Local and international news

NOT SO INTERESTING

UK interest rates might have to hit 2% or more next year in order to slow soaring price rises, a member of the Bank of England’s rate setting committee has said.

Michael Saunders said rate rises “still have some way to go” in the attempt to control inflation.

UK interest rates currently stand at 1.25%, up from 0.1% in December 2021.

Inflation – the rate at which prices rise - is at a 40-year high of 9.1% and expected to rise further by the autumn.

Raising interest rates makes it more expensive for consumers and businesses to borrow. The idea is that people start spending less, helping slow demand for goods and services and, in turn, reducing the pace of price rises. But some economists have warned that increases in interest rates may have little effect on inflation as one of the main factors behind it at the moment is rising global oil and gas prices.

One of America’s most iconic toy stores is returning to bricks-and-mortar retail just in time for this year’s holiday season.

Toys”R”Us will open shops inside every Macy’s store in the United States by mid-October, part of a rollout that began in 2021.

The in-store shops will range from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet, with the ability to expand up to an additional 3,000 square feet to offer an even wider assortment of products. The shops will feature handson demonstration tables, as well as a life-size Geoffrey Giraffe sitting on a bench for families to take photos with. If this is successful, UK stores will also reopen.

NEWS BULLETIN

❛❛ The art of pleasing consists of being pleased ❜❜

William Hazlitt, Essayist 1817

WHAT CAN WE BELIEVE?

Amazon is taking legal action against the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups, the BBC has learned. It says the groups are generating fake reviews on Amazon marketplaces in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan.

The tech giant says the groups offer money or free goods in exchange for reviews being posted on Amazon. One of the groups, removed earlier this year by Facebook’s parent company Meta, had 43,000 members. It was called “Amazon Product Review”. Once the people in the group had purchased selected products and left their reviews, the administrators would refund them. A wide range of goods was involved, including car stereos and camera tripods.

Large numbers of reviews, especially positive ones, boost sellers’ visibility on Amazon’s platforms - as well as placing them higher up on search engine results.

TOYS”R”RETURNING

❛❛ Don’t knock th’ weather. Nine-tenths o’ th’ people couldn’ start a conversation if it didn’ change once in a while ❜❜

Kin Hubbard, Humorist and journalist 1914

MONEY MADNESS

Forbes recently released a study into the richest football clubs in the world:

1. Real Madrid Spain

£4 billion 2. FC Barcelona, Spain £4 billion 3. Manchester United, UK £3.65 billion 4. Liverpool, UK £3.53 billion 5. Bayern Munich, Germany £3.4 billion 6. Manchester City, UK £3.37 billion 7. Paris Saint-Germain, France £2.54 billion 8. Chelsea, UK £2.46 billion 9. Juventus, Italy £1.94 billion 10. Tottenham Hotspur, UK £1.86 billion

NUT JOB

A leader in HSBC’s responsible investing team has left the company after he accused central bankers and other officials of exaggerating the financial risks of climate change.

Back in May, Stuart Kirk, the bank’s global head of responsible investing said: “There’s always some nut job telling me about the end of the world.” He made further presentations that climate change was “not a financial risk we needed to worry about,” and that, “unsubstantiated, shrill, partisan, self-serving, apocalyptic warnings are always wrong.”

In response, HSBC’s boss Noel Quinn posted on social media that he did not agree “at all” with the comments, adding, “they are inconsistent with HSBC’s strategy and do not reflect the views of the senior leadership of HSBC or HSBC Asset Management”.

By early July, Mr Kirk’s position had become untenable, and he resigned his job at the bank.

Re Roe v Wade: ❛❛ Time to ban Viagra. Because if pregnancy is God’s will, then so is your limp d..k ❜❜

Bette Midler

COURSE CHANGE

One of Britain’s most valuable digital lenders has withdrawn its application for an Irish banking licence, signalling a shift in its international expansion strategy. Sky News learnt that Starling Bank told its 2,000 employees that it had ended a four-year process aimed at launching a retail bank in Ireland.

In a memo to staff Starling founder and chief executive, Anne Boden said the company had opted to pursue other projects that would deliver a superior return. “Sometimes changing course is the right option,” she wrote.

WATCH THIS SP_CE

Fresh from its win at the Dynamic Business awards on June 29th, innovative inclusion consultancy Watch This Sp_ce is launching a brand new type of awards. The Reimagination at Work Awards will celebrate organisations that are finding new ways to work and do business that include a wider variety of people.

