April opening for ‘speakeasy’ bar
5 things we learned yesterday
1 A Twenties-style speakeasy bar with prosecco flowing from teapots, secret rum classes and monthly talks delivered by politicians is weeks away from opening in Newcastle.
Colonel Porter’s – full name Colonel Porter’s Tavern, Botanical Garden and Rhum Bar – will have a staff of 20 when it opens next month in Milburn House, Dean Street.
Taking its name from Colonel J. Porter, the creator of Newcastle Brown Ale who originally came up with the brew in 1925, the venture is the brainchild of John Adamson, managing director of Durham-based Ramside Estate Group, which includes the prestigious Hardwick Hall and Ramside Hall hotels. 2 The North East’s booming tech scene has been hailed as an economic success story in a report that identifies high salaries, growing companies and more than 30,000 highskilled jobs.
The Tech Nation report assesses the technology sectors in 30 towns and cities around the UK and singles out Newcastle and Sunderland for praise.
Meanwhile, a separate report has also highlighted a rise in investment into the region’s technology scene which is helping companies grow faster than in many other parts of the country. Tech Nation 2017 says the Newcastle technology cluster is worth more than £1bn, with 90% of those working in it rating their quality of life as good and 76% optimistic their companies will grow. 3 Housebuilder Bellway has posted a healthy rise in half-year profits as buyers brushed aside economic uncertainty unleashed by the Brexit vote.
The Newcastle-based group said pre-tax profits rose 9.3% to £247.6m in the six months ended January 31, while revenue was up 5.9% to £1.1bn.
Completions increased 6.5% to a record 4,462 in the period, with the average selling price of its homes expected to rise to around £260,000 in 2017, up from £252,000 last year.
Commenting on the firm’s strong results, finance director Keith Adey said: “It’s a continuation of what we have been telling people for some time, that we are committed to our growth strategy. We have delivered another half year of volume growth and the profits have followed that.” 4 Sunderland furniture specialist ScS has narrowed its first-half losses to £2.6m as it saw a rise in turnover and expanded into new areas.
The loss before tax of £2.6m, for the six months ending January 28 2017, was a slight improvement on the same period last year when the firm made a loss of £3.4m. Despite continuing to be in the red, ScS managed to grow turnover by 14.6%, from £137.7m to £157.9m. 5 Manufacturing output has risen at its quickest pace for more than two years as the Brexit-hit pound boosts overseas demand for British goods, a report has said.
The Confederation of British Industry’s industrial trends survey said output volumes saw their fastest acceleration since July 2014, with a balance of plus 23% in March.
The survey, which gathers responses from 423 companies, said a strong demand in the pharmaceutical and mechanical engineering sectors also pushed export order books to highs not seen since December 2013.