Diary: Peter Taylor, chairman of the Town House Company, has been generous in providing his time and expertise to The Herald�s readers who have attended business mentoring and workshop events.

PETER Taylor, chairman of the Town House Company, has been generous in providing his time and expertise to The Herald's readers who have attended business mentoring and workshop events.

So Business Diary was delighted to hear this week that his own business's development had been shaped by a discussion at the business mentoring event in November 2005.

Taylor, supporting another event organised by The Herald this week, revealed that a conversation at the November 2005 gathering had culminated in his Town House venture's purchase of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club building in Glasgow's Blythswood Square.

Beverley Payne, a colleague of hotelier Ken McCulloch, rekindled Taylor's interest in the building during this brief chat.

Taylor had looked at it as a prospect previously but stuck it on the back-burner. Four weeks after his chat with Payne, he made his bid.

He has since been very busy turning the building into a five-star hotel, which is due to open next May.

Even the mentors need some mentoring sometime.

Keeping dogs, and lawyers, on short lead WHO wants to adopt US's litigation-at-the-drop-of-a-hat culture on this side of the Atlantic? (apart from the lawyers, of course).

So it was disheartening for Business Diary to see a release from independent financial research company Defaqto this week, warning: "At this spooky time of year, people could get a fright if parents choose to sue because their child tripped up (sic) a driveway, injured themselves when playing Hallowe'en games or suffered an allergic reaction when eating home-made treats."

Defaqto warned people should "check the liability cover clause in their buildings and contents insurance to see if they would be covered if a child injures itself on their property or suffers illness".

It goes on: "People who have a dog should also check their pet insurance policy to see if it includes liability cover, as most home insurance policies' liability insurance will exclude cover if your dog injures a child."

My word. Next Hallowe'en, better not to answer the door by the sound of it (although be careful someone doesn't trip on the path if you switch the lights off as well).

If you do entertain guisers, no Hallowe'en games and definitely no food. And keep the canine on its leash lest it sniff out the litigation gene and go on the attack.

You have been warned. The ghosts, ghouls and goblins will have departed the scene by the time All Saints Day dawns today. But not the lawyers.

Titanic attitude to an impending iceberg BUSINESS Diary is often left entirely underwhelmed by statements from politicians about business or economic issues. All too often, the various political parties are depressingly united in supplying the same tired old rhetoric of whatever hue.

But we liked the turn of phrase this week from Green MSP Patrick Harvie.

Commenting on the Scottish Parliament debate on HBOS's takeover by Lloyds TSB, Harvie said: "Debating the HBOS takeover without addressing the fundamental causes of economic trouble amounts to little more than a group hug on the deck of the Titanic.

"It might feel like it helps a little bit, make us feel a bit better, or give us some comfort in the short term, but it does nothing to change the problem that is at the very heart of the crisis."

business@theherald.co.uk