The latest chatter around the industry

Hansom new 2008

Riding the waves

I’m beginning to lose track of the number of heatwaves we’ve had this year so far. I think we’re on our third and it’s only mid-July. Anyway, this latest one is generally considered to have not been as bad as the one at the end of June, which is when CO-RE hosted its annual summer party.

It was at its Stonecutter scheme in Farringdon. It was all jolly good except for one thing: my hack says the air con wasn’t working. Either that, or it had given up the ghost like so many of us at the time and just put a wet towel over its head. 

The beautiful game

Another summer party my team was keen to attend was developer Patrizia’s media drinks bash in the West End at the start of the month. This time it wasn’t the air con but the England football team throwing a spanner in the works.

The event, due to start at 5pm, clashed with England’s knockout game against DR Congo, which took place that Wednesday evening at the same time. Patrizia realised there was only going to be one winner and called the event off a few days before.

Horseplay

And, sticking with summer, the Building team had a few days away in Brighton earlier this month. A night at the races was on the menu and one of my team ended up £60 richer. “I decided to quit while I was ahead – and before I gambled away my house,” he concluded.

Speaking of the gee-gees. I’m going to spare his blushes but one senior figure managed to get out of an early morning meeting with my hack with the following: “I’m at Ascot today and completely forgot. Can we rearrange?” Being stood up for a horse? I ask you…

Would you get on a plane and rely on a nearly competent pilot? 

Dressed to impress

Guess what? Another heat-related anecdote: My hack sweated his way to see Mace – I mean Mace Construct – at 155 Moorgate recently. It was one of those boiling late June days where a temperature record seemed to be being broken every hour. He was off to meet executive chairman Mark Reynolds who, spotting the shorts, mischievously enquired: “Are you on holiday?” At least, my hack thinks he was being mischievous…

Flying lessons

A return to the (blissfully) cooler climes of May’s UKREiiF property show in Leeds. Former bricklayer and now mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram is a passionate advocate for increasing competency in the industry. Speaking at an event about ensuring a skilled workforce across construction, he put it like this: “Would you get on a plane and rely on a nearly competent pilot?” He has a point.

For duck’s sake 

hansom pic

While the Building team were in Brighton last week for their annual summer getaway by the seaside, one of them spotted this: a shop selling dozens and dozens of plastic ducks. Who knew there was a market for this stuff?

  

Send any juicy industry gossip to Mr Joseph Aloysius Hansom, who founded Building in 1843, at hansom@building.co.uk  

 

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