 - said: “We are very proud of our reputation and the service we are able to offer, and to continue to do that as we grow further. By the end of 2016, we expect to be employing over 1,000 people – quite a milestone to reach by our 30th anniversary.

“We are proud to offer careers rather than just jobs, and invest in our colleagues and facilities - as well as investing the time to form long and lasting relationships with our commissioning partners - so that we can truly offer exceptional standards of care to our service users.

“The funding we have received from Santander will allow us to push on with our next phase of growth plans, and will enable us to turn those plans into reality in the near future.”

Newcastle law firm Sintons are the longstanding legal advisors to Careline Lifestyles, and its nationally-regarded specialist care team – led by corporate partner Christopher Welch and real estate partner Alok Loomba – has supported Careline Lifestyles with its continued growth.

Christopher Welch said: “Careline Lifestyles

www.carelinelifestyles.co.uk

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is an ambitious and fast-growing business, while also being a care provider of the highest standards. Its commitment to quality of service and the development of its workforce, along with the strong relationships it has built with commissioning partners over the past 30 years, combine to make a real success story - not just for the North East but also on a national scale.

As its growth continues, supported by the funding from Santander, their reputation and success story can only continue.”

Angela Chau and Ian Massey, Healthcare Relationship Directors at Santander Corporate and Commercial, worked on the deal.

Angela Chau said: “We have been delighted to work with Careline Lifestyles on this exciting part of their journey. The group continue to invest in their homes to ensure that they make a real difference to the lives of their service users. We very much look forward to a long and fruitful partnership, helping support the business now and in the future”.

Mark Nixon helped Careline Lifestyles facilitate the finance from Santander Corporate & Commercial.

BUSINESS INSIGHT L-R Laura Brydon and Rebecca Harbron-Gray

North East law firm builds up Wills and Trust Probate team Gordon Brown Law Firm’s latest recruit is set to bring a wealth of knowledge in her new role, as the Newcastle and Chester le Street-based Firm continues to expand its Wills Trusts and Probate Department.

30-year-old Solicitor Laura Brydon has joined the firm’s Wills Trusts and Probate team and will work closely with Partner Rebecca Harbron-Gray, bringing the team total to seven.

“I see making the move to Gordon Brown Law Firm as a natural progression of my career as it is such a renowned firm with a great reputation and further opportunity for continued professional development.”

Laura, who is from Cramlington, graduated in Law at the University of Sunderland and has a Masters in Law from Northumbria University. She began her career with Sunderland Firm Longden Walker & Renney Solicitors, where she initially trained as a Paralegal before qualifying as a Solicitor specialising in the private client arena.

In addition to the Wills and Probate offering, Gordon Brown specialises in multiple service lines including Residential Conveyancing, Family matters, Dispute Resolution, and Corporate and Commercial.

Rebecca Harbron-Gray who is a Partner at Gordon Brown and heads up Wills Trusts and Probate within the firm, said: “We are very happy to have Laura on our team. As well as the process of Laura joining Gordon Brown being natural for her, it was natural for our team as well – she fits in perfectly and is already proving popular with clients. We are looking forward to working with her as the team continues to go from strength to strength.”

Laura said: “I get real satisfaction from working in this area of Law and, having worked with private clients as a Paralegal and experiencing other aspects of law during my career, I know this is the area for me. There is real variety in my day to day work as it is so diverse and I get to have a lot of client contact, which makes the job so worthwhile and rewarding.

www.gblf.co.uk

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BUSINESS INSIGHT Paul McGowan

The five biggest mistakes employers make As experts in employment law at Collingwood Legal, we come across similar issues and mistakes made by well-meaning employers on many occasions. All of these issues are avoidable.

1

Recruiting the wrong people

Many readers will have experienced a situation where their business is going well and succeeding with everyone pulling in the same direction until you recruit one “bad apple.”

Unfortunately that one person can have a hugely damaging effect on your business.

We all know that recruiting the right people who understand the direction and culture of your business is key and if you make recruitment mistakes, it’s important to deal with these promptly. However, a snap decision can increase the risk of employment claims. It is important to take advice before dismissing any employee, even those with very short service.

2

Not issuing employment contracts

Many new and growing businesses understandably put winning work and business development at the top of their agenda rather than getting employment contracts in place.

This can be a mistake regretted at a later date.

Not only is there a legal obligation to provide written terms and conditions of employment for all employees within two months of their start date, it makes business sense too. Without a clear contract document you can be storing up a whole host of issues by not clarifying what your rules and expectations are with your employees.

In addition, you could be putting your business at significant risk of customers and colleagues leaving with this employee when they decide to move on.

It is fundamental to all good businesses to have employment contracts issued to avoid these risks.

3

Failing to use your employment terms to protect your business

So what happens if one of your key team members leaves your business at short notice to join a major competitor or to set up in competition? This can be a nightmare scenario if you have not got protection in place under your employment contracts.

Contracts can be used to clarify ownership of intellectual property rights, and importantly, restricting the poaching of your customers and other staff. These are key provisions that successful employers have in place. However, these type of clauses have to be drafted carefully to fit your business and to provide the legal protection that you can rely on if needed.

It may cost your business some time and money to get this right. However, the cost of failing to have protection in place can be devastating to your business.

4

Dismissing employees without following due process

Ever wanted to sack someone on the spot for a clear act of misconduct or insubordination?

The short legal advice is hang fire, take stock and follow due process. If you don’t you are putting your business at genuine risk of a potentially costly Tribunal claim. This can often be avoided by taking advice and following the correct procedural steps.

5

Offering a deal to an employee on termination

There may be times where you feel that you need someone to leave your business quickly and you are tempted to secure an amicable exit by giving the employee a sweetener to leave.

This can be achieved and you can create legally binding agreements that mean your employee can’t bring an employment claim. However, this only works if you follow the correct process and use the correct documents. If the termination is not documented correctly, your employee could accept the enhanced payment and then sue you after banking the money.

The good news is that all of these situations can be avoided with good advice.

Paul McGowan is the Principal Solicitor at specialist employment law firm Collingwood Legal. paul.mcgowan@collingwoodlegal.com

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“explain complex issues clearly” The Legal 500

54

INTERVIEW

In Conversation With...

Camilla James Head of Private Client, Square One Law

What were your career ambitions growing up?

What is your greatest business achievement to date?

I think I was lucky in that I grew up at a time when you didn’t have to worry about your career aspirations until you had left university.

My main career ambitions when I was younger were to be an Egyptologist (thanks to numerous visits to the British Museum), Criminologist, and, latterly, a lawyer - disciplines that relied on research, interpretation and finding solutions.

It would have to be my current role with Square One Law. I am delighted with the confidence that the partners have in me and I am really looking forward to building something from scratch, and developing my vision of how I see the private client department growing and how it can complement the other departments here so clients receive a holistic overview.

Can you briefly outline your career path for the readers?

Who are your biggest influences both in and out of business?

I think it is fair to say that I followed an unconventional path to becoming a lawyer. Following university, I took a job as a temp in a publishing house while I decided what to do with my life, and was fortunate enough to be kept on and to move up the career ladder.

However, I found over time that I was working as much on the legal aspects of the media industry as the editing, and this made me want to revisit my previous dream of being a lawyer.

My business influence would have to be Richard Branson. I really admire his ability to think outside of the box. He sees the world in a different way to everyone else and has such a clear idea of what he wants to achieve which I find really inspiring.

Outside of work I would have to say my dad. He always worked hard and didn’t let anything stop him from achieving what he wanted to.

On top of this he was a fantastic father to me and my brothers. He always told us to surround yourself with people who are better than you as you’ll have the best team and you’ll always have something to learn.

Once I started the process of converting to a law degree, I discovered that I really enjoyed the technical aspects of equity and trusts. I qualified with a niche private client firm in Lincoln’s Inn and, latterly,was working for accountants EY (Ernst & Young) in London and then EY Reading specialising in succession and estate planning.

What are you currently working on?

What attracted you to a career in law?

The nature of my work means I can’t be too descriptive but I am working on succession planning for families and business owners on the various facets of the personal estates.

For me the most attractive aspect of becoming a private client lawyer was the intellectual challenge coupled with getting to see and interact with clients on a daily basis.

Do you have a favourite hotspot for a business meeting?

Describe a typical day?

I am lucky that I get to spend a significant amount of time travelling around the region visiting clients at their businesses so it’s hard to choose a “hotspot”.

Although it sounds clichéd there is no typical day. It is rare that I have a full day in the office with the team and my days are generally packed with seeing clients followed by business development activity in the evenings.

“

“

Is there a mantra you aspire to when doing business?

Be gentle to all and stern with yourself

Outside of the office what do you do to relax?

When out of the office I like to be as active as possible and I enjoy cycling and paddle boarding. When feeling less adventurous I like reading war poetry and I can always be attracted to a cubist art exhibition. I will be heading up to Edinburgh to visit the rare Picasso recently acquired by the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. My other passion is dancing around the kitchen when no one else is around, something I would strongly advise everyone to try!

Camilla James is a partner and head of the private client team at Square One Law. www.squareonelaw.com @squareonelaw 0843 224 7900

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

When is an agreement not an agreement?

Joanne Major

It would be hard to have missed the reporting of the ground-breaking decision by the Supreme Court in the cases of Sharland and Gohil recently. Anything relating to financial divorce settlements involving millions and/or the word “fraud” tend to be headline grabbing, but these cases are in fact of monumental significance to anyone seeking financial provision in the course of divorce proceedings.

The cases of Sharland and Gohil respectively, were different in terms of circumstances, the former being a long marriage with the parties’ assets comprising significant liquid capital and a company eventually floated on the stock market; the latter involved the husband being prosecuted and convicted of money laundering after financial settlement had been reached in divorce proceedings.

Notwithstanding the differing circumstances of each case, the ultimate judicial decisions have finally put beyond doubt the right of one party to reopen a matrimonial financial settlement if it can be shown that the other party failed to disclose financial information.

It has always been expressly required that both parties give full and frank disclosure of their financial circumstances within divorce financial proceedings. These two cases reinforce that principle and confirm that the duty continues throughout legal proceedings right until the final Order is made and sealed by the Court.

In particular, this clarifies that an agreement reached by consent is not binding on either party until the terms have been ratified by the Court in a formal Order.

Specifically, in the Supreme Court, Lady Hale emphasised that “the divorce court retains jurisdiction over a marriage even after it has been dissolved” and that this remains true even where a clean break has been effected. She confirmed that where agreement of terms has been reached between the parties, such an agreement does not give rise to a contract enforceable in law, however the court will make an order in terms agreed unless it has reason to think there were circumstances into which it ought to enquire.

Where there is a finding of fraud, the general principle that fraud unravels all follows. The only exception to this is where the court is satisfied that at the time when the consent order was made, the fraud in question would not have

influenced a reasonable person to agree its terms; and had it known then what it later knows, the court would have made a significantly different order, whether or not the parties had agreed to it. The burden of establishing the above must lie with the perpetrator of the fraud.

In cases of mistake or negligent nondisclosure, the test for setting aside an order is different to that of fraud, not least because it is for the applicant to show the test has been met, as opposed to the person guilty of non-disclosure.

Significantly, in all cases, it’s important to note that the non-disclosure entitles the Court to set aside any existing agreement or order; it does not carry with it any automatic entitlement for the wronged party, other than to reopen their original application for financial provision.

As always, the moral of the story is that honesty is the best policy. At the very least, if you are found to have hidden or failed to disclose financial assets or income during the course of divorce proceedings, you are likely to face further legal costs if the Court reopen the case. Worst case scenario, it could open a can of worms that could end with tax investigation and/or criminal prosecution.

Joanne Major is the Principal at Major Family Law, the Divorce and Family Law Specialists, 12 West Road, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne.

T: 01661 82 45 82 www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk @majorfamilylaw

56

Muckle LLP hosts fourth Teesside business leaders' dinner The commercial law firm welcomed back Stephen Catchpole, the Chief Executive of Tees Valley Unlimited (the Teesside Local Enterprise Partnership) to meet with the region's leaders.

Stephen talked over dinner about the progress which has been made on Teesside and, despite the grim news about SSI, considerable developments have progressed job creation across the Tees Valley.

His presentation also addressed devolution and the development of the Northern Powerhouse.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Dealing with divorce and relocation Julia Middleton

Julia Middleton, Associate Solicitor in the Family and Matrimonial team at law firm Ward Hadaway, looks at how the law deals with relocation issues following a relationship break-up.

in a case named Payne v Payne [2001], although it was not a correct interpretation of that decision.

International relationships are on the rise.

While this trend is part and parcel of our increasingly connected world, it throws up complexities for family lawyers and Courts to deal with.

However, the guidance led to an analysis of the question from the point of view of the parent who wished to move, often without proper consideration of the alternative offered by the “left behind” parent.

When couples part, they are free to move around the country, or the world, as they wish. Often an individual who has moved for love may wish to return to friends and family when a relationship fails.

In the case of S v T [2012] the Father was from England, the Mother from Russia. She was allowed to move the child to Russia. The Court said that parents should go into transnational parenting with their eyes open as when that adult relationship breaks down, going home is going to be a real issue for them.

When only adults are involved there are few legal issues which arise. When children are involved, things are a great deal more complicated.

In NJ v OV [2014] a Mother wished to relocate to Sweden.

The Judge made it clear there was no presumption in favour of relocation but notwithstanding that, he decided she could relocate. He also emphasised that transnational couples should be alive to the possibility of relocation post-separation at the start of their relationship.

The Courts have grappled for years with how to deal with such situations where one parent wants to return home to another country, or to move for work or lifestyle reasons, leaving the other parent behind.

Parents often do not even realise there is a legal issue, but this comes to a head when the other parent objects and applies to Court to stop the move. This is an issue which the Court has the power to determine, which comes as a shock to some who assume that they are free to move where they wish, but find they are not.

A recent case has produced a more balanced view.

In Re F (A Child) [2015] the Court of Appeal made it quite clear there has to be a “holistic” balancing exercise where both parents’ proposals are each considered in their own right and then compared and contrasted, with the child’s welfare at the centre of the Court’s consideration.

The Courts have described these cases as the “hardest of dilemmas”.

Also, the Court recognised that such huge decisions have Human Rights implications in that they potentially impact on the right to family life, by effectively severing a child’s relationship with one parent in some cases.

A school of thought had been, in broad terms that: If a parent with whom the child lives most of the time postseparation wants to move abroad; and Their motivation for the move is genuine, i.e. not intended just to alienate the child from the other parent; and

The Court also referred to a change in the law in relation to children. The Children Act of 1989 was amended to include a presumption that having both parents involved in a child’s life is good for them, unless the contrary can be shown.

The proposal in practical terms (school, work etc.) works; and If they were not allowed to move it would be detrimental, on the parent and consequently the child

The Court made it quite clear that when it makes these hardest of decisions, it must consider both parents’ plans and views in deciding what is best for the child.

Then they should be allowed to move.

This view had come from guidance provided by the Court

For more information on the issues raised by this article please contact julia.middleton@wardhadaway.com or call 0191 204 4318.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Insolvency support for businesses Andrew Cawkwell

The impact of the energy sector slowdown continues to be felt by companies across the North East and beyond as the price of oil and subsidies decline.

Other commodities which have seen declining pricing include the steel industry which has been affected by cheaper imports from the Far East.

We’ve seen quite a few examples of this recently where exposure to certain changes in commodity pricing have had a damaging effect on sectors.

Redcar’s Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) is a tragic example of this with poor trading conditions resulting in the loss of around 1,700 jobs.

Here at Muckle LLP, we recently acted for process engineering firm, Quick Hydraulics, after the North Shields-based company faced challenges due to its exposure to the oil and gas sector.

We understand the Government has provided an £80m emergency fund and my personal understanding of the situation is that the fund may also be used to help support any companies in the supply chain from going into insolvency as a direct result of losing SSI contracts. It may enable the deficits created by SSI to be underwritten by the Government.

The business, which designs and manufactures hydraulic systems, secured investment from FW Capital four years ago for a management buy-out.

They then increased headcount as the business aimed to capitalise on an expanding marketplace. Then the price of oil went into freefall which created pressure on Quick and its company directors ultimately placed the business into administration.

All businesses need to be mindful of potential issues in their supply chain and we can help them to manage risks in difficult situations.

We acted for the company and latterly the joint administrators in rescuing the business as a going concern by achieving a sale to Altec, which is backed by the Business Growth Fund and operates in similar sectors. The result saved the jobs of 19 employees.

Andrew Cawkwell Partner and Certified Turnaround Professional Banking and Restructuring Team Muckle LLP e: Andrew.Cawkwell@muckle-llp.com @CompanyRescue

Family Matters “We deliver a highly professional yet personal legal service, employing the depth of expertise and experience that being a part of a top 100 full service law firm brings.”

Jonathan Flower Partner and head oF Family and matrimonial

Call Jonathan on 0191 204 4376 for a free and confidential conversation. www.wardhadaway.com Newcastle | Leeds | Manchester

The first step is to come and talk to us on those issues.

PROPERTY INSIGHT

Jekyll & Hyde, Tenant or Landlord?

As a tenant, what’s your relationship like between you and your landlord? Do you feel like they rip you off? Maybe they are simply not helpful enough? Well, as part of the Wright Residential team, it’s our job to make sure the relationship stays strong for both sides.

We have all heard the typical eviction stories that go around; two sides of the same story from both landlord and tenant over an ongoing issue of unpaid rent, complaints from neighbours and repairs being unseen to. To avoid these unwanted issues occurring from the start, here are some tips to prevention.

