Motorhome business takes new lease on Tritton Road site
New business Lincoln Motorhomes has taken a new lease on a long-established motorhome sales & servicing site in Lincoln in an off-market deal.
The company is already trading from the 2-acre site, with circa 5,000 sq ft of workshop & office accommodation on Tritton Road, with reports that business is ‘brisk’ at the beginning of the year.
Although Lincoln Motorhomes was just established in October last year, the Tritton Road site has an association with motorhomes sales & servicing for almost three decades.
Such longevity in the sector is a claim that Lincoln Motorhome’s founder and director, Iain Robertson is more than qualified to make. He has over 35 years’ experience in the sector and is widely acknowledged across Lincolnshire by those connected with the motorhome trade.
In refreshing the sales and servicing offer to a national client base Lincoln Motorhomes has inherited through the Tritton Road connection, Iain Robertson and his team of twelve employees are keen – in addition to the pre-owned motorhomes and caravans sales side – to emphasise the extent of their vehicle servicing offer. That being ‘a top to toe, inside & out’ service covering all mechanical, body work, cab and living accommodation needs of their customers’ motorhomes.
Will Wall, of Eddisons agency in Lincoln who acted on its client’s behalf in concluding the terms of the lease with Lincoln Motorhomes, said, “We’re glad to have played our part in securing the site’s long association with the motorhome sector.
“We have no doubt Iain and his team will bring new vigour and revive the profile of the much-prized Tritton Road site to new and established members of the motorhome community far and wide.”
Business start-ups rise by a third as insolvency-related activity falls across Yorkshire and Humber
There was a significant increase in the number of new start-ups as well as a sharp drop in insolvency-related activity across Yorkshire and the Humber and the UK in the first month of 2025, according to the latest research from the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3.
The research, which is based on an analysis of data provided by Creditsafe, shows a 35% increase in new business start-ups in the region in January, with insolvency-related activity falling by 30% in the same month.
The increase in business start-ups in Yorkshire and the Humber, from 3,235 new businesses established in December, to 4,375 in January, comes after a 16% fall in the number of new start-ups at the end of last year. Insolvency-related activity, which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings, also fell, following a small rise, of 5%, in December.
Business start-up numbers increased significantly across every region of the UK in January: by 37% in the East Midlands and 36% in East Anglia. Northern Ireland saw the slowest rate of increase, at 14%, and was also the only region to see a hike in insolvency-related activity, which was up by 50% compared to December. Every other region experienced a decrease in insolvency-related activity, with the East Midlands seeing the largest drop at 43%.
Dave Broadbent, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and partner at Begbies Traynor in York and Teesside, said: “This is certainly welcome news and it’s encouraging to see some signs of growth amid the economic uncertainty that businesses continue to face, with rising prices, increased employment costs and the threat of tariffs adding to the shockwaves from the pandemic and Brexit that are still hitting the economy.
“Needless to say, many businesses are really struggling with all these challenges and the R3 data also shows that over 47,000 firms in Yorkshire and the Humber have invoices which have gone past their due date for payment, an increase on December’s figures.
“While this month’s Bank of England interest rate cut should help to give businesses some much needed breathing space and make borrowing cheaper for those firms with plans for growth, we always advise clients that it’s essential to monitor their financial position carefully and seek professional advice as soon as possible as in a fragile economy like this, things can rapidly take a turn for the worse.
“Help and support for businesses is out there and swift and decisive action is often what can save the day and help to turn a financially challenging situation around.”
Bridlington mental health care home sold
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold The Lombrand care home in Bridlington, Yorkshire.
The Lombrand is a residential care home registered for 21 service users in the category of mental health. It is located on Tennyson Avenue on the north side of Bridlington, a short walk from the town centre and to the North beach and cliff walks.
It was sold through Jonathan Wickens at Christie & Co on behalf of Richard and Elaine Flowers who, after 14 years running the home, can now look forward to a well-earned retirement.
The purchaser is Flying Angel Limited, which has provided residential care to male clients with mental health needs since 2016.
