Two degrees

THE worlds of wealth management and contemporary art may not appear to be natural bedfellows.

But Tilney, the investment and financial planning company, has announced that it will be the lead sponsor of the Glasgow School of Art Degree Show for a second time. It builds on the firm’s long-standing sport of the Glasgow institution. The show takes place next month.

Paul Frame, head of Tilney Scotland, said: “I am delighted that Tilney is once again the headline sponsor of The Glasgow School of Art’s undergraduate degree show. The school is an internationally acclaimed institution and this is one of the country’s most prominent events in the art’s calendar. I would strongly recommend a visit to the show, as only when in the company of the students does their work really come alive.”

No so punk

THE letters page of Wetherspoon News, the quarterly journal devoted to covering the key goings on at the UK pub giant, is always worth a skim through. It’s a bit like Viz, only with a lot more Brexit.

Flicking through the spring edition, we were taken by one reader who observed that he was surprised that chairman Tim Martin had not picked the 1980 punk hit “Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps please” by Splodgenessabounds when he recently appeared on Desert Island Discs.

Mr Martin welcomed the comment but wrote that he was not sure the track would have “enhanced the Wetherspoon image”. For the record, Mr Martin’s selections did include “Down drinking at the bar” by Loudon Wainwright III (pictured).

Hunger boost

TWO Edinburgh-based charities which help feed homeless and vulnerable people have received grants totalling nearly £20,000 by the Stop Hunger Foundation, set up by event catering specialist Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events.

Edinburgh Food Social has been awarded £8,500 for its Food Truck Project, while Social Bite will use its £10,000 grant to help recruit and support more staff at its Social Bite Academy.

Kelly McVey at Sodexo said:“Following our initial introductions to these charities we felt they were strong candidates to receive further support from Sodexo’s charitable foundation and as a result put them forward for consideration.”

Political protest

TURNING back to the pages of Wetherspoon News, one reader took issue with Tim Martin’s passion for Brexit, noting that the topic featured in no fewer than 11 pages in the autumn edition.

“Please stop using your otherwise-excellent magazine as a political rag,” wrote the reader, who urged the pub chief to “just carry on doing what Wetherspoon does best”.

Mr Martin took the point but emphasised that, in contrast to other businesses, he had not told his employees how to vote in the referendum or asked them how they voted. “As an aside,” he went on, “I seriously hoped to be able move on to other subjects after June 2016, but as you will be aware, the debate is still raging.”