Is chess a sport? It soon may be chasing the Olympic Holy Grail August 10, 2023 Columnist Ed Warner discusses chess, funding fringe sports and what makes a solid sporting body chief executive. Where do you draw the line between games and sports? Mine is at the door of the pub, so ruling dominos, bar billiards, space invaders and darts out of the sporting firmament. I realise of course that this [...]
Government ‘considering change of heart on temporary visas for butchers’ October 14, 2021 Ministers are reportedly considering backtracking and extending temporary visas to overseas butchers, as abattoirs were forced to cull livestock after shortages. Pig farmers have been forced to kill healthy livestock because of a lack of butchers in abattoirs, seemingly forcing ministers to change their stance on intervention. The National Pig Association told The Guardian that [...]
Sadiq Khan declares ‘major incident’ in London as Omicron cases surge December 18, 2021 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan declared a "major incident" in the capital amid deepening fears of a fourth lockdown as Omicron cases surge.
Government unveils new ‘hospitality strategy’ to boost sector post-Covid July 16, 2021 The UK’s hospitality businesses are set to receive increased support through the government’s vocational training programmes in a bid to boost the sector post-Covid. The new “hospitality strategy” will also see the government work with the British Business Bank and other lenders to “support access to finance for hospitality firms so they can invest in [...]
City of London launches grant scheme for Omicron-hit Square Mile businesses January 18, 2022 Retailers and hospitality businesses that have been hit by a collapse in footfall due to work from home guidance will be able to apply for a grant from the City of London Corporation, it was confirmed last night. The Corporation, the Square Mile’s governing body, has put in the majority of the money behind the [...]
‘Freedom day’: Pub bosses wipe down the bar for a 21 June return May 5, 2021 The UK’s pub bosses are wiping the bar down for a June return, coined “freedom day”, urging prime minister Boris Johnson to stick to his roadmap for the easing of restrictions. JD Wetherspoon, Greene King, Slug & Lettuce owner Stonegate and Young’s have all expressed their intentions for a 21 June return of bar service, [...]
‘Thousands of jobs at risk’: Bar bosses despair over fresh Christmas rail strikes December 6, 2022 Pub and bar bosses were last night left despairing over a slew of fresh strike dates, which fall over Christmas. Rail union RMT announced three more days of walk-outs on Monday night, with workers set to strike from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on 27 December. Industrial action had already been planned on 13, [...]
London markets tumble on imminent circuit breaker lockdown concerns December 20, 2021 London markets tumbled today on concerns fresh restrictions to curb the spread of Omicron are about to hit England. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index slid 0.99 per cent, closing at 7,198.03 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned to the health of the UK economy, finished 1.01 per cent lower [...]
Exclusive: Seven Dials Market boss says ‘Brexit means we are short-staffed for every shift, every day’ October 27, 2022 Brexit has “absolutely screwed” the food industry after it “ripped away” its labour source, according to the boss behind the West End’s popular Seven Dials Market. Businesses at the food and drink destination are facing staff shortages “for every single shift, every single day,” Simon Mitchell, who heads the street food market operator Kerb, exclusively [...]
The next government should learn there’s no British revival without our great capital July 14, 2022 Whilst Tory party candidates scrap about who is most committed to levelling up the regions, the latest data suggests that it’s London that will lead a British revival. Most Brits underestimate what a powerful magnet this metropolis is and wrongly consider London to be a typical capital city. The latest survey from Ten Lifestyle Group [...]