IT IS always good to celebrate success, and last Thursday, there was plenty of celebrating going on as the INSPIRE14 Business Awards showcased some of the best business success stories in north Hampshire.

The support of sponsors – many of which have been backing the INSPIRE awards for many years – is crucial to the success of the event, and it is great to see an ever-growing list of sponsors and supporters every year.

Great credit must also go to the small Destination Basingstoke team, who organise the INSPIRE Business Awards and other significant local events.

As Basingstoke and Deane’s borough councillors consider whether or not to continue providing Destination Basingstoke with vital cash support, they would do well to focus on how this organisation delivers impressive events which raise the profile and image of the town and borough in such a positive, effective and value-for-money way.

A hard act to follow

ONE of the highlights of the INSPIRE14 awards was the presentation of a special and well-deserved award to outgoing Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council chief executive Tony Curtis.

Mr Curtis, who retires next week, has been a great champion of the town and borough, and he leaves the council in a very strong position.

The Gazette congratulates Mr Curtis on a job well done. He will certainly be a hard act to follow, and it is to be hoped that his successor has the same progressive, proactive, and can-do approach.