Dateline Monday 28th October 2024

Happy Monday what a lovely week of weather we have just had, the weekend was warmish and sunny in London, I hope you had agreeable weather in your part of this interesting and fragile world in which we live. Welcome to a fresh new week unless of course you are in Asia and Australia where the week has well and truly started.  

The Jewish festival season is done and dusted Sukkot finished on Friday night, no more religious festivals till Passover in April.

This week is Diwali, on Sunday “the Mayor” (not my Mayor) had arrange a Diwali festival in Trafalgar Square so I thought I would go down to see what it was all about. OMG there were a gazillion people there, Trafalgar Square was fenced off, I did not manage to fight my way through to the entrance in fact to be honest I took one look at the crowds and thought I don’t think I will bother. Note to self, go there early next year. So instead I walked to Bond Street, schmoozed around Selfridges, a great store, then got the tube home.

This week will see the first Labour Government budget for fourteen years from the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, it will be historic for sure. I am glad it’s here all we have heard about for the past two months is the Labour alleged “black hole in the UK finances“ The Labour party said there would be no increases in Employees National Insurance contribution, VAT or Income tax on working people, who is /are working people? Is that me I am a working person, I go to work every day, and I guess you do too, you go to work as well so we are all working people. No tax rises hoorrraaayyyy.

Georgia’s election results are in and it seems Prick Putin’s Pals has had their sticky dodgy fingers all over it, The pro-Russian Georgia Dream Party has declared that they have won, the majority of Georgians do not think so.

Taking of elections Japan has been at the polls and the ruling party who have been in power for 70 years has been given a serious smack in the gob, they have lost their overall majority, interesting times ahead as they try to form a coalition government          

It’s soap box time

Today is ONE YEAR and 28 days that Israeli babies, toddlers, children, teens, women, men, seniors and other nationalities have been held hostage in the Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza,

Antony Blinken USA Secretary of State (for the time being) is back in the Viper’s nest talking to people about a cease fire that Hamas does not want, but that Israel desperately wants, Israel wants a cease fire and the hostages released.

Off the soap box now

Trump and Harris a week to go thank the Lord then it will be off the news headlines, maybe.  

And finally, the good news, the King and Queen had a successful trip to Samoa and he is, all being well back on doing ( full time) what he does best shaking hands and chatting .

That is about it from a David point of view for this week at least.

 MM and Company news update

Greece

Nassos the MD of AME DMC in Greece the DMC MM and Company has been representing since 2001 has told us that today 28th October is Oxi Day a Bank Holiday in Greece and Cyprus

Oxi Day (sometimes spelt Ohi or Ochi) is a national public holiday and commemorated on the 28th October every year in Greece and Cyprus. On this day in 1940, the Prime Minister of Greece, Ioannis Metaxas denied Benito Mussolini’s request to allow Italian troops to cross the border into Greece. He responded to the Italian ultimatum in French, the diplomatic language at the time, “Alors, c’est la gueree!” or “Then it is War!”. In the days following, the word of Metaxas’ denial had spread around the capital and the Greek population took to the streets shouting “Oxi!”. His decision made on 28th October 1940, is commemorated each year as a day that represents bravery, solidarity and heroism for millions of Greeks all around the world. Although Greece had tried to remain neutral in the early days of WWII, it was at this time it became allied with Great Britain. The Greek Army turned out to be a formidable force, holding back the Axis forces from entering Greece for almost six months. Winston Churchill commented at the time of the Greco-Italian war and famously said, “Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks.”

IBTM Barcelona 19th – 21st November 2024

It’s never too early to tell you that the following MM and Company represented DMCs have told us that they will be at IBTM :-

Hello Islands DMC Mauritius Stand M24

The J Team DMC Japan

TRAVCO DMC Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman will be exhibiting this year on the Abu Dhabi stand at IBTM World. Stand number K70.

Mi Malta DMC team of Doug and Erika will be on the Malta stand B60

The MM and Company DMC news is a bit thin on the ground as the DMCs we are proud to represent are full on delivering outstanding events after all now is the conference season.

And that is about it, you are now totally up to date, wishing you a terrific week ahead.