Business Diary: April 27

BARCLAYS Premier sent customers a helpful volcano text on April 21, nearly a full week after the flight chaos began.

It said: "For assistance, Barclays Premier customers stranded abroad or affected by travel problems should call 24-hour telephone banking."

Britain's airports were closed on April 15. Customers might be wondering why Barclays took so long to react.

"By then if you'd been stuck anywhere expensive, you'd have turned to prostitution," said one.

One step at a time

THERE used to be only one way of tackling the majestic snow-capped summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

You had to hop on a plane to Tanzania and hope your body could cope with the cold and altitude.

It seems there are ways of capturing the summit experience without leaving West Yorkshire. You can even take a few steps on the journey during your tea-break.

More than 160 staff at Halifax-based construction company, Southdale participated in a "virtual climb" of Kilimanjaro to keep trim.

They scaled 19,341 feet by walking up 15,750 steps at Southdale's head office, on Westholme Road, in Halifax.

The challenge, which was completed in two weeks, launched the company's Healthy Heart Initiative.

Sadly, there were no celebrities to welcome the Southdale walkers at the top of the office stairs. But at least they didn't have to worry about frostbite.

Sir Alex's topping tale

IT'S an age-old rivalry between two of football's proudest cities. But Leeds United and Manchester United's enmity, sometimes dubbed the Roses rivalry, was temporarily laid to rest for the topping-out ceremony of a hospital redevelopment. Manchester United's veteran manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, laid a tile at Salford Royal Hospital's new HopeBuilding, part of a 200m project designed by Leeds-based consultants WYG.

"The new hospital development will no doubt enhance the great

work that the team at Salford Royal already deliver to patients

in Greater Manchester," said Sir Alex.

Andy Garland from WYG Engineering said: "Having such an iconic figure like Sir Alex to mark this significant milestone in the construction of the HopeBuilding is fantastic for everyone involved in the project."

Obviously, they managed to bury the hatchet.

On your bike

FORGET playing golf, networking has stepped up a gear with the launch of a cycle club by Rensburg Sheppards.

The investment management company is setting up the club for Sheffield business people who want to get fit and healthy while doing business at the same time.

Cyclist Malcolm Elliott, who has won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, will visit Rensburg Sheppards in Sheffield next week to mark the first outing.

Rensburg Sheppards director James Lanchbery, who set up the club has a band of 30 local business contacts as members, with the club planning to meet on the first Wednesday afternoon of every month at the firm's Napier Street offices.

He said: "You can chat really easily on the bike and many professionals all over the world are finding that cycling is as good as golf in terms of making business contacts."

Getting the job done

RICHARD Flint's first job after university was temping as a data input clerk at Yorkshire Water.

Twenty-two years later, he is chief executive of the high-flying utility firm.

According to Mr Flint, who took over from Kevin Whiteman, the fastest words he can type are "job done", the most common configuration of words used during his days as a clerk.