Trading gossip

May 14 2008 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

STRANGE goings on at the Hope Street Hotel last week, when Freedom Business Coaching held a networking event.

Inner Circle brought together people who run small businesses, and a throng duly gathered, to find organisers had lined up a magician. He was apparently so good he made himself invisible. No one saw him all night. Spooky.

LIVERPOOL Vision chief executive Jim Gill showed his true colours at a reception in the atrium of the Capital Building, or the sandcastle, as it’s known.

He, George Downing and Phil Redmond each stood on the steps of an escalator to deliver a few words about the refurbishment of the building and about Vision taking up residence there.

The speeches were a bit like the escalator – not particularly moving – but it was Jim’s comments that raised eyebrows.

He talked about the need for the city to move into a “new gear” in terms of its economic development, but he didn’t wish the same for our local football teams.

Jim, above, supports Manchester United. What a little (red) devil.

A BAD day for Alliance and Leicester yesterday when it revealed a £400m hit on investments linked to the sub-prime crisis.

Readers may recall a TV advertising campaign featuring comics Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

In the ads, Fry banked with the fictional Sproggit and Sylvester, and duly suffered appalling service. Laurie would appear to extol the virtues of A&L.

It ended with the slogan: “You get a dafter investor at Sproggit and Sylvester.”

It appears that is not the only place to find daft investors.