David Parkin on SPOTY, Christmas wishes and Yorkshire restaurateurs

BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY to the initiated) at the first direct arena in Leeds last Sunday was a great experience.

It is probably one of the few nights when you don’t mind the Beeb lavishing TV licence payers’ cash with abandon on making the event, now in its 60th year, a slick, glittering occasion.

My experience of being in the audience of TV shows in the past is that you are always the poor relation to those watching it on TV.

However those 12,000 of us lucky enough to be in the audience on Sunday enjoyed a well run, perfectly prepared event.

Never mind Andy Murray, Leeds and Yorkshire came out on top, the arena looking superb to the millions watching live on BBC1.

The only disappointment was that the Tour de France Grand Depart, which takes place in Yorkshire next July, only got a brief mention when Tour de France winner Chris Froome was mentioned.

I thought the stage might be set for larger-than-life Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity to step into the limelight.

Say what you like about Big V (and I regularly do), but his marketing nous, buzzing personality and bonhomie was made for a show like SPOTY. So it was a pity he wasn’t interviewed, but I’m sure he made his presence felt on Twitter.

Last year’s winner Bradley Wiggins looked liked he had toned things down, not just in terms of the arrogant way he usually conducts himself but also the mod hairdo, long sideburns and velvet suit were gone, replaced by a short back and sides and a pinstriped suit.

Is it too much to hope that perhaps he has reflected on the criticism he received after his disgraceful display at last month’s Firecracker Ball in Harrogate? We can only hope.

One strange sight at the event were several women in long dresses who I think thought they were at the Oscars in LA rather than a damp December night in Leeds.

Then I saw several people in dinner suits. Given even the celebrities don’t wear evening clothes to the event, it was a bit cruel of whoever invited them to insist on bow ties. Rather than SPOTY 2013 they looked like they were at a National Sporting Club dinner at the Cafe Royal circa 1951 hosted by Peter Dimmock with guests Freddie Mills and Bruce Woodcock (ask your grandad).

At SPOTY I was a guest of the team at Finance Directors Yorkshire, better known as FDYL.

The team, including Neil Muffitt and Mark Raven, are experienced finance directors who each work for several clients in interim roles. The firms they work with probably don’t need a full-time FD but need more input than just somebody to sort out their books.

From my experience with the FDYL team, they also bring personality and fun to what can sometimes be a rather dull role.

Take their Christmas message to clients and contacts. They say that you can take six steps to producing the perfect Christmas dinner by applying management skills in the kitchen.

Planning, legals, advisors, budget, return on investment and decorations are their six tips to get it right around the table on December 25th.

My tip is more simple. If you’ve got a finance director coming for Christmas lunch, just buy a lot of wine and don’t mention spreadsheets.

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MOST of us receive less Christmas cards than we used to. Sadly in the corporate world they have been replaced by anodyne emails from both firms and individuals wishing you the compliments of the season.

After a cursory scan I hit the delete button and I have to say few of these messages have made any impact at all. Whereas at least Christmas cards, often complete with personal messages, stay around a lot longer.

The one email that did get my attention was Christmas wishes from Mark Ranson, who recently joined accountancy firm Armstrong Watson as a restructuring partner from Baker Tilly.

As you can see, his email included a photograph of him surrounded by stars.

I’m sure Mark can live up to the billing and sprinkle a little stardust with his work for clients.

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WHAT is it about Yorkshire restaurateurs?

They spend all year complaining that they don’t get enough customers and then when they are packed out in the run up to Christmas…they moan that they are too busy and get very stressed out.

I hope they start chilling out soon otherwise I’ve a good mind not to turn up for a drink and meal on the house.

This column will be back in the New Year. In the meantime, have a great weekend and an absolutely fantastic Christmas.