Top honour for Bain

WE are delighted to report that Simon Bain, The Herald’s esteemed former personal finance editor and business correspondent, was recognised last night for his outstanding contribution to the investment company sector.

Mr Bain, who retired in August after more than 30 years in the newspaper industry, received the Lifetime Contribution award at the AIC (Association of Investment Companies) Media Awards.

It was the latest in a long list of awards Mr Bain won throughout his career, which includes being named the AIC’s award for best Scottish journalist three times in a row between 2013 to 2015.

Mr Bain, who was presented with the award by AIC chief executive Ian Sayers, said: "Understanding user-friendly options like investment companies is part of the financial education we all need, from young savers through to us lucky retirees."

Ejector seat

THE Bottom Line was momentarily spooked when invited to sit on a familiar-looking orange seat when we called into Oli Norman’s Glasgow office to talk about the entrepreneur’s activities in the pub trade last week.

“You can sit in the Graham Norton chair,” Mr Norman said. “Don’t worry, I don’t have any levers!”

Harris catching up

ISLE of Harris Distillery brought a much-publicised gin drought to an end recently when it took delivery of 20,000 of the elaborately designed bottles it uses to package the spirit.

The distiller had run out of bottles because demand was outstripping supply and the furnace which makes the bottles was closed for refurbishment. It led the producer to supply its spirit in clear bottles and invite customers to refill their existing branded, bottles.

Since the furnace re-opened Harris has begun catching up on a backlog of 8,000 of orders. But as this picture of Peebles Hydro’s gin shed shows, the Borders hotel is still waiting on its new bottle arriving.

Fancy seats

FANCY a glimpse at the workplace of the future?

Belfast-based Alpha Group will showcase a range of furniture designed to maximise productivity when it launches its office on Glasgow’s West Regent Street tonight.

Alpha Scotland, whose experts are described as workspace engineers, will show guests a bench that enables you to stand or sit, a pod for privacy and a seat which filters out background noise.

The company moved into the Scottish market with the acquisition of Glasgow’s Steelcase in April.

Alpha Scotland director Nick Lyons said: “One of the huge challenges we face today is getting the job done in a world where constant distractions and interruptions have become the norm. Presenteeism is more than just turning up. By designing offices in a way to aid concentration and comfort as well as social interaction, results are going to follow.”