CLA Game Fair 2013

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

The 2013 CLA Game Fair site is the beautiful Ragley Hall Estate which covers more than 500 acres. So far we have had a chance to talk to Olympic Gold medalist Peter Wilson, bask in the summer weather, 30c at last time of checking, look at some beautiful guns, cute dogs, clothes and events. Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche have their cars on display and tomorrow we will be checking out the only Zorse (cross breed of a Zebra and horse) in the UK.

We also spent time with prominent shooting journalist Michael Yardley who is at the top of his field. Michael has a gun from Boxall and Edmiston which bears his name after he gave some of his ideas on the design of the gun.

Go to the Boxall and Edmiston stand to see their beautiful guns. There is also beautiful leather goods there from Daniels & Wood.

We will keep you updated on the CLA Game Fair 2013 tomorrow. Until then, have have a great weekend.

Edinburgh apartments named best hotel in the UK

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Frostie

A luxury serviced apartment complex in Edinburgh has been named the best hotel in the UK by the world’s largest online travel agency.

The Knight Residence apart-hotel near Edinburgh Castle is ranked at no. 9 and has the top spot in the UK in Expedia’s 2013 Insider Select list of 650 hotels around the world, drawn up after study of half a million independent guest reviews.

The list “recognises the very best hotels available in Expedia’s global marketplace,” the agency said. “These properties have been identified by customers as consistently delivering superior services, an exceptional guest experience and notable value.”

Only two other hotels in the UK – The Stafford in London and Longueville Manor in St Saviour in Jersey – are included in the leading 50. Others in the top 10 are located in Mexico, Costa Rica, Slovakia, France and India.

The Knight Residence, situated in Lauriston Street, has 28 one, two and three bedroom apartments and has consistently won awards for customer service. Last year it was voted Scotland’s best employer in the hospitality industry.

It is the seventh year in succession that it has featured in the Expedia Insider Select list.

“It’s a remarkable achievement to have been named the best hotel in the UK and a tribute to the consistently high standards we strive to achieve,” said Colin Stone, General Manager of The Knight Residence.

“One factor in our favour is that we offer more space and facilities than even top-of-the-range rooms in a conventional hotel. This is particularly attractive to business travellers and people with young families.”

He added: “Edinburgh itself remains one of the main tourist hotspots and business centres in Europe and we are lucky to have an enviable location right in the heart of the city.”

Kate Hudson wears Annoushka Jewellery

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Frostie

Actress Kate Hudson stuns at Novak Djokovic Foundation Gala last night wearing Annoushka Jewellery and a bracelet by Guest Designer, Selim Mouzannar for Annoushka.

Annoushka bronze and oxidised silver Foundry bracelet £650

Annoushka 18ct yellow gold, diamond and oxidised silver Ottoman ring £1,600

18ct white gold, diamond,sapphire and tsavorite bracelet by Selim Mouzannar for Annoushka £28,500

Two-thirds take less than an hour to apply for a job

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Frostie

Two-thirds take less than an hour to apply for a job.

A new survey has shown that two-thirds of people applying for jobs take less than an hour to fill in the application forms.

The survey of over 1,000 jobseekers undertaken by recruitment specialist staffbay.com showed that the days of taking a whole day filling in forms and writing covering letters to try and impress prospective employers could be at an end. Less than 10 per cent of respondents to the survey said they spend a day on a job application, with a mere 5 per cent saying they take more than a day.

According to staffbay.com co-founder Tony Wilmot, employers shouldn’t be alarmed at the figures, and should recognise that, these days, quality is better than quantity when it comes to jobseekers showing off their talents.

“I’m not surprised by these results at all,” he said. “These days, HR departments don’t have the time to plough their way through hundreds of pages of paper CVs. What they want is to be able to see if the person applying for the job is worth bringing in for an interview, and that’s why social media and video CVs have become so popular amongst jobseekers.

“It takes just ten minutes to build a profile on staffbay.com, and what we say to people looking to show off their abilities is: focus on what will truly set yourself apart from the competition, and don’t just concentrate on the quick and easy options or resort to box-ticking. Using the power of social media and video CVs, it should take less than an hour to make a prospective employer sit up and take notice, in which time you can leap to the front of the interview queue.”

