Welcome to the weekly Wrap from How-Do - media news for the North West.

The Wrap's guest editor this week is Kevin Meagher.

North West Vision and Media is looking for new blood to join its board to help grow “a world class digital and creative economy”. Alas, hourly rates will have to be suspended as the posts are unpaid. Now where did that queue go?

“Creative economies” of a different sort go with the jailing of Michael Welch, erstwhile chief executive of Digital Industries North West, who was sentenced to 34 months in the slammer for theft and bail offences. 
This in connection to £200k’s worth of missing public cash, with the actual amount that went missing in relation to DINW believed to be several times higher. And faces at the North West Development Agency a good deal redder than Santa’s I would imagine.

To end in suitably black farce, Welch was nabbed posing as a vicar in Wimbledon - possibly the duffest escape since Richard Attenborough’s little fat legs scuttled over the rooftops to evade the Nazis in The Great Escape.

And no word yet about whether erroneous marriages were performed during this Reggie Perrin-esque scarper from the law…

Anyway, ‘escapes’ of a happier kind for Robert Harwood-Matthews, chief executive of TBWA\Manchester, who is heading stateside, taking up a new global position within the TBWA empire.

And good news to buck up faltering industry morale with online research specialist Virtual Surveys moving to new Manchester offices to house their swelling ranks – with 18 more staff this Christmas than last. Recession, what recession?

So a Happy Christmas to you all, whether you’re subsidising the better bars and restaurants with your clients’ cash, or bouncing a baseball off a cell wall.

And if any eagle-eyed How Do readers spot their vicar struggling with the words to We Three Kings this Christmas, just think on…

Kevin Meagher is head of communications at 20:20 Mobile Group

Elsewhere on How-Do this week: 

• Best practice in public sector communications: a one day conference
• The Top 100 Marketers - facing branding challenges in the credit crunch
• TBWA supports Nissan's pan-Euro growth with 'hello future' concept
• Blue Rainbow Apartments appoints RMS PR
• Workhouse Marketing opens 3,500 sq ft studio in the Ribble Valley
• CN to lose 27 staff at Carlisle hq and 13 at Barrow newspapers
• Ex MCFC comms chief Tyrrell to head up new Bell Pottinger sports division
• Code creates Xmas campaign for Huggies
• The Raft to administer online treatment for BUPA
• Vision Media Group appoints Jonathan Scott as FD
• GMG Radio's Xmas guests include Gervais, Tom Jones, Coldplay and Manilow
• BBC boss proposes better inter-broadcaster relationships
• Canalside Radio sets sail for North East Cheshire
• Peter Salmon tops bill for Nations & Regions conference
• Rock FM and Lancs CC co-publish childrens' book
• Salford Univ appoints former BBC exec to MediaCityUK role
• Big Spark wins Institute of Global Change publishing contract
• Sport Media group appoints Lomas to lead circulation drive
• Kellogg's rides away with Chris Hoy in the nick of time
• Tayburn gets its teeth into iconic Chewits rebrand
• Ph Creative will announce some 'acquisitions' in January
• Urbis hunts for best creatives
• Credit crunch hits the CGI industry and sees robots turn to drink..
• Red Productions' three-parter Unforgiven on ITV1
• Internet journalists chart newspaper demise
• Circulation increase for Landlord & Buy to Let magazine
• Festive cheer from How-Do
• Artemis to promote new Martin Edwards book
• Tories appoint Spring for Manchester Conference
• Parker Sandford to launch new cleaning range for McBride
• Online researcher Virtual Surveys up to 44 staff
• BJL girls just wanna have fun...with Geraldine McQueen
• ICG signed up by Pennine and Sceptre
• N/W firms scoops hatful of CIPR Grand Prix gongs
• 'Not Part Of' fringe festival appoints Impact PR
• Funding support for creative and digital sector
• Matmi working online with Lily Allen to promote new album
• Camfield returns to XFM from New York
• Brookside sold to anonymous bidder
• BBC Radio Manchester's Christmas covers
• Steven Andrew appointed head of drama and acquisitions at CBBC
• Century rebrands as Real Radio
• Crain's celebrates first birthday with subs boost
• Love creates new identity for BBC 6Music

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