Mr & Mrs | Features | Building

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Couple 1
	Mike’s answers	Rita’s answers
Where and when did you first meet?	In the 1960s I was a church sidesman and youthclub treasurer – this is where we met.	We first met at our church youth club in 1963. I was the catering manager and Mike ended up as treasurer.
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	Rita’s a professional secretary – she keeps me in line.	Mike is dedicated to work, loves it. Mind you, he still finds time to do the garden and decorating. He is so laid back.
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	Rita’s favourite film is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. When in New York a few years ago we visited Tiffany’s.	Mike’s favourite film is North by NorthWest with Cary Grant. He’d love to visit Mount Rushmore one of these days.
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Our objective is to achieve something worthwhile for ourselves and the precast industry, while enjoying ourselves – and we are.	The most important thing to Mike is business and enjoyment, mind you profit does come into the scenario.
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	Rita’s dogged dedication to work at all hours – some retirement!	Mike’s most irritating trait is living for work, I thought he would slow down after being in the business more than 40 years.
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	I regularly cook from the weightwatchers recipe book The Time to Eat. Current favourite is beef en croute.	I love cooking. When we have been on holiday Mike just loves the Sunday roast: roast beef and Yorkshire puds. Or just egg and chips.
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	Rita’s strengths are in keeping us organised.	We work as a team and Mike is introducing me to his contacts. We went to Barcelona last October and I met a lot of contacts.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	Rita’s role is to be my strictest critic.	As I have said before he just loves his work. I don’t think he’ll ever give up.
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	One hell of a good lunch.	We read the papers, then go out for a nice lunch and then I expect he will fall asleep in his chair until tea!
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	Till death us do part.	After 37 years of marriage I don’t think things will change. He just sleeps, dreams about business and his family, which is lovely.

Couple 2
	Matthew’s answers	Carolyn’s answers
Where and when did you first meet?	The Hogshead, Dering Street. I was expanding on the pros and cons of architectural PR and she introduced herself.	Hogshead in Dering Street, below Eva Jiricna’s old office in 1990. He annoyed me; very arrogant and dismissive of PR.
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	If we took work as seriously as life then we’d both be unbalanced.	He does bring it home with him, (metaphorically speaking), but he does come home. He doesn’t take himself too seriously.
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	Far from the Madding Crowd. Recently she’s taken to wandering around mumbling “give me back my Gabriel”.	Network with Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway sums up his cynical view! Equal billing with Blade Runner – the architectural icon.
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Enjoyment – she’s emotionally engaged all the time she’s in her office.	Enjoyment definitely. He does really get off on challenging architectural and technical problems.
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	Just when everything is set and organised she will add one more thing to do.	Now then. His inability to keep a diary, carry cash or listen to me!
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	Snails and champagne cocktails, beef Wellington, spinach pudding and Pouilly Fumé, apple pie.	Oysters, whiskey steaks and a perfectly spherical treacle pudding.
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	We don’t work together and she hasn’t changed my attitude to PR.	His technical ability commands respect in his company. Unfortunately he has crap people skills. Bless.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	Either she is subverting an otherwise healthy meritocracy. Or she leavens the quality of architecture.	A simple engineer.
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	In Norfolk together with our children. Preferably but not essentially cold and clear.	I cannot reveal this to the public.
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	I couldn’t picture her in any other role and hope she enjoys it for a long time to come.	He will always be involved in engineering. More likely to be another John Coates and rebuild the Athenian trireme.

Couple 3
	David’s answers	Yusnidar answers
Where and when did you first meet?	Easy one. Outside Shin Egashira’s unit space in the Architectural Association corridor. Day one of diploma at the AA.	At the corridor before unit interviews at the Architectural Association’s freshers’ week 1997.
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	Timewise it’s good, but mentally it one or the other. I don’t think about home when she’s working. At home, work is nowhere.	65% work, 35% me, travel, family, friends, DIY, exercise, socialising, personal development, sailing, movies, football, Formula 1.
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	We rarely like the same films, so “all the films I hate” – for example Grease, Charlie’s Angles. We both like The Big Blue.	The Big Blue – he likes
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Smoking.	Public success, enjoyment by others, and profit (if he’s lucky).
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	She cooks for me anything Malaysian, as long as it has chicken in it. I cook for her trout.	Dreams/nightmares about work deadlines.
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	My role: ‘everything’ or ‘the boss’. My strengths: sheer hard work.	Fish poached in milk – he thinks it’s authentic Scottish. Yuck!
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	Enjoyment first I would say. If she ever isn’t enjoying it, things can get hairy…	One of the core members that makes “things happen”. His strength – he’s able to talk most clients into anything.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	All-rounder and, er, trouble shooter.	The business is a tool to make architecture that he enjoys.
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	Me not going away skiing for a start – then probably us going away instead on a minibreak.	To be like any other day, with a twist of style and decadence.
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	Probably she’ll stay, although I know she’d love to open a Malaysian restaurant and I want her to do it.	Without a doubt, yes.