Sudesh Bhunjun, Director at Flying Angel Limited, said: “We are delighted to have acquired The Lombrand Ltd from Richard and Elaine Flowers and look forward to working with the staff, residents, and relatives. We endeavour to provide holistic support to our residents, making their stay at Lombrand enjoyable and meaningful.”
Jonathan Wickens, Director – Care at Christie & Co, said: “This sale highlights the continued demand for care homes across the region. We have a number of transactions due to complete in the first quarter of 2025, and there are still established operators looking to acquire similar homes across the region.”
The Lombrand was sold for an undisclosed price.
Mayor partners with colleges to upskill students into local jobs
A new partnership between West Yorkshire’s Mayor and seven Further Education colleges aims to upskill students into local jobs to support businesses and grow the economy.
Announcing the Further Education partnership, which has been signed by the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges and every college Principal in the region, Mayor Tracy Brabin pledged to “put more money in people’s pockets” by ensuring that college courses better reflect local job opportunities.
According to the agreement published today (10 February), every college across Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield will work to strengthen their relationships with local businesses to respond to their skills needs, including through the co-creation of courses to guarantee direct pathways into good jobs.
The agreement follows the publication of the multibillion-pound West Yorkshire Local Growth Plan, which promises joined up action on skills, housing and transport to build an eco-system that supports small and medium-sized firms to grow and succeed.
Through deeper devolution and partnership working with colleges, the Mayor aims to build a skills system that can support the region’s fastest-growing business sectors, including financial and professional services, advanced manufacturing and engineering, and health and life sciences.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Here in West Yorkshire, we’re building a region of learning and creativity, with our seven excellent colleges equipping our residents with the skills they need to flourish.
“But to realise the enormous potential of our economy, we must revolutionise our approach to skills training, with a relentless focus on the jobs and the sectors of the future.
“By working in partnership with business, we’ll ensure that every college graduate has a clear pathway into employment, supporting them to put more money in their pockets and contribute to a stronger, brighter economy.”
Small firms call for £3k incentive to help them take on apprentices
Increasing the financial incentive for small businesses that employ an apprentice could help encourage more to do so, according to new data from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
To mark this year’s National Apprenticeship Week in England, which starts today (Monday 10 February), the business group has released statistics that found almost half (47%) of small business employers say reintroducing a £3,000 incentive would encourage them to take on apprentices.
Of those small firms that currently employ an apprentice, almost three quarters (73%) say the financial incentive could mean taking on more in the future.
Currently, employers are given £1,000 when they hire an apprentice under 19 years old. FSB is calling on Government to use the summer’s Spending Review to update this to a £3,000 incentive for those hiring an apprentice under 25 years old, exclusively for SMEs.
FSB data also highlighted that 36% of small business employers who currently employ apprentices say reduced admin or paperwork would encourage them to take on more. FSB wants Government to introduce a standardised way of tracking both on and off the job training that apprentices do. This is currently done by apprenticeship providers, all of which have differing approaches, creating more work for employers.
Latest Government statistics show that although the number of apprenticeship starts has increased overall, lower-level apprenticeships, which are traditionally done by smaller firms have fallen. More needs to be done to encourage more small firms to take on entry-level apprentices.
FSB is calling on Government to set targets to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in small businesses across the parliament.
Tina McKenzie, FSB Policy Chair, said: “National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to shine a light on all the fantastic small businesses out there that currently employ apprentices – nurturing their skills, while at the same time growing their business.
“Our members who employ apprentices often tell us how they help fill skills gaps in their team, and also bring in fresh new ideas.
“We’d love to see the starts numbers increasing and more small firms taking on apprentices, particularly at the entry-level. Our research shows what a difference bringing back the £3,000 incentive, which was briefly introduced during the pandemic, would make to the numbers. The Government has an opportunity to make a difference on this at the Spending Review in June.
“With so many struggling with the admin side of taking on an apprentice, it’s clear time and resources are in short supply for small businesses, most of which don’t have a separate HR team. Providing financial incentives would help to offset this.”
Leeds Sustainability Institute’s new test cells to advance building performance measures ahead of housing industry changes
The Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI), part of Leeds Beckett University, is launching two new test cells to baseline the real-world thermal performance of UK homes and further advance its innovation in energy efficiency testing.
