Business Diary: January 11

Where else, it would seem, but Travelodge's lost and found office.

The budget hotel chain has revealed that plenty of mysterious objects were left behind by absent-minded guests at its 460 hotels last year.

One guest with unusual tastes left behind a traffic lollipop stick at Travelodge's Harrogate hotel.

The list of discarded items also gives an insight into the public's reading tastes – and suggests some books may not stand the test of time.

The most popular book to be left behind at a Travelodge last year was The Unauthorised Biography of Simon Cowell.

It seems that Yorkshire folk aren't as unsentimental as outsiders believe. Leeds Central Travelodge had a suitcase of Mills & Boon books left behind which belonged to a high-flying businessman.

Some of the lost and found items made Diary raise a sceptical eyebrow.

The strangest case related to a bridegroom, who was left tied to the bed by his friends as a joke on the eve of his wedding at Kendal Travelodge.

No one remembered to untie him on the morning of his wedding, which had to be delayed for a couple of hours so that the groom could be found.

Snow excuse

THERE'S only so much moaning analysts will accept from retailers about snow disruptions.

Books-to-DVDs retailer HMV last week drew a scathing response from Arden Partners analyst Nick Bubb after it tried to blame sliding sales and a profit warning on December's heavy snowfall.

"The market largely expected a profit warning, but the news is still depressing," said Mr Bubb. "The snow disruption pre-Christmas is being blamed, slightly pathetically, but clearly there are other structural factors at work … note that HMV was one of the first retailers to moan about the impact of the snow in early January a year ago."

Given the bird

THE chaps at Cranswick Pet Products are getting in a right flap over their new industry accolade.

Yes guys we know you're the UK's leading manufacturer of food and accessories for the wild bird market, but you've got to stop the bird puns.

On being awarded a top rating by the British Retail Consortium, the press team went into overdrive with the news that Cranswick Pet products had "swooped" their way to an A grade rating.

The award follows an audit by BRC inspectors of its manufacturing facilities in Driffield "from which the company passed with flying colours on its very first attempt."

Enough bird jokes, we get the message. Any more puns like that and we'll be spitting feathers.

Prizes galore

The chance to take a spin in a gyrocopter is one of several prizes which Yorkshire businesses have donated to help raise money for four charities.

Up to 300 people are expected at Barnsley Rockley Rotary's annual sportsman's dinner, on February 17, when a charity auction will raise money for Help for Heroes, British Limbless ex-Servicemen Association (Blesma), Barnsley Disabled Club and High Hope (Barnsley Riding for the Disabled).

The lots for which guests can bid are a flight in a new gyrocopter, courtesy of Apollo Cradles, a corporate hospitality box for six people to see the Torvill & Dean Dancing on Ice show at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, donated by Sheffield turnaround, recovery and insolvency firm the P&A Partnership, and a free flying lesson donated by Payman Nayeri, a former president of Rockley Rotary Club.

Ben Parkinson, the Yorkshire soldier who lost both legs while fighting in Afghanistan, will also be at the event, which takes place at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Barnsley, and the guest speakers are Paul Fletcher, former footballer and now chief executive of the Arena Coventry, and John Stiles, a former Doncaster Rovers player and the son of England World Cup legend Nobby.

The evening is sponsored by HSBC Bank plc and the contact is Kathy Markwick, commercial officer at HSBC South Yorkshire Commercial Centre, who can be contacted on 08455 831720.

Last year's event raised 5,000 for charities Sheffield Children's Hospital, international disaster relief charity Shelterbox and Ghana Outlook, which supports education and health in rural communities.