It's all downhill for Birmingham's annual Corporate Ski Challenge
There’s a recession on, so the last that most businessmen would want is to see things hurtling downhill at the rate of knots.
Unless that is... you’re on a skiing holiday.
And, though times are tough, once bitten by the bug few will cancel the annual jaunt to the slopes unless they really are on their uppers.
So time to sign up for the Corporate Ski Challenge when Birmingham’s professional community descend on Villars, Switzerland, for four days of skiing culminating in speed and slalom events.
Oh, and a spot of après-ski too.
The inaugural event, held in March last year attracted around 80 of Birmingham’s finest, with the overall title going to Grant Thornton.
It raised around £8,000 for two local charities – the Acorns Hospice and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The 2009 event will once again be sponsored by BT Local Business and Snow & Rock.
So far confirmed entries have come in from – HBJ Gateley Wareing, Grant Thornton, Clearwater, Orbis, Alliance & Leicester, Dains Corporate Finance, Tilney Investment Management, George Green Solicitors, Jasper Corporate Finance, KBC Bank, PKF, Blair Allison, BT Local Business, Wattrus Holdings, Profile IT, Arc Benefits and Clay Rogers & Partners.
Indeed it is all organised by Tim Clay – businessman, musician, skier... is there anything this man does not do?
The event will run from March 5-8, with accommodation at the 4 Star Hotel Bristol at a cost of £440.
Includes half board, transfers, presentation dinner and an entry into the competition, plus a few added extras thrown in courtesy of the sponsors.
Participants are responsible for booking their own flights to Geneva.
And we’ll try and get the winners up in lights in the Bright column. So get signed up with Tim. Contact Clay Rogers & Partners, 0121 212 9212, email timclay@clayrogers.com.
And may the best skier win.
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It’s the sort of thing US presidents and presidential candidates used to do especially when campaigning around about five states in a day.
Spiro Agnew specialised in it; Barack Obama even made the mistake. Now Birmingham’s own Gary Newbon has managed it.
I hear that the football pundit and greyhound commentator was over in Nottingham recently for the unveiling of a statue to Brian Clough, the manager who won two European Cups while in charge of Forest.
There were lots of media organisations present along with the great and good of the city.
Anyway Newbon had the privilege of interviewing the Mayor.
And so, the shrouds are pulled down, the image of Cloughie is unveiled in all its glory, and Newbon goes into action.
“Tell me, Mr Mayor, what does this mean to the people of Birmingham?”
Oops.
“I mean, Nottingham.”
One of those please engage brain first moments.
Old Big Mouth, as he was known, would have loved it, putting one over on Gary “The Gob” Newbon. I can hear him laughing now.
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Step forward the X Factor star of John Bright.
More than 150 clients and contacts of Allied Irish Bank (GB)’s Wolverhampton branch sang for their supper recently when they joined staff for a special ‘Kurryoke’ evening to raise money for charity.
A mix of bankers, solicitors, accountants and business people enjoyed an array of Indian food before belting out their favourite songs until the early hours at The Ramada Park Hall Hotel in Goldthorn Hill in Wolverhampton, raising £2,500 for the charity Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
The karaoke performances were judged by guests, with each table scoring the singers on their performances. Stealing the show was last year’s winner Tony Randle, of solicitors RN Williams.
Tony defied any boring solicitor stereotypes by high kicking his way through the Chesney Hawkes classic The One And Only.
And proving that Wolverhampton really has got talent, he even jumped on the AIB table for a spot of air guitar. Poser!
Richard Hornsey, AIB senior manager and compère on the night, said: “What he lacks in vocal ability he more than makes up for in energy and dancing flair.”
No sign of Simon Cowell thank goodness. Randle is already swollen-headed enough.
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