1D stalks EG QT
If One Direction are reading this – and we know Diary has a strong boy band following – will you please stop stalking us. You were there in Dublin during EG Question Time a year ago with your small “rival” event down the road. And now we gather you will be in Cardiff in June, just 24 hours after our QT roadshow hits the city on 4 June.
So if you’re reading this Harry, Louis, Niall and the other one: yes, we know you’re booked in at the Millennium Stadium, the biggest barn in the capital. But we have yet to announce our venue, and let’s just say we haven’t ruled out the 75,000-seater yet either.
Debate gets emotional
EG’s Question Time debates are notorious for their ability to stir debate, to home in, laser-like, on the pressing issues of day, and every now and then to fuel controversy. But our Leeds event last week at the Park Plaza (p48) took the debate in an altogether different direction. One questioner shared with the 100-strong audience that the last time he stood in that very function room it was for his wedding reception. Being back evoked all sorts of emotions, he confessed. And this time around, he added, he would rather not be left with the bill.
Canary keeps its simple
The financial clout of Brookfield and the Qatar Investment Authority will no doubt bring a lot of benefits to Canary Wharf now they have completed their takeover of the company. But what they haven’t brought, it would seem, is inspiration to the marketing team. The first significant act of the company under its new ownership was to launch the residential sales at what was previously known as Wood Wharf, the giant mixed-use development being built to the east of the existing estate. After months of agonising over what to call the development after marketing experts advised that “Wood Wharf” would confuse consumers, they have elected to bring the homes to market for registration under the snappy moniker “the new phase of Canary Wharf”.
A challenge unfolds
After 10 years of the Cycle To MIPIM are the organisers of the annual event hatching plans to make what is already a challenging ride even more so? The Cycle To team took delivery of two rather spangly looking branded Brompton bikes this week. 1,500km on three gears and tiny wheels anyone?
Bristol’s worst kept secret
Much effort has been made to keep JLL’s new Bristol office location a secret. The contract has yet to be signed and, as agents, the team know better than most how sensitive these deals can be. However, the property crowd is a gossipy bunch and the information has been widely known in the market for a while. So much so that even those in the retail sector, usually far removed from the office scene, are in the know. Diary wishes JLL well with the move, but by George, Bristol’s worst kept secret won’t stay a secret for much longer.
Pushing the boundaries
As the age-old boundaries of the London office market expand, some in the property world are adapting better than others. The Westminster Property Association put this to the test with its latest reception event, plunging into the untamed wilderness that is King’s Cross, N1. For some, this was clearly a step too far into the brave new world: one developer was heard cracking wise about nearly not being able to make it to the event because he had forgotten to bring his passport. Another apologised for being late with a glib “I got stuck at the checkpoint.” Excuse Diary if we seem a bit cranky at the next one, we’ll probably have spent the day getting our injections.
Prime plots on memory lane
A little trip down memory lane now. Evander Properties managing director Jeremy Greenland prompted a Twitter flurry last week between hoarders of defunct company memorabilia by posting a picture of a cherished Churston Heard notepad, made rare by the company’s 2008 takeover by JLL. Pictures of CH-branded document holders and pens subsequently emerged as followers dug through the bottom of their desk drawers. Do readers have any other such relics from the likes of Healey & Baker or Hillier Parker? Tweet your photos to @estatesgazette
Disruptive excuses
Deloitte Digital’s disruptor Ed Greig – yes, that is his actual job title – not only has one of the best jobs in the industry, playing with new technology, but also has the best excuses for being late to a conference call. No “stuck in traffic”, “a client called” or “the alarm didn’t go off” for Ed, oh no. He was late because “my virtual store was a building site”. Diary did have another tale to tell you, but our virtual dog ate the paper it was written on. Honest.
