MORE SQUALOR for your dollar When the Diary flew to Paris last week on the budget airline Ryanair, it had a ghastly vision of what Scotland's airports might be like if Michael O'Leary had his way and the British Airports Authority were to be broken up. At both Glasgow Prestwick and Beauvais Paris the toilets are third-rate, there is standing room only in the departure lounges, the shopping experience is basic to non-existent, the choice of food is severely limited (although the bars do a solid business), the air conditioning cannot cope, and at Beauvais the luggage kept on falling off the conveyor belt. Maybe there is more to running an airport than keeping down landing charges to suit low-cost airlines.

talking trash It is amazing how lowering the tone can liven up the most sluggish of audiences. The guests at Colliers CRE's midsummer retail presentation were listening politely as director Roddy Morrison explained that investors were still willing to put cash into property but that it had to be of high quality. "This is what is known as the dash from trash,'" he explained. "Or, as it is known up in Scotland, the flight from shite.'" Cue appreciative titters from the audience. When Bob Fisher, head of Colliers Scotland, took the microphone again he admitted: "I had dared him to say that. I won't be doing that again."

on the road The Tiso Group revels in and promotes the joys of the outdoor life. Forget the rat race and go climbing or cycling or canoeing or walking or whatever, it encourages us.

So you can imagine the frustration of Chris Tiso, the group's head honcho, on his way down to talk to his new staff at the George Fisher store in the Lake District that Tiso has just taken over. Tiso and his finance director Ben Thomas were stuck for ages on the M6 in a humungous tailback.

a trophy appointment If you are going to develop a trophy business, what better way to do it than to employ the wearer of one of the most impressive gongs in the business? The Glasgow-based Trophy Centre has hired former Glasgow Lord Provost Alex Mosson, left, as a senior business development consultant.

Mosson, who wore the incredibly impressive chain of office from 1999 to 2003, will seek new business from both public and private sectors for Scotland's leading provider of trophies and medals.

He was hired by restaurant owner and property developer Archie Shariff, who bought the company last December when it was in receivership and had laid off its entire workforce.

Shariff's takeover saved the 22 jobs across three shops and the company's Glasgow HQ just before Christmas. His ambition is to take its turnover to £2 million by the summer of 2008.

The plan is to open new shops in Paisley and Hamilton and expand to the east coast in the "very near future". At the moment there are Trophy Centres in Irvine and Stirling and two in Glasgow.

Mosson said: "I have known Archie since he was a boy of 15, and watched him go from working hard in newsagents, grocers and the post office to waiting in restaurants and then opening ihis own restaurants in Paisley and Glasgow." Perhaps having an ex-Lord Provost on the payroll is an ideal Trophy asset.

name game Finally, we hear that David Gadd has been hired as the editor of website housetohome.co.uk. Presumably this means that while he used to gad about, he has decided to be a home body from now on. Ouch.