When moving into your property or letting out your property be sure key issues and questions are pointed out there and then to prevent further problems occurring. Although not essential, it’s always a good idea to set up a standing order for paying rent. This will ensure that the money comes in regularly to the landlord and will prevent the tenant falling behind by forgetting to pay on time. Some people will always prefer the other methods of paying, but if you are one of those

people that needs reminders, then standing order is definitely for you. Win-win for both of you!

Like any important situation that needs approaching it is always important to communicate openly. Talk about problems; not over the phone or by email but face to face getting issues resolved quicker and making sure each point is not misinterpreted by either by landlord or tenant – emails and text messages are particularly bad for making a situation worse as people mis-read the way a comment is intended.

If you’re a tenant or a landlord, always try and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. After all, you’re either providing someone with a roof over their head, or your landlord is the one providing you with a home.

Once the issue is addressed and understood by both tenant and landlord, try to listen to one another carefully, giving various suggestions to solve the problem until both parties agree on a solution. If a solution cannot be agreed, don’t just leave the issue to brew.

It was reported recently that a letting agency

called their clients’ tenant a ‘bitch’ – which not surprisingly, didn’t go down too well with the tenant and she posted it onto social media for the world to see!

It is safe to say Wright Residential will never make that mistake and you are guaranteed a service that will get you smiling whether you’re a landlord or a tenant. So, if you’re looking for a stress free property or property management, give us a call 0191 240 1818 or visit our website for more information on how Wright residential can help you! www.wrightresidential.co.uk.

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PROPERTY INSIGHT

Eothen pioneers specialist dementia care in the North East Judy Mattison

Eothen Homes, www.eothenhomes.org.uk, will soon be opening a brand new, purpose-built residential home in Wallsend for people living with dementia. The centre will offer a completely different concept in dementia care for the North East, as home manager Judy Mattison explains.

Tell us a little about Eothen Homes and the role you play within the organisation Eothen Homes is a Christian organisation where care centres around the individual. We all work together with one aim and that’s to ensure everyone who stays with us has a safe and happy lifestyle. I’ve been lucky enough to work with the team here for five months as manager of the Gosforth home. I’ve a new challenge ahead though – very soon I’ll be moving across to manage our new site in Wallsend, which is planned to open in March 2016.

Tell us about this pioneering new development of Eothen’s We’re really excited about this new residential care home because it will change the lives of those with dementia for the better.

The specialist care facility Eothen is bringing to the North East will be the first of its kind here offering ground-breaking dementia specific design features, as well as a ‘family home’ environment and an array of engaging activities for residents. Additionally, it will provide some residential facilities for partners and spouses to live independently if their family member is living in the home.

A key difference to what people will find elsewhere is the culture and ‘butterfly approach’ we will be implementing through our work with

specialist training organisation Dementia Care Matters. A butterfly changes throughout its life to adapt to changing circumstances and that’s how our dementia care will be delivered. It will be totally responsive to the individual needs of residents rather than run in a more traditional, highly structured way.

Tell us about the design of the new Wallsend care home The home itself is split into four households, with 13 residents in each. Every household has its own kitchen, dining and lounge areas to encourage everyone to function as normally as they can and carry on as closely to how they did before.

Carers will work and live alongside our residents to create one big family.

There will be special reminiscence areas including one outside with an old-style touring caravan and a car to help evoke memories of holidays and fun times for those who live with us. What’s more we’ll have a sensory garden with birds, animals and plants for residents to enjoy too.

What attracted you to work at Eothen’s new and specialised Wallsend care home?

Eothen Homes is a lovely organisation to work for. Prior to my current job I worked as a ward sister in acute care in Newcastle. I spent a

lot of time caring for elderly patients so the move to our Gosforth residential care home seemed a natural step.

When I saw this new opportunity which offered training in how to deliver care that is person-centred and not task oriented, I couldn’t wait to apply. I’m excited about the opportunity to deliver the kind of care you’d want everyone to have and especially to be pioneering this in the North East.

Outside of the Wallsend development, what also makes Eothen different?

Eothen was established in 1950 to provide Christian care for the elderly and as a charity we are governed by a board of trustees who ensure that the Christian values are promoted and maintained with the focus on our nurturing environment in which our residents are central to everything we do.

All of our homes have strong relationships with churches in the community allowing us to offer spiritual support to all denominations. At Wallsend we will also have our own chapel on site for our residents and their families to use whenever they wish.

Ultimately all Eothen’s homes are supportive and welcoming places to be for everyone involved.

Staff turnover is very low so we are able to provide a very high standard of care consistently and we are extremely proud of this.

For more information, please contact our Head Office on 0191 2819100 or email enquiries@eothenhomes.org.uk

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SELLING THE REGION’S FINEST HOMES

Lindisfarne Road Jesmond

A highly individual and luxurious home in the heart of Jesmond, representing one of Newcastle’s finest town mansions. This elegant, four storey detached family house is set in approximately one acre of south facing landscaped gardens and accommodates a bespoke open plan Poggenpohl kitchen, six double en-suite bedrooms, four stunning reception rooms and a leisure suite with pool.

Price Guide: £3.995 Million

Blindburn Hall Wark, Hexham

Blindburn Hall provides a fabulous stone built, mid 19th century five bedroom country residence with a great deal of character and features including fabulous, tall doors, high ceilings and a majestic staircase. Subject to separate negotiation are six stables, a range of paddocks, two training arenas, fishing rights and planning permission for two, five bedroom fishing lodges.

Price Guide: £975,000

From Sanderson Young ALL CONFIDENTIAL ENQUIRIES TO 0191 223 3500 OR EMAIL: DUNCAN.YOUNG@SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK | WWW.SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK

PROPERTY INSIGHT

The very best in flooring!

Hello Elizabeth Harrigan here 2nd generation of the MEH flooring centre.

After trading over 52 years, I wanted to let you know how we differ from most other flooring outlets.

In our showrooms in Pink Lane we have dedicated areas showing the very best in flooring but also the best in value for money.

In our showrooms we have an extensive Amtico display and a separate area showing Karndean their rival!

Beautiful patterned carpets from Axminster Brinton Ulster and Whitestone Weavers.

Something a little different are our carpets woven to order by Victoria and Whitestone Weavers which are truly unique for you.

Wanting a runner ? We have Roger Oates Hartley Tissier or Louis de Poortere.

New, leather flooring by Granorte and high sheen woods from Khars, and the largest selection of natural and unnatural flooring too.

Commercially we have it covered Forbo, Desso and JHS to name a few, so your work place can be as smart as your home.

Flooring for home and work has advanced so much so, that we have been kept busy updating displays awaiting your visit.

2016 is already under way with our suppliers

giving our company a little extra to give to you.

So want your home or place of work to be special? Come and visit us.

Happy Christmas and a happy new floor year!

We offer Carpets in a wide range of styles from luxury velvet to the latest stripes through traditional to contemporary patterns.

• borders, runners and complementary options to add a professional touch to any installation. • Smooth Flooring from Amtico and Karndean to Granorte Cork flooring and Woodpecker Real Wood. • Largest range of Sisal, Seagrass & Wool Naturals.

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MEDIA INSIGHT

Ask Silver Bullet John Dias, Managing Director of Silver Bullet

With in-house staff, why do I need to outsource my marketing to an agency?

I obviously have to declare a vested interest here as our business is supplying marketing support to a wide variety of regional, national and international organisations!

Whilst the very fact that ourselves and other agencies have been successfully trading for many years (coming up to 17 in our case) would indicate that many companies are happy to outsource marketing, this doesn’t really tell the whole story as the optimum situation for marketing, as with many other business functions, probably lies in a compromise with in-house staff working hand in hand with an external agency.

Such a situation creates the best of both worlds – internal product or service knowledge coupled with external marketing expertise but before experts from both sides throw up their arms in protest at this statement, I’m not suggesting that in-house marketing staff lack marketing expertise nor external agencies have no product or service knowledge, but rather tendering that internal staff have intimate knowledge of their offering whilst external support brings in expertise and experience from a wide variety of campaigns.

So, at the risk of offending everyone, look closely at internal staff – they may have many years of experience but is this in reality not one year repeated many times over whilst external agencies bring a fresh look with ideas collected from different campaigns in different sectors. On the other hand, your internal staff will know their product or service intimately, they’ll also know the route to purchase, your customers or distributors,

your competitors and decision makers and budget makers within the organisation. They’ll know about past campaigns, what has worked well and what has not and they’ll be aware of new products or services due to be launched.

External agencies, however, are results driven – they know their service has to add value to their clients’ bottom line or their contracts are unlikely to be renewed. They’re also probably cheaper with no HMRC, holiday, maternity/paternity, pension or redundancy considerations required to be taken into account. In addition, external staff are not affected by internal office politics, so often a barrier to not only creativity, but also productivity.

But much more than all of this, is that agencies bring pure marketing expertise and experience to the table whether this be in graphic design, PR, strategy, digital media, print or media buying and the host of other disciplines in which inexperience can prove costly.

Agency graphic designers, for example, will not only invariably be trained to degree level but will also be working on professional design projects every single working day and the end result of their work will invariably be superior to amateur attempts by non-qualified internal staff – an MD wouldn’t ask an unqualified lawyer or HR person to devise legal or HR policies and the same should go for graphic material and other marketing collateral – yes, Jimmy’s son may be a dab hand at social media, but do you really want him to be in control of your web site?

Copywriting, media relations, event

management and other PR tasks also require special skills, usually honed on many years of experience so again why not use their expertise rather than attempt these tasks internally, putting additional pressure on inexperienced staff who have their own jobs to do in addition?

Agencies, in turn, will be the first to outsource for services for themselves – speaking personally, our own legal, HR and accountancy requirements are entirely fulfilled by long term partners in response to our briefs and I would always follow their advice on matters, never dreaming of ignoring it thinking I knew better than these professionals – the same should be true of marketing.

In essence, different people thrive in different environments – clients visiting agencies often comment on the seemingly ‘laid back’ feel to them yet this is precisely the environment that creative people traditionally require to perform to their full potential. Copywriters, designers, photographers, coders and the host of other specialists that agencies employ may not always conform to external standards in other commercial environments, but they produce superb work in their own.

So, why not play to everyone’s strengths rather than their weaknesses? Use your own team’s abilities wherever possible but take advantage of the unique creativity, experience and expertise that external assistance can bring.

If the two can then be merged, you have the winning combination of in-house product and market knowledge with external expertise.

So do you need to be a bit more creative with your marketing? Talk to us. Email your questions anonymously to us today hello@silverbulletmarketing.co.uk or Tweet us (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPR and use the hash tag #AskSB

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MEDIA INSIGHT

From ad nausea to ad works

Hello, and welcome to this month’s column. First of all, from all of us at JAM Marketing, a very happy Christmas! disappointment for anyone buying into your product and will leave a sour taste in their mouth, potentially putting them off your company.

As it is Christmas, you’ll notice a few things change around this time of year – especially in the media. The Coca-Cola truck will roll into town, John Lewis will premiere their annual Christmas showing and TV and radio adverts will be sprinkled in jingle bells and festive spirit.

You wouldn’t see a protein powder company saying ‘drink this and you’ll gain muscles no questions asked.’

Instead, they’d more than likely go with something along the lines of ‘to be used alongside exercise.’ It’s clear what the product offers and eliminates any over-selling which can blight bad ad campaigns.

Yes it’s the advert season! But how exactly does an excuse for many to put the kettle on or flick straight past in a newspaper become a national institution of sorts – just like John Lewis’ yearly offering?

A good tag line delivered in the correct way can be a perfect way of getting your point across. There’s no need to string them out, keep it short and sweet. Think five words max. If you can’t sum up your services in five or less words, then how do you expect customers to understand what you can do for them!

Well to make an ad campaign stick, there are a few rules it would be a good idea to follow.

Obviously it has to stand out. You could go with the tried and tested styles, but don’t expect huge interest in what you are selling. You could also go wild and put something out there that’s so abstract you could be in contention for the Turner Prize. Again, don’t bank on huge sales as people will more than likely wonder what they’ve just seen or heard.

Hopefully that’s given you a little bit of a view into how to make your advertising work for you. Be clear and concise with just enough to set you apart from the competition and you’ll be on the right track in no time!

As always, if you need any advice, ideas or suggestions on how to make your advertising effective or any aspect of marketing or PR, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at JAM Marketing on 0845 900 2127 or email us at info@jam-marketing.co.uk.

Instead go for the middle ground. While you want to grab potential customers’ attention, you want to get your message across and sell your product or service.

With that in mind, be concise and clear; yes be mysterious, but don’t leave the audience thinking ‘what was that?’

Until next time!

Jackie & the Jammy Dodgers

Also don’t overhype what you are offering as this will only lead to

If you have any queries you can call our office on 08459002127 or email info@jam-marketing.co.uk.

Ashleigh Johnston is the Digital Marketing Apprentice at JAM Marketing.

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WISHING ALL OUR CLIENTS & FRIENDS

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Tel 0191 233 1300 www.mhwpr.co.uk

MEDIA INSIGHT Sarah Hall

Key considerations for start-out public relations consultants I regularly get asked for advice by people interested in setting up a public relations consultancy. Here are a few of my top tips if you want to go it alone as a contractor.

Think about your motivation If you were to ask me about setting up a public relations business, my first questions would revolve around why and the type of business you’d like. What’s the dream and motivation? Is your personality fit the right one?

Personality is actually more important than you think. If you thrive in a group scenario, working alone might not be for you. Similarly if you find it hard to get out of bed on a morning, ensuring you have a place of work to go to might be better than a home office. Getting this wrong sets you up to fail.

Whatever your goal, the opportunities are much greater than ever before. Working from home is now widely accepted, as are virtual agencies, which have dispersed teams working from different locations, potentially across different timezones.

Freelancers now also have the opportunity to tap into organisations matching practitioners with contracts, The PR Network being a great example. For mums returning to work after maternity leave, there’s 2to3days.com.

Whether you want this or a formal office with a team will help you decide what legal structure your business should have, which can make a big difference to how you are remunerated, the tax you pay and your liabilities if the business makes a loss. All these things need careful consideration up front.

What’s the business plan?

Thorough planning is critical. I’m regularly astonished by the number of people who come to me without a business plan or having done any research at all, wanting me to share commercial data. The only secret to success is hard work.

Tel: 07702 162704

Launching on a firm footing requires being clear on your market, your competitors and your services. The information you gather informs your pricing and enables you to forecast sales, helping you understand what you need to sell in order to cover your costs.

It’s a natural progression, you then have to think about the new business pipeline. Where are your contracts coming from both now and in the future?

It’s a rigorous process which has real value because it forces you to be realistic about whether you have the finance needed to tide you over initially and consider what your USP is in the marketplace. What’s the marketing plan? Have you the qualifications, credibility and profile to stand out from the crowd? If not, how are you going to get them?

Ultimately you can give it a go without a business plan, but it’s unlikely you’ll get very far, unless by luck or chance. You’ll also not achieve the profit margin you might have done with a bit of effort up front.

Don’t forget the formalities Once you’ve reached the point where you’re ready to start work, there are further formalities to address.

Contracts and insurance are there for one purpose and that’s to protect you.

The purpose of terms and conditions that both the consultant and client sign is to set out the programme of work to be undertaken, as well as the desired outcomes to avoid confusion.

They provide a safety net if you need to enforce your agreement (for example if the contract is terminated early for no good reason) and minimize the chance of a legal dispute.

sarah@sarahhallconsulting.co.uk

If you’re pitching for a public sector contract, having professional liability and possibly employers’ and public liability insurance is likely to be a pre-requisite. Either way you’d be foolhardy to practise public relations without this cover.

You never know when you might receive a claim because a client has an issue with the work carried out - stressful enough whether or not you’re at fault. Having insurance in place gives you peace of mind you can secure compensation to cover the cost of any corrective work to be carried out.

Commit to being the best you can Finally, my last piece of advice if you want to be a public relations consultant is to commit to being the very best you can.

Membership of the two main industry bodies, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and PRCA might seem an added expense but the value you’ll receive will more than repay the investment. Both have a wealth of information for practitioners whatever stage of your career you’re at and the CIPR offers free legal advice and discounts on member products and services like insurance.

www.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk

@hallmeister.

NORTH EAST BLOGGER AWARDS WINNERS REVEALED The region’s top bloggers were crowned at the only awards ceremony that celebrates blogging talent in the North East, on Tuesday 10 November at Bonbar, Newcastle.

Categories in The North East Blogger Awards included business, lifestyle and travel amongst others and culminated in The North East Blogger of the Year award as sponsored by Intu Metrocentre. This year, the top honours were scooped up by Cheryl Lumley from All Round Creative Junkie.

The event is the brainchild of Newcastle creative communications agency O PR with their Digital Strategist Holly Peacock a member of the judging panel.

MEDIA INSIGHT

An outstanding 2015

As 2015 draws to a close, Brett Jacobson, Managing Director of Mediaworks, reflects on what has been a stellar year for the creative search agency.

The Drum Independent Agencies Census. Most recently, we were listed in Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 initiative and received the title of 2015’s Fastest Growing Small Business.

free advice for all online brands.

The digital marketing industry is renowned for being fast-paced but 2015 has moved especially quickly. It seems like just yesterday we were waving goodbye to 2014 and looking forward to what the year ahead would bring. Little did we know just how much we’d achieve in 12 short months.

