VENISON'S dear isn't it? Supposedly the shortest joke in the world and for those of you in the frozen northern hemisphere, a seemingly apt one.

WELL then, get yourself on down to Ince & Co's London offices for the Christmas event of the SPNL, the Shipping Professional Network London.

SEVEN months in and the shipping industry has already raised GBP 300,000 for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital's OSCAR Campaign. This is an incredible achievement and testament to the generosity of spirit that typifies people in shipping.

IT was with great sadness that we learned of the death of our good friend Fred Doll, owner and MD of Doll Shipping Consultancy. Fred was one of the worldâs leading maritime economists, a long term colleague of Spinnakerâs and a regular participant in the work of the Maritime HR Forum.

SPINNAKER ends 2011 with a welcome to three new members of staff who have joined us this month as Associate Consultants…

PROBABLY not as big as last year. Tempted as we were to leave it at that, there is more. Analysis by the Maritime HR Forum reveals that, overall, more people in chartering received a bonus this year than last. In 2010 a third of people received no bonus at all.

THERE may a lot of economic gloom out there, but demand for sale and purchase personnel at the moment seems to indicate that there are plenty of buyers waiting in the wings to pounce.

PRICES of private residential properties were up 1.3% in the third quarter of the year compared to 2% in the second quarter, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

YES, it's that time of the year again where pay in on the agenda as companies try and work out how much of an increase they give to their staff.