‘We will lose £400k’: The cost of Tier 3 for the hospitality sector December 15, 2020 As the hospitality sector begins to count the cost of the latest Tier 3 lockdown, we spoke to one industry figure who says his company will lose £400,000. Stuart Procter, COO of Mayfair hotel and restaurant The Stafford, said the latest blow has left his company reeling in a year he’s already had to make [...]
H&M sales drop as second Covid-19 wave slows recovery December 15, 2020 H&M reported a sharp drop in sales in the fourth quarter as the second wave of coronavirus restrictions curbed spending. The world’s second-biggest fashion retailer said sales dropped 10 per cent, driven by a slowdown in the final quarter of the month. H&M said the recovery seen in the third quarter had continued into the [...]
Cold turkey: Ministers face pressure to scrap ‘rash’ Christmas relaxation of rules December 15, 2020 The government is facing mounting pressure to rethink its decision to relax coronavirus restrictions for five days over Christmas over fears it will lead to a third national lockdown. In their first joint editorial for more than 100 years, the British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal today said the government should U-turn on its [...]
‘Test to release’ travel scheme off to ‘chaotic’ start December 15, 2020 The government’s new “test to release” system to reduce quarantine got off to a “chaotic start” this morning after it transpired that only three of its approved test providers were open. Under the scheme, which was announced on 24 November, travellers who wish to leave quarantine early can do so by taking a coronavirus test [...]
Toy subscription service Whirli raises £4m seed funding round December 15, 2020 A London-based toy sharing subscription service has raised £4m in its seed round led by Octopus Ventures just in time for Christmas. Rather than a usual subscription service, Whirli subscribers borrow toys instead of purchasing them and any unloved or outgrown toys can be sent back and swapped for another item. Whirli’s service, which starts [...]
Bushmills’ Causeway Collection is the perfect Christmas dram December 15, 2020 Bushmills has the largest collection of single malt whiskey on the island of Ireland. From its 400,000 or so barrels, Master Blender Helen Mulholland has been carefully monitoring the development of select casks to create their new Causeway Collection. Helen began working at the Bushmills distillery as an intern in the early 1990s, and during [...]
Greenwich council backs down in government row over school closures December 15, 2020 The leader of a London borough has said he has “no choice” but to reverse a decision to close schools following legal threats from the government. Greenwich council leader Danny Thorpe said he “cannot agree that this is the correct choice for our schools”, but added: “I cannot justify the use of public funds to [...]
The Year in Review – The 2020 Crypto OTC Market December 15, 2020 Covid is on the blockchain. No it’s not. That was a crypto and Covid joke in one! A trader I spoke to today said that 2020 has been a great year for our personal accounts and awful for just about everything else. Covid has defined 2020 for so much of the world and in my [...]
Millions worth of festive food could go to waste as London enters Tier 3 December 15, 2020 Millions of pounds worth of food could go to waste as a result of the government’s decision to send London into Tier 3 at midnight tonight. In Tier 3 all bars and restaurants will be forced to close, although they are able to offer take-away and delivery services. Restaurateurs say the rug has been pulled [...]
Netherlands enters strict second lockdown for five weeks December 15, 2020 The Netherlands will enter its second national lockdown for at least five weeks, the country’s Prime Minister has announced. In a televised address last night, Mark Rutte told the nation: “The Netherlands is closing down. We realise the gravity of our decisions, right before Christmas.” Households will be banned from welcoming more than two visitors over the [...]