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AS the early morning sun rises majestically over my neighbour’s loft conversion, leaving the wheelie bins dappled in a warm, amber glow, one’s thoughts turn, inevitably to spring. We all have our own favourite ways of celebrating the arrival of this most hopeful of seasons. Whether it is the rows of daffodils in the park, […]

FORMER business journalist and media entrepreneur David Parkin has launched a new travel and events business called COPA. The new venture, which is based in Leeds, provides bespoke events and travel services to corporates, professional firms and funders across the North of England and in London. Parkin, who was business editor of the Yorkshire Post

WHAT’S your preferred reading matter when you are sitting in the reception of a large law firm, accountancy firm or bank? I can’t remember the last time I sat down and found a copy of a local or even national newspaper or magazine that looked like it had even been read by one person. They

LEEDS Law Society is to move from its historic home of almost a century on Albion Place. And while the lawyers settle into their new base in a modern office building on Wellington Street in the city centre, their old home, a Grade II listed building, will be converted into a restaurant run by a

YOU’D think Morrisons announcing annual losses of £800m would be a complete disaster. But I heard enough from chairman Andrew Higginson in his press interviews yesterday to believe that at least he understands where the moribund supermarket has been going wrong. Whether he, and new chief executive David Potts – who starts on Monday –

I’M sometimes asked who is the “greatest”, most “interesting” or most “inspiring” individual I’ve been fortunate to meet and interview. There is only one answer to all of those questions: Victor Watson. Victor died at the age of 86 on Wednesday. He was an incredible, wonderful man. I can’t begin to summon the kind of

IT is 15 years since Allan Leighton left Asda to take up a portfolio of non-executive roles and famously coined the phrase that he was “going plural”. And over the last decade and a half he has displayed impressive judgement in picking the right roles and delivering value to his employers. He led the turnaround

MICHAEL Parkinson once said that the best thing about success was being able to travel first class. I reflected on this while returning from a recent trip to Dubai, sitting at the back of a packed economy cabin on an Emirates flight.  It was a rather sober reflection as the drinks trolley takes so long

SO the East Coast Main Line will be run from next year by Stagecoach and Virgin. Even though the new consortium behind Inter City Railways has promised to invest £140m in new trains and services, station improvements and faster journey times, it is strange to view this with mixed feelings. I’m not a regular traveller