Langton House Blog

Well it might only be for a day or so, but when one of the countries best restaurants has to close it is BIG local AND national news. It has made the front pages of the national papers today. Chef Heston Blumenthal has closed – or been closed – and apparently has no idea why 30 guests all have complained of feeling unwell after eating at the restaurant over the last few weeks.

Whilst he may be fanatical about food hygiene this is obviously not the sort of news that is good for his business.

To be honest, in my own opinion, I hope he gets it all sorted out as soon as possible, as a businessman myself I can only support any other business person, particualry a local business, and I wish him all the best.

Even as I write we are having a new solar water heating system installed for the B&B.

So far this has meant a new cold water main being installed, 2 new hot water cylinders, new electrics and as soon as the scaffolding is put up we will have the solar panels installed.

Over the years researching the various renewable energy options available, this system is the only one that has a decent payback period of about 5 years, along with a system lifespan of over double that. The plumber installing said he had put a system in last year and the client turned off his boiler for 3 months during the 2008 summer!

I expect and hope for a similar result, but whatever I am doing my bit to reduce my costs and become a little bit greener!

Well today Gordon Brown announces a review into this hot topic. If, and I think it is a BIG if, this ever went ahead then it would be the starting place for a move to scrapping the final salary schemes for all the public sector workers.

The current salary scheme is a rope around the neck of this country and until it is removed I can not see the end to the dire finances of this country.

We, the private sector, contribute to the overall economy of this country, the public sector spend the money we make. If the private sector have had their pensions knocked, what right have the public sector (who work for us) to keep theirs?

I look forward to seeing if Gordon Brown ever gets this through and past his own members – who generally like to line their own pockets as we have seen all too often. Whether this is just political spin will become all too apparent in the future, but I live in hope!