It’s a dreary, dank, chilblain-creating, cold Saturday night in London and I’m headed to Asia on my last business trip of the year, my final fortnight on the road.
People
The Whinging Pome: Tales from a life in travel retail
“The Whinging Pome Random Rules, Rule 22: Always engage with those sitting next to you on a flight, but very quickly make an assessment whether such an engagement is going to be worthwhile. If not, apply The Whinging Pome Random Rules, Rule 52: Cease all contact and employ diversionary tactics. If Rule No 52 fails,
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Events
Toeing the line at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup
The golf pro asks the hacker where his feet are. “They’re at the end of my legs,” replies the hacker, surprised at such a naive question. “Where they always are.”
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Events
Singing Me and Guilio down by the scrapyard
On a course with about three and a half times the volume of sand as the Sahara, I may as well have taken my bucket and spade, so much time did I spend in the damn stuff.
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Events
The winners’ curse strikes at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup
And so, here I am at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup 25th anniversary tournament, my bookmaker’s odds of winning at 67,500 to 1 based on previous form. Dermot Divot is at 25 to 1. Or was before yesterday.
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Events
Looking for a horologist to fix an ailing body clock
Anyone know a good horologist? My body clock is in serious need of repair. When I left Melbourne I was 11 hours ahead of London time. After stepping off a 14-hour flight I was 8 hours behind.
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Airports
Experiencing the world’s first run-through duty free store
“There seems to be a problem. I’m sorry, you can’t get on this flight. And you’re very late.”
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Airports
Do these two pictures paint the future of travel retail?
Here at Melbourne, the talked-about convergence of digitalisation and personalisation has found voice
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Airports
Finding funnel-webs and missing apostrophes in Melbourne
I was tempted to go up to the information counter and ask politely, “Where can I find an apostrophe?”
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Airports
Back in Bangkok before meeting a new generation in Melbourne
Samui is one of those lovely little regional airports that carries you back to a different era of travel.
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People
Recognising ‘Mr Chocolate’, ‘the man from Mars’ and a champion of travel retail
“I think there must be several Stuart Bulls, so often do we see him here in the region” – Colm McLoughlin, Dubai Duty Free.
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Travel
Replacing the batteries on Koh Samui
You get what you pay for, as they say. I wonder what a ‘genuine fake’ (as opposed to a fake fake?) Armani suit looks like?
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Events
Trinity spirit alive and well in Thailand
The world tour continues, onto Australia, the US, the UK and Dubai. I take that journey in the knowledge that Trinity is alive and well.