2015 has also seen us welcome new business, including a host of blue chip clients. This is a testament to the flexibility of our SEO, PPC, CRO and Creative services. We are able to find the right mix for each of our clients, no matter their size, implementing effective digital strategies to great success.

It all started back in January when we took home the Best PPC Campaign and Large Digital Agency of the Year awards at the first ever Northern Digital Awards. Given in recognition of our hard work and dedication, we’re incredibly proud of both awards.

We firmly believe that the best way to deliver results is by getting to know each of our clients and their brands individually. Our recent Mediaworks Golf Day gave us the chance to really find out what makes them tick, helping us to further tailor our services to meet their needs.

So what does 2016 hold for Mediaworks? Well, we’re going into 2016 the same way we entered 2015: with drive, dedication and determination.

We’ll continue to work tirelessly for our clients, develop the Mediaworks brand further and hopefully pick up a few more awards on the way!

Since then, our success has snowballed. We were listed in The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies, won Best Local Paid Search Campaign at the European Search Awards and featured in

Because knowledge-sharing is important to us, we regularly host webinars where our inhouse marketing experts share their insight on the hottest industry topics, offering invaluable,

I’d like to thank all of our clients, staff and partners for helping make 2015 such a standout year for Mediaworks and wish you every success in 2016.

With so much going on, 2015 has been a fantastic year in terms of growth for Mediaworks.

We now stand proud as a 70-strong team of talented individuals, each using their unique skills and experience to maximise our client campaigns.

Our first three apprentices graduated this year too. They impressed us so much during their training that we gladly awarded them with permanent positions in the business.

Newcastle (HQ) Princesway North Team Valley Tyne & Wear NE11 0NF Tel: 0191 4040100 info@mediaworks.co.uk London Office 4th Floor 69 Wilson Street London EC2A 2BB

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Mediaworks Christmas Golf Day Mediaworks kicked off the festive season early with their corporate golf day at Close House on November 19th. With 14 teams competing in glorious weather, the day was a great success. On the way round the course competitors attempted the longest drive challenge against Rebecca McGinley - European ladies longest driver and 3rd longest driver in the world- few succeeded!

MEDIA INSIGHT Christian Cerisola

News is free. Deal with it or die.

The Sun Newspaper has announced it is to scrap its controversial paywall.

Finally, they’ve realised they were trying to swordfight with MailOnline’s staggering numbers with both arms tied behind its back and, on November 30, the wall comes down.

announced the move in 2013. Selected others, such as FT.com, were also behind a paywall, but countless others refused to budge their position of offering vast swathes of its news and feature content for free online.

Earlier this year, The Sun announced it was giving access to some of its news content for free and its numbers online immediately increased by two thirds. Having first introduced its paywall two years ago, traffic dropped by 60 percent almost overnight.

We’re now in an era where news is free, and media companies need to deal with that or die. Niche and special interest publications will continue to be able to charge for their insight and knowledge, but why would I want to pay The Sun or The Times (The Sun’s News UK stablemate) to read about Cameron’s efforts in Brussels, when I can turn to The Guardian or the Telegraph online and get their take on things for nought?

(I deliberately didn’t include the BBC. We pay for that service, something I’d pay double for, by the way).

This isn’t rocket science. Ultimately though, they are all out to make money and now that we’re in an era of free news, media outlets are trying to figure out the best way of earning the dollar.

The decision, one would imagine, has been made because they can make more money from digital advertisers who‘ll pay premiums for all the extra new eyeballs, than they could by trying to persuade Sun fans to part with a few quid a month to get unlimited access to their content.

It was a fascinating move from The Sun, and its owners News UK in the first place when they

Get on the bus, tube or any metropolitan transport system or walk through the centre of your town and you know you don’t even have to pay for a newspaper anymore.

In the North East, we have our own examples.

I was surprised to see the owners of the Northern Echo introduce a ‘paywall-lite’. Try reading more

than ten articles in any 30 day period on there and you’re politely asked to pay for the privilege.

It strikes me that they’re in a bit of a panic as to how to make money. They’re not alone.

Ad revenues continue to fall because paper circulations are plummeting, but surely those advertisers aren’t then going to start spending for ads that are blocked from people’s view, are they?

Media outlets still hold huge influence over its audiences, and continue to produce strong, insightful ‘digital first’ content. Yes, the media world is far more fractured than it was ten years ago, but the big players remain massively relevant.

It’s the smart ones who understand where the money can now be made. And its not from trying to secure more ad revenue either. In the North East, its Trinity Mirror titles have a dizzying number of events, The Guardian’s pushing its exclusive memberships with benefits and countless others have memberships and clubs for wine, dating, travel and who knows what else.

The paywall has crumbled. Anyone behind it really is behind.

Christian Cerisola is Director at GluePR. www.gluepr.co.uk

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Tech heavyweight returns to ITPS Kevin Almond

Networking, security and unified communications specialist Kevin Almond has rejoined technology experts ITPS to take up the role of head of professional services, after a four-year spell away from the business.

Gateshead-based ITPS specialises in data centre, IT consultancy, implementation and support for a national client base, and Kevin’s new role will see him head up the 30-strong consultancy, project management, install and managed services teams.

ITPS Managing Director Garry Sheriff said: “Kevin is highly regarded in the technical community, and we are delighted to welcome him back. His appointment is part of our strategy to recruit only the top experts in their field, to maintain our reputation as the region’s ‘A team’ in terms of technical expertise and breadth of knowledge.

“Going into our 16th year of steady growth in turnover and profit makes this an exciting time for the business, and we look forward to Kevin playing an essential part in achieving our growth targets.”

Kevin added: “ITPS has significantly expanded its client base over the last few years, and the

opportunity to work with clients such as Home Group, several UK fire and rescue authorities and a national building society were partly what drew me back to ITPS to take up this new role.

“The announcement of its investment in a wholly-owned and truly impressive data centre last year puts the company head and shoulders above its rivals, many of which are reducing the breadth of their technical expertise while ITPS is continually pushing forward, delivering a level of

advanced technical solutions that few other UK competitors can match.

“Clients renewing managed services and support contracts for up to seven years demonstrate the level of trust they have in the ITPS team, and I was keen to be part of that.

“I am looking forward to working with former colleagues and meeting new ones over the coming weeks.”

Does a marketing manager need a marketing degree?

We have seen a trend for organisations in the north east to recruit young people to be marketers who have excellent digital skills. The drawback is that they do not have the marketing skills to understand how to use them effectively for their organisation. At the other end of the spectrum are senior managers who have substantial marketing skills but do not feel competent to manage their younger staff’s digital activities or to ask the most pertinent questions.

As a result, students on our short programmes and qualifications are a stimulating mix of experienced marketers and experienced digital communicators, each looking to understand and develop the other side of their skills.

The skills that all our students do share is that they are disciplined and curious. They are good at the detail, at analysing how the data can create valuable insights relevant to the business.

Most of our students or their employers have recognised that you do not need to be a marketing graduate to begin a career in marketing.

What counts is what the students do at work while they are following the professional qualifications route. Their individual workplaces form a key part of the assessments, so they learn how to adapt the theory directly into their

Veronica Swindale Director - nesma

The answer is no.

This may be surprising for a marketing training and development organisation.

workplace.

This immediate ROI is one of the most valuable measures for employers. nesma is also able to steer you towards potential funding for the courses - an early Christmas present for businesses To find out if you are eligible, please email info@nesma.co.uk. nesma is an accredited study centre for the Chartered Institute of Marketing, The CAM Foundation, The Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Digital Marketing Institute.

The qualifications are available from Foundation Awards, level 3, to Postgraduate

Diploma, level 7. nesma.co.uk/qualifications In just five years over 300 students from nesma have been awarded professional qualifications in PR and marketing.

Their pass rate is impressive and the CIM has awarded nesma 24 commendations which recognise the excellent standard of results achieved in the individual modules of the qualifications.

As well as professional qualifications, nesma also offer a range of short courses, week long intensive programmes and bespoke training for individual organisations.

www.nesma.co.uk Telephone: +44 (0)7590 018 205 Email: info@nesma.co.uk nesma, 19 Lansdowne Terrace, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

On your bike for Calibre IT’s safer cycling initiative One of region’s fastest growing IT firms is peddling safer cycling for youngsters after linking-up a local cycling club and business park in a new training drive.

The move has seen Calibre Secured Networks, based at the Core at Science Central, secure a car park at Cobalt Business Park as the site for teaching road safety skills to youngsters from North Tyneside Riders (NTR) Cycling Club.

The initiative, which follows Calibre’s earlier sponsorship deal with the club and has the backing of North Tyneside Council, is part of NTR’s safety drive to ensure junior members can improve their riding skills.

The move reflects Calibre’s commitment to its own cycle-to-work scheme and the Department for Transport statistics that show that North Tyneside had the highest proportion of residents who regularly cycled, at least five times a week.

Directors Steve and Karen Nelson, who are both keen cyclists and members of NTR, want to ensure that youngsters in the club could improve their riding skills in a safe place.

Karen Nelson said: “We are both passionate about promoting a healthy, happy workforce through activities such as cycling. But safety on the road is a big concern for cyclists; so we wanted a place where junior club members could learn to

be better cyclists. The site loaned by the Cobalt management team is perfect and will make a big difference.

“We had a lot of support from the council, including Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn, to get the initiative up and running, so I would like to thank them together with Cobalt’s management team for their keen support.”

Lyn Cramman from Cobalt’s management team said: “We were delighted to help. As an organisation, we’re committed to encouraging more sustainable ways for people to travel to work.”

UK software specialist expands North East base after record breaking year Leading North East software and technology company, Orchard, is relocating into new premises as part of a wider UK expansion which has already resulted in record annual sales.

In a coordinated plan of future growth, Orchard has announced it will move from Kings Manor to new offices in Central Square, assisted by leading property agent, Bradley Hall.

Orchard, which comprises Orchard Information Systems, based in Newcastle, and subsidiary in4systems, in Wokingham, has hit sales of almost £16m in 2015, an 11% increase on last year’s figures.

The Newcastle group, which specialises in housing management, asset management, finance management and related systems to the

UK housing sector, currently employs more than 200 people but needs flexible office space to accommodate future recruits.

Orchard has signed a ten year lease on the entire third floor of Central Square, close to the rapidly emerging Stephenson Quarter on Forth Street.

Cloud computing firm triumph in 2015 Cramlington based SITS Group, which provides cloud computing solutions to private and public sectors across the UK, has scooped its second accolade in the last month.

SITS Group was named the fastest growing, medium sized business of 2015 for companies with annual turnover of between £5m and £15m,

Ready to reduce costs and achieve more from your IT spend?

Call us now and find out how.

at the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Awards.

make it a remarkable double triumph.

The annual event seeks to celebrate the privatelyowned and profit making companies in the region that have shown the strongest annualised sales growth over recent years.

Phil Cambers, Commercial Director of SITS group, said: “We are delighted to win the Fastest 50 award. Thanks to the dedication from our staff and clients, we have increased our turnover year on year and look forward to growing the company further in 2016.”

In addition, earlier this month they were named in The Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 to

IT Professional Services Ltd. Axwell House, Waterside Drive, Metrocentre East Business Park, Gateshead NE11 9HU. E: contact@itps.co.uk Follow us on

www.itps.co.uk

@ITPSltd

0191 442 8300

Could neglecting business continuity be the end of your world?

Business Continuity What’s the real cost of downtime? Interruptions can come from any direction at any time - what would they cost you?

Every business rests on data, and protecting your data is our world.

What’s the cost when there’s no power? No premises? No IT? No emails? No phones? Good business continuity planning can head off disaster before it costs you a penny.

With years of experience in developing business continuity plans across a wide range of sectors, ITPS can help you calculate downtime costs and implement plans that might just save the day.

Our world assures yours

See how we can help protect your business

call 0191 or email

442 8300

contact@itps.co.uk www.itps.co.uk Axwell House, Waterside Drive, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE11 9HU

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

The cost of downtime

Financial and operational interruptions can come from any direction, ranging from relatively rare incidents such as flood or fire through to everyday occurrences such as hardware failure, a workman cutting through a cable, or simple staff error.

As organisations increase their dependence on data, IT failure can cost them time and a considerable amount of money. Take direct costs such as downtime and decreased production and add in the potential loss of clients, reputational damage or regulatory penalties, and the costs keep growing.

Any interruption is costly and although a business continuity (BC) strategy might be included in early budget planning it is often sidelined, despite figures from the International Data Corporation showing that almost 18% of SMBs had to facilitate a full data centre recovery in 2014.

Good BC planning can head off disaster before it costs you a penny. A recent example saw a professional services firm that carried out its own daily backup suddenly needing to restore, only to find that the backup media had failed. The cost of fee-earning staff being unable to access systems and data plus the overtime bill to catch up was considerable, and could have been avoided if the company had followed the BC test and review procedures.

One

business’s

disaster

is

another’s

opportunity, and one of our clients recently needed help to expand their IT capacity after picking up a multi-million pound contract following a fire at a competitor’s premises. Not a fate we would wish on anyone, but another example of where business continuity planning might have paid off for the unfortunate company.

We develop hundreds of BC plans across many sectors and clients often ask us to help them calculate the cost of downtime when they need to establish what RTO (recovery time objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) they need.

The starting point is to identify the types of direct and indirect cost involved.

Define downtime: is it a complete loss of all systems, a loss of business critical applications or a slow-down in email traffic? Everyone’s disaster is different and unique to their business.

Timing: A failure in your payroll system in week one of the month can be less serious than the same event happening two days before month end payday.

Basic cost of downtime: even while revenue is lost, salaries still have to be paid. Divide your annual revenue by the number of available working hours per year, then add salary costs per working hour to give you a basic cost of hourly downtime. For online businesses operating 24/7, every hour is a working hour.

This is a simple view of what downtime could cost, broadly based on total IT failure and

assuming costs increase exponentially as each hour of downtime clocks up, but costing by department or by IT system will give you a more detailed analysis.

Departmental cost: take your departmental salary costs and add in total lost revenue due to staff being unable to work. Revenue levels will vary according to function, for instance sales team revenue will be easier to calculate than admin or support desk staff.

IT system cost: the CRM system failing for an hour might reduce productivity by 30% while a mail server or telephony failure could see it drop by 50%. The joint impact could be far higher than 80%, when factoring in systems such as monthly invoicing, where its importance rises and falls throughout the month.

Peripheral costs: don’t ignore lost enquiries, deal failure and even your share value dropping.

While difficult to forecast, these are still very real costs.

The cost of downtime is likely to be a shock but our advice is don’t bury your head in the sand, disaster can strike anyone, anywhere. Putting a BC plan in place and regularly testing and revising it will almost certainly cost less than the pain of dealing with downtime.

The question the business should be asking is how long it could last without systems and data, and how much that is worth to it?

For more information visit www.itps.co.uk, email contact@itps.co.uk or tel: (0191) 442 8300

78

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT Karen and Steve Nelson (right) are promising continued success in 2016 for Calibre Secured Networks

Calibre looks to power e-Learning in 2016 This year has been a story of success for Calibre Secured Networks Ltd, which has firmly cemented its position as one of the region’s foremost, innovative and ambitious IT firms.

be the continuing, remorseless rise of e-Learning as education providers become ever more eager to incorporate new technologies into their curriculum.

New contract wins have underpinned expansion for the Science Central-based company, strengthening foundations that will push sales through the £3m mark over the next three years as part of a dynamic growth and IT talent investment strategy.

“Educators will use an increasing array of automated solutions to create new courses and learning materials, saving the time and money involved in conventional processes. Elements such as tests, quizzes and exercises will all be generated by tools able to efficiently scan the course content and recognise the most important aspects to be tested.

Business to provide technology at Westpark Academy in Darlington, Gosforth’s Newcastle School for Boys, Sandhill View School in Sunderland, and Dubmire School in Houghton-le-Spring has been bolstered by a contract to supply Manchester’s Eastlands Homes with new Wi-Fi to improve services for customers across the North West of England.

“We will also see increasing use of augmented reality in e-Learning in 2016 and beyond, with pupils able to access and interact with expanded environments through mobile technologies such as Apple Watch, smartphones, tablets and Google Glass.

This kind of learning will engage students with action-based functionalities in both the classroom and beyond through GPS technologies.

The firm has also scaled new heights recently after winning a contract to supply video conferencing equipment for Sage Group offices at the tallest building in Western Europe - London’s Shard building.

However, despite these achievements, Calibre’s directors Karen and Steve Nelson have eyes firmly fixed on even more success in 2016, particularly in the education sector where schools are switching onto the benefits provided by new e-Learning technologies powered by enterprise-grade networks.

“It’s exciting times with technologies powered by the new high performance networks providing flexible learning solutions that are not only different but future proof too; improving the whole interactive learning experience for years to come.”

Steve says: “If there’s anything certain about the future, it’ll

Calibre provides IT solutions, working across the UK and Europe with clients building long-term strategic relationships to deliver added value solutions, which provide lasting user benefits. More at www.calibre-secured.net

79

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

ITPS creates UK’s first metrocluster for social housing group

(l to r): Paul Anderson, operations director, ITPS; David Redpath, director of information services, Home Group; Mark Mason, sales director, ITPS

Gateshead-based data centre and IT infrastructure experts ITPS have beaten stiff UK competition to win an ongoing contract to create and support one of the UK's first 'metroclusters' for affordable housing specialists Home Group, putting the organisation in the same communications league as big name banks and telecoms providers.

