SUE Tennant, the fragrant and forthright chief executive of T J Hughes, who announced she is stepping down in January, gives short shrift to managers who proffer lame excuses for poor sales.

But she recalls they got their own back in the bleak midwinter last January.

“I’ve heard all the poor sales excuses,” she sighed, in an exclusive tete a tete with Trading Gossip.

“You’re told it was the weather, or the Derby was on, or it was the Grand Prix, or even Tiger Woods’ marriage problems kept people in watching television!

“But when I was on holiday in the Canaries last January, I kept getting newspaper pages reporting how deep the snow was, faxed to my room, with a note from my sales director Chris McKeown telling me, ‘Say nothing when you get back – it’s all true’!”

A woman of honour, Ms Tennant, above, was very keen staff knew she was leaving as she’d finished her task in turning around T J Hughes, not for any other reasons.

She started her career on Littlewoods’ Spot the Ball competition.

“My father wanted to get me to fiddle it every week, but obviously I never did,” she smiled.

BE AFRAID, be very afraid.

Leading Liverpool Employment lawyer Charles Millett, of Morecrofts Solicitors, is set to reveal a darker side to his very respectable personality next week.

On Wednesday evening, at the city’s Lady of Mann public house in Dale Street, he will launch his debut novel, written under his pen-name, CGS Millworth

Its title is Makandal’s Legacy, inspired by Haitian voodoo legend.

Clearly Charles has been dabbling in the dark side in his spare time.

And we all thought lawyers played bridge and crown green bowls in their spare time.