Battersea Power Station nears completion with £280m new loan Property The developers behind Battersea Power Station have secured a new £280m refinancing as the £5bn regeneration project nears its final stage. The Battersea Power Station Development Company secured the new loan from the group of lenders which have backed the project since it began in 2012, including London-listed Standard Chartered, Malaysian bank CIMB, Singaporean financial [...]
Britain’s biggest bingo chain explores sale despite tax raid threat Leisure The owner of the UK’s biggest bingo hall operator is exploring a sale of the company, even as gambling bosses warn a huge tax raid could threaten the industry. Asset manager ICG has appointed bankers to advise on discussions with potential buyers for Buzz Bingo, it is understood. The Nottingham-based chain is looking for a [...]
Hollywood Bowl calls on dynamic pricing as heatwaves hit sales Leisure Hollywood Bowl called on its dynamic pricing system to endure falling ten-pin demand during the summer’s record heatwaves, prompting a share price boost. Britain’s biggest ten-pin bowling operator said the summer’s “exceptionally prolonged, dry weather” had “heavily impacted” its trading, as UK like-for-like revenue fell 5.6 per cent in the second half of this year. [...]
What’s on in October October 2, 2026 | Sponsored October brings a picturesque transition to London, with golden leaves across the parks, cooler weather, and fewer crowds, the city begins to feel cosy. Whether you’re heading out for Halloween night or attending the Central London Alliance Summit, there’s no shortage of things to do this month. Between family-friendly activities, West End theatre shows, and [...]
Mike Ashley continues leisure push with Boom Battle Bar deal September 30, 2026 A company backed by Mike Ashley has snapped up Boom Battle Bar for £11m, extending the retail tycoon’s push into leisure and hospitality. Leisure operator We Do Play, which is backed by Ashley’s Frasers Group, has bought back the business its bosses founded from experiential leisure group XP Factory. Mike Ashley began his retail empire [...]
Studio behind Danny Dyer and Hugh Jackman films calls in administrators September 30, 2026 A British film studio founded by an ex-Lionsgate boss has folded into administration just a few years after taking $150m in start-up financing. True Brit Entertainment, which was founded by former Lionsgate UK chief executive Zygi Kamasa, appointed administrators on Monday, according to filings. The distributor was set up in 2023 hoping to boost the [...]
Last orders: Boss of under-fire pub regulator defends her record September 29, 2026 The Pubs Code Adjudicator, Fiona Dickie, is preparing to step away early next year. She tells Felix Armstrong why the beleaguered watchdog deserves a future Can an industry watchdog be effective if it has launched only two investigations in its 10 years of existence? Yes – at least according to Fiona Dickie, the Pubs Code [...]
Gambling giant blames job cuts on Burnham high street crackdown September 16, 2026 Ladbrokes owner Entain has hit out at Andy Burnham’s plans to shake up the high street as the gambling giant blamed the Prime Minister for its decision to cut 400 jobs. The group, which also owns Coral, has announced that it will cut about a fifth of the headcount of its global customer care team, [...]
Luxury gym chain Third Space muscles up with record revenue ahead of potential sale September 15, 2026 Luxury gym operator Third Space has grown its turnover by more than a third, topping £100m for the first time, as City workers flock to the upmarket health club. The gym provider notched a 36 per cent bounce in revenue to £135m in the year to December 2025, while its pre-tax profit rose by more [...]
Gym Group upgrades outlook as Gen-Z shrugs off heatwave and World Cup September 9, 2026 Gym Group has upgraded its outlook after tempting Gen-Zers into its gyms throughout the summer, despite the distractions of the World Cup and multiple heatwaves. Will Orr, chief executive of the no-frills gym provider, said the group is still on course to deliver three per cent sales growth despite a “noisy macro [environment], some hot [...]