News & Opinion - Recent

Opera Public Relations is pleased to announce that from the 1st of September the company will be implementing and manageing a media and marketing campaign for Pilsley-based Litton Properties, a regional developer with a growing portfolio of commercial and mixed-use schemes.

The appointment covers both site-specific and corporate publicity; Opera will also be involved with Litton's digital media and brand strategy.

comments [0] permalink

If England want to regain some dignity from their appalling performance during the World Cup then my advice is simple: give your fee to charity and publicly apologise for one of the worst achievements in recent tournaments.

This won't get them back into the competition but it would help atone for their dreadful behaviour when the team simply walked off the pitch without acknowledging the fans, which was more than worse than actually losing the match.

What we got was a childish reaction that it not becoming for anyone in an England shirt.

Shame on them.

comments [0] permalink

When the would-be prime minister, David Cameron, stated publicly that: "We have no plans to raise VAT", we should have all been able to decode the political language, which essentially meant that they had every plan to raise VAT.  Given that the new coalition government has inherited one of the worst budget deficits in the western world we all knew that Osborne's first budget would be the exact opposite of Labour's pre-elecion give-away: it was going to be painful.

The problem is that the Tories, who are historically against tax rises, had to reach a compromise with the Liberal Democrats (why did Gordon Brown always refer to them as the Liberal Party?), who are broadly in favour of higher government spending.  

It is too early to know whether this budget will affect the future stability of the Con-Lib government, but one thing is for sure by next January the cost of living will go up.  For businesses that can pass on the VAT to their customers the rise is largely irrelevant; the problem comes with the consumer who cannot pass on the increases to anyone and who will be faced with higher prices.  If people start to rein in spending then this could undremine the future stability of the economy on which all our futures, public and private, depend.

From a communications perspective, the budget was clearly delivered with the Chancellor laying his cards on the table; the problem lies in the pre-election promise on VAT, which hasn't been simply stretched or bent,  it has been well and truly shattered.  

If VAT was high on the list of the in-coming government they would have been better not to have denied the possibility of a rise and Osborne would have been better to have increased VAT incrementally so that he had some "wriggle room" to delay the second half of the VAT rise.

The best advice is to always play things straight with your audience and you won't get bitten in the proverbial by spin (if that isn't a mixed metaphor too far).

On a lighter note, I can't get enough of Lady Gaga's latest hit, Alejandro, which is set to be Opera PR's song of the summer 2010.  If you haven't heard it yet then simply click on this link (or paste into your browser) and turn up the volume: 

www.youtube.com/watch

Enjoy.

comments [0] permalink

With another season of Britain's Got Talent behind us, it is clear who is the real winner of this programme that has become the saviour of ITV: Simon Cowell.  

The carrot of a £100,000 deal that is on offer to the hapless thousands who put themselves forward as having a talent, is but nothing compared to what the show generates for ITV, Cowell, his television production company, his record company, not to mention the hundred of thousands paid to the judges and the presenters of this money-spinning phenomenon.

For Cowell, who was worth an estimated £120m in 2009, being a judge on these shows must be like being a child in a sweetshop when show after show he is presented with possible signings for his record label.  When we also consider the opportunities from X-Factor and American Idol then it is doubtful that he actually worries whether the shows discover winners that he likes or would wish to sign; there are more than enough acts that he will be exposed to during the audition and selection rounds; by the time we get to the live finals I am sure that he will have his eye on the next star.

Whilst Cowell has a rare ability for spotting talent it seems that he now has the power to influence the results.  Although the winner of BGT Is apparently in the hands of the viewing public, as the final ten acts performed there was a very telling gesture that I feel was enough to lead the audience to choose the winner that he wanted.

In a display that Derren Brown would have been proud of Cowell crowned the winner even before the first vote was cast.  He gave his only standing ovation after Spelbound's performance and that, in my opinion, was enough to tell the audience (or to tell enough of those open to suggestion, using the Derren Brown analogy) who they should vote for.

