Business Diary: January 18

WHATEVER the challenges and controversies may lie ahead of Lord Heseltine and his 1.4bn regional growth fund, the veteran Conservative is keenly aware of issues facing the UK economy in the near future. During last week's visit to Yorkshire, the peer would not be drawn on whether he thought the Bank of England should start raising interest rates, but he did predict that "we are going to be talking about inflation with more concern as the next few months evolve".

Strange customs

They're a rum bunch, Southerners.

As Sainsbury's embarks on big expansion plans for Yorkshire and the North, it may have to explain some of its strange ways. Diary was bemused on a trip to Sainsbury's headquarters in London to find a sign on the lavatory door saying: "In the interests of hygiene, please do not stand on the toilet seats".

Come again? Why would anyone want to stand on the toilet seats? To check out what's going on in the other cubicles? To add a new dimension to the trip to the loo?

Diary asked a Sainsbury's press officer what this was all about, but he had no idea either. Very strange.

Inspired by Ashes triumph

WITH England's Ashes triumph still fresh in the public mind, there's likely to be heightened interest in cricket this summer. So what better time to buy a calendar that captures the soaring national mood? Turley Associates, the planning and urban design consultancy which has an office in Leeds, is sponsoring the annual Art of Cricket calendar featuring the oil paintings of Christina Pierce and photographs by Christopher Bishop.

The front cover shows Andrew Strauss celebrating a century against the Australians in the 2005 Ashes series. The 12 paintings and photographs aim to capture the passion and excitement of the game at a national and county level. Rob Lucas, the chief executive at Turley Associates, said: "The opportunity to be involved with this terrific calendar and at a time when we have taken the Ashes from Australia in Australia was just too good to miss."

Turley Associates have sent copies of the calendar to its clients across its 10 offices to celebrate the England cricket team's victory.

A different class

NOW Londoners have one more reason to come to Yorkshire. A first class lounge was due to open at Sheffield station this morning as part of a 10m upgrade programme across the network by East Midlands Trains. Bill Speirs, the Master Cutler, is joining forces with the rail operator to open the lounge, on platform five. Passengers in first class will be given complimentary refreshments, newspapers and WiFi access.

Professor Speirs and representatives from Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, Sheffield Forgemasters, engineer Davy Markham, Lloyds and law firm Nabarro will then travel to London on Sheffield's renowned Master Cutler train service. The station is also getting a refurbishment of standard class waiting rooms, toilet facilities and CCTV.

David Horne, commercial and customer service director for East Midlands Trains, said: "With the roll-out of faster journeys and twice hourly services, we have demonstrated our determination to provide the best possible service for train passengers between Sheffield and London." Or in other words, prepare for an invasion of Londoners.

Mind the gaffe

When Lord Young said last November that Britons had "never had it so good" in this "so-called recession" it was a gaffe that prompted his resignation as enterprise adviser to David Cameron.

Yorkshire Building Society chief executive Iain Cornish was careful to avoid making the same mistake at the Yorkshire Post debate on the region's economy in 2011 but he insisted some home owners were in a strong financial situation.

"One thing that's been helping consumer spending is that if you've got a mortgage and got a job you're probably in as good a financial position as you've been in," he told the group.

"You've never had it so good?" someone asked him.

"I'm not going to say that as it got someone else into trouble," he said. "But for some people that is close to the truth."

Petrol prices stall spending

IF you're wondering why your wallet is suddenly a lot lighter since the New Year, Morrisons may have the answer.

Martyn Jones, group corporate services director, said the supermarket estimates that, on average, consumers are having to find an extra 10 a week to fill their cars with petrol. "That's 10 disposable income they're not spending in other sectors, not just on food, but eating out and other areas," he said. "Clearly, we're seeing a lot of pressure and constraint on the consumer."