The simple things work best, says Tony: “The message we hear from employers is that staff don’t have to be qualified to the hilt, just that they’ll invest some time and effort in their new job. However, not everyone has a strategy in place to identify good talent. Small businesses in particular don’t want to wade through hundreds of applications.”
According to Tony, now is the time to act if you are looking for a new career. He said: “There are definitely green shoots of growth in the employment market. At staffbay.com we have the ability to see behind the scenes, and we’re aware that employers are being very proactive at interacting with candidates and building a network and a rapport for when the economy truly recovers. Furthermore, the number of job applications via our website has doubled over the last six months.”

My QVC With Lisa Snowdon

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Frostie

This year QVC is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. 2013 marks the 20th birthday of QVC UK and to mark 20 Years of making shopping fun, British model and presenter, Lisa Snowdon, has curated a special selection of her top picks from QVC, ranging from jewellery and homes to beauty – shop the products at QVC

Anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year with a variety of brand experts from the likes of fashion journalist Eve Pollard, beauty editor Nadine Baggot and many more in the next few months picking their own assortment of favourite products.

Clarisonic Plus Face & Body Complete Sonic Cleansing System

Item number – 400407

QVC Price – £197.00

“I’m a skincare addict with my dermatologist on speed dial! Nothing cleans your face better than Clarisonic”

Bose SoundDock II Digital Music System and Bose IE2 Headphones

Item number – 502821

QVC Price – £290.00

I love music and as a breakfast radio DJ I start my morning every day with two hours of tunes. Having this at home means I can end my day with music too. And it charges my iPhone – perfect!”

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

Item Number – 222526

QVC Price – £30.50

“I love a natural sunkissed look as if you’ve just stepped off the beach. This is great to give you that holiday glow all year round”

bareMinerals Deluxe 16g Foundation

Item number- 203593

QVC Price – £32.50

“I like the natural ingredients and the in built SPF of this foundation. You can even your skin tone with a light dusting or layer it up to get fuller coverage, whatever you need that day!”

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

Item number – 214876

QVC Price – £51.00

“Cult classic, it gently deep cleans, I can’t be without it”

Nails Inc 4 Piece Happy Nude Year Collection

Item number – 203106

QVC Price – £23.50

“Nude shades are never out of vogue, these cool colours will suit everyone and go with anything you wear”

H2O X5 Multi-Floor Steam Mop & H/held Steamer with Accessories

Item number – 832294

QVC Price – £69.00

“I like things to be clean and steam mops can clean almost everything!”

Benefit Waterproof Liner & Mascara Duo

Item number – 202807

QVC Price – £29.00

“Big, long lashes give you an instant boost and make everyone look good, the thick black kohl liner adds depth and sexiness”

Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial

Item number – 226630

QVC Price – £39.60

“When I’ve had a few too many late nights and early starts, this overnight facial gives my skin a great boost”

Elemis Tan Accelerator 400ml

Item number – 219847

QVC Price – £44.00

“I love to be a bronzed goddess but always make sure I’m safe in the sun by wearing a high SPF. This helps me prepare my skin to make the most of those all-too-rare sunshine rays”

Lisa Snowdon Diamond Charm Ring Sterling Silver

Item number – 608771

QVC Price – £68.00

Lisa Snowdon Diamond Cross Ring Sterling Silver

Item number – 608763

QVC Price – £92.00

Do you shop at QVC? What is your favourite product?

U.S. Business Travelers Miss Their Connection

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Frostie

Research of 1,000 U.S. business travelers from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) reveals staying in touch with home is top priority

· Lack of Internet access biggest stress for travelers

· Communicating with family the top way to de-stress when away from home

There really is no place like home, unless it is a hotel that offers free Internet connection according to new research from IHG which has found that being able to connect online with family and friends is now the top priority for U.S. business travelers.

The research polled 1,000 business travelers nationwide and was commissioned to mark this month’s launch of IHG’s renamed loyalty program, IHG® Rewards Club. It reveals that not being able to contact home due to lack of Internet connection is now the biggest travel headache for people away on business, cited by 48% of travelers in the U.S. as their biggest stress factor, ahead of noisy location (41%) and difficult transportation links (38%).

