A hotel collapsing into administration, the creators of a women’s urinal securing major funding and the best places to live in the West Country are among the most-read South West stories of 2022.
In a year that many businesses hoped to start recovering from the impact of the Covid pandemic, the UK has been faced with serious economic and political turmoil. The country has had three prime ministers and two monarchs in the space of just 12 months.
Although most of the UK's Covid restrictions were finally lifted in the first quarter of the year, the world was rocked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, leading to surging inflation as the cost of petrol and energy soared.
The UK summer saw the late Queen celebrating her Platinum Jubilee - bringing a boost for retail and hospitality businesses - but in September Kwasi Kwarteng's notorious mini-Budget sent global financial markets into a spin. The fallout of the announcement led to former prime minister Liz Truss leaving office after just 44 days in post.
It's certainly been a whirlwind 12 months - and as we near the end of the year, we take a look back at the top 10 most-read articles from our region.
1. DoubleTree by Hilton Cheltenham collapses
Our most-read piece of 2022 was an exclusive on the news of a luxury hotel in Gloucestershire collapsing into administration. Lethendy Cheltenham Limited, which traded as the DoubleTree by Hilton Cheltenham, appointed administrators in May. The- owners blamed the collapse on Russian banks, including state-owned Otkritie. The company said it was forced to appoint administrators after Russian banks sought to impose land registry restrictions on Hilton Cheltenham’s property, which it claimed had “no connection” to Lethendy Estates.
2. House prices could fall by 20% in 2023, expert warns
The UK's property market has faced a bumpy 2022 and experts are expecting the sector to cool further in 2023 as the country enters a recession. In November, a Bristol mortgage expert warned the UK housing market could drop by 20% or more next year. Graham Cox, founder of SelfEmployedMortgageHub.com, blamed Mr Kwarteng’s mini-Budget, which he said “hit the market for six”.
3. Women's urinal inventors secure funding
A pair of Bristol graduates who invented a women’s urinal raised a quarter of a million pounds in their first fundraise in February from investors including the co-founder of Monzo Bank. Amber Probyn, 23, and Hazel McShane, 25, claim their flatpack portable urinals are six times faster to use and produce 98% less carbon than traditional portable toilets. The duo also scooped the innovation award at the BristolLive Business Awards 2022, which is run in association with BusinessLive.
4. Rolls-Royce partner Electroflight appoints administrators
Another administration in our region drew much attention in the summer. Gloucestershire aerospace company Electroflight, which developed the battery for Rolls-Royce’s high-tech all-electric plane, went bust in July. Last year, the business was heavily involved in Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Innovation project to break the fastest all-electric flight world record - and it achieved its goal in November. But the firm appointed accountancy firm Milstead Langdon as joint administrators in 2022, according to public record site The Gazette .
5. Midas confirms intention to appoint administrator
Construction giant Midas Group confirmed in January it was appointing an administrator in a move stunning the region. The business, one of the UK’s largest privately-owned construction and property services companies, filed notices of intention to appoint an administrator on January 28. That was for three companies: Midas Group, its construction arm Midas Construction, and its housing division Mi-Space.
6. Surf operator The Wave to open six sites
It's not been all doom and gloom from the region this year. At the start of 2022, Bristol surf park operator The Wave announced plans to build six more sites around the UK and Ireland after striking a deal worth more than £2m. The Wave, which was established by social entrepreneur Nick Hounsfield in 2019, signed the partnership agreement with specialist technology provider Wavegardend.
7. Airbus workers offered 8.6% pay deal
In April, Airbus workers were balloted on a new pay offer in a bid to avert strike action. Around 3,000 Unite members at Broughton in North Wales and Filton, South Gloucestershire, rejected the last 8.1% deal over two years. Following talks, the aerospace giant made a new and improved 8.6% consolidated two-year offer for the period June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2023.
8. Airbus to hire 6,000 workers in 2022
More news from the aerospace company garnered interest this year. At the start of 2022, Airbus announced plans to take on 6,000 extra staff over 12 months, with the company's sites at Filton and Broughton benefitting. During the pandemic, Airbus was forced to cut its workforce as production levels were slashed.
9. Gloucester Rugby appoints new director
Gloucester Rugby appointed a new sports marketing boss in October. Huw Warren joined the Cherry and Whites as sales director, having previously held senior commercial roles at Bath Rugby and Welsh region the Ospreys. The move marked a return to rugby for Mr Warren, who arrived at Kingsholm from Glamorgan County Cricket Club, where he spent four years.
10. The best places to live in the South West 2022
The region's top places to live were chosen by The Sunday Times in the newspaper's annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide in April. Chalke Valley in Wiltshire was named the best place to Live in the South West, topping of a list of nine locations in the region.