Couple 4
	Anthony’s answers	Samantha’s answers
Where and when did you first meet?	The Lyons + Sleeman + Hoare Christmas party in 1996. It had a Titanic theme, I was a stoker and Sam was a bathing beauty!	The Christmas fancy dress party at Lyons + Sleeman + Hoare in December 1996.
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	Well balanced, but cut her in half and she would have Broadway Malyan written inside like a stick of rock.	Very good – works efficiently and home in time to cook my tea!
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	A Night in Casablanca by the Marx Brothers. She thinks they are hilarious and does a great impression of Groucho.	The Italian Job, due to his love of the Mini and anything 1960s.
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Enjoyment – it’s important for her to be happy.	Enjoyment.
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	Being right all the time.	Being practically perfect in every way. Almost a male Mary Poppins!
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	Pizza definitely, with no mushrooms.	Would have to be fresh pasta from the supermarket because it is quick, easy and tasty.
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	Enjoys a varied and challenging role within the company and the “sport” of arguing with architects.	As a team player and “joker” who works hard in a fun and forward-thinking environment.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	Sam’s role would be to provide amusement for the team and do her job well – but primarily the first!	The graphic design lynchpin who reminds architects that text doesn’t have to line up with something.
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	Opens the front door and sees Jonny Wilkinson holding two tickets to a Reading football match.	A Mini Cooper racing day with Kylie as the first prize.
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	Yes, Sam will always be an architect.	Like all graphic designers he yearns to do something different … Maybe he should become an architect!

Couple 5
	Chris’ answers	Anna’s answers
Where and when did you first meet?	Cannes: MIPIM 1999, although we had met briefly a month or two before.	MIPIM 1999.
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	Unfortunately balanced with hard work on both sides.	60% work, 40% leisure although he would like it the other way around.
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	Out of Africa.	Out of Africa.
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Profit and enjoyment.	Enjoyment and profit
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	Of course none; but if you had to push me… actually really can’t think of one.	Stubbornness.
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	BBQ on a beach somewhere sunny with plenty of wine.	A filet of venison with sweet potato purée and caramalised carrots followed by crumble with crème anglaise.
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	She’d describe me as the one who thinks everyone is doing what I say, but in fact are doing things their own way far more successfully.	His strengths are planning, organisation and strategy and he would describe my role as being a voice of reason.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	Strategic awareness combined with day-to-day practicality.	Chris provides the drive for those working with him – he is a very good motivator and shows people their potential
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	If we spent the whole day laughing, the rest really wouldn’t matter.	A nice glass of red wine in front of the fire
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	It’s quite possible it would end if family life dictated it should	Not really, although I may end up spending more time with our children; we will probably always talk about and plan the business’ way forward.

Couple 6
	Martin’s answers	Nicky’s answers
Where and when did you first meet?	26 years ago at my sister-in-law’s 18th birthday party. I married Nicky and my sister-in-law married my younger brother!	We first met in a pub in Old Bosham Sussex. I was 13 (drinking a coke). I told my sister that was the man I was going to marry (so romantic).
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	As bad as mine, but at least she manages to keep fit. Since training for the marathon last year, she has become an endorphin junkie.	He is a complete workaholic (except for golf, which he describes as business development). We talk work almost 24 hours a day.
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. A classic weepie that still has her in tears.	The Shawshank Redemption.
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Some recognition that all the blood, sweat and tears is actually worth something tangible, at the end of the day.	Profit most probably comes top of the list, because I hate anything to do with money . Next would be public success alongside enjoyment.
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	This is getting dangerous. Genuinely hard to think of one but, if really pushed, would probably say her sense of direction. Visual dyslexia.	Difficult one … Probably a few as working together can be tough, so tiny things do grind. Whereas realistically he is not really irritating at all.
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	This is a big “if” as my culinary skills are very rusty. But it would be tricolore salad, pasta puttanesca and bread-and-butter pudding.	Tricolore salad followed by pasta puttanesca and crème brulée to finish.
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	She would probably say I am disruptive, moody and too focused on managing cash flow. All quite true.	He would say I am good at managing relationships as I love people and communicating.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	Brilliantly developing and managing client relationships. Nobody does it better.	Managing the cashflow and his understanding of the market as an ex-developer/architect.
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	Not talking or thinking about work for a whole day and probably lying in the sunshine on some deserted beach.	This year, I have organised a Valentine’s party at our house, so that lets lots of people off the hook.
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	Absolutely, but only at a time that suits the business and which does not diminish the value that we have worked hard to create (and share).	One day possibly, but at the moment my new year’s resolution is to try and take each day as it comes.

Couple 7
	Chris’ answers	Jans’ answers
Where and when did you first meet?	Oxford Planning Law Conference 1996.	Oxford Planning Law Conference 1996.
How’s your partner’s work–life balance?	Could be better, could be worse.	Better than mine.
What’s your partner’s favourite film?	Casablanca.	He doesn’t like films.
What’s most important to your partner in business: profit, enjoyment, public success or size?	Enjoyment, given this choice. Doing a good job also.	Enjoyment.
What’s your partner’s most irritating trait?	Losing the keys to the front door.	Being right.
If you were to cook your partner a meal what would it be?	My celery soup, followed by Hungarian goulash or beef in ginger, finishing with lemon cheesecake, with a raspberry coulis.	Duck and Mediterranean roast vegetables, rhubarb brulée, dark chocolate mints.
How would your partner describe your role in the business and their strengths?	Strategic thinking and vast experience.	He would say I provide practical advice and commercial experience.
What do you think your partner’s role is in the business?	Detailed knowledge of the system and utterly brilliant interpersonal skills. Understanding legislation.	His strengths he would say are strategic thinking and experience.
Describe your partner’s ideal Valentine’s Day.	Lying on a beach in the sun, with a good meal and lots of wine (paid for by me) in the evening.	A Man United match, shopping, meal out followed by a visit to a classical music concert or opera.
Do you ever see your professional partnership ending? Is your partner likely to stay in his or her business permanently?	Yes (until too old to stand up any more).	No, only in retirement.