Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking has doubled the size of its mid-markets team in Essex with four new senior appointments, following an uplift in lending to Essex corporates.

The team’s expansion further enhances the division’s provision of financial expertise, funding and guidance to businesses with annual turnover in excess of £25million across the region, thereby helping to drive confidence and business growth.

Among the new recruits is Ian Aston, who moves to Lloyds Bank’s Chelmsford office from its South Midlands team.

A qualified accountant, Ian’s arrival brings a background specialism in structured finance to the team’s wider skillset.

Nick Clowe, lead relationship director, and Matthew Campbell, relationship manager have also joined the team and will work with the bank’s mid-cap customers in the region.

Nick and Matthew have transferred from Lloyds Bank’s London and Birmingham offices respectively and will be supported by associate relationship manager Andrew Henning.

The expansion of the Essex-based team takes its total number from four to eight, providing added support to businesses looking to maximise growth opportunities both at home and overseas as the economic recovery continues.

Mark Amis, area director for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in Essex, said: “We’re pleased to announce this significant expansion of our team here in Chelmsford, which will strengthen our commitment to encouraging businesses in the region to expand.

These senior appointments add additional strength to our offering in Essex at a time when we are looking to further increase our lending to mid-sized companies across the region.

“Each of our new recruits brings a range of skills and expertise which will complement our existing team, and we look forward to working with them for the benefit of clients both old and new in the months and years to come.”

: : The historic Bell Hotel in Clare has undergone a transformation over Christmas thanks to new management.

Experienced licensees and new tenants, husband and wife team Dirk and Zara Kuckelhaus, are the new faces at the Greene King-owned hotel, restaurant and pub.

An accomplished chef, Dirk has introduced a new focus on food and the pair are both keen to make their mark.

Dirk and Zara hit the ground running after taking over the Bell just before Christmas. Dirk, who has more than 30 years’ experience in hospitality, said: “The Bell is a beautiful building with lots of potential and we are both very proud to be running it.

“As a chef I have always believed in consistently tasty, good value food and this is reflected in our menu, which we have already had lots of positive feedback on in just the few weeks we have been here.”

The pair were most recently seen running the Lion in Leavenheath, Colchester.

Zara said: “We believe any good pub should be the hub of the community, with friendly service and good food.

“We have made a few changes to how the pub and restaurant is laid out and introduced an exciting new menu, but we know how much a warm welcome is appreciated and for us the most important thing is ensuring our service is second to none.

“Everyone should leave with a smile”

As part of the changes, the inside of the Bell has been reorganised, moving the restaurant area to create a “games room” and a new home for the existing cribbage team.

Dirk and Zara have recruited new manager Patrick Websdell who is responsible for day-to-day operations at the Bell.

The 500-year-old hotel on Market Hill has 15 rooms and was sympathetically refurbished in 2013.

Clive Chesser, business unit director for Greene King Pub Partners, said: “It is clear to me that Dirk and Zara are both hugely experienced and passionate about what they do, and will no doubt do a fantastic job running a thriving business for locals and visitors alike.”

: : Mark Wrinch is an expert at dealing with the property issues of clients on behalf of Essex law firm Birkett Long, and now he’s going that extra mile for them by becoming a member of a top-class organisation designed to promote law reform.

The only lawyers who can become members of the Property Litigation Association (PLA) are those that can prove the bulk of their work is genuinely conducted solving the land and property issues of clients.

Every part of Mark’s working day is devoted to this type of litigation and he is an integral part of the firm’s rural business team.

Mark, an associate solicitor and farmer’s son from Suffolk, works across the firm’s offices in Chelmsford, Colchester and Basildon.

“When lawyers choose to qualify into dispute work, they will dip into different aspects of this area, before specialising and those dealing solely with property disputes are not that common,” he said.

“I deal with a broad range of residential and commercial property disputes, so it makes sense to join the PLA since it offers topical advice on the frequently changing nature of law, provides education and training, shares best practice and carries a public voice, of which I can be a part.

“Through experience in my former commercial career, I know it is usually better to defend clients’ interests without unnecessary recourse to legal proceedings, instead negotiating a cost-effective and commercial outcome.

“Being able to access legal information via the PLA is just another way I can help achieve this aim.”

: : Rob Tiffen has joined the litigation and dispute resolution team at law firm Birketts as a senior associate.

Rob has broad experience of a range of commercial and civil litigation, including general contract claims, shareholder disputes, breach of warranty claims, professional negligence claims, and “soft” IP disputes. Rob is also one of the few specialist franchise disputes solicitors in the country.

Rob said: “Birketts is widely recognised as a one of the top UK law firms and is regularly listed in the top bandings in the leading legal directories for litigation and dispute resolution.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the team and working alongside over 50 lawyers engaged in litigation and the management of commercial disputes of one kind or another.”

Paul Matthews, partner and head of dispute resolution team at Birketts, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Rob to Birketts.

“He has experience of high court and county court proceedings including urgent injunction applications, freezing orders and search orders and has acted for some of the regions’ biggest businesses and public sector organisations, as well as a wide range of SMEs and individuals.

“Additionally, Rob brings specialist skills in franchising law and franchising disputes.

“Rob has acted for many of the country’s leading franchises, including many previous BFA award winners.

“He also regularly advises on cross-border dispute resolution in the context of franchising.

“He will be a fantastic addition to the team.”

Rob is based at the firm’s Norwich office but supports colleagues across Birketts’ four offices at Ipswich, Chelmsford, Cambridge and Norwich.

: : As part of its on-going growth plans, award-winning Bury St Edmunds-based content marketing agency Montage Communications has appointed a new team member, Nick Hill, as search engine optimiser and digital advertising executive.

Montage Communications, now in its 11th year of business, works with international and national clients ranging from interior design brand Brabantia to regional clients such as MENTA, West Suffolk College and Powters.

Nick, 25, a marketing management graduate from Terrington St Clement, said: “I’m really pleased to join Montage.

“It’s exciting to put my study into practice and to be part of a team that is growing both its digital services and offline solutions to its vast ranging client base.”

Co-founder and director Aime Southgate said: “Investing in local talent is important to us here at Montage. East Anglia has an outstanding pool of digital talent.

“For Montage our paid internship programme is an essential talent pipeline.

“To assist the recruitment process we worked with University Campus Suffolk who provided a range of incredibly talented individuals for our selection process.

“It made perfect sense to work with a university who were already aware of the most relevant and skilled candidates in our industry.

“Nick’s analytical mind and passion for social media strategies really impressed us.

“There are so many new ground-breaking developments every day in our industry so we were looking for an applicant who did their homework and really knew about what is happening in real-time.

“He demonstrated a genuine love and stamina to keep up with an industry that changes minute-by-minute and he’s a real asset to our team.”