Lenny Henry goes big time rather than budget
May 10 2008 John Bright
Comedian Lenny Henry is having a laugh, isn't he?
In a TV commercial, he extols the virtues of staying at a Premier Inn, where guests get a big deal for a small bill.
So what did he do on a recent visit to Birmingham, where Premier Inns have three city centre budget hotels and five others with a Birmingham address?
My spy-in-the-foyer tells me he saw him checking into the plush Hotel du Vin, where small bills are never budgeted for!
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An eventful day at the Sam Doble Memorial match last Saturday. A Moseley International XV were playing the charity game against a Phil Bennett International team.
And here's a picture of Bennett (good player, Lions star and Welsh international) with Birmingham Post business editor John Duckers (bad player, Aberdeenshire, Scottish fifth division 74-84) and Neil Bates, of main sponsor Oldbury-based investment advisers TBK Wealth Management.
The legendary JPR Williams and Derek Quinnell were also along. The first half lasted an hour and a half after the air ambulance had to be called in for an injury, and the second half seemed to take 20 minutes.
Don't ask me what the score was - nobody cared anyway. And a generally boozy day ended with a sitdown dinner with the great Bennett and co.
Personally, I took my repaste in the box of the equally legendary, if not for quite the same reasons, Greville Edwards, whose Flanbury meat pies are to die for. He tells me that another Moseleyite, Paul "Gizza" Gisbourne, dared to claim that his Welford pies were better.
That meant there had to be a "pie off" ... and Flanbury won.
Incidentally Edwards, otherwise known as the Lord of Hadzor, is these days drinking in the Galton Arms at Himbleton.
This is because he got chucked out of the Firs at Oddingley because he told them their food was rubbish. The life of Edwards is ever so exciting.
The Sam Doble match incidentally was to mark the 25th anniversary of the original game at which a virtual Lions team took on a very fine Moseley side.
Doble, an international and amazing goal kicker, died young from cancer.
The warm-up match featured a Combined Birmingham Old Boys (COBS) team against a Moseley Select.
Edwards is a big COBS fan; Duckers junior was playing for the select side.
And a final bit of sillyness - the Edwards box contained two John Morgans, John M and John A.
Very confusing.
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I think a touch of madness gets into the British psyche when a Bank Holiday comes around.
For example, word reaches me that Sophie Llewhelin, part of the PR and communications team at law firm Shoosmiths, went camping in North Wales.
And she never even took a sleeping bag. Our Sophie must be extremely tough or very silly.
But then she is Welsh, which explains a lot!
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Learn to cook from an expert - that was the invitation that came into the office.
Learn to cook anything would be a start for Bright. He can claim to be excellent on scrambled egg, and that's about it.
Anyway, it all takes place at Opus Restaurant in Birmingham city centre on Thursday.
And the likes of Mucklows, IMI, Brintons, developer Fred Pritchard and PKF are apparently taking part.
Naturally, I have chickened out, but had I not, then I would "become part of the restaurant's team of sous-chefs working with the very talented David Colcombe, the restaurant's chef director".
The invite goes on: "David, who trained under Anton Mosimann at the Dorchester, will guide you through his kitchen and personally show you how to prepare a very special meal for some very special customers.
"Following your rapid ascent to the level of sous chef, David will put your skills to the test when you will be asked to prepare a meal for a guest of your choice. You and your fellow sous-chefs will be invited to bring along a partner or friend to dinner, where the fruits of your labours will be served in our private dining facility accompanied by some fine wines and an appraisal of your performance in the kitchen by both David and the best critics available: your guests!"
Sorry, guys, I just don't have the bottle.
And you should be thankful - Bright loose in the Opus kitchen would probably end up closing the place!
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The longest running 50th birthday ever - that of Midlands PR guru Andy Skinner - has finally reached a conclusion.
After a surprise bash in the sticks he was subsequently whisked off to Spain by partner Angela.
Naturally, he didn't know anything about it and was pushed onto the plane kicking and screaming that he had work to do - as men do.
"I was kidnapped," he wails into his pint of dry cider.
I don't know - what a drama queen.
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Off to the official opening bash of BHMG Marketing who have got new offices in Bennetts Hill, Birmingham.
It's run by old chum Andrew Haddow. And Haddow being Haddow, he has picked an interesting spot.
Over the top of the Wellington pub and with a good view of the Old Joint Stock at the rear.
Now that's a location.
Nice little bash too, and nothing like drinking Haddow's red wine.
Decent stuff.
Clearly the guy is maturing nicely in his old age.
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Which corporate cricketer is resorting to mechanical aids in the John Bright Trophy?
Left in the St Philips Chambers changing room at the Britannic Park pavilion in Moseley on Thursday evening was a £6.95 Elastomer Exercise Strong Grip ("Squeeze to strengthen hands and forearms") still sealed in its packaging.
Other additions to the pavilion lost property collection included Tim Harcourt's book The Undercover Economist left on a pavilion bench.
Despite the bright sunshine, it was a bad week for batsmen from city law firms. St Philips, last year's beaten finalists, totalled just 105/9 v Ernst & Young's impressive bowling attack. Paceman Simon Bird (2-6) and swing bowler Mohammed Haider (3-8) were the main destroyers. On Tuesday, No 5 Chambers was also well below par making just 58 against KMPG.
My Course Cricketer Award goes to Scott Wilson's Henry Chan, a trainee mechanical engineer from Hong Kong, playing DTZ on Wednesday. After initially standing guard a yard outside leg stump, Henry gamely survived two overs, edged a single and was run out by his batting partner.
John Bright Trophy - Week 2:
Tues May 6 - KPMG 179/4 in 16 overs (S Matharu 36 rtd, C Hughes 35 rtd, T Dubb 2-19, A Hafeez 1-14) No 5 Chambers 58 (C Easter 3-3, C Moore 2-13, B Tarry 1-7). KMPG won by 121 runs.
Wed May 7 - Scott Wilson 107/5 in 14 overs (A Cronin 24, B Martin 20) DTZ 108/2 in 11.1 overs ( A Berry 37 rtd, S Kirby 33). DTZ won by 8 wkts.
Thurs May 8 - St Philips Chambers 105/9 in 16 overs (J Turner 33, M Haider 3-8, S Bird 2-6) Ernst & Young 106/1 in 11.1 overs (P Evans 36 rtd, J Raine 35 rtd). Ernst & Young won by 9 wkts.
