THE official launch of KLM’s new route, from Liverpool to Amsterdam, took place at Liverpool Town Hall this week.

The service will link the city to 750 destinations worldwide and, with this milestone in mind, speakers sought to inject some gravitas into proceedings.

First up was The Mersey Partnership chairman Rod Holmes who attempted to impress KLM officials with his grasp of Dutch. “It was more double Dutch,” quipped one wag.

Best effort by far, though, was Peel (owner of Liverpool John Lennon Airport) deputy chairman Robert Hough who in the space of a few minutes managed to reference Prince Charles, Martin Luther King, below, and Napoleon.

A night of Hough and puff, you might say.

SINISTER develop– ments at Liverpool online marketing and brand design consultancy Ph Creative.

Ph founder Bryan Adams clearly had the future in mind when he acquired search engine optimisation firm Be Visible and, with it, Dave Hazlehurst.

He is known as “Google Dave” in industry circles and has now busied himself in his new home by using a new facility in Google Maps which allows him – and Bryan – to track people’s whereabouts via their mobile phone signals.

Dave assures us that the technology is not being used to track errant employees, but only to check on the expected arrival time of clients who are on their way to the Ph HQ. Just so they can put the kettle on at the right time.

WE’LL be getting our stock market tips from Michael Prince in future.

The former head of law firm DLA, in Liverpool, now spends much of his time on the ski slopes, but he came off-piste long enough to take part in the Rensburg Sheppards FTSE 100 Challenge.

Set up to raise cash for the NSPCC Safe Place Appeal, participants have to guess where they think the FTSE 100 will close at the end of each month.

Michael was closest in January, coming within 30 points of the actual figure.