Funny side

MARCO Giannasi, the owner of restaurant the Battlefield Rest on the south side of Glasgow, is not too happy with his business rates bill, as readers of The Herald may know.

The restaurateur has now gathered more than 1,500 signatures for a petition protesting the 400 per cent increase, which he said will result in him having to pay £27,000 more a year in rates.

However, judging by the restaurant’s social media posts, Mr Giannasi has not lost his sense of humour.

Highlighting the rates assessors’ controversial using of outlets’ “hypothetical achievable turnover” in calculating rateable vales, the restaurant tweeted a picture of the moon above the following caption: “GCC assessors have now decided that the Moon is actually Square not round. Hypothetically calculated!!!!”

Euro hope

STUART Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, took a philosophical stance about Brexit when The Bottom Line caught up him at the launch of Lufthansa’s new route connecting Frankfurt with the city this week.

Mr Patrick does not find the idea of trade barriers between the UK and Europe palatable.

But, referring to the famous city merchant Kirkman Finlay (pictured), who was chamber president no fewer than eight times during his career in the late 18th, early 19th centuries, Mr Patrick said: “Businesses will always find their way through it. It’s not the first time that we have had challenges with the European market.

“We are sitting here in the Chamber of Commerce’s office, and as you wander up the stairs there’s a statue of Kirkman Finlay, who was president during the continental blockade of Napoleon’s era, and he found his way back!”

Understatement

IT was a big day for Paul Waterson on Tuesday as he stepped down as chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA).

His departure from the top job comes after what can only be described as 16 eventful years for the trade, which saw Mr Waterson become a regular fixture in the media as he eloquently stood up for Scotland’s publicans on issues such as the smoking ban and minimum pricing. He has held the job while running his own business, namely the Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling, at the same time.

“There’s never been a dull moment!” quipped Mr Waterson.

Johnston’s YES

JOHNSTON Carmichael is doing its bit to support the next generation of Scottish entrepreneurs.

The accountancy firm has linked up with Young Enterprise Scotland (YES), which will see it provide volunteers to support and advise new companies taking part in the mentoring scheme.

And the partnership offers the classic win-win situation: YES mentees will gain an insight into the challenges and opportunities involved in running a business, while the accountancy firm’s employees stand the chance of boosting their interpersonal and mentoring skills. What’s not to like?