Latest news with #PaulHazelton
Glasgow Times
17-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow firm named among UK's best managed companies
Murgitroyd was one of just 10 winners in Deloitte's inaugural awards, presented at the McLaren Technology Centre. The recognition was awarded to firms across various industries, including construction, hospitality, education, and technology. Read more: 'I'm really proud': First-year apprentice wins top award Murgitroyd, an international intellectual property firm, guides clients in the life sciences, engineering, and technology sectors. With 22 global offices, the firm is designed to help innovators protect and commercialise their ideas through strategic patent, trademark, and design services. The UK's Best Managed Companies programme, an initiative of Deloitte Private, highlights private businesses in the UK for their superior performance. This year marks the first time the awards have been held in the UK. Deloitte says they are already established in more than 45 geographies globally. The programme applauds private companies for their organisational success and industry contributions. Claire Evans, the UK's Best Managed Companies leader at Deloitte, said: "Private businesses play a vital role in our economy. "They lead the way on purpose, innovation, creating employment, and importantly, in driving nationwide growth and prosperity. "This is what has underpinned our motivation in launching this global awards programme in the UK, bringing private businesses together to recognise their excellence and success." Paul Hazelton, Deloitte Glasgow Partner, said: "We are proud to see two Scottish companies take their place among the UK's Best Managed Companies at our inaugural awards. "Murgitroyd and Insights are brilliant examples of the innovation and ambition that define Scotland's business landscape. "They impressed a panel of independent judges with their clarity of purpose, strong leadership, and impact in their respective sectors. "Their success is a testament to the breadth of talent and potential we have across Scotland's private business community." Read more: STV's new station appoints programme director to deliver 'must-listen radio' The Best Managed Companies awards programme evaluates businesses on their management quality in areas such as strategy, capabilities and innovation, culture and commitment, and governance and finance. Entrants undergo a thorough and independent assessment of their management skills and practices. This involves having their business strategy and operations scrutinised and benchmarked against an evaluation framework used for a winning community of more than 1,300 best-managed private companies worldwide. The programme's rigorous selection process is designed to ensure that only the most effectively managed companies receive this prestigious recognition.
Scotsman
16-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Two Scottish firms named among UK's Best Managed Companies 2025
Two Scottish businesses have been recognised in Deloitte's inaugural UK's Best Managed Companies awards, presented by Deloitte at the McLaren Technology Centre. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Business services firm Murgitroyd, headquartered in Glasgow, and technology company Insights, based in Dundee, were named among just 10 winners from across the UK. This year's cohort represents a range of industries including construction, hospitality, education and technology. Murgitroyd is a global intellectual property firm that advises clients across life sciences, engineering and technology. With 22 offices worldwide, the firm supports innovators in protecting and commercialising their ideas through strategic patent, trademark and design services. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Insights delivers people development solutions to organisations around the world. Its work, rooted in psychometric tools and learning experiences, helps businesses enhance communication, collaboration and leadership. Dundee firm Insights have been named amongst the UK's Best Managed Companies for 2025 An initiative of Deloitte Private, the UK's Best Managed Companies programme shines a spotlight on private businesses from across the UK and the performance that drives them. This is the inaugural year of the UK's Best Managed Companies awards, with the programme already established in over 45 geographies across the world. It recognises top private companies for their organisational success and contributions to their industry and the economy. Claire Evans, the UK's Best Managed Companies Leader at Deloitte, said: 'Private businesses play a vital role in our economy. They lead the way on purpose, innovation, creating employment and importantly, in driving nationwide growth and prosperity. This is what has underpinned our motivation in launching this global awards programme in the UK, bringing private businesses together to recognise their excellence and success.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Paul Hazelton, Deloitte Glasgow Partner, added: 'We are proud to see two Scottish companies take their place among the UK's Best Managed Companies at our inaugural awards. Glasgow firm Murgitroyd have been named amongst the UK's Best Managed Companies for 2025 'Murgitroyd and Insights are brilliant examples of the innovation and ambition that define Scotland's business landscape. They impressed a panel of independent judges with their clarity of purpose, strong leadership and impact in their respective sectors. Their success is a testament to the breadth of talent and potential we have across Scotland's private business community.' The Best Managed Companies awards programme is an international awards programme that applies an evaluation process, to assess the quality of business management in a variety of areas. They include strategy, capabilities and innovation, culture and commitment, as well as governance and finance.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- BBC News
Artist's intricate work to restore historic Margate's Shell Grotto
