THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE I 39 The Review THE ALTERNATIVE NEWS ➔ Knight time at Warwick Castle
The clash of steel, the mediaeval code of honour, Justin Bieber, perfect pouts, and wearable luggage – welcome to The Alternative News!
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ARISE sir work-a-lot, Warwick Castle has a new knight-themed team- building package, designed to introduce chivalry and fighting spirit into the modern workplace. The mediaeval package transports the lowly office worker back to a feudal age, where the clash of steel and jousting were a measure of success rather than sales targets and boardroom banter. From £29.50 per person, each delegate gets a taste of the gruelling physical and mental
training that our mediaeval heroes endured in the hope that it develops leadership skills, trust and ignites healthy competition. A day in a knight’s spurs will
teach participants the 17 elements of the Mediaeval Knights Code, and see them fight it out in one-to-one battles using real swords and six- foot staffs, and learn the art of archery. At this point we should probably advise that a hefty insurance policy might not go amiss, just in case!
PERFECT PASSPORT POUTS
WOMEN take considerably more time to capture the perfect passport portrait than men, according to a recent survey by Holiday Extras, which revealed a quarter of women make three or more attempts at getting it right, compared to one in ten men. Ladies under 30 are even more likely to take multiple shots, with some even admitting it may take up to ten
attempts before they're happy with the outcome. Men aged between 31 and 49 are the most vain male age group, with 20 per cent admitting it can take between three and five efforts to get it right. "You're stuck with it for ten years so I can understand why so many people want to get the right shot!" says Holiday Extras' Seamus McCauley.
Organisers at Warwick castle say: “Whether as a reward, incentive or motivator, the Mediaeval Team Building package at Warwick Castle offers a new and unique take on team building.” Of course, no one in its marketing team has thought of the potential for this as corporate punishment or humiliation. But then again, seeing Barry from accounts dressed in spurs and attempting his favourite moves from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves could also double as pleasure.
SUITS YOU SIR....
EVER booked a no-frills flight and been so determined to stick to the cabin baggage allowance that you end up wearing all your clothes? Well Jaktogo has taken that concept and refined it with its ‘wearable luggage’ launch. The “practical, all-in-one travel solution”, Jaktogo’s dresses, jackets and ponchos convert easily from a garment to a bag and are packed with pockets that, it claims, can hold up to 10kg of luggage. While we’re all for cost-saving at TBTM, it has to be said that Jaktogo’s rather ingenious invention does leave a little to be desired in terms of aesthetics. The denim might make the wearer look suspiciously padded, while the poncho dress is not unlike a pregnancy simulator, as one staff member here chortled.
That said, you can’t help but
admire Irish engineer John Power, who came up with the concept. “None of our products are designed to be high fashion or worn on a night out”, he confesses. “Rather, they are a practical travel
accessory to enable you to beat check-in queues and avoid excessive baggage handling charges. Most of the time you only have to wear your Jaktogo for five minutes at the check-in and at the gate.” The garments start from £51 and are available in a range of sizes.
HOTEL price comparison website Trivago has released details of the hotels most favoured by VIPs across Europe, allowing star gazers to sip a cocktail on the same terrace as Paris Hilton, stay in the same hotel room as Madonna or, erm, display their dress where Lady Gaga's famous meat dress might once have hung. Top picks are the Hotel De Crillon, on Place de la Concorde in Paris, whose guests have included Jennifer Lopez, Arnold Schwarzenegger and even the Dalai Lama; plus the Hotel Hassler in Rome where George Clooney, Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise are among star clientel. Or there's the InterContinental Dusseldorf where bar Fifty Nine's superior selection of whisky and vodka varieties was presumably wasted on that clean-cut teen-star Justin Bieber, who was left to sip instead on Sunny D straight from the minibar.
56 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
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