The launch of the two test cells at Citu’s Climate Innovation District in Leeds, is part of a wider project by LSI to gather real-world thermal performance data on British house types to allow the evaluation of the effectiveness of new build homes and innovative retrofit solutions.
This work comes at a critical time, with the Future Homes Standard (FHS) set to take effect in 2025. For the first time, developers will be required to test and verify the thermal performance of new homes after construction, ensuring they perform as designed.
These test cells will function as laboratories, enabling the development of more reliable methods for measuring building performance. By improving measurement techniques, housebuilders, landlords, and homebuyers can gain greater confidence that their properties perform as expected and meet modern energy efficiency standards.
Alongside the launch of these new facilities, the LSI has been conducting an extensive building performance testing program at the Net-Zero Research Village (NeRV) near Gateshead. Powered by Northern Gas Networks, NeRV serves as a cutting-edge testing ground for emerging retrofit net-zero technologies.
At NeRV, the LSI team is assessing nine different home types, each representing a typical British housing era—from 1910s terraces and 1930s semi-detached houses to 1950s bungalows, 1970s flats, and 1990s detached homes. Their research will establish baseline thermal performance metrics for each housing type, allowing the evaluation of the effectiveness of innovative retrofit solutions.
The LSI’s research will provide data to improve tools that will help the industry meet its ambitious new build and retrofit targets, and help the industry move away from relying exclusively on models to predict hypothetical improvements.
This is also critical as the UK government is accelerating efforts to retrofit existing homes to meet net-zero targets. To support this, new “pay-by-performance” mechanisms have been introduced in initiatives like the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). These programs emphasize the need for accurate measurement tools that can verify real energy savings before and after retrofits.
Professor David Glew, Director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University, said: “We’re partnering with developer Citu to establish these two test cell sites in Leeds to help define a pathway for housebuilders to integrate measurements into their everyday construction processes and meet upcoming net zero regulations.
“The coming shift in focus within the building regulations towards measured data is a step change for the industry, and we are doing this research to improve and validate the tools industry needs to ensure they will comply with the requirements.
“It is essential for all parts of the construction industry, from housebuilders, landlords and energy companies to green tech and finance innovators, to know the real performance of their energy efficient products and homes.
“Without reliable tools and methods to test and baseline performance, we won’t have the certainty we need to support the net zero transition of our housing stock. The benefits of our research will be transformative, from ensuring that the sector meets its legal responsibilities to hitting energy saving targets and even helping new tech on its journey to adoption.”
Sam Whiteley, Production Manager at Citu, added: “Citu and the Climate Innovation District are driven by creating sustainable urban communities and exploring and incorporating homes built with sustainable materials and innovative technologies.
“So, working with LSI on these two new test cells helps to not only demonstrate our existing credentials but will allow us to continue innovate and drive performance standards in sustainable home building.
“We’re incredibly proud to be part of this wider programme as we all work towards a Net Zero future.”
David Lynch, Energy Transition Strategy Manager at NeRV, said: “The testing LSI have carried out at NeRV will give us granular insights into the baseline energy performance for each property type, ultimately helping us understand what impact low carbon retrofit technologies have had upon each dwelling.
“All of this takes us closer to delivering the data on domestic decarbonisation, and providing the evidence customers need to make informed decisions depending on the type of home they live in.
“With the UK needing to decarbonise 20,000 properties a week for the next 25 years, it’s absolutely essential to have those answers.”
More signs of labour market slack as hiring activity falls at sharper rate across the North of England
The jobs market in the North of England has remained under pressure, according to the latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey data.
Demand for workers weakened, as reflected by an accelerated drop in vacancies. As a result, hiring activity for both types of staff contracted, again at sharper and historically elevated rates. This triggered a cooldown in pay growth.
The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 150 recruitment and employment consultancies in the North of England.
Decline in permanent hiring activity intensifies further
January survey data showed that permanent staff placements fell at a substantial and accelerated pace in the North of England. This marked the fifth decrease in the respective seasonally adjusted index in consecutive months, to its lowest since June 2020.
