London is the Party Capital

London firms are splashing out £100million on staff parties over just two nights as the capital celebrates the biggest party season of the year.

Hotels, restaurants, clubs and bars will be full to capacity tonight as around one million workers down tools to celebrate ahead of the Christmas break.

Analysts today revealed that London companies had sanctioned between £80million and £100million on two massive party nights, last night and tonight.

The figure is down slightly on last year, when £120million was spent over the Thursday and Friday nights before Christmas, with the fall blamed on the credit crunch.

Companies have swapped huge company bashes for smaller departmental events, as well as sharing venues with other firms to cut costs. Many firms are moving their annual bash to January to secure a better deal

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Party, Entertainment, hotels, money, office

Its a Steal!

For those of you that aren’t aware, the Happy Christmas head office is based in Tonbridge, a quaint little market town based about half way between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks in the South East of England.

Tonbridge holds a few distinct landmarks including: a medieval castle, the river Medway, Tonbridge School, and, oh yeah, the site for the largest robbery ever to take place in England!

Our office is just a 10 minute walk away from where the biggest heist in England took place, a £53 million ($106m) raid on a Securitas depot. Yesterday announced the news that five men have been convicted of kidnap, robbery and firearm charges. Sentencing takes place on Tuesday.

Our new website, laptops, company cars and office expansion is a pure coincidence, I was in the office all day!

Tags: $106m, 2008, Blog, Christmas, Happy Christmas, head office, New, News, office, robbery, tonbridge

2008 Christmas Spending Report

Most people are now checking their bank balances and working out the exact cost of Christmas. A quick tally up around the HC office proves that like most people we seem to have spent way more than anticipated (as per usual!)

UK retailers recorded their worst December figures since 2004 according to The British Retail Consortium.  However, e-consultancy.com recorded the opposite for online traders who experienced a bouyant Christmas, fuelled by customers seeking a good deal.

Now for the stats…

4.4 million people in the UK spent a total of £84 million on Christmas Day, 269% more than last year with an average of £19.09 per person. While in the US £14.9 billion was spent in December up 19% on last year.

Tags: 2008, Blog, chocolate money, Christmas, money, News, office