Of course, there's no evidence that his standing ovation resulted in Spelbound's success, but we know the power of influence from the world of celebrity and if you don't believe that then consider how many potential buyers of VW's Touareg cancelled orders following Jeremy Clarkson's review when in 2003 he stated that rather than buy a Touareg he would "rather eat £50,000".

So, before you pick up the telephone to support your favourite act during the next series of Britain's Got the Idol Factor just remember that it might not be an act of free will. 

comments [0] permalink

The owners of The Old Vicarage, Curbar, have appointed Opera PR to create a new identity, website and brochure for this start-up luxury B&B business.

Set in the heart of the Peak District The Old Vicarage will offer a tranquil alternative for adults (children are not catered for) looking for a relaxing hideaway yet accessible for walking (from the doorstep), sightseeing and visitng local attractions.

The new B&B offers two en suite bedrooms, one self-contained apartment and one bedroom with a separate private bathroom.  Breakfast will be served in the spacious and airy conservatory with views out over the extensive private gardens.

Opera has been tasked with creating an appropriate identity, accessible and informative website, and a range of marketing material. 

comments [0] permalink

With just two days until the General Election it seems that the main parties still have everything to play for.

The Conservatives are on 35%, Labour on 27% and the LibDems on 28% (source: UK Polling Report), which means that although the Tories (all things being equal) will have the largest number of MPs in the House of Commons, we are still in hung parliament territory.

Although the idea of parties having to work together sounds appealing, as happened during WWII, the reality is that it would leave the markets nervous and country in the doldrums; there would be no strong direction as the main party that provides the PM would be held to ransom by the junior partner in the new administration.

But let's face it, there's a good reason why there's been no surge towards one party, as happened in 1997, because we're all that bit more suspicious of what we're being told by the politicians.  In 1997, of course, and things were very different.  The polls were against the Tories from the outset and they had no chance of winning; D:Ream told us that "things can only get better..." and Blair soared to become a demigod to lead us lesser mortals; he almost floated into Number 10 on May 7 such was the euphoria of the morning after the night before.

And we believed this whiter-than-white, youthful, vigorous new PM; it was a fresh new start that would really change the country for the better.  

Out with the tired old sleazy Tories and in with a dynamic new team of political stars.  Blair became the master of all ceremonies especially on the morning that he made his speech about the "People's Princess", Diana, Princess of Wales; probably not a dry eye in the country when that broadcast went out and his popularity surged.  Blair could talk the hind legs off a donkey and then sell them back to the donkey for a profit, and the donkey would still have thought that he'd got a great deal, such was his ability to frame an argumet or to sell a dubious foreign policy.

Of course, the undoing of Blair and the start of the end of the love-in with Labour, sorry New Labour, was probably the Iraq War.  Most people seemed to be against the invasion, including many in the Cabinet, which was based on an epic performance by Blair who... well, distorted the truth would be the kindest thing to say.  

The march by thousands of Middle Englanders, who had never previously demonstrated in their lives, went to London to show their disapproval to the prospect of war, but to no avail.

Fast-forward to the expenses scandal and cynicism with our politicians strenghtened to the point where even fewer of us believe what we're told by those that we pay to run the country for our benefit, not for personal gain.

Although our political system has its flaws we do have stability, a relatively strong economy and we are free to do pretty much what we want, within the boundaries of the law (of course).

Let's hope that that when we wake up on Friday morning that there is a clear winner and that our new leader will learn from recent history.  Let his new MPs be more visible in their constituencies (more often than once every 4 or 5 years) and let them not try to make promises to everyone. Honesty would be appreciated and being told things as they are (as difficult as it might be to hear) would surely be better than being told that everything's fantastic when the proverbial has hit the fan.

I think we're all ready for a change, but most of us, it seems, still have no idea what that change should be.

