Author name: David Parkin

THE last event I organised and hosted before the pandemic was two years ago just weeks before the country went into lockdown. No one had at that point quite grasped what we were facing and I remember when one of the panellists turned up and wanted to bump elbows rather than shake hands it was […]

THE suit is dead. It was inevitable that sooner or later, the “experts” would predict that one of the many consequences of the pandemic would be the demise of that centuries old staple of a gentleman’s wardrobe. To be honest, they didn’t need a crystal ball to make this prediction given the rise of working

ONE of the people I met on my recent visit to the Houses of Parliament – other than an irate Conservative MP – was Vincent Hodder, the chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport. Hodder is a burly, shaven-headed Australian with a no-nonsense straight-talking approach to business. With plenty of experience in the airline industry around

FAREWELL then Peter Bowles. The actor best known for playing a smooth-talking cad, bounder and nouveau riche lord of the manor has died at the age of 85. With his elegance, charm and aristocratic manner, it was surprising to learn that Bowles had rather humble beginnings and grew up modestly in Nottingham. It seemed like

IT has been an eventful last few days – delivering a first big live event for more than two years, witnessing history being made…and being called “vile” by an MP. Let’s start with the positives. Last week I was at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester organising and hosting a ‘town hall’ event for transport group

FAREWELL then Welcome to Yorkshire. The regional tourism organisation was placed into administration this week. How sad but how pathetically predictable. You didn’t need to have the spiritual powers of Doris Stokes or Clinton Baptiste to work out how this story would end. Welcome to Yorkshire’s recent history involves so many labyrinthine plots and counter

“FRANKLY, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.” “Here’s looking at you, kid.” “I love the smell of napalm in the

DISCLAIMER: The writer of this blog tested positive for Covid yesterday and so some of his statements may be affected by having the virus. ::: I WENT to Ilkley Beer Festival last week and had a wonderful time meeting lots of lawyers, accountants and property professionals. Nurse! This man is clearly delirious and doesn’t know

CAN you forget everything I said last week please? What do you mean you already have? I’d already annoyed one reader by “doing politics” in last week’s blog. A chap I’ve never met before commented on Linkedin: “Please leave out the political comments, in my opinion they ruined what was a great article.” I’ll take

IT says much about Boris Johnson’s two years as Prime Minister that even his closest allies would currently struggle to articulate what his legacy may prove to be. I mean the positive bits. The bluster of “Getting Brexit done” might have won him an election but so far it doesn’t seem to have delivered the