Surveyed recruiters linked the downturn to reduced vacancies, hiring hesitancy amid post-budget uncertainty and elevated staffing costs. Though all four monitored English regions posted substantial decreases in permanent staff appointments, the North led the downturn in January.
Recruiters in the North of England registered a third straight month-on-month decrease in their billings received from temporary employment in January. The decline reportedly reflected a lack of recruitment activity following the 2024 Autumn budget. Having re-accelerated in January, the rate of contraction in temp billings was steep across the region and in line with the UK trend.
January data pointed to a third consecutive monthly decrease in job openings for both types of staff across the North of England. The substantial decline in permanent vacancies seen across the region was the strongest for nearly four-and-a-half years. The rate of contraction was also the most pronounced across the four monitored English regions.
Temp vacancies fell at the quickest rate since June 2020 in the latest survey period and at a stronger rate compared to the UK average.
Softer increase in permanent staff supply in January
There was a further rise in permanent staff supply in the North of England in January, thereby stretching the trend of growth to just over one year. Though strong, the rate of expansion was the weakest seen over this period.
The increase reportedly reflected a challenging jobs market and a subsequent rise in redundancies. The local uplift in permanent staff availability was the joint-softest of the monitored regions, matching that seen in the South of England.
Recruitment agencies in the North of England signalled a further rise in availability of short-term staff in January, thus marking a near two-year run of expansion. The rate of growth in temporary staff supply was steep and the joint-strongest in just over four years (equal with October 2024).
Panellists linked the uptick to a hiring slowdown and a rise in redundancies. For back-to-back months, the North of England posted the fastest increase in temp staff availability seen regionally.
Below average starting salary inflation cools further in January
Salaries awarded to new permanent joiners across the North of England rose moderately in January, marking nearly four years of wage growth. The rate of increase was the weakest for three months and noticeably softer than the average seen since starting pay began rising in early 2021.
Where growth was reported, panellists mentioned a rise in placements for senior roles and increased pay offers to secure candidates. Moreover, the local rate of inflation was slightly faster than the UK average.
As has been the case on a monthly basis since the end of 2023, there was a further rise in hourly wages across the North of England in January. The local rate of temp pay inflation was only marginal and the softest seen across current run of growth, but nevertheless stronger than the UK average, in part due to a sharper drop in temp rates in the South of England.
Phil Murden, Leeds Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, said: “The challenges within the job market show little sign of easing, with permanent staff placements in the North now slumping at the fastest pace since during the COVID-19 pandemic when hiring had all but stopped. We’re seeing a combination of declining vacancies and an increase in staff supply that’s making it a difficult climate for jobseekers.
“Hiring hesitancy has persisted into 2025 fuelled by firms keeping the impending employers National Insurance rate rise in mind as they approach the new tax year.
“There are small bright spots at the top end of the market, with some businesses continuing to invest in top talent for senior roles – a positive indication that businesses are more readily thinking about their longer-term strategies. Our recent KPE Barometer bears this out, with Yorkshire businesses looking to focus investment on delivering new products and services which will demand the skills and experience that senior top talent provides.”
Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said: “Businesses entered the year uncertain on the growth path, and that has driven a ‘wait and see’ approach to hiring. Around the country, REC members report that clients have plans and are hopeful for the year ahead – but firms are slowing investment until they see more momentum in the economy.
“Salaries awarded to new permanent joiners across the North rose moderately in January and the local rate of temp pay inflation was only marginal. Last week’s move on interest rates was timely as a way of boosting confidence. The more central role of growth in Government thinking since the Chancellor’s speech last month will also help. But it takes time, and real action, to build business confidence.
“An autumn of fiscal gloom, difficulty navigating significant upcoming tax rises and little progress on the practicalities of a costly new approach to employment rights are all acting as brakes on progress. As well as the monetary stimulus to growth, it’s time for greater clarity on how the Government will use its industrial strategy to drive the growth of the whole economy.”
South Yorkshire firms encouraged to comment on planning systems
Businesses across South Yorkshire are being asked to share their experiences with the local planning systems to highlight what works well and where they believe there is room for improvement as part of a new poll conducted by South Yorkshire’s three Chambers of Commerce.
