David Parkin on a towering failure, a Dragon with no fire and a Foundry with plenty of sparks

LEEDS is rightly proud of its position as one of the UK’s major business cities. With the addition of the arena and the Trinity shopping centre and other new developments in the pipeline, there is a welcome feel good factor around the place.
But before anyone gets complacent, think again.
How can it call itself a major city when the main road into it from the M1 motorway is closed at Bridgewater Place every time there are high winds?
Now I know this is being sorted by the city council and the building’s landlords but it is too little too late.
Until it is, the city and those who allowed this to happen should stand in the corner wearing a dunce’s cap.
:::
KELLY Hoppen’s decision to step down from the panel on Dragons’ Den after two series made the Radio Four Today programme news headlines the other morning.
That was a bit of a surprise.
I wasn’t aware she was that well known. I’m not a regular watcher of DD but whenever I have switched on, fashion designer Hoppen has barely said anything and looks like she’d run a mile from any potential investment.
I Googled to find out what she has invested in on the show and couldn’t find a definitive list. According to her own website, ventures she has backed on Dragons’ Den include Skinny Tan, Reviveaphone and The Box of T. Not yet household names, but let’s give them time.
Hoppen is a talented designer who has been very successful but she lacks the insight and risk-taking approach of some of the entrepreneurs on the panel.
So who should replace her?
My vote goes to Yorkshire entrepreneur Larry Gould, founder of Leeds and New York-based global translation business thebigword.
He ticks the right boxes: successful, self-made entrepreneur, fun, flamboyant and up for a challenge.
Go Larry!
:::
IT is always nice to celebrate a major milestone for a business – particularly when that business is a very good restaurant like The Foundry in Leeds.
I was invited to a lunch this week to celebrate the 10th birthday of this popular destination in Holbeck run by Phil Richardson and Shaun Davies and it certainly helped brighten up a dreary, cold January day.
One of 60 male guests, I knew we’d be in for great food and fine wines as that is what The Foundry deliver every day of the week.
But Phil had a twinkle in his eye, telling guests he had arranged some “entertainment”.
The mind boggled – well mine did, I do have a very active imagination.
After the meal, washed down with white, red and rose Rioja from the Luis Alegre vineyard in Spain run by guest Martin Abel, the “turn” arrived.
I was partly right, there were plenty of sequins – but it was worn by a man. 
With thick black hair, long sideburns, tight trousers and a spangly shirt, the imposing figure stepped up to the microphone.
“He’s doing Elvis, definitely,” said one of my fellow diners. “No, it’ll be Roy Orbison,” said another. “What about Johnny Cash?” ventured a third.
“I hope he does some Shakin’ Stevens, I love a bit of Shaky,” I blurted out before I had time to think.
They all turned to stare at me, then looked away, ashamed.
In fact we were all wrong to start with.
This guy did a full set of Neil Diamond classics before taking a break and returning in a white rhinestone-encrusted jumpsuit to belt out some classic Elvis hits.
There can’t be much better talents to come out of Coventry in recent years.
It just encouraged the guests to drink even more. I made the mistake of trying to befriend a veteran Leeds United fan who thought I was a Manchester United supporter.
I swiftly appraised him of the fact that I actually support Derby County to which he seemed even less impressed.
“Derby are nothing,” he said before challenging me to sing a Derby song. At that point, having indulged in the wine for some time, I don’t think I could have even sung my own name.
So I slunk off.
Big Jim 1 Parky 0
:::
I WAS at a do in London last night for an old friend I was at journalism college with. He was probably one of the most successful of those on the course, going on to work on several tabloids including the News of the World and Sunday Mirror, something we all wanted to do at the time, whether we admitted it or not.
He is now a high-flying crisis PR guru, flying around the world to advise corporations on their strategy.
Fortunately for me he doesn’t forget his friends and so there I was sipping the vino at the bar that is a permanent fixture on the top floor of his City office building.
Chatting to one of his former colleagues from the tabloid days, the guy said to me that he used to work on the News of the World.
“It wasn’t all phone hacking you know,” he commented. “I always used to find my stories the right way, just phoning contacts and talking to people.”
So what was the best scoop he ever got, I asked.
“I got the story that the TV witch Grotbags was in hospital having a triple hernia operation caused by picking up all the kids on the Rod Hull and Emu show,” he said proudly.
I’d have read it.
:::
THIS is my last column for TheBusinessDesk.com.
As I briefly mentioned last year, I’ve launched a new events and travel business called COPA and now need to focus on taking that forward.
 
My new contact details are david@copasummit.com and our website is at www.copasummit.com
 
It has been a fascinating, challenging and importantly enjoyable seven years at TheBusinessDesk.com.
Some people go into journalism to change the world, others want to travel the world.
Someone I met the other day told me that he’d been having a really bad day one Friday and then read my column and it cheered him up.
That’s good enough for me.
All the best and have a great weekend.

Close