Christmas comes but once twice a year

Whether its a spin off from the recession or just the industry gearing up its marketing activities for the 90s, contractors will now do pretty much anything to woo the clients and meet the right people.

Last week Claridge's Hotel was rather surprised by a request from Maxwell Stewart, the Hertfordshire based building services engineering firm, for a Christmas Tree to be erected in one of the hotel lounges.

True to form, the hotel found a tree, decorated it and put it up as the centrepiece of the Maxwell Stewart's Christmas party - in March!

But why?

'We wanted to be ahead of the field,' said a company source. 'But you should have seen the cost of the tree!'