Action, please. Not wordsBerlin's positive pleasuresBOXTEXT: Choc tacticsAs we slip into Easter weekend with chocolate in plentiful supply, we dedicate much of this issue to this rich and wonderful product. While you're nibbling on your Easter bunny, find

There's been no confirmation of an election date yet, but judging by the white noise coming out of Westminster, it's clear that an announcement is imminent.
Political battle lines are being drawn, with the main parties clamouring to gain electoral ground over such issues as abortion, immigration, traveller sites and even Mrs Dixon of Warrington and her postponed shoulder operation.
Thanks to Jamie Oliver's hard work in alerting the public to the parlous state of children's dining, school food has become another electoral talking point. Writing in last Sunday's Observer, the prime minister repeated Education Secretary Ruth Kelly's announcement last month of a School Food Trust.
He also committed to "substantial funding to enable it to assist schools nationwide" and that there'll be "better training and qualifications to support the valuable work of catering staff".
Fair words, but opposing political parties and industry associations remain sceptical about the prime minister's motives, with some accusing the Government of "hiding behind vagueness".
It is to the Government's eternal shame that it was left to a celebrity chef to put school meals on the national agenda. Mr Blair and his education secretary must now act swiftly to prove that they are not treating this crucial issue as a political football.

I have been to many, many conferences during my time as a journalist. Some, it has to be said, had more than a degree of yawn factor, and it was only during the coffee breaks that delegates perked up from their slumbers.
So it was a pleasure to attend last week's International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, which was possibly the most upbeat conference I've been to.
Yes, at last, hoteliers can say the good times are back. Its taken five years, but everyone in the sector seems buoyed by the fact that operators' bottom lines have taken a turn for the better. Add to this the fact that hotels are now seen as an important asset class for property investors and you have a good recipe for the sector to be more upbeat.
Of course, the conference happened on the back of some mega deals, including InterContinental's sale of 73 hotels and Hilton's agreement to offload 11 UK properties, and the announcement of Whitbread's decision to put its Marriott hotels on the market. For more on IHIF, turn to page 12.
All this activity, and the reassurance from delegates that more deals will follow, meant it was a pleasure to be in Berlin. The first signs of spring, smiling faces, and a sector that clearly believes it's out of the doldrums are the perfect cocktail for a good party.