Unlike other awards, there are no categories, and no losers. Simply tell your story and, if it’s one that others can learn from and be inspired by, you’ll be given an award. The Watch This Sp_ce team will be sharing the stories of all award winners to help demonstrate how we can all make the world of work better for everyone.

The awards are being held as part of the Reimagination at Work Conference – a virtual conference about the evolving world of work, taking place during National Inclusion Week, September 26th – October 2nd.

https://www.watchthisspace.uk

LOCAL NEWS

NEW SCIENCE & TECH PARK

A new 120-acre (49-hectare) science & technology park (STP) at Burgess Hill has been allocated in the approved Local Plan.

The development, west of the town, which would create thousands of new jobs, has been allocated following partnership working with key stakeholders, Wortleford Trading Company, Dacorar (Southern) Ltd and Glenbeigh Developments Ltd.

Property consultancy Vail Williams has been leading a wider project team to guide the project through the planning process, alongside HNW Architects and Connect Consultants.

The development will provide a wide range of innovation-led, high-growth, knowledge-based businesses. High quality buildings are proposed for occupiers with a technology or science bias, covering manufacturing, assembly, laboratory/ research and development use, offices and incubation units.

#BE YOU

More than 100 girls from schools in Sussex gathered for the first #BeYou event at PlusX in Brighton on July 14th to mark the end of their year-long mentoring journey delivered through The Girls’ Network.

The Girls’ Network is an award-winning national charity that supports young women aged 14-19 by pairing them with a mentor, and delivering a programme of events and activities to build their confidence and life-skills.

#BeYou is a nationwide roadshow that features talks and workshops designed to further equip young women to ‘be bold; be brave; be heard - be you!’

Poet and performer Cerys Evans opened the event and took part in a Q&A with attendees, along with Brightonbased AFLO. the poet.

Initial research by the project team indicates that the total floor space including amenity and support facilities as part of the Park, could generate between 2,500 and 4,500 jobs. The Girls’ Network has been operating in Sussex since 2015 and will be supporting 140 local students this year.

❛❛ I try not to speak about all the charities and people l help, because l believe we can only be truly generous when we expect nothing in return ❜❜

Muhammad Ali

PIGEON FLIES

PIGEON, a unique new interactive skillsharing platform, went from beta to official UK launch recently. Developed by Mark Ward, founder of award-winning Australian vermouth brand Regal Rogue, PIGEON helps unlock the potential of domestic talent to change the way people learn and share.

PIGEON’s technology connects people from all walks of life to learn new skills or share their passion. Live 1-2-1 video chats enable ‘sharers’ to pass on unique knowledge and expertise from a range of passions, hobbies and interests. ‘Learners’ can perfect existing skills or discover new ones, asking as many questions as they’d like and receiving personalised feedback through video chats.

Anyone can start to learn with PIGEON from just £4.99 per month, or Pay as you Chat, while sharers can set their own hourly rate starting at £12 an hour..

Register now and join the flock: https://pigeon.me

MANOR ROYAL IMPROVEMENTS

The initial stage of the Manor Royal highway improvement scheme in Crawley has been successfully completed in time for the seasonal break.

Improvements have been made to the busy junction of County Oak Way and London Road, with the upgrading of crossing units, signal heads, lane marking and the provision of a new bus stop.

The scheme is part of the Crawley Growth Programme – a £60 million package of improvements across the town to support business investment and employment growth, bringing together various partners including the county council, Crawley Borough Council, Manor Royal BID and Coast to Capital.

As part of this programme, more than £3 million is being invested in the Manor Royal Business District to improve key junctions, cycling and walking facilities, traffic signals and includes a new eastbound bus lane on Manor Royal.

Full details, including a plan and virtual fly-through are available on the Manor Royal BID website www.manorroyal.org/cgp Left to right: Ayad Hassan from WSP and project manager for the highway improvement scheme, Peter Smith, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development at Crawley Borough Council, Steve Sawyer, Executive Director, Manor Royal BID, Bob Lanzer, County Council Cabinet Member for the Crawley Growth Programme, and Tim Macauley from Landbuild

❛❛ What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps one in a continual state of inelegance ❜❜

Jane Austen 1796