Business Diary: August 14

Chartered loss adjusters Agrical gets its fair share of unusual cases but a recent case involving a very lucky calf has surpassed all others.

Agrical’s Richard Heaton told Diary: “I was asked to visit a farm to assess some barn roof damage; you’d think a fairly normal job for a firm of loss adjusters specialising in rural claims.

“But I couldn’t believe my ears when the farmer started telling me the tale of how the damage happened.

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“The farmyard is situated above a barn and the farmer was separating the eight-month-old calves from the cows in this yard when one of the calves jumped 5ft on to the roof of the barn.

“To the farmer’s horror it ran up and down the roof – it even went on to the ridge and right to the edge – before it fell through a skylight into an annex used for storing furniture, landed on a sofa, got up and walked away unharmed.

“The farmer was happy the animal was alright but totally staggered at the incident. This is definitely one of the most bizarre claims I’ve ever been on.”

The roof was made from asbestos sheeting. It’s likely it will have to be replaced.

Hacks take the Flak

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ELITE sporting action spilled over from the Olympics to the annual Hacks vs Flaks rounders and cricket matches.

This hotly contested battle between financial journalists and their PR counterparts saw the Hacks rounders team trounce their opponents to win the Charles Stanley Cup once again.

The Hacks team, led by the Yorkshire Post’s City Editor Ros Snowdon, won by 19 to 17, but the Hacks waived their second innings having soundly thrashed the Flaks in their first outing.

Walbrook PR’s Helen Westaway, who counts Yorkshire’s Animalcare, Filtronic, Getech, Renew Holdings and Surgical Innovations among her clients, hit some blinders while PwC’s David Jetuah left several broken collarbones with some outrageous bowling.

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The man of the match was Jim Moore, who owes his life to London’s Air Ambulance after a horrific collision with an oil tanker last year. Jim, on crutches, whacked the ball while London’s Air Ambulance’s executive director Dr Julian Thompson did the running.

The Flaks got their own back in the cricket, posting 242 for seven in 35 overs and limiting the Hacks to 142 for eight in reply.

Salute business heroes

Britain should celebrate business success in a similar manner to Team GB’s triumphs in the Olympics, the accountant Shaun Mullins has told Diary. Mr Mullins, an audit and advisory partner at Mazars, said British commerce and industry had much to be proud of.

“There are many parallels between attributes of Team GB’s amazing performance and those that drive successful businesses and economic growth – hard work, huge sacrifices, extreme dedication, innovative products and single-minded pursuit of excellence.

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“However, I feel that from the Government down there is still a tendency to be tentative in lauding business excellence, yet in these difficult economic times our top companies need to be put on the podium too – they deserve the sort of recognition which our Olympic heroes are rightly receiving.”

Deserving of a medal

On the subject of sporting heroes, Diary has encountered a heartwarming tale from the days before big name footballers were seduced by the jet set lifestyle. In 1969, Martin Lunt, who is now HSBC’s head of regional corporate banking, was an eight-year-old suffering from rheumatic fever. The illness was so severe that he couldn’t leave the family home in Winsford, Cheshire, and didn’t get the chance to see his beloved Manchester City beat Leicester City 1-0 to triumph in the FA Cup final.

One of City’s stars, Alan Oakes, found out about young Martin’s plight because he knew one of his relatives.

Mr Lunt told Diary: “Alan brought around his cup winner’s medal which he allowed me to keep for a few days so I could show it to all my friends.”

A noble gesture from a vanished age.

Solar flair

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IT always pays to seek out celebrity endorsements. Brighouse-based Ploughcraft, the solar panel firm, has managed to earn the approval of Linda Lusardi, an actress who has graced some of the best known programmes on British television, including Emmerdale and The Bill.

Ms Lusardi has chosen Ploughcraft’s solar panels for her north London home, after being impressed by the performance of the company’s managing director, Chris Hopkins, on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den.

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