The bespoke solution designed by ITPS is based around the creation of a private network based on underground optical dark fibre cabling, which allows continuous synchronous replication of Home Group's systems and data between two of ITPS's high security data centres in Gosforth and Chester le Street.

The network uses two diverse fibre cabling runs which each take a different physical route underground, one via the Tyne Tunnel and one over Blaydon Bridge. It works by pulling together data from different sources and transmitting each signal at the same time on its own separate light wavelength. It provides maximum resilience supported by high speed communications, meaning a delay of less than a few milliseconds for information moving between the sites, and cuts the risk of IT downtime to almost zero.

ITPS Managing Director Garry Sheriff says that housing the technology in ITPS's ISO27001-

certified data centres gives Home Group reassurance that its systems and data are fully protected, and supporting 24/7 service delivery to its tenants and clients.

"A metrocluster is a highly cost-effective, synchronous replication solution for combining high availability and disaster recovery in one package, protecting data by using two physically separated, mirrored clusters. The objective is to create an 'always on' solution that maximises availability of the infrastructure to users," he said.

"As well as having the systems and data synchronously available in two locations, it allows computing power to seamlessly load balance itself between the two sites. For instance if hardware at one location should suffer interruption or need routine maintenance, the second location facilitates the application so it is business as usual for users.

"It supports what we call a zero recovery point objective, which means that if a system component should fail, no information is lost during the recovery process.

"On mainland Europe there tends to be more fibre cabling already in the ground, and therefore more metroclusters, but they are still relatively rare in the UK due to the amount of investment needed. They are more often used by financial institutions, telecoms providers and

other organisations for which IT downtime would be unthinkable.

"Through our status as one of only 10 UK Virgin Media Business strategic partners we were able to commission £1m-worth of fibre runs to underpin Home Group's solution. We believe that no other social housing group has this level of sophisticated backup and security, it is a first for the sector."

Part of a wider transformation initiative that is set to deliver £1m of financial benefits per year, Home Group's new solution reduces risk, enables high availability and supports its business continuity and disaster recovery strategies.

David Redpath, Director of Information Services at Newcastle-based Home Group, said: "As one of the UK's largest housing providers operating in more than 200 local authority areas we need to have reliable ICT which allows us to provide the high level of service our customers and clients expect at all hours of the day or night.

"We've enjoyed working with ITPS which has a high level of expertise and a track record creating bespoke, secure and resilient solutions.

We now have a single unified and virtualised IT infrastructure held securely offsite, and that brings economies of scale and allows us to allocate computing resources where and when they are needed."

Gateshead-based ITPS specialises in integrated IT consultancy, implementation and support services, unified communications and workspace recovery, employing more than 100 people at its bases in Gateshead and Chester le Street.

This year the company celebrated 15 years of steady growth and increase in profits since its creation in 2000.

In 2014 it announced the creation of a new 33,000sq ft data centre and workspace recovery facility in Chester le Street, which is the biggest in the North East.

80

INTERVIEW

In this life...

Garry Sheriff Managing Director, ITPS

Past: I got into IT in 1987 by accident, through Dixons electrical stores putting me on the PC department. Back then desktop PCs were huge, portables were luggable rather than lightweight, and tablets were something you got from the doctor. Only geeks knew anything about computers. Larger businesses were all about mainframes and dumb terminals, with little ability for real time management data collection and analysis. There was no wireless connectivity either, so coax cable was king, with its paltry 10MB speed. These were the days before the internet and World Wide Web, and email was something only the military used. I did my thesis on a new thing called the Internet, and the university had to find someone who knew enough about it to mark it.

Present: The IT landscape has changed dramatically since my early days. Together with three partners I set up ITPS in 2000 – we waited until after the dotcom boom went bust and the fuss about the non-event of the Millennium Bug was over. ITPS has since grown into a business of 100 people providing a range of services including IT consultancy, implementation, data centre and cloud services provision, unified communications and support functions including workspace and disaster recovery services.

In today’s world all organisations rest on data, which underpins every facet of our lives as we now expect anytime, anywhere access to everything.

Backup, business continuity and providing continuous access have become all-important as we’ve evolved into a big data society. These require the underlying high speed, high capacity communications to power them, and a vast array of support services to keep them operational.

Expertise and track record counts for a lot in the complex world of IT and we have carved out a niche as an expert, technically agile and flexible partner.

Future: The adoption of cloud services will continue its inexorable march, underpinning the move towards the Internet of Things (IoT). This sees everyday objects equipped with sensors, identifiers and wireless connectivity so they can communicate through the internet without our involvement. Not only will this transform the service industries it will impact on our everyday lives at work and at home too.

Unified communications will develop even faster as we start thinking about communications in a new way, moving closer to true collaboration throughout the workforce, supplier and customer chain.

Whatever happens in the technology world, good business relationships will still matter. People still need to talk to people and our clients work with us as partners, seeing the benefits of our experience and our ability to protect and service their biggest asset, their information. I don’t see that fundamental principle going out of style.

81

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT Pete Watson, CEO, Atlas Cloud

SMEs need to get their head out of the clouds and face technology The technology sector is undergoing a dynamic change at the moment with masses of data being generated daily and information readily available at our fingertips. Businesses can now react to demands in real time as customers expect immediate responses to queries or issues.

The cornerstone of the working day is now the mobile phone. ‘Mobile first’ strategies are promoted everywhere as the average person increasingly consumes media and handles tasks on their phone or tablet. We are now able to do pretty much anything on our phones, from ordering food and other items to listening to music, watching videos, communicating, exchanging media, ordering taxis and making payments. Things like these have become second nature in our private lives, yet many organisations are reluctant to embrace these technologies in a professional environment, but why?

Everything old isn’t new again At Atlas, we see many SMEs that are still using IT setups from 20 years ago, which neither contribute to business productivity nor provide sufficient protection of data. Some try to merge their existing systems with modern offerings like Office 365 or cloud backups, which often results in issues such as integration problems and additional complexity.

As technology advances, the role of IT Manager is also redefined and requires new skills and knowledge. Typically, SMEs don’t have the IT resource to keep up to date with industry changes whilst supporting the business at the same time.

This negatively impacts uptime, efficiency and productivity. In addition, IT constantly needs to be kept up to date and upgraded, resulting in a never ending cycle as once an upgrade is complete, it starts again.

expenses and improve collaboration between geographically dispersed teams. In addition, security and safety issues that are often ignored

by SMEs, i.e. disaster recovery or data loss, can be dealt with in a way that won’t break the bank.

Technology alone isn’t enough

Enterprises, on the other side, are much quicker to jump on the technology bandwagon.

A study by Eurostat in 2014 shows that the cloud adoption rate in the EU for enterprises is two times higher compared to SMEs. As a result, they gain competitive advantage and grow revenues by enhancing productivity and by having the ability to adapt to changes quicker.

Put simply, business leaders must have an open mind, explore new options and analyse how these would improve their organisation. However, it is important to remember that making the decision to implement new technology is only the first step. Business processes need to be adapted and staff need to be educated and trained, as the best technology is no use if it isn’t used correctly.

As digital natives, millennials (i.e. anyone born after 1980) can offer an additional advantage to companies; they are tech savvy, extremely knowledgeable and comfortable with the newest technologies.

Unlike fashion, IT does not repeat itself every other decade, so it’s no use for SMEs to stick to old technology that just doesn’t cater to today’s business needs any more. Technologies such as the cloud provide SMEs with the opportunity to use the same tools commonly found in enterprises and take advantage of them. For example, communication applications like Skype for Business can reduce travel times, save

Let’s face it, SMEs have to stop putting off technology. Yes, it may be a scary subject and quite a hard topic to wrap your head around, but one way or another it is already an integral part of life (think media streaming, communication, travel). Ignoring it won’t make it go away; if anything, the change will become harder and harder the longer it is put off, so businesses need to get moving now.

SMEs should follow in enterprise footsteps

To explore a potential cloud solution, get in touch with us at hello@atlascloud.co.uk or visit our website at www.atlascloud.co.uk.

82

MOTORS INSIGHT

Benfield’s charity golf day raises over £50,000 for Prince’s Trust

Shearer and celebrity supporters come out in force to help young people transform their lives Supported by Manufacturers, suppliers and a host of the country’s most celebrated sports personalities, Benfield’s annual Golf Day and Gala Dinner in aid of The Prince’s Trust, has raised over £50,000 to support disadvantaged young people across the North East.

The star-studded event, which is one of the most important regional fundraisers in the youth charity’s calendar, was held at award winning Close House Golf Course and is organised by Benfield, who recently became part of the Lookers plc group.

Going head to head with football legend Alan Shearer in the golf tournament were Olympic Gold Medallist Jonathan Edwards, former England cricketer Steve Harmison and a host of other celebrities including former Newcastle United players Steve Harper, Rob Lee and John Beresford, former Premiership and Republic Ireland footballer, Ian Harte and professional golfer Carly Booth. All were in attendance to raise awareness about The Trust’s valuable work in the region.

Josh Daniels also starred in the glitzy line-up at the prestigious Gateshead Hilton, hosted by Jonathan Edwards, for the evening fundraising part of the special occasion.

Nigel McMinn, Managing Director, Lookers Plc, said, “The Prince’s Trust is a fantastic organisation and continues to make a real difference at local and community level. With so many disadvantaged young people looking for work and ways to build a future for themselves, it is vital we continue our support for fundraising events like these. Benfield is now part of the Lookers family and we are all proud to be able to continue its proud tradition of supporting local charities and worthy causes, with all proceeds going directly to disadvantaged young people here in the North East.”

Over 300 guests joined the fundraising gala dinner which included a trophy presentation and exclusive money can’t buy auction. The money raised will go towards supporting Prince’s Trust programmes in the North East, giving disadvantaged young people the qualifications and experience to help them get a job.

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps change young lives. It works with 13 to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are longterm unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. Three in four young people helped by The Prince’s Trust move into work, training or education.

Alan Shearer said: “I am once again delighted to support this valuable fundraising golf day and dinner in aid of The Prince’s Trust. It’s tragic to think that some young people can be so low that they don’t even have the confidence to walk out of the door in the morning. The funds that we have raised are so vital to enable The Prince’s Trust to continue its work making sure that these young people do not get forgotten.”

Zoe Mulvenna, Fundraising Manager at The Prince’s Trust said: “Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our supporters, sponsors and everyone who attended the day, the result has been another resounding success.

Without such support, our work would not be possible. Therefore on behalf of everyone at The Trust I’d like to offer our appreciation and huge thanks to all who supported this event.”

Legendary 80’s Pop Group ‘Go West’ and leading North East Comedian

83

MOTORS INSIGHT

Volvo boosts performance of its XC90 with range of Polestar upgrades Increased power and torque for D5 diesel and T6 petrol Drive-E engines.

Performance boost for D4 and T5 Drive-E engines in other Volvo models.

Upgrades available now, priced at £835.

Volvo Car UK is enhancing the performance of its award-winning XC90 with a series of Polestar-developed upgrades. This is the first time that Polestar, Volvo’s performance brand, has focused its attention on the new seven-seat SUV. Known as Polestar Performance Optimisation, the upgrades improve the power and torque figures of both the D5 diesel and T6 petrol Drive-E engines, particularly at medium revs where it’s most effective. They also make the accelerator responses even quicker, and alter the settings of the automatic gearbox to provide faster gearchanges and prevent gearshifts during rapid cornering, which could unsettle the car. These quicker and more precise responses to driver commands not only make the driving experience more dynamic, they ensure the car responds predictably during high-speed driving.

The upgrades have been developed and designed by the engineers of Polestar and the racing drivers of Polestar Cyan Racing, the official motorsport partner to Polestar.

The maximum output of the D5 Drive-E engine is increased to 233 hp and 500 Nm of torque (up from 225 hp and 470 Nm), while the T6 Drive-E is boosted to 334 hp and 440 Nm (from 320 hp and 400 Nm).

Polestar Performance Optimisations have also been released for the D4 diesel and T5 petrol Drive-E engines in other Volvo models. Like the upgrades to the D5 and T6 engines in the XC90, the aim is to boost medium-rev performance and to make the car’s entire drivetrain react more quickly and accurately to driver commands.

With the Polestar Performance Optimisation, the D4 Drive-E offers 200hp and 440Nm (up from 190hp and 400Nm), while the output of the T5 Drive-E is raised to 253hp and 400Nm (from 245 hp and 350 Nm).

The D4 Drive-E upgrades are available in the S60, V40, V40 Cross Country, V60 and XC60, and the T5 Drive-E enhancements are offered in the V40 and V40 Cross Country.

The price of the D4, D5, T5 and T6 Polestar

upgrades is £835, including VAT and fitting. The work can be carried out at any authorised Volvo dealer, and should take about 30 minutes to complete.

Nick Connor, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “These new Polestar Performance Optimisations make our cars and Drive-E engines even more dynamic and desirable. The combination of increased power and torque especially at medium revs - and the changes to make the entire drivetrain more responsive ensure that owners will really feel the difference these optimisations make.”

Finally, until the end of December 2015, all model-year 2005 to model-year 2015 all-wheeldrive Volvos can be upgraded with the Polestar Performance Optimisation at the discounted price of £620, saving £215.

The Polestar upgrades do not affect the certified emissions and fuel consumption figures, service intervals or Volvo warranty cover.

For more information on the Volvo range contact Mill Volvo who have branches in Harrogate, Newcastle, Stockton and Sunderland. www.millnortheast.co.uk

84

MOTORS INSIGHT

Stuart Thorpe, deputy business manager at Jennings Ford in Middlesbrough, with the all-new Ford Mondeo Vignale model, which is on display and available to test drive at the dealership.

Top-spec all-new Mondeo Vignale model takes centre stage at Jennings Ford Customers visiting Jennings Ford, part of the multi-award winning Jennings Motor Group, are taking advantage of the latest model to join the expanding Ford family – the top-spec, all-new Mondeo Vignale.

Jennings Ford’s Cargo Fleet Lane dealership in Middlesbrough, was one of the first dealers in the region to take delivery of the all-new Ford Mondeo Vignale in October.

The design of the latest model to join the popular Ford model line-up was inspired by bespoke Italian car designer, Alfredo Vignale, and his precise attention to detail.

Customers who are interested in purchasing the top-spec luxurious model, can choose between a Hybrid, Saloon or Estate, with the added option of all-wheel drive also being available.

A 2.0 TiVCT 187PS Hybrid Electric, a 2.0-litre EcoBoost 240PS petrol and two diesel derivatives, including a 2.0-litre TDCi 180PS diesel or a 2.0-litre TDCi 210PS diesel are available.

Ford Power Starter Button.

Sales manager, Colin Massey, said; “We are delighted to be able to offer the all-new Ford Mondeo Vignale, which is the most advanced Mondeo and has been designed to take refinement and comfort up a level.

Active City Stop and Traffic Stop Recognition as standard.

Ford’s Active Noise Cancellation System and extra thick laminated glass eliminates road noise within the cabin – the result being a whisper quiet interior.

“From the premium stitched leather steering wheel with exclusive Vignale design and the laser cut leather-trimmed seats, to the sleek eye catching lines of the interior, every detail is precise and of the highest quality.”

Colin added; “Customers can rest assured they will receive an exceptional customer service as a result of a dedicated personal Relationship Manager who will be on hand as a single point of contact to ensure that every need is met.”

The exclusive handcrafted leather seats have an elegant, diamond-shaped trim, with the same hexagonal tone-on-tone quilting evident in the silky-smooth leather armrests.

The all-new model comes in various exclusive Ford Vignale colours, including Vignale Nocciola, Vignale Black, Vignale Silver and Vignale White.

Another standout innovation is the unique Rear Inflatable Seatbelt, which gives passengers in the two rear outer seats a whole new level of airbag protection.

Standard exterior specification includes; unique 18” alloy wheels, adaptive lighting with Ford Dynamic LED headlights and front and rear parking distance sensors.

Exterior chrome finishes radiate luxury, as seen in the completely new front of the Ford Mondeo Vignale with its stylish chromecoloured grille and again in the specially designed front bumper with chrome ornaments and LED foglights. There are also additional chrome touches on the door handles and wing mirrors.

While standard interior specification includes; full premium leather trim, memory seat function, Sony sound system and Ford Keyfree System with

The new model also offers Ford’s latest SYNC2 infotainment system, Active Park Assist, which can help with bay and parallel parking,

Other models available at the Jennings Ford dealership includes the Ka, Fiesta, Fiesta ST, Focus, Focus ST, Mondeo, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, B-MAX, S-MAX, Galaxy and EcoSport.

The Jennings Ford dealership also offers a Motability service to customers who are eligible to lease a vehicle through the programme. A team of dedicated Motability specialists and deputies are on hand to give professional advice and guidance on all aspects of the programme.

Customers can also take advantage of a number of aftersales facilities with an accident repair centre, service, MOT and parts department on site at Middlesbrough.

For more information about the range of products and services available at Jennings Ford, call into the Cargo Fleet Lane dealership, contact 01642 240055, or visit www.jenningsmotorgroup.co.uk

86

Introducing the New Ford Vignale An intense focus on design creates a new expression of refined taste. Up close, you see the details that make every Ford Vignale special. The exclusive grille. The stitching of the premium leather. The sleek eye-catching lines of the exterior. Custom-designed seating that invites you into the cabin. Every element calls for a closer look.

New Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Vignale 4dr (180PS)

• Metallic paint •18’’ 10x2 spoke alloy wheels • Sony DAB audio touchscreen navigation • Ford SYNC2® 8’’ touchscreen with Bluetooth® and voice control • Ford KeyFree System with Ford Power Starter Button • Lane Keeping Aid with Traffic Sign Recognition • Rear view camera • Premium leather seats

Only

£269 +VAT per month with Ford Lease Business users only.

Test drive by appointment only.

MIDDLESBROUGH, Cargo Fleet Lane.

Call: 01642 240 055.

OPEN HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-4pm

www.JenningsMotorGroup.co.uk

Contact: Ron.Homan@jennings-ford.co.uk or Sharon.Graham@jennings-ford.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for Vignale 2.0 (180 PS) Urban 55.4 (5.1), Extra Urban 68.9 (4.1), Combined 62.8 (4.5). Official CO2 emissions 140g/km.

Standard EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

Ford Lease is available to Business users only, subject to status. Guarantees/indemnities may be required. Rental shown based on a 6-0-35 non-maintained agreement (6 initial rentals up front followed by 35 rentals +VAT) with a mileage of 10,000 per annum. Rentals must be made monthly.

Prices exclude VAT. When the vehicle is returned it must be in good condition and not have exceeded the agreed mileage, otherwise further charges will be incurred. Prices are correct at the time of going to print and are subject to change without further notice. Terms and conditions apply. Ford Lease is provided by ALD Automotive Ltd t/a Ford Lease, Oakwood Park, Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3JA. Subject to availability. Car not necessarily as illustrated. Certain categories of business users may be excluded. Offer ends 31st December 2015. E&OE.

MOTORS INSIGHT

Tremendous value motoring from Toyota

The Auris Hybrid Toyota produce the Auris Hybrid, the Prius (including the 7 seat Prius + and Prius Plug in) along with the Yaris Hybrid.

Hybrid vehicles combine an electric motor and a petrol engine to provide the propulsive force required to move. This creates an energy efficient vehicle that reduces the amount of fuel needed to run. As a result, hybrid vehicles produce less emissions and fewer pollutants that harm the environment. The batteries never need recharging as they use the energy usually wasted by braking to recharge.

The Auris Hybrid is one of the most fuel efficient cars in its class boasting around 72.4 mpg combined driving.

The Avensis Just one look at this range says premium quality with elegant aerodynamics creating a compelling aesthetic whilst refined interior finishes establish a distinct sense of luxury. Saloon or Touring Sport body styles are available for whatever your desired look.

Business trip or family outing, the Avensis accommodates your life effortlessly. The interior is exceptionally spacious with plenty of legroom and head space for everyone.

For full price and specification information on the Auris Hybrid, Avensis and other models in the range contact Toyota Newcastle on 0191 2950099 or Toyota Gateshead on 0191 4140901.

88

NEW AURIS HYBRID

£205 per month

£1,230

FREE PROTECTION PACK Reversing camera Multimedia system with satellite navigation

NEW AVENSIS TOURING SPORTS

£186 per month

£1,116

FREE PROTECTION PACK 17" Alloy wheels Reversing camera Rain sensing wipers Multimedia system with satellite navigation

GETS EXPENSES SIGNED OFF WITHOUT QUESTIONS. FALSE. SERVICING MAINTENANCE & TYRES†

Toyota Newcastle Bittern Close, Tyne and Wear NE28 9ND Tel: 0191 295 0099 hodgsonnewcastle.toyota.co.uk /HodgsonToyota

Toyota Gateshead Derwenthaugh Road, Tyne and Wear NE16 BL Tel: 0191 414 0901 hodgsongateshead.toyota.co.uk @hodgsonltd

Models shown are 2015 Avensis Touring Sports Business Edition 5 door 1.6 D-4D Manual £23,335. Metallic paint £495 extra. 2015 Auris Hybrid Business Edition 5 door 1.8 VVT-i Auto £21,895. *Business users only. Initial rental and VAT applies. Available on new sales of models shown when ordered and proposed for finance between 1st October and 17th December 2015, registered and financed by 31st March 2016 through Toyota Financial Services on Toyota Contract Hire. Advertised rentals are based on 2 year non maintained contracts at 8,000 miles per annum over 2 years with an initial rental of £1,116+VAT for 2015 Avensis Touring Sports Business Edition 5 door 1.6 D-4D Manual and £1,230+VAT for 2015 Auris Hybrid Business Edition 5 door 1.8 VVT-i Auto. Metallic or pearlescent paint are not included. Excess mileage charges apply. Other finance offers are available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. At participating Toyota Centres.

Toyota Centres are independent of Toyota Financial Services. Terms and conditions apply. Indemnities may be required. Finance subject to status to over 18s only. Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC. Registered Office: Great Burgh, Burgh Heath, Epsom, KT18 5UZ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 5 year/100,000 mile manufacturer warranty subject to terms and conditions. Protection pack includes mud flaps, boot liner, scuff plates and rear bumper plate. †Free service and maintenance pack is available on model shown when used in conjunction with a Toyota Contract Hire agreement. Ordered and proposed for finance between 1st October and 17th December 2015, registered and financed by 31st March 2016. Cover includes scheduled servicing, maintenance and tyre replacement due to fair wear and tear, available up to 24 months or 40,000 miles, whichever is soonest. Toyota Roadside Assistance is available up to 24 months.

2015 Avensis Touring Sports Business Edition 5 door 1.6 D-4D Manual. Official Fuel Consumption Figures in mpg (l/100km): Urban 55.4 (5.1), Extra Urban 74.3 (3.8), Combined 67.3 (4.2). CO2 Emissions 110g/km. 2015 Auris Hybrid Business Edition 5 door 1.8 VVT-i Auto. Official Fuel Consumption Figures in mpg (l/100km): Urban 80.7 (3.5), Extra Urban 80.7 (3.5), Combined 78.5 (3.6). CO2 Emissions 82g/km. The mpg figures quoted are sourced

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ARTS NEWS

Aladdin set to fly into Sunderland Empire for a magical pantomime season Strictly Come Dancing 2014 as she brought fun and laughter to the show.

Get ready to rub the magic lamp and enter the cave of wonders as this year’s high-flying pantomime, Aladdin, is set to hit the Sunderland Empire stage from 11 December 2015 - 3 January 2016.

Coronation Street’s Terence Maynard is a dab hand at ruffling the feathers of many Weatherfield residents on screen as Tony Stewart and now he has his sights set on Sunderland, so prepare for ructions this pantomime season as Terence joins the cast as the ultimate villain.

Aladdin stars Coronation Street’s Terence Maynard as Abanazar, ITV’s This Morning and Strictly Come Dancing’s Alison Hammond as Slave of the Ring, Derek Moran as Wishee Washee and North East born Ian Good, who will be taking on the role of Dame Widow Twankey, as well as being the director. He has worked extensively in theatre around the UK, in Europe and Australia both as a director and actor and has done everything from Shakespeare to Sondheim!

As one of the main presenters of Channel 5’s leading children’s TV strand ‘Milkshake!’, popular children’s presenter, Derek Moran, will be sure to wow audiences with his energetic and enchanting personality this pantomime season.

Alison Hammond’s larger than life personality has taken ITV’s ‘This Morning’ by storm and she is now a favourite of millions of viewers across the nation.

Her infectious personality made her one of the most loved contestants on

Aladdin guarantees another family filled, festive extravaganza at Sunderland Empire. Prepare to be transported into a fun fairytale, filled with adventure, mystique, stunning sets and costumes, comedy, song and dance and lots of audience participation - not to mention a flying carpet!

Reay ready to light up the Sage

Jeff Lynne’s ELO to tour in 2016!

Successful Whickham-born singer and musician, Anna Reay, is turning up the heat this Valentine’s Day with an exclusive oneoff performance at Sage Gateshead. Aptly named ‘One Enchanted Evening’, the candle-lit performance will be her last big show before heading to the studio to record her forthcoming EP featuring some of her own material.

After delivering their first, new album, ‘Alone in the Universe’, on November 13th, Jeff Lynne’s ELO will embark on a ten date UK tour in April 2016, including one sensational evening at the Metro Radio Arena on Thursday 14th April 2016.

Before these dates, they will be performing a live set for BBC Radio 2 In Concert on Thursday 12th November and are also confirmed to play the Royal Variety Performance.

The classically trained singer says the show is heavily influenced by her recent tour around Italy. She said: “The culture of Italy and the world-famous singers who originated from there have inspired me to incorporate some of that passion into the show.”

As with ELO’s previous chart-topping albums, Jeff Lynne continues to serve as ELO’s producer, songwriter, arranger, lead singer and guitarist. ‘Alone in the Universe’ has wowed the critics with Classic Rock saying the album is ‘well worth the wait’ in their 9/10 review.

Anna will be performing an eclectic mix of love songs from artists such as Sam Smith, Michael Buble and Etta James and will be joined on stage by special guest, Chris Dakers.

With a distinct style that seamlessly and innovatively blends rock, pop and classical, ELO has had twenty six UK Top 40 singles, making Lynne's sweeping productions some of the most recognisable music of the last forty years.

Since her early debut performances in the North East, the 34-year old singer has embarked on extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the USA.

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ARTS NEWS

New Year highlights at the Theatre Royal

What’s on this December?

Dick Whittington November 24 – January 17 Newcastle Theatre Royal T: (0844) 8112 121 www.theatreroyal.co.uk The Wonderful Wizard of Oz November 28 – January 2 Northern Stage T: (0191) 230 5151 www.northernstage.co.uk Jools Holland December 2-3 Newcastle City Hall T: (0191) 277 8030 www.newcastlecityhall.org

Fresh from winning the ‘Most Welcoming Theatre in the UK’ award last month, Newcastle Theatre Royal will be kicking off 2016 full of delights for all tastes and ages.

There are plenty of great shows for everyone with family-favourite musicals Hairspray (19 - 30 Jan) and Guys & Dolls (22 Mar - 2 Apr). Lovers of mystery and intrigue will revel in an awardwinning production of J.B. Priestley’s classic thriller, An Inspector Calls (9-13 Feb) and No.1 best-selling author Peter James’ critically acclaimed stage hit – The Perfect Murder (22-27 Feb).

For dance fans, Rambert (2-4 Feb), Stomp (15-20 Feb) and the return of Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty (5-16 April) will offer a feast for the senses, while drama enthusiasts can delight in Regent’s Park Theatre’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies (8-12 March) and Alan Bennett’s Olivieraward winning comedy Single Spies (15-19 March). The Opera North Spring season features three hit productions: Mozart’s romantic Cosi

Fan Tutte (2 & 4 Mar), Donizetti’s sunny L’Elisir D’amore (3 Mar) and Girodano’s tragic Andrea Chenier (5 Mar).

Another hit for drama lovers is The Father (18-23 April 2016). It tells the tragic tale of eighty year old Andre who has Alzheimer’s disease and whose life is starting to spiral out of control.

A rare treat for North East audiences, one of the world’s most celebrated dance companies Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT2) will visit in the Spring (26-27 April). The show offers a unique blend of breathtaking dance, aweinspiring skill and unparalleled creativity.

A brand new musical, TOM. A Story of Tom Jones, The Musical, is set to make its North East debut 3-7 May. I will be an inspirational show full of Tom’s greatest hits.

Finally, Scottish Ballet brings its World Premiere of Swan Lake from 11-14 May. Set to enchant a whole new generation with an imaginative retelling of the timeless tale, this new production is choreographed by the award-winning British dance maker David Dawson.

Record of The Month- Jeff Lynne’s ELO ‘Alone In The Universe’ Super-producer and former Travelling-Wilbury Jeff Lynne revives his most popular moniker ELO and makes a triumphant return to the world of music with his first album of new material in 14 years. Brimming with soaring power choruses and melodic sparkle, ‘Alone In The Universe’ follows the contours established by Lynne in the seventies and is yet another demonstration of his unique talent for classic songwriting.

Aladdin December 4 - 30 Newcastle Tyne Theatre T: (0844) 2491 000 www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk Simply Red December 4 Metro Radio Arena T: (0844) 493 6666 www.metroradioarena.co.uk Duran Duran December 5 Metro Radio Arena T: (0844) 493 6666 www.metroradioarena.co.uk Stereophonics December 6 Metro Radio Arena T: (0844) 493 6666 www.metroradioarena.co.uk Snow White & The 7 Dwarves December 10 – January 3 Whitley Bay Playhouse T: (0844) 248 1588 www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk Andre Rieu December 11 Metro Radio Arena T: (0844) 493 6666 www.metroradioarena.co.uk The Bootleg Beatles December 12 Newcastle City Hall T: (0191) 277 8030 www.newcastlecityhall.org Beauty & The Beast December 12- 20 The People’s Theatre T: (0191) 265 5020 www.peoplestheatre.co.uk The Fratellis December 14 O2 Academy Newcastle T: (0844) 477 2000 www.academymusicgroup.com/ o2academynewcastle

The lead single ‘Alone in The Universe’ – a thoughtful recollection of his formative years is a real standout particularly because of its distinct Beatles influence and traditional ELO falsettos. In typical fashion each track is layered magnificently with wistful guitars and sweeping strings and serves as a powerful reminder of just what an outfit ELO were in their glory days. Jeff Lynne rolls into town April 14th 2016 to play The MetroRadio Arena - a date for the diary indeed!

The Lindisfarne Christmas Show December 22 -23 Newcastle City Hall T: (0191) 277 8030 www.newcastlecityhall.org

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INTERVIEW

In the spotlight – After her breakthrough in X Factor in 2005 Brenda Edwards has gone on to carve out a successful career with appearances in Chicago, We Will Rock You, The Human Comedy and Carmen Jones.

Ahead of her appearance in Hairspray at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle in January, she spoke to Northern Insight about the show and her career to date.

How much are you looking forward to perfoming in Newcastle and is this your first time in the City?

I did appear at the Arena on the X Factor Live tour but this is my first time at the famous Theatre Royal which I know is an amazing, famous venue.

I cant begin to tell you how much the cast are looking forward to coming to such a vibrant city where people enjoy themselves and appreciate live performance.

Why do you think Hairspray is such an international smash hit?

The songs are real foot-tappers which are full of energy and are great singalong tunes. However they also have a deeper meaning which make people think and listen.

Within the show you play Motormouth Maybelle. Tell readers a little about the role.

She is a presenter of one of the shows and owner of her own record shop. Maybelle enjoys a good

time but is also a great role model and the voice of reason. I'm proud to play the role.

This years production features a great cast including Tony Maudsley from Benidorm, Clare Sweeney and Peter Duncan. Tell us about working with those guys.

All amazing performers who I am learning from every single day as they have such depth and experience. However we are also backed by a young ensemble cast who are bringing so much infectious enthusiasm to rehearsals.

On a wider note, we are in the middle of the annual X Factor fever. Tell us about your experience on the show.

I wouldn't be where I am now without it and owe everything to the show. It was wonderful having Sharon Osbourne as a mentor who allowed me great input. I would love to appear in it now as it has evolved over the past decade and I would love the themed weeks.

Who will win it this year?

Unsure I can answer that but I would have loved it to have been Anton as I appeared with him many years ago and his voice is immense.

What is your most memorable career moment so far ?

Appearing in We Will Rock You was amazing.

Performing with Brian May and Roger Taylor was surreal. Fantastic people and amazing musicians.

Returning to Hairspray what can theatre goers expect from the show?

Lots of energy and lots of fun. You will see 7-70 year olds walking out singing "You cant Stop the Beat."

Brenda Edwards debut solo album ‘Bring it Back’ is available now.

Hairspray is at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle from Tuesday 19th January to Saturday 30th January.

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www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Composed by

Produced by

Directed by

BILL WHELAN

MOYA DOHERTY

JOHN MCCOLGAN

‘A FAMILY EVENING UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE!’ The Times

SAT 23 - SUN 24 APRIL 2016 Sat & Sun 8pm | Sun Matinee 2.30pm

0844 493 6666

www.metroradioarena.co.uk

/Riverdance

riverdance.com

@Riverdance AN ABHANN PRODUCTIONS WITH SECOND SYMPHONY AND LIVE NATION PRESENTATION

livenation.co.uk

LEISURE INSIGHT

A “Taste of India” in Forest Hall by Jack Grahamslaw Madras’ and Vindaloos with the restaurant ticking all the boxes on the heat spectrum from the Mild to the Malevolent! There’s also a tempting selection of chefs specialities on offer which ensures that variety really is the spice of life at Taste of India.

Now a fully-fledged member of the Northern Insight team and with a bit of cash on the hip I’ve decided to quench my desire for Indian food by meeting up once a month with a band of fellow curry aficionados in an outfit dubbed “The Curry Club.” This involves a lot of travelling the land with a Cobra in hand in search of the perfect curry and has become something of a monthly institution. Our “research” this month led us to a somewhat

unexpected destination – the recently refurbished Taste of India in Forest Hall.

Now never has the phrase “Hidden Gem” been more appropriate.

The intimate red neon lighting and the trendy mock red brick wallpaper of the refurb provide the restaurant with a lovely warm and alluring ambience which acts as a perfect backdrop for serving up some wonderfully uncomplicated Indian food. The extensive menu is mainly shaped around more traditional fayre like Dupiazas,

After much deliberation, we settled on Onion Bhaji’s, Chicken Tikka and a Chicken Padina kebab which proved to be the real highlight. A generous helping of Chicken breast chunks were marinated in a fresh garden mint & coriander paste before being skewered and then cooked in the tandoor.