An artist is undertaking painstaking work to restore parts of the original wall of a Kent tourist attraction which was partly destroyed in a bombing raid during World War Hazelton says he is using old photographs and chalk to recreate the Shell Grotto Margate's east wall. The grotto is a subterranean passageway which is about 100ft (30m) long and the chalk walls are covered with about 4.6 million shells. Mr Hazelton, from Margate, told the BBC it was "quite a daunting task" as it was important to preserve the grotto's uniqueness and history. "When people visit Margate, the Shell Grotto is a must-see attraction," Mr Hazelton said."It's like a pilgrimage so I feel a great responsibility to restore the damaged wall."When the grotto was rediscovered by accident in the 1830s many visitors flocked to see its wonders. During World War Two, the cottage above the grotto was bombed, destroying part of the artwork. Mr Hazelton says he has spent more than 100 hours on the mosaic saying he hopes it will pay homage to the site. The Shell Grotto is shrouded in mystery and historians are still trying to figure out its origins and of the grotto, Nicky Paton, said: "There are many theories regarding the history of these shells. They range from the Roman times to the 18th Century."Other theories suggest they may have been a meeting place of a secret society, or a place of worship. The shells on the walls include mussels, whelks, oysters, cockles, limpets and razor the shells have lost their colour due to gas lamps used in the 19th Century, the tunnels continue to capture the imagination and fascination of visitors.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Revisiting Vietnam
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Hamburger Hill, Hue, the Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sanh: some remember the Vietnam War battles from the headlines of the 1960s and 1970s, others from movies and history books. And thousands of Americans and Vietnamese know them as the graveyards of loved ones who died fighting more than a half-century ago. Today the battlefields of Vietnam are sites of pilgrimage for veterans from both sides who fought there, as well as tourists wanting to see firsthand where the war was waged. 'It was a war zone when I was here before,' reflected U.S. Army veteran Paul Hazelton as he walked with his wife through the grounds of the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, which was known as Saigon when he served there. David Rising / The Associated Press Files A tourist walks through the military cemetery in Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam. Hazelton's tour — just shy of his 80th birthday — took him back for the first time to places he served as a young draftee, including Hue, the former Phu Bai Combat Base on the city's outskirts, and Da Nang, which was a major base for both American and South Vietnamese forces. 'Everywhere you went, you know, it was occupied territory with our military, now you just see the hustle and bustle and the industry, and it's remarkable,' he said. 'I'm just glad that we're now trading and friendly with Vietnam. And I think both sides are benefiting from it.' Vietnam's war with the United States lasted for nearly 20 years, from 1955 to 1975, with more than 58,000 Americans killed and many times that number of Vietnamese. For Vietnam, it started almost immediately after the nearly decade-long fight to expel the colonial French, who were supported by Washington, which culminated with the decisive defeat of French forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The end of French Indochina meant major changes in the region, including the partitioning of Vietnam into Communist North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh, and U.S.-aligned South Vietnam. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese and Viet Cong guerrilla troops, and the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. Tourism has rebounded rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic and is now a critical driver of Vietnam's growth, the fastest in the region, accounting for roughly one in nine jobs in the country. Vietnam had more than 17.5 million foreign visitors in 2024, close to the record 18 million set in 2019 before the pandemic. David Rising / The Associated Press Files A gardener waters flowers outside the newly rebuilt Kien Trung Palace in the Imperial City within the Citadel of Hue, Vietnam. The War Remnants Museum attracts some 500,000 visitors a year, about two-thirds of whom are foreigners. Its exhibits focus on American war crimes and atrocities like the My Lai massacre and the devastating effects of Agent Orange, a defoliant widely used during the war. Other wartime sites in Saigon, which was the capital of South Vietnam, include the Rex Hotel where the U.S. held press briefings derisively dubbed the 'Five O'Clock Follies' for their paucity of credible information. On the northern outskirts of the city are the Cu Chi tunnels, an underground warren which attracts some 1.5 million people annually. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas to avoid detection from American planes and patrols. Today visitors can climb and crawl through some of the narrow passages and take a turn at a firing range, shooting targets with war-era weapons. Former North Vietnamese Army artilleryman Luu Van Duc remembers the fighting firsthand, but his visit to the Cu Chi tunnels with a group of other veterans provided an opportunity to see how their allies with the Viet Cong lived and fought. 'I'm so moved visiting the old battlefields — it was my last dying wish to be able to relive those hard but glorious days together with my comrades,' the 78-year-old said. 'Relics like this must be preserved so the next generations will know about their history, about the victories over much stronger enemies.' Fighting in North Vietnam was primarily an air war, and today the Hoa Lo prison museum tells that story from the Vietnamese perspective. Hau Dinh / The Associated Press Files Tourists visiting the Hoa Lo prison museum in Hanoi, Vietnam. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sardonically dubbed the 'Hanoi Hilton' by inmates, the former French prison in Hanoi was used to hold American prisoners of war, primarily pilots shot down during bombing raids. Its most famous resident was the late Sen. John McCain after he was shot down in 1967. 'It was kind of eerie but fascinating at the same time,' said Olivia Wilson, a 28-year-old from New York, after a recent visit. 'It's an alternative perspective on the war.' — The Associated Press — With files from David Rising in Bangkok
The Star
03-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Visitors reconnect with Vietnam's wartime past
