"Hmph". That's all Backchat's got to say.

Everyone knows that the only people entitled to jollies (pleasant days out where one doesn't lift one's finger) are journos.

Jollies are exclusively the domain of us hacks and they console us as we watch our colleagues in advertising turn up in their Porches and Rollers (okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit).

So it was with no relish that Backchat learned that our ad manager, Sue Hirst, is off to a health spa courtesy of the dastardly insurer, Iron Trades.

Allegedly, Sue won on some silly computer game hosted by the insurer at the recent Airmic bash in Birmingham. Allegedly – because we can't believe it's true – she was better than any of the other competitors at landing some parachute thingy onto a target thingy.

So now she is off to a health spa – she's taking the publisher Sarah Tunstall – where pampering and serenity will rule supreme.

"Hmph". That's all Backchat's got to say, but I'm not bitter.


The 2025 Insurance Times Awards took place on the evening of Wednesday 3rd December in the iconic Great Room of London’s Grosvenor House.

Hosted by comedian and actor Tom Allen, 34 Gold, 23 Silver and 22 Bronze awards were handed out across an amazing 34 categories recognising brilliance and innovation right across the breadth of UK general insurance.
Many congratulations to all the worthy winners and as always, huge thanks to our sponsors for their support and our judges for their expertise.

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