IHG set out to better to understand hotel guests’ priorities while traveling and is now the first and only hotel group to offer free Internet access globally to all its loyalty program members. This new benefit started with Elite members at the beginning of July and will roll out to all members starting in 2014, whether they are staying the night at one of IHG’s nine brand hotels, or coming in for a coffee or impromptu meeting.

Other top-line findings in the U.S. underline the importance of Internet access:

· 62% of those surveyed said that Internet was the most important additional facility in their hotel room above a TV (20%); mini-fridge (5%), landline phone (4%), bath tub (3%) and mini bar (1%).

· Logging onto the Internet in their room when they first arrive topped the list of things that help travelers feel most at home, while staying at a hotel (25%), above unpacking (20%), taking a shower (10%) or turning on the TV (6%)

More than half (55%) of travelers say that they would prefer to communicate with people back home over the Internet rather than using the phone.

· Almost half of business travelers (47%) surveyed cited connecting with family at home as the best way to de-stress at the end of a working day.

· 83% said that free Internet would make them happier whilst travelling away for business.

· And, more than two thirds of respondents, (69%), would be very unhappy traveling if they had no way of connecting with loved ones back home.

Relationship expert and Dating Doctor, David Coleman explains:

“Long distance relationships are difficult to successfully maintain. When we are separated from people we love or care for, we begin to physically miss their presence – their warmth, smile, touch, or facial expressions. Just hearing a voice on the phone is no longer sufficient for the modern business traveler, we need the comfort of being able to connect and see our loved ones. We need to be able to send an e-mail to our significant other to say we are thinking of them; be able to share a laugh with our children before they run off to school, and be able to stay connected to our friends back home. Being able to seamlessly and regularly connect with our loved ones is crucial, now more than ever, in maintaining strong remote relationships.”

Win Tickets To Innocent Inspires Evening All About Entrepreneurship

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Frostie

Frost has a pair of tickets up for grabs to an evening all about entrepreneurialis, as part of the innocent Inspires series, at Fruit Towers on 24^th July.

The line up includes some of Britain’s most dynamic, interesting and successful entrepreneurs from the worlds of food, drink, retail, technology, charity and luxury – who will all be sharing their tips and ideas on how you can become your own boss, along with how they got it right (and times when it all went wrong.)

The entrepreneurs who will be there are Innocent co-founder Richard Reed, luxury jewellery brand Astley Clarke founder Bec Astley Clarke, creator of not-for profit computer charity, Raspberry Pi, Eben Upton, not on the high street.com founders Holly Tucker & Sophie Cornish, founder of global peace charity Peace One Day Jeremy Gilley

What Innocent have to say about Innocent Inspires:

When we started innocent 14 years ago, it was with the aim of doing business in a truly good way – to make products
that taste good, that do you good, and to do good in the wider world too. It hasn’t always been easy, but having a set of
clear and simple values has helped shape the business we’ve become.

innocent inspires is a series of one-off events where people will discuss, debate and be inspired by the values we
believe in with the help of a group of interesting people who do brilliant things every day.

Whether the focus is on health, ethics, entrepreneurship, taste or creativity, we’ll share everything from inspirational
tales to tips on the little things you can do to help make the world a little bit better today.

Curated by innocent, each event will be fully immersive, so there won’t be boring lectures or numb bums, instead expect
laughing, smelling, listening, tasting, jogging, drawing, thinking and, above all, lots of inspiration. There’ll probably be the
odd smoothie in there too.

www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/inspires #innocentinspires

To win like Frost on Facebook, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter. Then comment below and tell us what you did. Good luck!

Royal Mail to float – what interested investors should do

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Frostie

The biggest privatisation for two decades

· Royal Mail to float

· What interested investors should do

· IPO Q & A

Today the Government have announced plans to float the Royal Mail in what could be the largest privatisation for two decades. The state-owned postal service could be valued up to as much as £3 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) taking place this year.

Richard Hunter, Head of Equities, Hargreaves Lansdown;-

““The success of the Direct Line Group & esure share offers has reignited private investor interest in IPOs. The offer of shares to the public is reminiscent of the float of British Gas in the 1980’s which was accompanied by the “Tell Sid” Campaign. Shares will be marketed to the public and any investors aged over 18 will be able to apply for shares.

What interested investors should do

Richard Hunter

“We don’t have the details of the IPO yet. Investors can register their interest with a stockbroker now and when a prospectus and application pack becomes available they will contact you with all the information needed to invest.”