Hamburger Hill, Hue, the Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sanh. Some remember the Vietnam War battles from the headlines of the 1960s and 1970s, others from movies and history books. And thousands of Americans and Vietnamese know them as the graveyards of loved ones who died fighting more than a half-century ago. Today, the battlefields of Vietnam are sites of pilgrimage for veterans from both sides who fought there, and tourists wanting to see first-hand where the war was waged. 'It was a war zone when I was here before,' reflected US Army veteran Paul Hazelton as he walked with his wife through the grounds of the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, which was known as Saigon when he served there. Hazelton's tour just shy of his 80th birthday took him back for the first time to places he served as a young draftee, including Hue, the former Phu Bai Combat Base on the city's outskirts, and Da Nang, which was a major base for both American and South Vietnamese forces. 'Everywhere you went, you know, it was occupied territory with our military, now you just see the hustle and bustle and the industry, and it's remarkable,' he said. 'I'm just glad that we're now trading and friendly with Vietnam. And I think both sides are benefiting from it.' Vietnam's war with the United States lasted for nearly 20 years from 1955 to 1975, with more than 58,000 Americans killed and many times that number of Vietnamese. For Vietnam, it started almost immediately after the nearly decade-long fight to expel the colonial French, who were supported by Washington, which culminated with the decisive defeat of French forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The end of French Indochina meant major changes in the region, including the partitioning of Vietnam into Communist North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh, and US-aligned South Vietnam. Wartime fascination This year marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese and Viet Cong guerrilla troops, and the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and Vietnam. Tourists looking at an artwork at the Hoa Lo prison museum in Hanoi. Tourism has rebounded rapidly since the Covid-19 pandemic and is now a critical driver of Vietnam's growth, the fastest in the region, accounting for roughly one in nine jobs in the country. Vietnam had more than 17.5 million foreign visitors in 2024, close to the record 18 million set in 2019 before the pandemic. The War Remnants Museum attracts some 500,000 visitors a year, about two-thirds of whom are foreigners. Its exhibits focus on American war crimes and atrocities like the My Lai massacre and the devastating effects of Agent Orange, a defoliant widely used during the war. The US was to open the first exhibit of its own at the museum this year, detailing Washington's extensive efforts to remediate wartime damage, but it is indefinitely on hold after the Trump administration slashed foreign aid. Other wartime sites in Saigon, which was the capital of South Vietnam, include the South Vietnamese president's Independence Palace where North Vietnamese tanks famously crashed through the gates as they took the city and the Rex Hotel where the US held press briefings derisively dubbed the Five O'clock Follies for their paucity of credible information. On the northern outskirts of the city are the Cu Chi tunnels, an underground warren used by Viet Cong guerrillas to avoid detection from American planes and patrols, which attracts some 1.5 million people annually. Today visitors can climb and crawl through some of the narrow passages and take a turn at a firing range shooting targets with war-era weapons like the AK-47, M-16 and the M-60 machine gun known as 'the pig' by American troops for its bulky size and high rate of fire. 'I can understand a bit better now how the war took place, how the Vietnamese people managed to fight and protect themselves,' said Italian tourist Theo Buono after visiting the site while waiting for others in his tour group to finish at the firing range. A tourist moving in a narrow tunnel passage in the relic site of Cu Chi tunnels. Not forgotten Former North Vietnamese Army artilleryman Luu Van Duc remembers the fighting first-hand, but his visit to the Cu Chi tunnels with a group of other veterans provided an opportunity to see how their allies with the Viet Cong lived and fought. 'I'm so moved visiting the old battlefields – it was my last dying wish to be able to relive those hard but glorious days together with my comrades,' the 78-year-old said. 'Relics like this must be preserved so the next generations will know about their history, about the victories over much stronger enemies.' The former Demilitarised Zone where the country was split between North and South in Quang Tri province saw the heaviest fighting during the war, and drew more than three million visitors in 2024. On the north side of the DMZ, visitors can walk through the labyrinthine Vinh Moc tunnel complex, where civilians took shelter from bombs that the U.S. dropped in an effort to disrupt supplies to the North Vietnamese. A tourist looking at a US Air Force attack jet used during the Vietnam war at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels, along with a memorial and small museum at the border, can be reached on a day trip from Hue, which typically also includes a stop at the former Khe Sanh combat base, the site of a fierce battle in 1968 in which both sides claimed victory. Now, Khe Sanh boasts a small museum and some of the original fortifications, along with tanks, helicopters and other equipment left by US forces after their withdrawal. Hue itself was the scene of a major battle during the Tet Offensive in 1968, one of the longest and most intense of the war. Today the city's ancient Citadel and Imperial City, a Unesco site on the north bank of the Perfume River, still bears signs of the fierce fighting but has largely been rebuilt. West of Hue, a little off the beaten path near the border with Laos, is Hamburger Hill, the scene of a major battle in 1969. About 500km to the southwest near the Cambodian border is the Ia Drang valley, where the first major engagement between American and North Vietnamese forces was fought in 1965. Fighting in North Vietnam was primarily an air war, and today the Hoa Lo Prison museum tells that story from the Vietnamese perspective. Sardonically dubbed the 'Hanoi Hilton' by inmates, the former French prison in Hanoi was used to hold American prisoners of war, primarily pilots shot down during bombing raids. Its most famous resident was the late Sen. John McCain after he was shot down in 1967. 'It was kind of eerie but fascinating at the same time,' said Olivia Wilson, a 28-year-old from New York, after a recent visit. 'It's an alternative perspective on the war.' – AP
