Friday September 7, 2018

I recently returned from a holiday at my parents’ home village, Arpino in the Lazio region of Italy. We were there to celebrate the baptism of my nephew. My sister raised a few eyebrows in the family by appointing me Padrino to the boy. I am not sure what delighted me more, being entrusted with […]

Tuesday April 10, 2018

I am proud of our Complaints Procedure. It is an escalation from “Can we sit down and talk about this?” to “call in the Ombudsman you poltroon”. I am most proud that we have never had to implement it in all these years. Lavazza coffee and Italian biscuits solve most disputes. If an ACAS officer […]

Saturday February 17, 2018

I am sure it is one of life’s nightmares to be told the tower block you live in has had cladding installed which is deemed unsafe by fire inspectors. Then presenting leaseholders with a bill of £2 million to solve the problem appears to add insult to injury, yet this is precisely what has happened […]

Tuesday September 26, 2017

As the Grenfell Tower inquiry is in progress the block management sector awaits a raft of much needed improvements to building regulations concerning the safety of high rise blocks. Successive Governments have ignored the advice of fire safety professionals and if any positive outcome can be drawn from the tragic fire it will be that […]

Tuesday June 27, 2017

The north east is fortunate in having a number of excellent universities. The students who attend bring wealth to the region and contribute to our cultural buzz, but for the small business community, universities represent an opportunity for growth through an influx of talent. We have chosen to partner with Northumbria University and to date […]