Happy voting.

comments [0] permalink

Tim Turner of Hathersage-based Blue Deer, a property development company, is putting his money where his mouth is in setting up a brand new business.

Turner's unique idea is to set up a new floristry business in one of his unit's at the new retail development at 131 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, which his company developed.  He will be looking to recruit an experienced florist to run the business and then after 12 months, if the venture is a success, he will hand the keys over to the employee, who will take on the business.

In a deal that to some will appear to be too good to be true, the new employee will not have to put one penny of their own money into the company. Once they take on the business they will simply pay a slightly increased annual rental for Turner's company to recoup the set-up costs.

With the banks still allergic to lending money to new businesses, Turner's unique business model could well start to set the agenda for budding entrepreneurs who simply lack the cash to get a new business off the ground.

The new business is set to open early May.

comments [0] permalink

 As someone who grew up in the 1970s I was part of the generation of school children that were still being taught using a method that today is now considered quite unfashionable: learning by rote.

The broad definition is that it is learning without understanding, but that belittles the power of the technique.  We all essentially learn to speak by rote.  Our parents repeating words over and over again until they eventually become second nature.  In those households where parents don't speak to their children, it is now accepted, that they are at a disadvantage in the literacy stakes.

From the 1970s, however, new ideas were starting to filter into the classroom; educationalists (people often with little or no classroom experience) were starting to meddle in the curriculum and education itself became politicised.  Out went reptitive rote learning and in came group learning where children were encouraged to explore problems rather than simply learning facts, figures and dates.

But, and there is a "but", educational standards are falling with illiteracy and innumeracy on the increase, especially so it seems, for children from deprived backgrounds where there is little parental support once the child leaves the classroom. 

Rote learning might not be the most stimulating way to learn and should not be the only way our children are taught, but when I can remember with absolute clarity the table of French possessive adjectives (his, her, yours and so on) after 30 years then you cannot deny the power that this method has.  What if you don't want to speak French, isn't that learned information useless?  In my case it is very useful as I am picking up my French tuition, which I left behind at 13 (languages by then were not compulsory) and it certainly comes in handy as my boys are also learning French.

If we look at the broader issues, such as English and Maths -- the building blocks of all learning -- we need to get our children to know certain things without question: the way we spell, the way grammar works and the way to work out equations.  We can't let such important areas be left for children to explore at their leisure.

If we want to increase base levels of knowledge then we ignore rote learning at our collective peril.  We need to stop reducing learning to the lowest common denominator and stop worrying that our children might find something boring.  Some things are boring but essential, but until we stop pandering to childish whims we will see educational standards fall further.

comments [0] permalink

Opera PR's owner Simon Turton has just had his first business column published in the January edition of Derbyshire Life, which appears on pages 94 and 95.

This is the first of a new bi-monthly column that he will be writing over the forthcoming year.  He has also had a 5-page article published about the Lea Hall and Harthill Hall, both in rural Derbyshire, as part of his monthly activity for Derbyshire Country Houses who own the properties (www.derbyshirecountryhouses.co.uk).

The magazine is now available in all good newsagents and an electronic version should be available in the near future: www.derbyshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk.

comments [0] permalink

No matter where people stand on the global warming debate, there is no doubt that the doubters or non-believers are fast becoming today's heretics.  Anyone arguing against the now accepted media-backed government opinion, that we humans are solely to blame for the rise in global temperatures, sets themselves up for vilification.

The problem is that all the evidence that apparently points to humans as being the culprits in the climate change debate has, until recently, been locked down by the media and the green lobby.  Politicians of all political persuasions are constantly trying to "out green" each other to score political points over each other and yet recent surveys show a high proportion of the UK electorate has still to be convinced that human activity is a problem for the planet.