The survey seeks to create a baseline for how businesses currently experience the planning system, understand where there might be blockages, and identify areas for improvement.
Among other things, it asks respondents to outline how satisfied they have been with the outcomes of any planning applications they may have submitted in the past, the ease with which they have been able to engage with the Local Planning Authority (LPA) in question, and their awareness of the various support mechanisms that are available to help them at different stages of the process. The South Yorkshire Planning Survey is open from now until Monday the 10th of March.
Equipped with these insights, the South Yorkshire Chambers will then be able to advocate for positive changes in the planning system while also sharing the findings with those partners that are best placed to make a difference.
Encouraging businesses to complete the Planning Survey, the chief executives for chambers of commerce covering Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley & Rotherham issued a joint statement: “The planning system is, of course, instrumental when it comes to helping firms of all shapes and sizes unlock their true potential. When it is working as intended, it plays a significant role in spurring on growth, encouraging investment, and making sure that exciting projects are able to get off the ground in a timely manner.
“Conversely, we know — from anecdotal conversations with our members — that the planning system can also conspire to slow projects down with a negative impact on economic growth
“In such economically turbulent times, when every metric used to measure business confidence is already dropping dramatically and investment intentions are at a concerning low, it’s therefore important that our planning system meets the needs of our private and voluntary sectors and predisposed towards encouraging sustainable development.
“With that said, we’d like to urge businesses to please spare just 10 minutes to complete our Planning Survey, so that we can get under the bonnet of this important issue. The information gleaned here will be invaluable, and as always with any our insight gathering activities, every last response counts.”
The Planning Survey has been sponsored by Clear Insurance Management and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Co-Chair of the South Yorkshire Mayor’s Business Advisory Board, Tariq Shah, added: “A well-functioning planning system is fundamental to unlocking investment, driving regeneration, and ensuring sustainable growth across South Yorkshire. The insights gathered from this survey will provide invaluable evidence to help the Business Advisory Board understand the challenges businesses face and identify where improvements are needed.
“By working closely with our partners, we can advocate for a system that is more efficient, transparent, and supportive of the region’s economic ambitions. I strongly encourage businesses to take part—your feedback will directly inform the changes needed to create a more business-friendly planning environment.”
AI ‘lifeguard’ earns prize for Bradford student
A man studying for an Executive MBA at the University of Bradford for his work in developing Deep Blue, which uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to track dozens of swimmers using existing camera networks and highlight potential drownings.
Karl Bay, 44, has won the prestigious Start-Up of the Year Award 2025 in the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2025.
He said: “Winning this award is recognition for the vision we had for this product and the hard work we have put in. This is a prime example of how AI can enhance our lives. It is not being used to replace humans but to augment their capabilities.”
Deep Blue is able to track dozens of swimmers at any one time and has been ‘trained’ to spot potential drowning events or swimmers who get into difficulty – if it does detect something untoward, it alerts lifeguards.
Karl, who was born in Lebanon and has made a career out of developing start-ups, explained: “We will always need lifeguards at swimming pools and beaches. This system is not meant to replace them but to help them. Obviously, there is a limit to the number of people any person can keep track of, on top of which there are other variables such as attention spans and environmental factors.
“Developing a system that is able to track swimmers who are in the sea is extremely complex, because you have to take account of all kinds of variables, such as swimmers disappearing behind waves, or going under the water for a period of time, and so on, but we have developed a mathematical model that works.
“Deep Blue is able to watch all of the swimmers all of the time and send alerts to wristwatches worn by lifeguards whenever it spots something unusual. We have also trained those lifeguards taking part in the trials to be able to read the computer screens so they can identify the problem and act accordingly.”
Karl, who is also the COO of another tech start-up, said he and his two business partners beat two other companies to clinch the Dubai government trials.
The father-of-two said he chose the Executive MBA for its subject content and the ability to forge new contacts.
“I chose Bradford’s Executive MBA because of the subjects on offer. I already run my own companies but I have still learned new skills and my cohort is packed full of people at the top of their game who bring with them unique insights, so from a networking perspective, it has been very useful.”
