Fridge magnate

THERE were plenty of laughs when Lord Willie Haughey appeared as the star turn at a recent Glasgow Talks event.

But the first gag was delivered by Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event.

Introducing the Labour peer to a packed audience at 200 St Vincent Street, Mr Patrick described the founder of City Facilities Management Holdings as Scotland’s “original fridge magnate”.

Career path

THIRTY college students are to be given the chance to be mentored by Scottish entrepreneurs as part of a drive to create opportunities for young people.

Celia Hodson from Hey Girls, Alan Mahon from Brewgooder, and Jo Halliday from Talking Medicines are among

13 entrepreneurs who have signed up to advise students from a variety of backgrounds on their business ideas.

The mentoring will be offered under a scheme launched by Unlocking Ambition and Young Enterprise Scotland, which has seen students matched with 13 ambassadors from the Unlocking Ambition Challenge programme, delivered by Scottish Enterprise.

Alison Loveday at Unlocking Ambition, said: “It’s vital that we continue to create great opportunities for young people to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career path.”

Pie play

BACK with Lord Haughey and it was perhaps inevitable that the topic of football came up during the question and answer session at the Glasgow Talks event.

Lord Haughey was part of the consortium which saved Celtic Football Club from going bust in 1994, and went on to serve as a director for several years. He is still a shareholder.

Asked whether there was any chance of returning to the club in a formal capacity, he replied. “No. I like where I am. I sit one row back from where I used to, and I don’t get hit by pies.”

Noting that many of his closest associates support Rangers, Lord Haughey added that he is “ecumenical” with his choice of friends.