We shouldn't be surprised that half of the population doubt the "facts" because everywhere they look they are likely to see inconsistencies.  If we take motoring, for example, we can see how these inconsistencies manifest themselves.  Motorists are heavily taxed in this country, providing the Exchequer with a regular supply of much-needed income.  The government earns money from the tax, excise and VAT that we pay for our petrol (a litre of petrol would actually cost a fraction of its pump price were it no so heaviliy taxed), it is there when we pay for our road tax (ironically little of that money actually ends up financing the roads) and unless you park your car on your own drive then you're also paying for when you park anywhere and trying to do your best to shop locally (out of town shopping centres have no parking charges). Then, of course, there is the tax on the sale of cars and VAT on every garage bill.  

Whilst governments won't even open up new rail routes for fear of a drop in car-generated tax revenues they are, at the same time, doing all they can to encourage motorists to drive their vehicles less often, and this is a major inconsistency.  If governments really were concerned that road transport was a cause of increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere they would be reversing Beeching's rail closure programme, actively welcoming us on board fleets of new trains and they would not be widening motorways that will encourage more people on to the roads.  But no, there is a network of cycle lanes and bridle ways that were once arterial transport routes whilst the motorist has to struggle along increasingly congested roads,

In the real world of having to make family budgets go as far as they can, drivers of modest 2-litre family estate cars must be wondering why the road tax on their vehicles will soon be £400.00 a year, which is double what they were paying until recently.  The argument is that the drivers of "gas guzzlers" must be forced to pay for the damage they inflict on the environment.  However, until relatively recently the term "gas guzzler" was only ever applied to big American vehicles powered by huge V8 engines; they truly deserved to be labelled thus, because they did about 10 miles to the gallon.  Using the term today is politically-motivated spin that automatically sets the politician up as the saviour of the planet by taxing these so-called irresponsible drivers off the road.

The whole climate change agenda needs balance and requires both sides of the argument to be properly heard; the media should not be taking sides in the argument but simply presenting each side of the debate dispassionately and fairly.

It is no good getting scientists to harp on about their "robust" data, or how 2010 will be the hottest year since records began.  Such records only go back about 100 years, compared to the planet that is about 4.5 billion years old that has, in its recent history, gone through periods of cooling and warming millions of years before mankind appeared.

Scientists, of course, have a role to play in the debate but we should not forget that as recently as the 1850s it was scientific fact that miasma (airborne pollution) was the cause of the diseases such as cholera, a theory that dated back to the Middle Ages.  Such theories were eventually rejected as medical science advanced.

For the sake of balance and fairness we need to open up the debate so that all opinions can be heard so that the right decisions can be made based on information that is not politically driven or biased by interest groups.

Until that time many people are going to remain understandably unconvinced.

comments [0] permalink

The owners of Sugnall Hall have appointed Opera PR to create a new brand identity for this historic house and to design their first ever website.  

The appointment also includes publicising the historic walled kitchen garden and the new restaurant that will be located in the reinstated vinery, which is within the walled garden.

comments [0] permalink

Hathersage-based digital agency Hammer Design has appointed Opera PR (September 2009) to promote their new Hammer Design e-Awards, where up to £20,000 of matched funding is available to create stunning new online and web-based projects.

Every three months one individual, company organisation will be the winner of this new stream of funding.

comments [0] permalink

Perhaps it just that I haven't flown for a couple of years, and out of touch with the "low cost" airlines, but the experience booking tickets to Rome doesn't encourage me to become a regular flyer.

First of all is the issue of choice.  EasyJet used to fly out of East Midlands Airport (EMA) but now the "choice" is straight out of the options manual from Henry Ford: any airline you want as long as it's Ryanair.

So, it's on to the Ryanair website to get those cheap flights.  The site itself is very easy to navigate around and I was soon nearing the check-out.  Then comes the minefield that is Ryanair's check in and baggage options.  We've already arrived at a sub-total of £420.00 for two adults and two children to get to and from Rome, which isn't too bad all things considered, but then you have a summary page which automatically includes travel insurance for every passenger.