Interim Dean of the School of Management Professor Saeed Akbar accepted the award on Karl’s behalf, and said: “This is a tremendous achievement for Karl and we’re pleased he has found our Executive MBA to be so beneficial. Karl is a shining example to our students. We’re also pleased to be associated with the Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association (AMBA & BGA) Awards. Our School of Management is one of the top 1% in the world to hold triple-accreditation, including from AMBA.”
University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research appoints two key Visiting Professors
The University of Huddersfield’s renowned Institute of Railway Research (IRR) has appointed two key Visiting Professors from the railway industry.
The move aims to further translate its research activity into real-world technology solutions and to develop new modelling tools to support a predict and prevent railway asset management strategy. Andy Doherty, Chief Technology Officer at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE), begins his new role at the University in February this year. He will work alongside the IRR leadership team to define a long-term research plan that will seek to align the work of the Institute with the £200m investment plans for the GCRE railway system proving ground. The partnership will focus on supporting the implementation of next-generation railway technology solutions for both UK and international railway administrations. Professor Doherty has been one of the driving forces behind the creation of GCRE in South Wales, where he currently oversees the technology strategy. GCRE will be a facility for world-class rail and mobility research, testing and showcasing of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new technologies. The site will be built around a state-of-the-art 6.9km high-speed test track and 4.5km lower speed high-tonnage line. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineers, with more than four decades of experience in the industry. Until the autumn of 2020, Professor Doherty was Chief Rail Technology Officer for Network Rail and has held visiting Chairs at the University of Southampton and Cranfield University. With an aim to advance the state of the art in wheel-rail damage prediction modelling, Professor Doherty is joined by Professor Mark Burstow, Senior Technical Fellow and Principal Vehicle Track Dynamics Engineer at Network Rail (NR), who was appointed a Visiting Professor at the IRR in November 2024. Professor Burstow is a specialist in vehicle-track interaction, with extensive knowledge in wheel-rail damage prediction. His fundamental research work underpinned the learning from the tragic rail accident at Hatfield in 2000, where the underlying cause was found to be rolling contact fatigue (RCF) of the rail head, ultimately leading to a complete fracture of the rail section and consequential fatal train derailment. Professor Burstow developed internationally recognised models for RCF and wear, which have resulted in RCF crack detection and mitigation strategies that have dramatically reduced the risk of rail breaks. Professor Paul Allen, Director of the Institute of Railway Research (IRR) at the University of Huddersfield commented: “We are delighted to be in the position to attract the support of two extremely capable and respected railway engineers. As an ex-NR Board member, Andy brings a wealth of experience in strategic management, together with a passion and proven track record in driving a research and innovation culture in the rail industry. His appointment comes at a formative stage in the development of GCRE and we are very much looking forward to beginning the journey in strategically aligning and applying the world-leading specialist capabilities at the IRR with the global vision for rail system innovation and proving at GCRE. “As a senior practising engineer at NR, holding a Doctorate and extensive research track record in the numerical modelling of fracture in metals, Mark will be an invaluable asset in assisting the IRR team to further extend its modelling tools and capabilities in wheel-rail damage prediction. Initial work will seek to increase understanding of the influence of high temperatures generated between the wheel and rail on wear and surface damage. As an industrial research partner for over 20 years, we very much welcome the opportunity for Mark to contribute directly to our research and support both staff and doctoral research students in their work.” Professor Doherty commented: “I’m genuinely delighted to be joining the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield. Cutting-edge research, technology development and working collaboratively with innovation teams and students are things I have always loved doing in my career and I’m looking forward to contributing to the vital work the institute does. “It’s great to be joining at such a pivotal time for the rail industry. Across the UK and internationally, rail has a significant role to play in supporting our path to net zero and stimulating economic growth, but that requires new ideas, faster deployment of innovations and more cost-effective ways of developing infrastructure. These are areas where the institute plays a vital role and so I’m looking forward to getting started.” Professor Mark Burstow commented: “Having worked alongside academia in developing knowledge and modelling tools for the prediction of wheel-rail surface damage throughout my career, I was delighted the University of Huddersfield and colleagues at the Institute of Railway Research were able to offer me the position of Visiting Professor. With several research ideas already on the table, I am excited to get started in working more closely with the IRR team.”