The advantages of an older man

Today we get the first quarterly set of BBC expenses under the new DG Tony Hall - and he's leading from the front. He travelled first class on two train journeys - but, with judicial use of his senior railcard, reduced the cost to Auntie - and paid back the extra above standard fare.

Less hair-shirted was his choice of hotels for bosses' awaydays. The Executive Board were treated to the Malmaison Hotel in Reading ("Looking for a brief encounter somewhere special ?") and the larger Management Board went to Cardiff's "most stylish and contemporary hotel", St David's.

Elsewhere, Creative Director Alan Yentob visited Los Angeles (return flight £1,840) and stayed three nights at L'Ermitage, Beverly Hills (£700). Other slightly cheaper hotels are available - Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC2 and Minder of BBC4, and Zai Bennett, Controller of BBC3 stayed at the Sunset Marquis for the LA Screenings.

The Hall inclusive management style means bi-monthly trips to London for the Directors of our Nations & Regions, and it's exhausting reading the transport and hotel claims for Ken MacQuarrie (Scotland), Rhodri Talfan Davies (Wales) and Peter Johnston (Northern Ireland). Peter's PA, as ever, amuses with the details of his London solo dining -  this time featuring Carluccio's, St John's Wood; Golden Dragon, Gerrard Street; Shikara in Great Titchfield Street; and Giraffe, Heathrow (twice). I feel sure a modern BBC could reduce the stress on these gents by video-conferencing.

Departing HR Director Lucy Adams seems to have been hit by the predatory pricing of Virgin Trains, with one trip to Birmingham racking up at £159, and another to Manchester at £309. Yet these are mere trifles compared with the total Virgin cost of finance man for the North, Ian Haythornthwaite, in and out of his Preston home like a veritable yo-yo.

On a first scan, Television business chief Bal Samra remains king of the taxi. 70 individual journeys, including three "quads" - four trips on the same day.

• Official Beeb line: The figures show that spend on expenses is stable on the previous quarter and the same quarter last year. "There will always be costs associated with running a large media organisation with bases across the UK and abroad, but we are mindful we are spending public money and will continue to work hard to keep expenditure to a minimum.”