Sponsored by
Store boss hits
back at claims
Arthur Harris
A SCARBOROUGH businessman is defending himself after reports he flew executives to the French Riviera for a one-hour meeting while staff were being made redundant.
Scarborough-born retail entrepreneur Arthur Harris has been described as a “fatcat boss” in a report by The Daily Record, which unveiled the two-day jaunt to Port Grimaud, near St Tropez.
The article states Mr Harris, chief executive of Haldanes Stores, treated three directors to accommodation in a £100 a night hotel, and were wined and dined by Mr Harris, who was on a six-week holiday in the area.
Less than a year later, and Haldanes Stores is now in administration with more than 600 staff facing the axe.
One of those on the trip, former trading director Colin Farquhar, said: “The best way I could describe Arthur Harris is that he has champagne eyes and Coca Cola pockets.”
Another senior director said: “It was a total and utter waste of money that the company didn’t have.”
The French trip is reported to have taken place in August last year, with the article claiming Mr Harris also used his company credit card to fund a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix, as the company realised it was in serious trouble.
However, Mr Harris, whose nickname is said to be Captain Ribeye because of his love of steak dinners, denies being frivolous with the company’s money,
In response to The Daily Record article Mr Harris said: “Two of the directors, including myself, were already in France on holiday. It was cheaper to fly out the remaining three directors, via low-cost airline, than to transport them all to Grantham and put them up in a hotel. All three stayed in a small, three-star hotel for one night and flew back to the UK the next day.
“The other purpose of the board meeting was to carry out detailed research into the retail landscape in France.”
He added: “I was invited to the Monaco Grand Prix as a guest of a friend who lives in France. My fuel, as with all company directors and as agreed with the HMRC, was paid for by the company. I stayed with a friend, not in a hotel.”
Mr Harris admitted it was “quite possible” that his expenses were around £3,000 a month.
Mr Harris, who now lives in a £750,000 home near Grantham, in Lincolnshire, is the man behind part of the Woodhead the Bakers takeover after his other company, the Haldane Retail Group, took over the Beaconsfield Street Bakery and 11 stores under the subsidiary firm Bakery Products.
He also previously fronted the East-Midlands based holding group Y50. The firm was the umbrella company of Dolphin Retail, which used to own two Shell petrol stations on Seamer Road, and Newby Service Station, before closing them in 2009 after running in to difficulty with the banks.
Mr Harris said the Haldane Retail Group is not linked to Haldanes Stores, which is seeking a buyer after going into administration.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
park and hide
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 01:42 PMThanks Spy for your information and did a check on the sites you pointed out, as you say not good reading, the name Arthur Daley came to mind! Could this be the same Mr Harris who some years ago had a motorcycle shop for a short time in the Pickering area? hopefully the Woodhead tie up will prove to be a success for the sake of all the staff.
spy
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 07:08 AMI was not really aware of Arfur until the Woodhead thing happened. A quick google led me to find the Pickering rally + Scalby petrol stations. My, what an eye opener that was. Since woodheads, which was only April, I've been watching Haldanes. My god - what a total scam! It's hard to work out if he's bent or just delusional. Even harder to work out where he got the money from - I'm guessing some form of vendor finance and deluded banks. A quick google will give you some articles from Th e Grocer. There is also a forum of ex-Haldanes employees. Some of the happening would be best described as 'fast', some appear to be very illegal. Sorry to Woodhead employees but you'll be out of a job by september.
Capt Birds Eyes Pants
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 08:06 PMany chance of Scarborough Athletic getting the £2500 they are owed Arthur?
park and hide
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 07:36 PMI note they were, "to carry out detailed research into the retail landscape in France" better research in th U.K may have proved usefull in the past. Pleased he is getting by on £3000 a month expenses, it must be a real struggle, but is good example to all of us in Scarborough.
That bloke in the pub
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 06:22 PMAll you people queueing up to have a go at the public sector workers for taking industrial action, take note, this is the sort of thing that has brought the country to its knees.
Earth Angel
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 01:48 PMGod help Woodheads thats all I can say!
amaroo
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 11:56 AMArthur Harris----His wife also involved with Pickering Traction Engine Rally in 2009 which is worth looking up.
ISeeEverything
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 11:47 AMNot linked?? Perhaps not in the true legal sense of the word, but in every other respect.
Earth Angel
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 09:39 AMWould have been even cheaper to have a conference call set up between them all me thinks??!!
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.