When served up with fried peppers, onions and tomatoes – an absolute slot hitter! There was much to enthuse about during our main courses too. We enjoyed Chicken Dupiaza, Lamb Shaslik and I feeling daring went for the chicken naaga.

It was apparent that all dishes were delicately spiced with care and precision and drew upon only the freshest local ingredients. This was all mopped up emphatically by some really terrific soft and spongy naan bread.

Upon reflection then if it’s unpretentious, high-quality Indian food at exceptional value for money you’re after– look no further. Where will this Motley Crue of curry-eaters wind up next?!

Taste of India, 9 Station Road North, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 7AR Tel : 0191 2663656/2709079 Please note bring your own alcohol

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Our extraordinary ‘Evenings with...’ and Special Events attract some very special guests indeed. Our hugely popular Music, Film & Cultural Tours aboard our classic double decker, guided by our 2 local heroes — music historian TV producer Chris Phipps of The Tube fame, and drummer with the legendary Lindisfarne, Ray Laidlaw — provide hours of great local fact-finding fun.

Join our Mailing List and be the first on your block to receive news and updates of Tyne Idols activities as soon as we announce them — just send us an email to info@tyneidols.com Phone bookings 0I9I 253 I6I8 Email bookings julie@tyneidols.com Email enquiries info@tyneidols.com Webstuff tyneidols.com

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LEISURE INSIGHT

Meet The GM

Paolo Franchi Hampton by Hilton Newcastle

In the latest in a series of features, Northern Insight’s Michael Grahamslaw meets Paolo Franchi of Newcastle’s Hampton by Hilton Hotel who has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top.

Whilst growing up, did you always envision yourself working within the Hotel Industry?

I started in the industry at the age of 15 years old as a food and beverage service person at the Copthorne Hotel Newcastle Quayside. If you had asked me back then if I could see myself working in the hotel industry now, then the short answer would have been no. My dream was to become a commercial airline pilot, however following the 9/11 attacks in America the airline industry suffered greatly and my plans changed.

Can you briefly outline for the readers your career path to date?

I worked as a waiter for about a year at the Copthorne Hotel Newcastle, until the opportunity came up to be part of the Front Office Team, as part time receptionist. When I had completed my A-Levels, I decided to work full time, it was at this point I decided that a career in hospitality was for me. Working my way up through ‘the ranks’, and under some of the best GM’s the industry had, I decided to leave Millennium Copthorne Hotels after almost ten years’ service.

After working in one of Newcastle’s then, best hotels, I thought the time was right to broaden my horizons working in a smaller, qualitative, privately owned hotel. What better place to do this than another of the North East’s most exclusive properties, Close House Hotel & Golf Resort, where I joined as Deputy General Manager in late 2010. Little did I know what an interesting two years this was to be; high profile celebrities, extravagant functions, two live music events, opening 12 brand new bedrooms and a state of the art Clubhouse – not for the faint hearted!

In September 2012 I was ready for something bigger to get my teeth into; not only my first official position in this role, but pre-opening/opening General Manager at the Quality Hotel Boldon opened in November 2012.

During my time here, the hotel was awarded its four star rating, only nine months after opening, a flagship property for Choice Hotels UK and also the only four star hotel in its area. QHB was also awarded ‘Hotel of the Year 2014’ in North East Press’ Excellence Awards 2014.

Finally, I started working with Interstate Hotels & Resorts Europe and Hilton Worldwide in November 2014, almost a year ago to the day. Here I embarked on another new opening, the second during my career; and what a way to return to Newcastle City Centre, where it all began.

The Hampton by Hilton Newcastle opened a month ahead of schedule on 3rd March 2015. Encompassing 160 bedrooms, this multi million pound property has played a major part in the regeneration of the heart of the city centre.

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We imagine that working in hotels can be exciting and varied. Is it really true that each day offers something different?

I have said it from the start and I stick by it, the thing I enjoy most about this job is that no two days are the same; you might say this is the case for many jobs, however never has this phrase been truer working in hotels. You can often find programs and documentaries giving an insight into hotel life on television these days; you may think ‘that has got to be a set up’, believe me it’s not. That’s what keeps me coming back day after day!

Tell us about the Hampton by Hilton Newcastle.

The Hampton by Hilton forms one of twelve brands that sit under the Hilton Worldwide umbrella. The eight-storey building boasts impressive views over the city from its 160 modern bedrooms. Facilities include a bar and lounge, a gym and a work area for business travellers, all open 24 hours a day. The brand is very new to the UK and was the first of its kind in the region, we join more than 20 Hampton by Hilton properties trading or under development hotels in the United Kingdom.

What else are you currently working on?

Luckily for me, working with both Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Worldwide, many opportunities arise can arise each week. Alongside the day to day running of the hotel, I am currently assisting with three other Hampton by Hilton properties opening in the UK during Q1 2016, also with a Doubletree by Hilton in the south due to open in late summer 2016.

With various new hotels emerging can you outline how you adapt to the changing trends in the hotel industry?

We are still pretty much one of the ‘new kids on the block’ in Newcastle. I think the demands of guests have changed somewhat since I started in the industry with the rise of ‘focussed service’ hotels. Guests demand high quality, impeccable service and a modern product at a reasonable price. I know one thing we pride ourselves on, as many other brands do, is the uniformity between properties, no matter where in the UK. Looking at the pipeline of new hotels, not only just in Newcastle, but the whole of the UK, its apparent that hotel owners and developers are meeting the needs and demands of the market and are creating hotels to suit.

When you are not working, what is your favourite pass time?

The hotel industry never sleeps. It’s a 24/7 operation, and you have to be ready to deal with whatever is thrown your way at any given point (especially in Newcastle). However during any ‘free time’, I think it’s fair to say that travel is one of my favourite things to do. Working for one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands, it enables me to explore places I used to dream about visiting. I have recently returned from a trip to Las Vegas, where I stayed in the SLS Curio by Hilton – pure indulgence and luxury housed within a city of sin! I have seen some fantastic places this year, and hopefully will continue into 2016!

LEISURE NEWS

North East hotel first to receive new award best of both worlds – convenience and tranquillity.” It goes on to praise the variety of restaurant options and adds that, “bedrooms are furnished and decorated to a very high standard and include some stunning suites. A new addition to the property in 2015 is their spa and leisure facility; one of the finest in the country.”

John Adamson, owner of Ramside Hall Hotel, said he was “delighted” that the hotel had achieved the new award.

“We have invested heavily in the hotel and our new wing of rooms, second championship golf course and, now, our multi-million spa have all gone towards helping us achieve this Silver Star,” he said.

“To be one of the first to get the Silver Star and to get an 84 per cent rating from the AA, which is one of the highest in the region, is testament to all the hard work and investment which have taken place at Ramside Hall.”

A North East hotel is celebrating, after becoming the first in the region to receive a new award given out by a leading recognition scheme.

This year the AA has introduced its Silver Star award for hotels which achieve particularly high standards. Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham, is the only four star hotel in the area to have been awarded the new accolade.

AA inspectors gave Ramside Hall, which has benefited from a £16m investment in the last two years, the Silver Star for its “high standards of hotel keeping, superior level of quality, hospitality, service and cleanliness.”

To qualify, hotels also need to have a current Rosette award for “culinary excellence.”

The new entry in the AA guide for Ramside praises it for combining “the

The North East Wedding Show is back!

Catwalk Show is the place for you. Beautiful, elegant designer dresses will grace the runway three times a day along with suave menswear, sophisticated mother of the bride attire and pretty bridesmaid dresses.

Gather essential top tips from a whole host of wedding experts including The Wardrobe Provocateur, Nichola English.

Newcastle’s number one wedding band are back by popular demand, as Pop Idol finalist Aaron Bayley and his band get ready to entertain the crowds with a fantastic line up of classic hits.

After a full day of wedding planning, you and your wedding party can unwind with a glass of bubbly and your free goody bag and toast to your future happiness in style.

Immerse yourself in all things wedding as The North East Wedding Show returns to Newcastle from the 16th – 17th January 2016 at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena.

With over 100 of the region’s finest suppliers showcasing everything from designer dresses to decadent cakes, you will be able to try, buy, book and plan everything you could possibly need for your special day.

This season’s impressive exhibitor line-up includes John Lewis, Moss Bros, Seaham Hall, Accent Original Bridal House, The Designer Cake Company , Slaters Menswear and many more, making the event unmissable for any engaged couple and their wedding party.

If you are looking for inspiration on the latest bridal trends then The

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LEISURE NEWS

Prestige perks at St James’ Park Corporate clients are to be rewarded with a choice of tempting treats. From January through to 31 March 2016, event organisers booking Newcastle United’s St James’ Park stadium will be invited to add one of four, complimentary perks to their daily delegate package.

The standard package on offer from Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, which manages conferencing and banqueting at the stadium, includes room hire, mid-morning and afternoon refreshments and a finger buffet, along with free parking, LCD projector and stationary.

Now organisers can add a Prestige Perk at no extra charge. They can choose to add a selection of soft drinks to their lunch order, provide guests with unlimited tea and coffee throughout the day, offer them warm bacon rolls on arrival or treat them to a little surprise with their afternoon tea.

St James’ Park is the ideal choice for everything from fashion shows and functions to conferences and car launches.

Catering company offers a taste of Samoa, South Africa and Scotland

Sohe expands its horizons with mix of international talent

A leading North East catering company has delivered a unique taste of Samoa, South Africa and Scotland after scoring a new client.

1879 Events Management, a subsidiary of Sunderland AFC, cooked up a unique selection of dishes from all three countries after landing a new deal with award-winning jeweller, ROX Diamonds and Thrills.

The contract included creating, cooking and serving the special themed menus at two special afternoon receptions. The first included South African dishes of Braaied Boerewors and the second included Palusami Lu’au.

Guests at both events, held in the Thrill Room champagne bar and lounge at ROX Jewellery’s boutique store in Newcastle’s Monument Mall, were also able to enjoy traditional Scottish dishes.

The contract with ROX Jewellery is among several success stories from the event, which the company hopes to replicate in the future.

Three hospitality professionals have travelled across the globe to the North East to begin an exciting new career at Jesmond-based bar and restaurant, Sohe.

The string of appointments brings the total of Sohe’s team to 25, with a diverse set of employees of different nationalities complementing the venue’s international cuisine and culture.

Sohe offers diners a selection of tantalising dishes and cocktails, with influences from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea and beyond, adding a unique flair of Asian fusion to Osborne Road.

Taking on the position of bar manager is Ami St. Claire. The 30-year-old Australian has called the North East home after falling in love with the region. 24-year-old Steven Talbot from Washington has joined the venue as Restaurant Manager, after progressing through the ranks within the company. Completing Sohe’s recent round of appointments is 30-year-old Eleonora Pavoni, as restaurant floor supervisor.

Business done better over lunch in region The North East is making business more sociable as workers are encouraged to step out from behind their desk and do business in the city.

A recent survey conducted by The Assembly Rooms has explored the business habits of workers based in Tyne and Wear, asking everything from how frequently they carry out business in Newcastle city centre to the importance of their work setting.

The survey follows a campaign launched by the venue earlier this year, which highlighted the

importance of taking a break during the working day.

From those surveyed, 40% said they venture into the city centre more than once a week to do business and 35% of respondents agreed that lunchtime is the most preferred time for a business meeting.

When asked about location, 90% agreed it is a very important factor, as well as the size of the venue, service and refreshments offered and technology available.

26 Goldspink Lane | Sandyford | NE2 1NR, UK | t: 0191 232 5888

LEISURE INSIGHT

Christmas sweeties Whilst there is a steady demand for dessert wines, pudding wines, stickies (call them what you will) throughout the year, there is a very significant peak at Christmas. The traditional family Christmas lunch and perhaps cake or mince pies later in the day provide ideal opportunities to try some of the many sweet wines that are available.

Sweet wines are made in a variety of ways with perhaps the most famous example being the sweet whites of Bordeaux that owe their existence to one of Natures’ bizarre gifts. The climate of the area promotes the development of a particular form of mould – Botrytis cinerea, more commonly known as “noble rot”. This effects the grapes, especially the Semillon, and has the effect of splitting the skins of the grape which allows evaporation of a portion of the water content thereby increasing the sugar concentration of the juice. The resulting wines are rich, sweet and wonderfully textured. Whilst noble rot is not unique to Bordeaux, it is here that the very finest of these styles of wine are found, in the communes of Sauternes and Barsac.

The other approach is to start with ripe grapes that are allowed to ferment for only a very short time converting only a small amount of the sugar

in the juice to alcohol. When the fermentation gets to about 2% of alcohol, a neutral wine spirit is added to increase the alcohol level to about 17%. This adds alcoholic strength whilst leaving it sweet from the presence of the unfermented sugar left in the wine. These wines are often known as vin doux naturel (naturally sweet wines).

With Christmas pudding, Christmas cake or mince pies try a light tawny Port, Tokaji Aszú from Hungary, Banyuls – delicious sweet red vin doux naturel from the Roussillon region of southern France – or perhaps one of the many lovely pudding wines from the New World – South Africa, Australia and New Zealand all make wonderful dessert wines.

Although usually considered to be partners to sweet dishes, good pudding wines can be perfect with rich, savoury dishes. A creamy duck or goose pâté is the ideal dish to match with a Sauternes from Bordeaux or one of the outstanding Vendanges Tardives (late harvested) wines of Alsace – intensely rich rather than very sweet these wines are a real treat. Sauternes is also great with Roquefort cheese – the saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the wine makes a magical combination.

The ultimate Christmas pudding wine though must be Pedro Ximénez Sherry (pronounced Pedro Him-enez and usually shortened to PX).

If you have never had PX then imagine putting a packet of raisins into a liquidiser and pressing the button! Very dark and viscous in the glass, the nose is intensely rich and full of raisin aromas and the palate echoes this. Long after you have finished the wine the flavours remain. If you fancy a lighter pudding then simply pour a little glass of PX over really good vanilla ice cream – sublime!

Further information about the aforementioned wines can be found at www.richardgrangerwines.co.uk or instore at Richard Granger Fine Wine Merchants,West Jesmond Station, Lyndhurst Avenue, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 3HH

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Crowning Glory Spirits were soaring at the official opening for Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter. Showcasing their hotel, property developers Clouston Group joined guests for a night of celebrations on bonfire night.

The evening went off with a bang as guests were treated to a delicious selection of food and drink from local providers and entertainment from award-winning and world-travelled fire spectacular, FlameOz. The night finished with a grand-finale fireworks display, and guests also received an exclusive gift bag brimming with gifts from the hotel’s luxury spa The Mineral House, The Gin Bar, and the hotel’s brasserie Hawthorns.

LEISURE INSIGHT

Newcastle welcomes a hotel from a stable with impeccable credentials

by Michael Grahamslaw

The global Intercontinental Hotel Group has just opened one of its brand Crowne Plaza Hotels in central Newcastle.

Situated in the up-and-coming Stephenson Quarter, it has certainly caused quite a stir within the City's business and leisure sector.

It is probably the biggest new opening in the City in years so I thought I’d hurry down to see what all the fuss is about and review it for Northern Insight readers.

This 4-star quality, fully air-conditioned, 251 bedroom new luxury hotel is located near all of the main places of attraction in central Newcastle.

The area is currently undergoing sympathetic renovation by the acclaimed Clouston Group and the hotel’s opening marks the end of the first phase of the £200m development scheme.

From my initial impressions, this is money very well spent.

On arrival, the hotel has an obvious “wow” factor which makes a dramatic impact. It is obvious that an awful lot of money has been spent on it both on the outside and the inside which is equally as impressive.

From its multi-lingual meet and greet staff, everything is well thought through with cutting edge public areas of glass, stainless steel and dark wood giving an opulent welcoming feel and this theme extends to its 251 classy bedrooms. Its in-house facilities also set the hotel standards bar very high indeed. From Hawthorns a la carte restaurant, in house bar, the GIN Bar and fitness and spa centre, the Mineral House, that would grace any top London hotel, it is sheer class that you would expect from any IHG product. I understand from a business colleague that Newcastle’s newest hotel even rivals its 3 sister hotels in Dubai. Complete with business centre and hi speed wireless access and the latest audio visual equipment in bright and airy surroundings, it certainly has all bases covered very professionally indeed.

After a super smooth check in, we explored our room and beautifully modern bathroom as well as the location of the restaurant but with so

much to see and experience, it would be some time before we would be returning to them. Our first port of call was at the hotel’s Mineral House spa just for a look at facilities etc. We were so impressed with what was on offer that we were persuaded to stay a while for some rest and recuperation. We might have arrived stressed and tense but we departed refreshed and glowing with well-being.

Lisa enjoyed a soothing facial whilst I had a back, neck and shoulder massage which got some of the kinks out. Both were 30 minute treatments but there are far more extensive packages available. Following our treatments we “warmed down” in a super pool and sauna area. Having met up with GM Andrew Fox, the hotel’s genial general manager i know one of the hotel’s goals is to make the spa a real destination venue in the City. It certainly worked for us and is well worth a visit. It had been a busy afternoon but also a very pleasurable one. We rested a while in our plush bedroom surroundings before changing for dinner in the Hawthorn restaurant. Here, the food, service and ambiance lived up to expectations.

We then repaired to its in-house Gin Bar for a nightcap. As it was the week before the launch of “Spectre”, the new James Bond movie, we ordered two Vodka Martinis as a homage to 007.

We now know why it’s his favourite drink. This superb venue has enormous potential as a classy watering hole for residents and non-residents alike. I shall be back in the words of Arnie, playing a different screen icon!).