You have to go through each person's details and manually de-select the travel insurance option, but I imagine many simply leave it in as it could easily be assumed that you must have travel insurance.  If you pay with a credit card then you are automatically insured; you don't need to pay their rip-off rates.

On the baggage options I clicked the one case option and there appeared another cost of £28.00.  OK, one bag and I'll check in at the airport despite fuming that there was another unexpected cost to add on.

For my wife and two boys we don't need further baggage so they're left as zero; then we can check-in online for free or for £9 at the airport.  I select the free option and then go to check-out; but I can't proceed as one person (me) has to check in the bag at the airport, even though there are no other bags to check in.

The option is that I must do two separate booking; one for me with a bag and another one for my wife and children without baggage, which means they can check in online.

We decide that as we can all take hand luggage we won't have any luggage in the hold, which means that we can all check in online and for free.

I finally arrive at the payment section and have my credit card at the ready.  But, another catch: if you pay by credit card there's a booking fee.  A what? Another tax!

The rate works out at a 9% surcharge taking our total to £460.00.

At IKEA they charge just 70p to pay by credit card and that's enough.  We know that the card companies charge around 1% to their customers so Ryanair is making up to 8% for nothing. Disgusting.  The only card that escapes a fee is if you have an Electron card; if you're a regular Ryanair flyer I would get yourself one and quick.

So far, so unrelaxing and we haven't even set foot in the airport yet.  However, without checking in baggage and nothing to collect when we land in Rome we should at least be out of the airport in minutes.

Compare this to travelling by ferry or Eurotunnel; a few clicks and you're at the check out and no issue about how much baggage.  You just select the size of car and include how many passengers.  On the day of travel you drive to the ferry terminal, wait until you embark and then you sit back and enjoy the ride.

There's no fighting through Customs and check in, there's no fear of your luggage ending up in Timbuktu and there's no worry about the cost of parking.

For me it's the ferry everytime.

comments [0] permalink

"If you don't give a Frenchman his bread 'e is not very 'appy" so concluded Raymond Blanc during one episode of the recent series of BBC2's The Restaurant.  In this particular episode one of the hapless couples had decided (or more likely forgotten) not to have bread available for their customers and this was on the very same day that Monsieur Blanc visited.  When he searched his table in vain for his pain he was not impressed with the would-be restaurateurs having committed one of the gravest of hospitality errors.  Nil point!

In France bread is so, so important that even in the smallest of villages there's usually at least one boulangerie selling a delicious array of breads and cakes.  Back across the Channel and all but a handful of independent bread shops, selling their own produce, have disappeared as we as a nation turned away from local shopping, preferring to spend half our leisure time in the all-consuming hypermarkets. 

And in these shopping monoliths whilst 'real' bread has made a come-back, by far the most popular variety is plasticised, sliced carbohydrate masquerading as bread; it may contain flour, yeast and salt (along with a multitude of preservatives and raising agents) but bread it ain't. In fact it's so bad we ought to come up with a new noun so that we don't confuse the pre-packaged pap with the genuine article.

So, imagine the delight when I recently walked into The Loaf, a recently opened bakery, deli and cafe in Crich, in rural Derbyshire (made famous as the fictional village of Cardale in the TV series Peak Practice).  Before I had tasted the coffee or sampled their pains aux chocolates I had been by seduced by the bright, fresh red and cream interior, resplendent with beech furniture, complemented with dark brown leather banquette seating -- a welcome departure from frilly tablecloths, doilies and Victoriana, which works in only a minority of coffee shops.

I ordered black coffee and a pain au chocolate, and then went to a table and sat down.  If this cafe had only one selling point that aced the high street coffee chains, it was that I didn't have to wait like Oliver in the queue for his gruel. 

My personal bug-bear of the Caffe Costabucks is that you must stand in line and wait for your drink, having been cross-examined about your need for "any pastries with that?" (No!, I would ask if I wanted anything else) and then you have to carry your order over to a table (if you can find one available) having fought over 6 square inches of work surface in order to dispense sugar and milk.  A relaxing experience it isn't.

