The final account

QSs must be used to being the butt of industry gags so it was no surprise when Stef Stefanou, chairman of construction group John Doyle, decided to add to the repertoire last week.

Speaking at the annual dinner of concrete contracting group Construct, held at London Zoo, Stefanou (pictured) asked the audience if there were any QSs at the event and when a couple of hands crept up he let fly, asking the gathered guests what they should do if they saw a QS with sand up to his neck. “Add more,” he added.

After such a brutal attack natural justice was delivered by the guest speaker for the night, former crown prosecutor Peter Brown. He claimed he had researched the meaning of Stefanou’s name. “The second name means articulate, witty and intelligent,” he continued. “Stef means not very.”

... and a little office banter

Great to see so much quality office product at last week’s British Council for Offices annual awards last week, held at the eponymous Grosvenor House. Pity that the host was former chat show host Clive Anderson, who appeared a bit weary during the evening and whose banter was equally tired. Perhaps inspired by Stefanou’s gag he also rather unfairly targeted a QS boss during the proceedings. Is anyone getting paranoid yet?

And the loser is?

Golfing fever appears to have swept the construction industry. So proud was Davis Langdon of two of its staff for winning one recent tournament it immediately whisked off a press released heralding the victory.

Thus we can reveal that partners Paul Houghton and Chris Brooks won the regional final of the Times Corporate Gold Challenge in Norwich last week. DL’s statement said with barely concealed excitement that the two, pictured below with team mates, would be sent on an “all expenses paid four-night trip” to “the exclusive La Manga Golf resort in Spain” to take on 20 other regional finalists.

Another golfing cup, that of the Institution of Structural Engineers’ Midlands branch, saw a team from the RICS come a creditable third. The Institution of Chartered Engineers won out while the National Access Scaffolding Confederation came second. A member of the winning team, Andreas Michealides, partner at Baynam Meikle, refused to reveal who came last. All he would say is that the company in question “usually performed much better, were highly competitive and if it had been anyone else” he would have told us. Very mysterious. If anyone knows the occupants of the last place please do get in touch...