After a great night’s sleep, we inexplicably slept in, a rare occurrence in the Grahamslaw family, but I manfully battled through the fog on the Tyne (which apparently was mine, all mine) and made it down to the gym pre-breakfast whilst Lisa didn't!

The hotel’s pun promotes itself as the jewel in Newcastle’s Hotel Crowne. That remains to be seen as it has only just opened but on this evidence, it is a fantastic addition to our City and deserves our support.

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Check out what this prestigious addition to Newcastle business and leisure industry makes on www.crowneplaza.com/Newcastle or contact Crowne Plaza Newcastle, Hawthorn Square, Forth Street, (SatNav: NE1 3SA). T: 0191 562 3333.

LEISURE INSIGHT

A Tribute - to the Holiday Inn

by Michael Grahamslaw

I will always support business people that support the magazine and so I therefore booked a table at The Holiday Inn at Seaton Burn for a Michael Bublé/Olly Murrs tribute event. Having put together a mix of business colleagues and their wives for my table, I wasn’t sure whether it would be to everyone’s musical tastes but it turned out to be a huge success!

It was arranged that we would all meet in the hotel’s separate special events bar at 7pm before making our way into the function suite itself. Unfortunately, yours truly was delayed by my wife going through her entire wardrobe before settling on the first outfit she tried on anyway!

Apparently it’s a woman thing that a mere male like me could never understand but as the result was stunning, who am I to disagree?

This was obviously a very popular event as nearly 200 people were finally seated in tables of twelve. A meal of a large chicken breast with all the trimmings followed by cheesecake with summer fruits soon arrived and was much enjoyed. Just the job. All my guests were surprised by the quality of the food and the great service which is notoriously difficult to achieve in a mass catering event. Well done to everyone involved.

The event started with an introduction to Jamie Tinkler, a hobbling lad from the North East, who did both Michael and Olly proud to much acclamation. We later found out that Jamie had broken his ankle two days previously but insisted

on carrying on in the true North East spirit. Good on him. He kept urging people to get up and dance but they seemed more comfortable boogying in their seats. Finally, an older couple got up and did their thing on the dance floor. I think the guy had mistaken the event for a Showaddywaddy tribute night as he was wearing a pink jacket. Chacun à son gout as they say! Anyway, it seemed to have achieved the desired effect on everyone as the dance floor was packed after that. It is strange how it only takes one person to break the ice for this to happen.

A great night was had by all and a repeat is definitely on the cards. Next morning, all my guests who stayed overnight commented on the comfortable, modern and well equipped rooms which, for some reason, came as a surprise to them. I can understand it from the out-oftowners but it’s perverse how the things closest to home are usually the most overlooked. The Holiday Inn deserves our support.

After a good hour of live entertainment, a rather loud disco took over and it was going great guns until some brave person requested a Rick Astley medley. What? Nevertheless, it failed to clear the dance floor and the requester was a real happy bunny - and that’s really what it’s all about.

We all retired to our rooms sweaty, happy and somewhat worse for wear although the “hissing” sound from our ears continued for a while. You know what they say about the music? If it’s too loud, you’re too old - so perhaps middle age is showing its ugly face.

Check it out for yourself on www.ihg.com. T: 0191 201 9988 (SatNav: NE13 6BP)

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St. James’ Park Join us in the heart of the city

Experience our award winning hospitality for the final ten games of the season Magpie Club

£986

The Park Grill

£1,263

+VAT PP

Centenary Suite

£1,534

+VAT PP

Moncur Suite

£1,625

+VAT PP

Heroes Club

£2,200

+VAT PP

+VAT PP

For further information or to book: Call 0191 201 8444 or email hospitality@nufc.co.uk www.nufc.co.uk/hospitality

LEISURE INSIGHT

Ramside Hall...Leader of the pack Its been one of the North East’s most enduring hotels and now Ramside Hall is proving just why it’s the leader of the pack...

There’s a whole generation of people across the North East who have fond memories of Ramside Hall Hotel.

Luxury fittings, stylish bathrooms and the most comfortable beds that could be imagined all make the new rooms much in demand.

It’s the place where they celebrated birthdays, weddings, where families and friends came to dine and – on certain nights during the week – to dance to a live trio.

The hotel’s lavish Celebration Suite – complete with a free standing, circular copper bath – has also become an additional attraction and has become a firm favourite amongst visiting celebrities.

The largest privately owned hotel in the region, Ramside Hall has continued to thrive despite the influx of other properties and international hotel brands setting down roots.

And with a £16m investment in the last two years, the hotel is more than able of holding its own – and is now enjoying showcasing what it has to offer to a new clientele.

Recently the hotel became the first recipient in County Durham of the AA’s new Silver Star award, given out for excellence and the highest standards of hospitality.

But there’s no doubt that the jewel in the crown is the Spa at Ramside, a purpose-build spa which is on course to become one of the best in the country.

Tim Boyd, the hotel’s General Manager, said “The hotel really is a destination venue.”

“The golf courses and the spa make it the perfect leisure destination and the fact we have so many conference and meetings spaces coupled with the additional bedrooms makes us very attractive.”

It was further recognition – if that was necessary – of how this much loved hotel has become such a regional landmark.

The new spa – with its 5 pools, 14 treatment rooms, sleep retreat, and thermal suite to name but a few of its many attractions is also driving visitors to the hotel.

The investment has seen the creation of the second championship golf course along with a new suite of state-of-the-art rooms.

Gym memberships to date have surpassed expectations and that number is expected to rise post Christmas, when the new year “get fit”

resolutions kick in.

“The fact that people can join up and use the gym and our programme of more than 40 classes a week coupled with the use of the spa has been very popular,” said Tim. The Ramside Halls reputation as a food destination is also continuing to flourish, particularly with the introduction of the Asian Fusion restaurant in the spa.

The spa is even offering its own Asian afternoon tea full of treats with an Oriental flavour.

The hotel’s Rib Room remains a firm favourite with its prime beef where guests can learn about its provenance if they so wish – or simply enjoy sublime food.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Ramside continues to grow and flourish, as does its reputation.

“There are a lot of people who have a great affection for the hotel because its been around since the 1960s,” said Tim. “But now we’re also welcoming a whole new generation who are discovering what we have to offer for the first time.”

For further information visit www.ramsidehallhotel.co.uk or www.ramsidespa.co.uk

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Enjoy the home-like comforts of our suites!

Staybridge Suites Newcastle is your home-from-home; enjoy a warm and friendly welcome with comforts to help you feel right at home. Ideally located within 5 minutes walk from Newcastle’s vibrant Quayside area and city centre with access to a choice of bars, restaurants and shopping districts. You can also cross the Millennium Bridge to reach the BALTIC Centre and Sage Gateshead.

About Staybridge Suites

Staybridge Suites is an extended-stay venue for guests staying away for one night, days, weeks or even months.

Whether relocating to the area, on a long term project or a business trip, Staybridge Suites’ unique mix of domestic environment and hotel services lets guests live life their way.

Key features include • • • • • • • • •

Contemporary and air-conditioned studio, or one bedroom suites with space to live and work Fully equipped kitchen in every suite Complimentary High-Speed WiFi throughout A ‘Hub Kitchen’ where complimentary breakfast is served every day The ‘Evening Reception’ – currently served four nights a week with free drinks and snacks for all guests The guest ‘Laundry Room’ is perfect for washing socks and smalls The ‘Pantry’ 24/7 shop, where guests can buy essentials from food and drink to any forgotten toiletries Our guest services team is there to welcome you home 24/7 Newcastle Central rail station is nearby and Newcastle International Airport is a 15 minute drive

Discover a fresh approach to your extended stay ...

Staybridge Suites Newcastle • Buxton Street • Newcastle upon Tyne • NE1 6NL T: +44 (0)191 238 7000 • E: enquiries@newcastle.staybridge.com W: www.staybridge.com

LEISURE INSIGHT

Northumberland cottages

The Jesmond-based holiday lettings agency is the ‘go to’ agency for property owners, keen to generate an income from their assets and now looks after over 150 cottages, houses and apartments across the North East.

As well as advising owners on the suitability of their property for rental, the friendly team is also happy to share its experience with those looking to buy a property specifically to let to holidaymakers or other short term visitors to the region.

They will also advise on the best way to present the property in order to maximise its appeal, arrange legally-required safety checks, such as gas and electricity certifications and help compile inventories of the contents.

And, once the property is ready to welcome guests, Cottages in Northumberland will, quite simply, be as involved as the owners wish them to be.

Angela Mazingham

Demand for holiday properties, from stylish beachside apartments to traditional country cottages, has never been higher. However, renting out your property can be an intimidating and time consuming prospect but this is where Cottages in Northumberland can help.

Among the services they offer are the arrangement of cleaning, laundry, window cleaning and gardening and general maintenance.

They can also provide caretaker and key holder services and provide a full welcome pack for each property, providing information for guests on everything from how to work appliances, to places to go and things to see and do within the

area.

If you are looking to buy a property to rent or already rent one out and need help managing it, Cottages in Northumberland pride themselves on professionalism, flexibility, approachability and consistency and you can feel secure in the knowledge that your property is in safe hands.

For further information about Cottages in Northumberland call 0191 231 3020 or e-mail enquiries@cottagesinnorthumberland.co.uk

Live and Let Thai by Jack Grahamslaw Situated a mere 5 minute taxi ride away from Newcastle City Centre and the somewhat rejuvenated Quayside, Mantra excels at bringing Thai cuisine to the North East and offers a truly memorable dining experience. The Waterside Palace site is revered amongst foodies for being one of the places to enjoy quality oriental fayre and Mantra certainly lives up to these lofty expectations as discovered by yours truly on a recent visit.

The dining area spans two elegantly furnished floors meaning there’s ample room for parties and other functions. This interior is absolutely immaculate as traditional Thai wall designs are fused with subtle neon lighting to create an atmosphere of warmth, style and sophistication.

Their menu proves to be no less enchanting with an array of mouthwatering dishes on offer.

course” in Thai cuisine. To kick off proceedings we sampled a sumptuous selection of appetisers which included chicken satay, vegetable spring rolls, spare ribs and prawn toast which all arrived tastefully presented on a vast sharing platter. A similar sense of quality was evident in our main courses as we waded into green chicken curry, beef in a black pepper sauce and a particularly good roast breast of duck topped with a rich tamarind and palm sugar sauce. These set menus really allow you to experiment with the various different flavours associated with Thai cuisine and are all instilled with a strong sense of quality and authenticity.

Mantra have recently celebrated their first birthday and are faring well on their mission to bring a touch of Thailand to Tyneside, their slogan reads ‘Food is an art, cook from the heart’ – you’re now preaching to the converted!

I must confess that we are (or rather were) self-proclaimed novices when it comes to Thai Cooking so it was an evening that happened to be eye-opening aswell as belly-filling! Thankfully, we were steered in the direction of the set menu by a very courteous member of staff- it’s clear that this enthusiasm to bring Thai dining to Newcastle permeates right through the ranks.

Our 2 course set menu (tailor-made for 2 to 3 persons) provided us with a fantastic “crash

Mantra, Forth Banks, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3SG. Tel : 0191 2326080 www. mantra-thai.co.uk

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LEISURE INSIGHT

Under new ownership and recently refurbished All day breakfast menu Paleo and low gluten options available Direct trade artisan coffee, loose leaf teas and homemade cakes Daily meal menu Willis 23-25 Clayton Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1JP Tel : 0191 2818123

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Horton Grange Country House Hotel & Restaurant is the perfect venue for your festive celebrations.

Open Every Day For Lunch £17.50 per person for 2 Courses

Open Every Evening For Dinner £29.95 per person for 3 Courses (Excluding Party Nights)

Open Every Day For Festive Afternoon Tea From £18.95 per person

Christmas Party Nights £34.95 per person, 3 courses plus disco.

Friday 4th, Saturday 12th, Friday 18th, Saturday 19th December

Boxing Day

£34.95 per person for 3 Courses, £19.50 for Children under the age of 10 Horton Grange Hotel, Berwick Hill Road, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 6BU T: (01661) 860686 E: info@hortongrange.co.uk W: www.hortongrange.co.uk Facebook: Horton Grange Country House Hotel Twitter: @HortonGrange

LEISURE INSIGHT

YOLO, you know!

You Only Live Once (YOLO) is the latest 'must visit' cocktail bar and eatery on the North East social scene. Located in the heart of Ponteland at Bell Villas, this is one destination that's worth the trip out. Open right up to the rafters, YOLO is gorgeous. Comfy Chesterfield style seating, exposed original brickwork, vaulted cream rafters & an outdoor terrace area too. The team behind YOLO really have thought of every detail.

They offer something for everyone from coffee & cake, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner Sunday to Thursday 10am til 9pm and 10am til 6pm Friday & Saturday with drinks, cocktails and bubbly til late everyday. It's the perfect venue to let your hair down after a busy week or to pitch up with friends (there's even room for the buggy).

Owner Neill Winch said "YOLO's team of chef's certainly know what they're doing with seafood platters, gourmet burgers, traditional fish & chips, homemade pies, steaks, delicious desserts, cakes and snacks with the produce all locally sourced. We've created a venue that feels relaxing, somewhere you can enjoy casual dining and drop in without booking and on a Friday and Saturday night we turn the music up and party.�

We love that you can order 2 cocktails for the price of 1 at YOLO all day and night every Friday.

YOLO, 9 Bell Villas, Ponteland NE20 9BD . T: 01661 824146 e: enquiries@yolo.uk.com www.yolo.uk.com Twitter: @YOLO_Ponteland Facebook: YOLO Ponteland

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HEALTH INSIGHT

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat...

Ah, Christmas! The time for overindulgence, partying and plenty of alcoholic cheer! Be honest: how many New Year’s resolutions have you made to join a gym after a spectacularly stuffed Christmas? So how do you survive the festive season without sitting in a corner like Scrooge with a brussel sprout as your only friend?

Here’s how to stay on Santa’s healthy list this Christmas: Don’t start early – by which I mean keep up with your current training regime in the run up to Christmas. Don’t ditch it now in anticipation of all the partying you’ll be doing.

Everything in moderation – you don’t have to stay at home with the lights out over Christmas to avoid falling off the fitness wagon. It’s ok to have a life and enjoy yourself, but every night for a month might be considered too much! Pick the events you most want to go to and decide on your strategy to combat your weaknesses, for example being the designated driver so you can’t drink, or eating a healthy meal before you go out

to stop you picking from the buffet.

Out of sight, out of mind –there’s the old saying, if it’s not there, you won’t eat it! Avoid buying the vast sized tins of chocolate and marzipan laden cakes if they’re your weakness, and stay away from the kids’ selection boxes!

It’s your choice! Despite being the season of

overindulgence, there are still plenty of healthy options to enjoy: turkey is an excellent source of lean protein and teamed with a selection of steamed veg, it’s a winner dinner!

Most importantly, enjoy Christmas and relax, but don’t overdo it. And we’ll be here, waiting to get you back on track in the New Year!

James Milburn, is Owner and Head Trainer of James Milburn Training in Ponteland. He is an award-winning nutritionist, sports coach, lecturer and former UK athlete. James Milburn Training, 54 Merton Way, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE20 9SR. Email: info@jamesmilburn.co.uk Web: www. jamesmilburn.co.uk Tel: 01661 598 271

BUSINESS INSIGHT

UBS teams up with RGS In an exciting new agreement, UBS, the world’s leading Wealth Manager, has joined forces with Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School (RGS) to sponsor its first XV rugby and first XI hockey teams as well as providing economic, business and career guidance within - one of the region’s leading independent schools.

Led by its Newcastle office, headed by Aidan Dunstan, UBS was keen to be more than a name on a shirt. Aidan said- “It was imperative that our friends at RGS embraced our wish for this to be a partnership between two extremely high quality organisations. We want all of the stakeholders in RGS - from the pupils, to the staff and the parents - to see UBS as a partner - not only as an organisation willing to help and work with them, but also as a supporter of the School in both its sporting and academic activities.”

Dr Bernard Trafford, Headmaster at RGS, is also equally excited by the opportunities this association could bring to the School, saying – “We have never been down the sponsorship route before to any large extent and to some degree we were rather nervous about the commerciality

of such a decision. However, UBS eased those fears immediately, explaining how they want to work closely with the school and that the sporting association was seen as equal to their involvement with other aspects of our academic offering. UBS will offer the school, and most importantly its pupils, the prospect of additional

experiences, learning and understanding, that come from a global financial services firm.

Aidan Dunstan added - “it is a hugely exciting project for us to be involved in and we look forward to a long and successful association with everyone at RGS”.

Aidan Dunstan, Executive Director, UBS Wealth Management. t: 0191-211-1006. e: Aidan.dunstan@ubs.com www.ubs.com/northeast-uk

squid

Fabulous mature parkland course with stunning views across the Tyne Valley Available until 30 March 2016 Visitors welcome to try the course with our Winter Warmers

design and branding through to print

Taster sessions for new starters Opportunities for Corporate membership & Tee sponsorship www.6squid.com lu@6squid.com

Sunday TimeS BeST School in The norTh 2015

A special place, respected nationally with results outstanding by any measure.

Royal Grammar School www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk 0191 212 8968 Newcastle Royal Grammar School, Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4DX

Newcastle Royal Grammar School, Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4DX

TRAVEL INSIGHT

Out & About – Darlington Stationmaster Alex Nelson has been suggesting places to go by train each month for ten years. For December, he takes a look around Darlington.

Over the past decades, Co. Durham has been getting smaller. A hefty bite north and south removed Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Stockton and Hartlepool in 1974, and a further bite removed Darlington when it became a unitary authority in 1997. At over 100,000 population, Darlington is a large town famous for many reasons, not least because the first locomotive hauled railway service ran from Stockton to Darlington founded by Edward Peace and his business associates. The first meeting of interested parties took place in 1820 in the George and Dragon at Yarm.

frequent disputes between drivers about right of way and by the dangers of the higher speeds of steam locomotives. The town does have its own railway museum, but it is several years since I have visited as opening hours are much reduced. This is not at the main Darlington station, sometimes known as Bank Top, but at the original station at North Road, a 20 minute walk north of the town, or the first stop on the branch to Bishop Auckland which runs infrequently, but stops alongside the museum, and the shed where the iconic new steam locomotive 60163 Tornado was built in 2008.

Peace, described at the time as “a man of weight, of prudence, of keen commercial instincts” was charged with showing that steam, rather than horse power, would be a sound investment, and his young son Joseph drew up the company prospectus. The scheme was approved by Parliament in 1821. Stephenson was put in charge of the project and the line opened on 27 September 1825.

North Road Station Museum is known as the “Head of Steam” and is open Wednesday to Sunday 1100-1530, and has an admission charge of 4.95, with reductions for concessions and children. The big problem it faces is that, despite being a very interesting museum and incorporating the fascinating Ken Hoole Study Centre, it is dwarfed by the National Railway Museum off-shoot at Shildon just up the line which is much larger and benefits from free admission. So people tend to gravitate there. But on a day trip to Darlington, it’s well worth a visit to the original.

The company initially provided only the track, which was hired out to whoever wished to run a train, hauled either by horses or by steam.

(This was the original model for Railtrack in the 1990s too.) The transition to standard railway management was a gradual one, spurred on by

The town centre contains many interesting alleyways, especially between the High Street and

the street of Skinnergate which runs parallel to the west, away from the Railway station. There are many independent shops on these vennels and specialist cafes too. My wife and I enjoy many of the shows at the Darlington Civic Theatre, which is a more intimate performance space than the Sunderland Empire or the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. The theatre is also close to the railway station for a ride home afterwards, but needs careful planning to tie up the train times with the end of the theatre show if you are to avoid a long wait.

Darlington is an excellent place to change trains, having a flat floor plan with no bridges or subways between the platforms. Watch the indicators, though, since whilst southbound trains go from platform 1, northbound from platform 4 and the locals to Middlesbrough/Saltburn from platforms 2/3, these can be swapped around such as when I foolishly directed a lady going to Whitby (via Middlesbrough) to wait with me on platform 1 whilst the train gently slid out of platform 4 - it was her last connection! I wrote an apology in the Whitby Gazette and it won “letter of the week” including a writing pen set, but the memory still fills me with dread. On the railway, I am supposed to know what I am doing…

Alex Nelson, Chester-le-Track trades at Chester-le-Street station (0191 387 1387) and Eaglescliffe (01642 200140).

To contact Alex, reply to this email or phone/text 07860 953981 any reasonable time. Website is www.nationalrail.com.

For National Rail Enquiries call 24hr 08457 484950

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TRAVEL INSIGHT

In Search of my Roots Michael Grahamslaw travels north to check out his ancestry.

I have always wondered what the derivation of my unusual family name is and, after some initial research, took the Grahamslaw Clan north of the border to find out.

It has always been an ambition to stay at The Balmoral Hotel because of all its history, both ancient and modern, and as it turned out this was an ideal opportunity to satisfy both desires. The AA 5-star Balmoral Hotel is a luxury landmark property on Princes Street in Edinburgh. It was designed by architect William Hamilton Beattie and for most of the twentieth century was simply known locally as the North British Station Hotel or N.B for short. It kept the same name until 1988 when the hotel closed for a major refurbishment.

The building’s architecture is Victorian, with more than just a passing nod to a Scottish baronial influence.

Following a £23 million refurbishment in June 1991, the hotel reopened as The Balmoral, which is Gaelic for “majestic dwelling”, by Mr 007 himself, Sean Connery. A plaque can be found in the hotel’s lobby. This magnificent building is now part of the Rocco Forte Hotel Group and has the patronage of many celebs including J.K. Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in room 552 in 2007 (now renamed The J.K.Rowling Suite in her honour) and Oprah Winfrey in 2010. Sir Sean is also a regular visitor when in the UK. Apparently, J.K. Rowling left a signed statement written on a marble bust in the room in which she stayed announcing that, "JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007”. The bust has since been placed in a glass display case to protect it whilst the suite, priced

at nearly £1,000 per night, is a pilgrimage site for Harry Potter fans.

On arrival in Edinburgh, we checked in and had a stroke of luck when we found out that Sandy, our receptionist, was a graduate in Scottish history. We told him of our quest regarding the origins of our name and he said he would look into it.

Our luggage was taken up to our rooms but as kick-off in the Tyne/Wear derby was nearly upon us, Jack and I headed downstairs to the TV lounge to watch the match. Meanwhile Lisa and Holly headed out for some retail therapy. How two Geordie women can choose shopping over the Tyne/Wear derby is beyond me.

Ninety wretched minutes later, two dejected and desperately disappointed Toon fans re-joined the ladies to explore our luxurious interconnecting bedrooms and separate bathrooms. Everything was of a true 5-star nature as you would expect from the RFH brand and the stunning views of Arthur's Seat and The Royal Mile from our bedroom windows just completed our perfect setting.

Still smarting but smiling through gritted teeth, we headed down to the Spa to try and expunge the woeful 90 minutes we had endured earlier. Its superb facilities included a 15m indoor pool, sauna, steam room - and juice bar (surely this is a misprint?). After changing for dinner, we elected to have a couple of liveners in The

The Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EQ,

‘Proper’ Balmoral Bar. With Bond very much in the air (or was it just the Newcastle result?) we opted for a couple of 'Vesper' Martinis which contained a devastating blend of vodka, gin and vermouth which were all shaken over ice and then completed by a thin slice of lemon peel. No wonder 007 always slurred the letter “s” into a “sh”. Whatever, it sh-ertainly worked for me!

We dined royally at Hadrians Brasserie with its stylish art deco interior and an eclectic modern Scottish menu which offered traditional cuisine with a Scottish twist. I can fully understand why this lively restaurant is so popular with guests and discerning locals alike.

After a sumptuous and memorable meal, we repaired to the hotel’s signature whisky bar in an attempt to salve our derby day woes. Having developed a bit of a taste for single malts of late, I was spoilt for choice with over 500 varieties to choose from but eventually decided on a 12 year old Macallan malt. Oh Yessss!

On departing, Sandy caught up with us and revealed the history of the name Grahamslaw.

Apparently, it is a sub-division of the Graham Clan who hailed from just north of the border.

The “Law” addition was probably added later indicating a connection with officialdom/the judiciary. I wondered whether this entailed making or administering the law - or just running away from it. It is probably just as well that I don’t know!

Tel : 0131 5562414 www.roccofortehotels.com/Balmoral

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Christmas Shopping in NYC

by Travel Writer Ken Spearen

TRAVEL INSIGHT

Shopping is now generally recognised as an all-year round leisure pursuit, even by men, but the spending frenzy really comes to a peak in the run up to the Christmas festivities. Christmas markets abound in the UK and are flourishing in most European cities too but for the really adventurous, the ultimate Christmas shopping excursion is a trip to New York. Affordable packages flying out of Newcastle are plentiful and the best place to access them all is on the internet.

Some offers include flights and apartment packages so you can come, go and eat where you please but before booking anything like this, check for ABTA/ATOL accreditation etc. for peace of mind.

For the ultimate overall experience, why not take the Queen Mary 2 across the Pond from Southampton (other cruise lines available) and enjoy a few days of pampering at sea before arriving at the widely-acclaimed Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and booking into either The Hilton on 53rd Street or the Grand Hyatt on the famous 42nd Street. Unless eating in the hotel’s coffee shop, like any 4-star/5star hotel anywhere in the world, dining can be expensive but good quality diners are situated on every street offering all day service for breakfast, lunch and dinner at a fraction of the cost. We rather sheepishly snuck out of our luxury hotel to the diner just across the street for breakfast only to find most of our fellow cruise passengers had beaten us to it!

Christmas transatlantic cruise and stay packages are still available on line with some offering last minute discounts. On a fly-cruise, you must be cognisant of the difference in baggage allowances between the two modes of travel to avoid excess baggage charges.

For those who have never been before, NYC is a vibrant worldclass tourist and shopping venue. It is a global capital with a capital “G” and, as the lyrics of the New York, New York song, it really is “the city that never sleeps”.

It’s a shopaholics dream and a bustling hub of activity where culture and diversity seemingly rub along cheek by jowl quite happily.

NYC is unashamedly big and brash and people can sometimes seem a little rude and a bit aggressive, especially the yellow cab drivers, but it is nothing personal, just the way the native New Yorkers live their lives. With shopping, sightseeing, skylines and Broadway shows, the Big Apple has it all so why settle for just watching it on TV and go and experience it at first hand?

For designer labels, head to Fifth Avenue for Prada, Versace and Tiffany interspersed amongst department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Barney’s and Bergdorf Goodman. That said, no visit to the Big Apple would be complete without checking out Bloomingdales on Third Avenue and Macy’s on West 34th Street. Both these very famous department stores stock anything and everything. While you shop ‘til you drop, sustenance is not far away as New York is

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famed for a plethora of outstanding restaurants, diners, delis and cafes offering cuisine from all over the world. A must-try venue is the famous Blooms Deli on Lexington Avenue where gargantuan hot salt beef sandwiches on rye bread with a side of latkes are much sought after by the American-Jewish fraternity. My wife and I naively ordered one sandwich each and even after 40 minutes of serious eating, we took more away than we ate. Be ready for mind-blowing portions everywhere. Whatever your culinary tastes, you’ll find it in NYC. Be prepared to be a trifle underwhelmed by the Empire State Building, one of NYC’s iconic landmarks. Regrettably, it has seen better days and has been overtaken by the rest of the world in the race for size and style. It still affords a good view from the public gallery though. When in NYC, a visit to the Stature of Liberty and Ellis Island is de rigour. The latter is where 12m immigrants first landed in the States between 1892 and 1954. This clearly demonstrates why the USA is so cosmopolitan with fourth and fifth generation migrants very much in evidence especially in the Italian quarter. Take the inexpensive Statue Ferry for a great running commentary on all its history.

Other attractions include world famous museums and galleries including the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Guggenheim Museum and The Met, the cavernous Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tip: If, like me, you are unsure what some incomprehensible modern/contemporary art is all about, take the free Educator’s Eye Tour at the Guggenheim.

This staff-guided tour offers a real eye opener, especially for modern art philistines like me! A visit to the iconic Grand Central Station is also a must. Even the smiling beggars outside it are courteous!

Example: “My, a good looking man with a good looking woman.

Please spare some change Sir?” - was one man’s approach to us. It brought a smile to our faces and even charmed a greenback out of us. Aww! If you are reasonably fit, I suggest that exploring on foot is probably the best way to see central NYC in action, snow permitting of course. The alternative is NYC’s yellow taxis whose charges are basically on a par with the UK. The fare just sounds dearer because it’s in dollars.

HEALTH INSIGHT

Improve your Posture, Improve your Golf!

by Antonia Pellegrino-Freeman of Be Fit It is very common to hear golfers talking about back pain, stiff hips or shoulders, sore knees etc.The main cause of this, is mainly due to the aggressive forces of the golf swing. This force exerts onto the spine, lower back, hips, shoulders and knees.

We see many golfers at Be-Fit. Young and old, male and female. What is common between all of these people, is the apparent muscular imbalances.

The human body is made of over 600 pairs of muscles. We are designed to move equally both left and right. Think about your golf swing for a moment, even put the article down and have a gentle swing. Feel how the muscles on one side of your body will allow you to naturally swing one direction. It is very awkward to swing the other way!

Looking at the diagram on the right, you may notice that the feet point straight and forwards.

In most golf pros and amateurs the feet will point outwards. This Is an indication that the stabilisation muscles of the hips, knees and core (back and abdominals) are imbalanced. There are tight muscles and there will be weak muscles.

Our job is to get you flexibly strong for golf and therefore optimise your ball placement!

The 'Be-Fit' structural balance for golf program, has been developed with your golfing

needs in mind. Few people realise that posture is directly related to factors that control ball flight.

The program aims to develop strength, flexibility and control within the core muscles (the ones you use to swing the club), which will enable the golfer to play consistently controlled shots, and increase both distance and accuracy.

Golf is not only about the lower limbs! We also structurally balance your upper body muscles, increasing flexibility through the shoulders, back and neck.

Any tight, weak or imbalanced muscle can affect your swing. We want you to play as a finely tuned machine!

Remember, your game will only be as good as your weakest link!

Structural balance for golf, can not only take your game to a new level but will also enhance your enjoyment of the game! Golf’s frustration will be a thing of the past and your handicap will start to plummet!

You will get more out of your golf lessons and practice sessions as you will have the strength, flexibility and control to perform the movements required to correctly and consistently hit the ball.

For your individualised golf stability program, call Be-Fit on 0191 2135300

LEISURE INSIGHT

On the Tee Box - At Gosforth Golf Club

Location

Course Record

1 mile on the north side of Gosforth and under 3 miles from Newcastle City Centre.

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Competitions

Setting A leafy parkland course completed by Dog-leg fairways, cavernous bunkers and hazardous water features.

Length of Course 6040 yds from the Men’s Medal Tees.

Course Type Gentle walking with pleasant views in a quiet location.

Toughest Hole

There is a full diary of Ladies and Gents competitions throughout the year and host of Open events.

A word from the Secretary Although Gosforth Golf Club is a Members club we extend a warm friendly welcome to all who come to play. The course provides a true test for golfers of all abilities.

Contact Grahame Garland 0191 2853495/2856710

7th

Signature Hole 18th. Has to be one of the best finishing hole in the county.

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LEISURE INSIGHT

Newcastle Sporting Club set to launch Ex-Boxers Association

Throughout the British Isles ex-boxers associations have been the social hub for athletes, past and present, for years and now, as part of the continuing sporting enterprise taking place on Tyneside, Steve Wraith and his associates Glenn McCrory, John Gibson and Peter Mann are finally, after months of discussion, set to launch the Newcastle Sporting Club Ex-Boxers Association.

From north to south, throughout England, Scotland and Wales you will most likely stumble across an ex-boxers association, even HM Armed Forces has them with Gordon McBride setting up one for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines in the late seventies. They are very much the fabric, the essence, of the sporting community.

With professional boxing on Tyneside taking a back seat until the New Year the timing is perfect for the launch of a new ex-boxers association – Newcastle Sporting Club Ex-Boxers Association will therefore meet, for the first time, at noon on Sunday 6 December at the Black Bull on Barrack Road.

In the time-honoured tradition of the associations up and down the country, including the nearby Sunderland Ex-Boxers Association the impending formation of the Newcastle & Gateshead Branch will look at bringing the nature of the Associations into the modern arena.

The quartet of Glenn McCrory (former world champion, president), Steve Wraith, (businessman, author, professional promoter, vice-president), John Gibson (journalist, chairman) and Peter Mann (Media & PR Officer, secretary) are all at the forefront of this new association in which Steve, having already launched ‘Pro Boxing Newcastle

Gateshead,’ offers all members discounts on tickets for all his sporting events .

As a former world champion and a pundit with Sky Sports for the past 25 years Glenn McCrory said: “I’m really honoured to be the president of this new ex-boxers association and it’s definitely something which is long overdue.

“Everyone is welcome to the Black Bull and it’ll be great to be able to have a regular catchup with friends, and fans, across the regions fight scene and I encourage everyone who has a love for the sport in the area to come along and join in what is going to be some fun times.”

Boxing on Tyneside can be traced back to the late 1800’s and Will Curley was one of the first known boxers to come out of the region, campaigning in the Featherweight division. Born in Newcastle in 1876 he would make his debut against Fred Sullivan in the Percy House Boxing Saloon in Newcastle, August 1894, winning what was a twenty three round bout. Curley’s next two outings would go the distance when fighting over twenty three rounds at the Standard Theatre in Gateshead.

November 1899 would see Curley travel to Brooklyn, New York and challenge George Dixon for the World Featherweight title, losing on points

after an incredible twenty five rounds. The bout with Dixon was one of only two bouts Curley would have outside his native Tyneside, and the only one outside of the UK. Curley, having fought for numerous titles, passed away at the age of 61 in December 1937.

The new association secretary, and someone who is close to the ground on north-east boxing, Peter Mann, added: “In doing this we can keep the memories of the past alive and integrate them with the present and the future of the sport, not just on Tyneside, but across the region.

“Members will not only get discounts on Steve’s shows but we’ll also be producing a monthly newsletter and Tyneside boxing magazine which will be available to them as well as the usual perks – and who knows, you may even get a chance of a burger with Glenn!”

With your £20pa membership with the NSCEBA you will receive the following benefits – a club tie (to be worn at each meeting), discounts on all boxing-related events provided

by Steve Wraith and his newly formed Pro Boxing Newcastle Gateshead (information to be released at a later date), a regular newsletter, the opportunity to travel around the country to other events, and other social aspects.

If anyone is interested in joining the Newcastle Sporting Club Ex-Boxers Association please contact the Secretary, Peter Mann via petermann78@hotmail.com or 07596657371.

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