Geoffrey Hartridge

Geoffrey Hartridge, licensed trade campaigner and managing director of Hartridge's Soft Drinks between 1955 and 1982, has died at the age of 85. He is remembered as a stalwart supporter of licensed trade associations and a colourful character who called for the "soft drink orders" well into his old age. The funeral was held last week. Donations to Rowans Hospice, inPurbrook, Hants. Burning bright A buoyant market in the West End of London helped Urbium, owner of the Tiger Tiger chain of late-night bars, bounce back to a 4% rise in like-for-like sales for the five weeks to31 December. The company's third quarter saw like-for-like sales for the first 11 weeks drop by 5% as punters stayed outside during the summer heatwave. Plans to establish smaller capacity Tiger Tigers in secondary markets get under way in June, with the opening of a 1,350-capacity venue in Aberdeen. The second City of London venue is due to open in Cornhill next month. Extra big boost Corona Extra has announced record sales of the bottled lager in the UK in 2003, as well as a new supply deal with Yates. Sales were up 111%, boosted by a series of promotional events. Yates has become the most recent pub group to sign a deal to stock the brand in its outlets, including its Ha! Ha! bars. Free Brewsters A Welsh licensing board has decided that it will notcharge landlords for renewing licences at the final Brewster Sessions. Aberdare licensing committee, which covers Merthyr and Rhondda, is waiving the £30 fee because licensing control is being handed to councils some time this year and it did not think it fair to charge. Ha! Ha!'s laughing Yates has announced a 6.7% rise in like-for-like sales at its Ha! Ha! chain for the five weeks to 4 January. The 98 new-look Yates bars saw like-for-like sales up 2.3%, but the drag caused by the nine sites awaiting disposal meant like-for-like sales for the Yates brand as a whole were down 0.8% on 2002. Group like-for-likes including the 20 Ha! Ha! bars were down 0.2%. H&H Celebrates Brewery and pub company Hardys & Hansons has given each of its managers, tenants and business associates a limited-edition Celebration Ale gift box for helping it win the title Nottingham Company of the Year 2003. The company, which operates 250 pubs, has undergone an extensive rebranding programme and investment in the estate in the past year.