Tell Sid? – Investing in an Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) Q & A

From the first “Tell Sid” privatisation of British Gas in the 1980s, flotations and Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) have always been of interest to the investor. Richard Hunter, Head of Equities, explains how they work.

What is an IPO?

An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is where the owner(s) of a company sell all of part of their stake to the public in order to raise money. This cash can then be used to grow the company or simply be returned to the owners. An IPO is also commonly called a flotation.

An IPO may only be made available to institutional investors or to a mixture of private (retail) and institutional investors. An IPO happens in three stages.

1. The Intention to Float – The company announces to the stock market, public stating they wish to float the company

2. Preparation of Prospectus – The company will then prepare and release a prospectus. This aims to be the definitive document relating to the launch and will describe the offer in detail. Applications to buy shares in an IPO should always be made on the basis of the information contained in the prospectus

3. Sale of shares – The company and their advisers invite applications for the shares. The IPO will be open for a fixed time known as the Offer Period

When will the share price be known?

In some cases fixed price offers are made and the investor will know the share price in advance. Alternatively the share price will not be known until the date the company floats. In some cases the company will provide an indicative range for the flotation price of the shares e.g. £2.00 to £2.20. The precise price won’t be fixed until near the listing date and may depend on demand for the shares. Once the share has floated on the open market, the price will the rise and fall as all other shares do.

Why would investor want to get buy shares at IPO?

An IPO allows investment in a company when it first enters a stock market.

When will shares go on sale?

The timetable for an IPO generally spans four weeks. An Intention to Float announcement is made and then around two weeks later the prospectus is issued and the offer period starts. It is during this period investors can apply for shares.

Where can investors get a prospectus for an IPO?

Interested investors should contact a stock broker who will be able to register your interest in receiving a prospectus. In some cases a stock broker will provide research and updates as information becomes available. For example, Hargreaves Lansdown has been involved in the majority of IPOs over the last 30 years.

How do investors buy IPO shares?

Investors can buy IPO shares through a stockbroker. A share dealing account should be opened and money deposited to buy the shares. This can be done online or over the telephone using a debit card, or alternatively a paper application accompanied by a cheque can be used.

How many shares can investors buy from an IPO?

There is normally a minimum number – If the offer is oversubscribed investors may not be able to buy all the shares they want to buy. If this is the case the balance of money can be used to buy other shares or can be refunded.

Can investors buy IPO shares through an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA?

In some cases money in an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA can be used to buy IPO shares. This depends upon which market the company is listing upon and the type of IPO.

What dealing costs are paid?

Buying IPO shares is often free for investors.

Hargreaves Lansdown’s charges are as follows:

IPO share purchase Free

Share account charge Nil (Other charges to hold shares may apply e.g. in ISA and SIPP (ISA – 0.5% capped at £45 a year, SIPP – 0.5% capped at £200 a year).

Selling IPO shares will be subject to a dealing charge from £5.95 and no more than £11.95 (online).

Buying IPO shares after the offer period, when the shares are available in the market, will be subject to a dealing fee of no more than £11.95 (online) plus stamp duty of 0.5%.

Is there a minimum holding period? How quick can an investor sell?

There is no minimum period, but generally it takes 3 working days from the date of the float to issue the shares and selling cannot practically happen before then.

How will investors be able to sell IPO shares?

This is easy. Simply choose when and how many to sell, and execute the deal online or alternatively instruct a sale over the telephone. Dealing online is almost always cheaper than dealing over the telephone.

Will there be a dividend from IPO shares and if so, how will they be paid and when?

This depends upon the company. The prospectus will normally detail any proposed dividend policy.

How will investors find out if there are any special discounts or shareholder perks?

If there are any, they will be detailed in the prospectus

What are the risks?

The value of shares will fall as well as rise, so investors may get back less than they invested. Dividends are not guaranteed and, if paid, are variable. During the period between the Intention to Float being announced and the start of the offer period, the intention may be withdrawn. This rarely happens.

A company which is the subject of an IPO may not have a long track record and could be difficult to value or calculate a fair price. In many IPOs investors do not know the share price before committing to buy and therefore may end up buying at a higher price than they wished.

Investors should read the prospectus and any supplementary documentation as this will include the main risks of investing.

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