The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting us all for more than a year now. My fellow regional agents and I know that those businesses that rely heavily on being able to have customers visit them in person – for instance, the hospitality and tourism sectors right across the South West – have been particularly...
The South West is England’s top region for business innovation, according to a new report by the CBI – but it faces challenges over its low productivity and skills gap. The CBI report also reveals that low levels of unemployment and short commuting times compared to other parts of England gives the South West...
Restoration has started on Bath’s historic Cleveland Pools following a 17-year community campaign to save the Grade II* listed site. The oldest surviving public lido in the UK, the Cleveland Pools, pictured, were built in 1815 and are now regarded as a nationally significant site. The restoration project has the support of hundreds of...
It’s called the most important meal of the day – and with this in mind researchers at the University of Bath want to know what the city’s residents eat for breakfast and how it affects their health. The study by the university’s Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism aims to understand more about the...
The Western Gateway, the cross-border economic partnership of eight cities either side of the River Severn including Bath, has appointed three new members to its board. They include former Institute of Directors Bristol chair Lhosa DalyLhosa, pictured, who has also been chair of Bristol art gallery Arnolfini. The partnership was launched in November 2019 as the UK’s...
Five firms from the Bath area have been honoured by the Queen in her Awards for Enterprise scheme, with three of them - sex toy firm Lovehoney, digital science publisher SelectScience and specialist chemicals firm Glentham Life Sciences – gaining the accolade for the second time. Lovehoney, Europe’s largest manufacturer and online retailer of pleasure products, landed...
A unique research project to explore what publishing means in the 21st century has been launched in the West of England, a region with a long history and reputation for innovation in the industry. The Amplified Publishing project will look at areas as diverse as children’s animation, gaming, social inclusion, the use of AI (artificial...
Shares in Somerset-based upmarket fashion brand Mulberry have risen to their highest level for more than two years after its sales bounced back over recent months. In a trading update, the group, best known for its luxury bags, said there had been strong growth in its important Asian markets while online sales had also...
Business West, the region’s largest business group, has used the ratification of UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) to renew its plea for help for firms hit by Brexit-related red tape. The TCA, the blueprint for free trade between following the UK’s departure from the EU, had been signed on December 30 last year...
Inspecs, the Bath-based global spectacles designer and manufacturer, said it remains cautious about its prospects this year as Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc across the world. The firm has made two major acquisitions since it floated on London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) just over a year ago. The acquisitions – one in...
