THE two places where the most business seems to get done these days are coffee shops and beer festivals.
Nothing surprising about the former – merchants, financiers and entrepreneurs have been meeting in coffee houses for centuries.
Forget the recent proliferation of Starbucks and Costa, the real coffee revolution was in the late 1600s when as many as 3,000 coffee houses “played host to caffeine-fuelled debate, wheeler-dealing and gossip-mongering on London’s streets” according to a history of the capital.
It didn’t take long for intellectuals, professionals and merchants to throng to such venues to debate, distribute pamphlets, do deals, smoke clay pipes and, consume a drink said to resemble “syrup of soot and essence of old shoes”.
I’ve yet to spot an intellectual in Patisserie Valerie on St Paul’s Street in Leeds but if you pop across the road to Starbucks then its Pike Place Roast filter coffee tastes like the drink described above.
But if you aren’t in the mood for a coffee or you are meeting later in the day then how does a beer festival tickle your fancy?
More and more firms are taking corporate sponsorships at such events and they tend to get a good turn out from their invitee list.
I’ve never been, but Ilkley Beer Festival’s Friday afternoon corporate opening is always popular among business people and professionals.
Probably too popular: I tried to make conversation with one attendee after he had returned to Leeds from Ilkley to top up his alcohol levels at Restaurant Bar & Grill.
I couldn’t make out much of what he said, just the swear words, before he staggered off towards the bar.
Last Friday I was invited to Boston Spa Beer Festival.
This homage to ale in a Georgian village nestling on the banks of the River Wharfe in the West Riding is a pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon – particularly when the pie and peas stand opens.
I was a guest of Jonathan Hirst the smoothy, schmoozy director of recruitment firm Network Marketing.
Given that Network are responsible for recruiting candidates for some of the best jobs in media and marketing in the UK, I was hoping Jonathan saw me as a candidate for a role with a six figure package.
If he did, he didn’t mention it.
He must be playing the long game with me. Some of us big fish creative types can take time to hook.
When I walked into Boston Spa Village Hall I thought I’d gone to the wrong place and arrived at an insolvency veterans’ day out. But it was nice to catch up with Peter Cranston, formerly of Eversheds and Willie Ballman of Gateley.
I was introduced to Ken Bird of Wetherby estate agents Renton & Parr. I had an interesting discussion with Ken about the merits of living in Harrogate or Wetherby.
It seems the predatory blonde count is much lower in Wetherby.
Pity, I quite like the place; but I couldn’t live there.
Ken was giving out voting forms for the Yorkshire Choice Awards 2016. I’ve never heard of them but he is among 17 candidates vying for the title of “Business Man of the Year”.
I’d imagine he’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t win it: Renton & Parr are sponsoring another award.
Interestingly, 46 women are listed in the “Business Woman of the Year” category. I hope they produce a shortlist or it could be a really long night at the awards ceremony.
I had a quick look at the people behind the awards and one of them has won a number of accolades, including Wetherby Townsperson of the Year and the Stray FM Neighbour of the Year.
That’s impressive.
One of my greatest achievements was persuading the local Neighbourhood Watch that I wasn’t a peeping tom.
Mind you, given the main sponsor of the Yorkshire Choice Awards is a company called cctv direct, then I might have a chance of a gong.
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I HEARD a phone-in show on the radio the other day which was discussing the rising cost of utility prices which then morphed into a debate about how long people take in the shower.
One person who texted in said she limited her teenage kids to a maximum of 20 minutes each in the shower before she turned the water off.
It reminded me of a friend of mine with two teenage sons, who told me the only way to convene a family meeting in his house is to turn the wi-fi off.
:::
I SUPPOSE you’ve got to be grateful for small mercies.
Jonathan Hirst, aforementioned director of recruitment firm Network Marketing, put the following comment on Linkedin yesterday: “Ant and Dec at The Brits last night reminded me of a young David Parkin and Ian Briggs at TheBusinessDesk.com awards a few years ago.”
I’ll always take a compliment where I can, but on this occasion I was rather disconsolate about such a statement.
Ant and Dec have always struck me as rather asexual: fairly likeable boys next door who your grandmother would like.
Ian and my presenting style and stage presence was built on a raw sexuality that left the female members of the audience rather breathless and the male ones envious.
You’ve either got it or you haven’t…
Have a great weekend.