Summer larks

A tasty little morsel

Euan McEwan, the Currie & Brown chief executive, informed my colleagues recently that his firm is definitely not up for sale and that he is preparing for long-term growth.

I hear, though, that not only has Australian consultant SKM had an acquisition bid turned down by McEwan but rival consultant McBains Cooper is now also circling with intent. So how long will it be before McEwan and his shareholders succumb to a lucrative offer? An approach from Davis Langdon would be too good to resist, wouldn’t it?

Wembley: The next generation

I hear congratulations are in order for Multiplex’s Wembley project director Ashley Muldoon and his wife, who are expecting their second child. However, sources close to Muldoon, who already has a son, have been quick to quash rumours that Wembley’s self-styled hardman is going soft. They would also like to point out that the new Muldoon addition is unlikely to receive a baby England football kit as a christening gift.

The best-laid party plans

As we await the result of the photo finish to find out the winner of the Olympic Delivery Partnership contract, I hear that a few of the consultants on the shortlist are already thinking of lavish ways to celebrate, should their consortium be successful. Mace is apparently planning to decorate a yacht in Olympic memorabilia for the industry’s annual trip to Little Britain at Cowes and, with Steve Redgrave on board, my spies inform me that the Gleeds PR machine will not be able to resist boasting of the biggest yacht in the marina.

Credit: Scott Garett

Spy catchers

If you thought Building Regulations were tough in this country, consider the rules to hit builders in Bahrain. Muharraq Municipal Council has approved a regulation aimed at preventing peeping Toms from spying on female residents, according to the Middle Eastern news website Al Bawaba. The rule states that developers will only be allowed to install electricity in high-rise flats if they are fitted with one-way viewing windows. The regulation could also apply to homeowners if women complain they are being spied on from a neighbouring block.

Look to the skies

A director at one high-profile developer has made it clear that nothing less than a full-scale terrorist attack would stop him adding another big scheme to its City portfolio in the near future. When asked how likely the project was to go ahead, he said it looked very much on the cards but added: “Well, a plane could crash into the site between now and then, couldn’t it?” I’m sure his doom-laden comment was meant in the best possible taste, given the current climate.

Hot Totty

Nobody knows the value of strong web presence like ISG subsidiary Totty Construction. Its PR was boasting that the firm came second on Google if you put the word “Totty” into the search engine. However, a quick check by a Building scribe revealed that the firm has now indeed moved into first position in the Google ranks, just ahead of that well-loved website, UKTotty.co.uk – “Home of the UK’s hottest totty”. So, all in all, a PR triumph.

Mills and boon

Remember David Morley Architects’ pavilion erected for the London Architectural Biennale in July? Well, developer Urban Splash liked it so much it bought 10 of them. It plans to erect them on top of one of its historic Lister Mills in Bradford as permanent penthouses. Apparently the design was inspired by the plaited yarns of silk produced in the 1870s.