Modella Capital has acquired the majority of Claire’s UK and Ireland operations, comprising 156 stores and approximately 1,000 staff members. The transaction follows Claire’s UK entering administration in August 2025, after its US parent initiated Chapter 11 proceedings.

Around 145 stores remain under administration while their future is assessed. The business employs approximately 2,100 people across 278 locations in the UK and 28 outlets in Ireland.

The acquisition adds to Modella Capital’s existing retail portfolio, which includes WH Smith, Hobbycraft, and The Original Factory Shop, reinforcing its position in the high-street sector. Administrators will continue running the remaining stores while exploring strategic options for the unsold sites.

Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire has recorded its largest vineyard harvest to date, with operations commencing in late August, three weeks earlier than usual. Exceptional weather conditions contributed to improved grape quality, with harvesting expected to continue until the end of September.

The estate’s two-hectare vineyard, established six years ago on an east-west-facing slope, cultivates Solaris, Pino Prococe, Siegerrebe, and Seyval Blanc grape varieties. Previous production has fluctuated, rising from 700 bottles in 2021 to over 20,000 in 2022 and 2023, before dropping to 4,000 bottles in 2024 due to high rainfall. This year’s yield reflects a significant rebound.

Winemaking is carried out in partnership with Halfpenny Green Winery in Staffordshire, applying traditional double fermentation for sparkling wines, followed by two years of ageing. The estate highlights the vineyard’s soil composition and slope as key factors for frost management and vine health.

Mablethorpe is scheduled to receive £20 million in funding over the next ten years as part of the government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods Programme. The investment is intended to support local regeneration and place residents at the centre of planning decisions for the town’s development.

The funding will complement the existing £23.9 million Mablethorpe Towns Fund, which has already delivered projects including the Station Leisure and Learning Centre, the Campus for Future Living, and the Seaview Colonnade in Sutton on Sea.

Mablethorpe joins Skegness, Boston, and Spalding in the government’s long-term renewal programme for Lincolnshire. Councils are expected to receive new powers under the Pride in Place initiative to manage community assets, regulate nuisance businesses, and influence the future of local high streets.

Recent funding in East Lindsey has included £24.5 million for the Skegness Towns Fund, £20 million long-term funding for Skegness, and £8.1 million for cultural and heritage projects in Alford and Spilsby. Councillor Craig Leyland described the announcement as “a huge boost for Mablethorpe and for East Lindsey as a whole,” highlighting its potential to drive regeneration and community-led development.

Recent research from the East Midlands Chamber highlights a continued slowdown in trading conditions across the region. Data collected from nearly 300 businesses for the third quarter of 2025 shows that both domestic and international sales have fallen, and a growing proportion of companies are operating below full capacity.

UK sales declined by 3%, while domestic orders dropped 1%. Overseas sales fell 1%, and export orders decreased by 2%. Eight in ten businesses reported operating below capacity, up from seven in ten at the end of 2024.

Pressure to increase prices has eased. Only three in ten firms expect to raise prices in the next three months, a slight decline compared with earlier quarters. Recruitment activity remains steady, with 47% of companies seeking new staff. Around 70% anticipate workforce numbers will remain unchanged, and six in ten firms continue to report challenges finding suitable candidates.

Business confidence shows marginal improvement. Four in ten firms expect profitability to rise over the next 12 months, while half predict higher turnover. Despite this, inflation, corporate taxation, and competition remain the top concerns for regional businesses.

The survey underscores the ongoing pressures on East Midlands firms as they manage rising costs, fluctuating demand, and talent shortages, while preparing for potential policy changes in the upcoming Autumn Budget.

Bodycote has achieved zero operational carbon emissions at its Derby and Rotherham facilities, marking a significant milestone in industrial decarbonization for the heat treatment sector. Both plants, which focus on heat treating turbine blades for Rolls-Royce engines, now operate fully on renewable electricity and no longer rely on fossil fuels. The transition has been completed without carbon offsetting.

The move positions Bodycote as the first major heat treatment provider to demonstrate near-term, measurable carbon reduction across critical manufacturing processes. The company’s global network, spanning over 100 sites, is pursuing energy efficiency improvements, electrification, on-site renewable energy, nitrogen gas generation, hydrogen electrolysis, and green methanol sourcing.

Innovations at the Derby site include a closed-circuit adiabatic cooling system that reduces electricity use by 73%, lowers water consumption by more than 85%, and eliminates chemical cleaning requirements. The facilities now serve as blueprint sites for a broader global decarbonisation programme, with further zero-emission sites expected to be announced.

Bodycote reports that energy intensity across its operations has dropped 27% since 2019, while associated carbon emissions have fallen by 29%. The company aims to achieve a 46% reduction in operational emissions by 2030. Customers can access lower-carbon heat treatment services without increased costs, extended lead times, or reduced capacity, with process emissions reductions of up to 60% demonstrated in specific scenarios.

The initiative aligns with UK industrial decarbonisation priorities, supporting regional low-carbon manufacturing networks and national climate targets.