Back in The Loaf I sat and took in my surroundings; the multitude of fresh loaves that were on display behind the counter -- all having been baked on the premises in the early hours.  On another wall was shelving filled with a wide range of pre-packed teas and coffees, and finally the mouthwatering deli counter.

My coffee was a delicious aromatic blend, enjoyed black and unadulterated and my pastry was divine; fresh and flakey as you would expect.  The experience was over all too quickly.

As I paid for my breakfast I bought a baguette and a small round loaf, both were wrapped in paper; as I walked back into the cold nothing could wipe that smile off my face.

My only regret is that I don't live in Crich.

C'est la vie!

comments [0] permalink

Having just returned from celebrating New Year in France it was interesting to see the attitudes of Brits living over there. We were in the Haute-Vienne department of Limousin in south-west France in a small village. Little English is spoken by the locals and the area has had an influx of English people since we last visited in 2005.

We spent New Year's day in a restaurant that was taken over by a couple from Kent at the end of 2005. The food wasn't bad, but neither was it genuine French cuisine; apart from a group of three French locals dning it was just our group of 8 and that was it. In the bar you could hear English conversation and it was obvious that the place was becoming popular with the local English community.

The attitude of the owners was that the French are suspicious of non-French restaurateurs and that they have found it slow to attract the locals. With a fantastic restaurant established in the village, which offers plats du jours for around 8 euros (2 courses for around 12 euros) there is no reason for the French to visit a non-French venue, especially when the prices are significantly higher and the food quality significantly lower.

If the owners are trying to attract local French custom then they must stop using A-boards written in English. One day the sign read: "Roast Pork", which I am sure sent out completely the wrong signals to the locals. Imagine how many customers there would be if a Thai restaurant in the UK was written in Thai? Exactly, very few.

The other option to attract local custom would be to ensure that they are offering what the locals enjoy; in so many of Gordon Ramsay's solutions in his "Nightmare" shows is to simplify, simplify, simplify. The fact that this restaurant does fish and chips once a month is hardly going to endear the locals to English gastronomy. Instead they could be clever and offer fantastic fish dishes with frites, which the locals would enjoy without the dish having to be labelled "fish & chips".

The owners were somewhat dismissive of the locals not visiting their restaurant, but with the view that it is the French people's unwillingness to try something new misses the point and if they continue to service the English-speaking locals and UK tourists then I can't see them surviving for too long. That would be a shame, because the restaurant has potential and there is definitely a need for more good eateries, especially as tourism in this region is growing.

Getting a French chef, or at least advice from a French chef, would start to stop the rot and in my opinion they must really engage with and become part of the local community, otherwise they will be seen in the same light as those immigrants in the UK that are seen as not integrating. They must never forget that they are foreigners with its own unique set of values and customs, and that they must accommodate them or they may as well be back in Kent.

The French can and do welcome the English if you are prepared to get involved and this was brought into sharp relief during our stay in the village for 9 days. In that time we had our French neighbours round for drinks and then we were invited back to their home 2 days later. The family that we 1st met 2 years ago speak no English and with my improving French we were able to hold court for an hour or so each time. Interestingly, the English family living in the gite adjacent to our accommodation had not really mixed and Catherine, the French neighbour, was very dismissive of their lack of integration and especially the wife's lack of French (after living in the country for 3 years).

The French don't have a problem with anyone that tries and after several years of holidays in the country and having a go at speaking French has always been appreciated.

The French, rightly, have a problem with Captain Mainwarings who think that shouting in English is the way to communicate and with those that live in English enclaves, cut off from French life. If you've bothered to move to such a delightful country and want to enjoy that all that life there has to offer then you need to be prepared to give a little back, and I would say that the more you give you the more you will receive.

comments [0] permalink