Each Friday, Punchline-Gloucester.com editor Mark Owen is joined by leading Gloucestershire business figures from a range of backgrounds to review Fridays national & regional newspapers, discuss what is happening in their own business sector and in their own individual businesses.

Finally, they round off by picking the stories that have caught their eye in this week's Punchline-Gloucester.com.

Taking their places on the business briefing panel this week were:

• Laurie Bell, CEO at Cheltenham Trust.
• Neill Ricketts, CEO at Versarien.
• Sam Holliday, development manager for Federation of Small Businesses for Gloucestershire & West of England (FSB Glos & WoE)
• Ian Mean, director of Business West in Gloucestershire.

In a special edition this week, our panelists are in fine festive mood as they review the papers and then go on to choose the one big story that has particularly caught their eye in Punchline-Gloucester.com this year and also select their three Gloucestershire businesses of the year.

The Punchline stories that really caught the panelists' eye ranged from the huge success of the Covid vaccination programme in Gloucestershire to the transformation of Gloucester city centre, including the planned new City Campus.

As Sam Holliday said: "The transformation of Gloucester is almost like an ongoing weekly story which I read about in Punchline."

The quirkiest story of the year chosen by another panelist (you have to guess who!) was back in July after lockdown when sales of lipstick went through the roof. "All the women were wearing masks and couldn't use lipstick. The minute the restrictions we lifted you couldn't get lipstick for love nor money."

As for the nominations for business of the year, each panelist made three choices and ended up selecting a wide range of firms ranging from the very small to perhaps the biggest employer of them all. You have to watch the video to find out which businesses came out on top!

But as Neill Ricketts concluded: "With all the doom and gloom and all the things business have been through over the past two years, it's fantastic that we can name such great companies in the county.

"It doesn't matter whether they are small or big, whether they are young or old, this is a really vibrant place for businesses."

It is well worth the investment of time to listen to these top experts - in business you never stop learning.

To get involved - either to raise a topic for debate or to be on the panel - email mark@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk.