Amazon joining with Doddle to start railway station collections June 23, 2014 AMAZON customers will soon be able to pick up parcels from railway stations as part of a new deal between the online retail giant and Doddle, the click-and-collect joint venture between Network Rail and Travelex millionaire Lloyd Dorfman. Doddle is currently running a pilot operation at Milton Keynes station, with plans to expand the service [...]
The week in brief – UK agencies win big at the Cannes Lions June 23, 2014 UK agencies and creative shops were well-represented among the winners at last week’s Cannes Lions festival. Adam & Eve/DDB won big for its Harvey Nichols “sorry, I spent it on myself” Christmas work, as did OgilvyOne for its “magic of flying” campaign for British Airways. PHD won two golds for its work with Lego, and [...]
Wood you buy a home like this? Meet London’s new timber homes June 20, 2014 AN ENGLISHMAN’S home is his castle and his castle is almost always made out of bricks and mortar. Many house buyers take these building materials – along with stone and concrete masonry – for granted but it’s actually something of a national obsession. In Southern Germany and Austria, the cold mountain climate is perfect for [...]
Virgin Trains awarded more time on West Coast Main line June 19, 2014 Virgin Trains has been handed a contract to run the West Coast Main Line until at least 2017, less than two years after the firm took the government to court to avoid losing the franchise altogether. The Department for Transport said the extension to Virgin Trains’ franchise would bring better Wi-Fi, £20m in station upgrades [...]
Full steam ahead for Go-Ahead’s railway business as revenues rise June 19, 2014 Transport group Go-Ahead said yesterday that profits from its rail operations were set to beat expectations this year, helped by a drop in energy costs. The FTSE 250 firm, whose joint venture Govia runs the Southern, Southeastern and London Midland franchises, said that the railway business had performed better than expected, though profits were expected [...]
Letters to the Editor – 20/06 – The estuary option, Flatter the better, Best of Twitter June 19, 2014 The estuary option This week, Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, was questioned by the London Assembly. Some of his answers were worrying. He seemed to refuse to acknowledge the benefits a new four-runway hub airport would bring to Britain. When hubs are being built all over the world, with upwards of four [...]
BG Group gets rid of holding in major North Sea gas pipeline June 17, 2014 BG GROUP is selling off its majority stake in one of the North Sea’s biggest gas pipelines for as much as £562m. The London-listed firm said it will still have the right to transport fuel through the Central Area Transmission System (Cats) following the sale of a 62.78 per cent stake to investment group Antin [...]
How Mark Carney’s move from Canada cost the Bank of England over £100k June 17, 2014 The Bank of England paid £102,816 to assist governor Mark Carney and his family in their move from Ottawa, Canada, to London, according to the Bank of England's latest annual report. The ex-Goldman Sachs staffer moved over to the UK with his wife Diana and four daughters last year. He even brought with him his [...]
City Moves for 13 June 2014 | Who’s switching jobs June 12, 2014 Investec Asset Finance Jane Mantell has been appointed head of portfolio risk at the asset finance provider. She joins from Insight Plus, the consultancy, where she has worked since 2007. Mantell previously spent nine years with Foxreed Consulting. UBS Michael Hafner has been appointed head of oil and gas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) [...]
Look mum, three hands! June 12, 2014 The panoply of watches out there is overwhelming – so why not think bike Despite the staggering variety of watches produced every year, your average London gent typically plumps for one of a few well-known models from a few well-known brands. It’s understandable – we’re not a nation known for our exotic dress sense, after [...]