By Ian Strachan. The car I’ve just been driving is nippy and responsive. It’s a great drive, with a smooth, economical engine and a sporty, comfortable interior. It looks aggressive and solid, and has loads of carrying capacity. And if you thought I was describing a BMW or an Audi you’d be wrong. It’s a Skoda.…
1st November, 2022
By Ian Strachan. Mazda’s popular compact SUV – the extremely competent – CX-5 has had the benefit of a substantial makeover. Confident, sporty styling, added specification and more technology have added considerably to this vehicle’s appeal. The CX-5 straddles sectors. It combines the…
1st November, 2022
By Ian Strachan. The Subaru Forester has long been one of my favourite 4x4s, with good looks and high specification in a sensible-sized package. It’s a four wheel-drive vehicle with a strong personality and a purposeful look. The latest version builds on its strengths of being a tough and capable 4×4, with an…
1st November, 2022
People with learning disabilities and autism at risk of low-quality support and denial of right to decent life NHS and local authority funding well below increase in staffing costs, with some providers forced to hand back care contracts, says new report Spend on agency staff increased nearly threefold amid…
1st November, 2022
A world-first cardiology clinical audit which looked at the outcomes of minimally-invasive surgical procedures in dogs has been hailed a success. The study was set up by Paragon Veterinary Referrals’ head of cardiology, Chris Linney and colleagues, to review treatment for patent ductus arteriosus, a treatable,…
1st November, 2022
Leading accountancy and business advisory firm Haines Watts has welcomed six new trainees and graduates to join the firm’s operations in the West Midlands. The graduates and school leavers will take up a host of positions across its offices in Birmingham, Tamworth, Worcester, Ashby, and Hereford, joining their…
1st November, 2022
A mortgage expert is warning that defaulting on energy payments will have a wide-reaching detrimental effect on people’s chances of buying a home or remortgaging, if the current situation with interest rates and mortgage affordability wasn’t enough. The most important thing you can do as consumers is, keep as many…
1st November, 2022
Willmott Dixon Interiors has been appointed to deliver a new biomedical research and development facility in central Oxford. The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor will redevelop two former retail warehouse assets on Botley Road into c.65,000 sq. ft of world-class laboratory and creative office space.…
1st November, 2022
Independent property company, Hortons’ Estate Ltd, has completed work on the historic façade of one of Birmingham’s most famous buildings. Scaffolding has been removed to the New Street elevation of the Macdonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham city centre, to reveal the restored exterior of the Victorian…
1st November, 2022
The month-long 2022 FIFA World Cup has the potential to cause HR complications for businesses across the region, with some workers likely to be absent during big matches. That is the warning from Midlands employment lawyer Darryll Thomas who says businesses should prepare for both legitimate holiday requests and for…
1st November, 2022
