The office is dead. Rumours of its demise have been greatly exaggerated. Delete according to preference.
One thing is for sure, though – a greater number of people will be spending more time working from home going forward. And, it seems, many will be doing it in a “new room concept”. According to a survey conducted by Travelodge, holiday-starved office workers are looking to recreate the hotel experience, reconfiguring the traditional bedroom to become a “bedoffice.” Diary thinks they need to workshop the name, though we understand why “boffice” wasn’t an option. According to Travelodge: “Over a third (36%) of British workers report that they find it more relaxing to work from their ‘bedoffice’ as it helps them to mentally detach from their living space during the working day.” 26% stated that doing so feels like being in a hotel room – “a refreshing thought during the lockdown” that makes them more creative and motivated. And 25% of workers like to work from their bed, as they can spread their paperwork out and make more use of their space. Diary will neither confirm nor deny that it is typing this while under the covers.
Get the party started?
With the vaccine roll-out going well (Diary was jabbed three weeks ago), a roadmap for recovery in place and Boris Johnson looking to revive the spirit of ’96 by offering to host the Euros, excitement is building for a great British summer. We could, at this point, sound a note of caution, pointing out the government’s spotty record thus far on premature emancipation, acknowledging the considerable pressure it is under to get the economy going, and advising that its gradual relaxation of restrictions should be treated more as a minimum expectation – a guide to what we can do if absolutely necessary, more than an open invitation to go wild. We might reflect on the still considerable dangers of an even deadlier mutant virus, heightened by the fact that many countries on Earth have yet to begin vaccinating. But you don’t want to read any of that. You want to read about John Forbes Consulting’s plans for a pandemic blowout. According to its newsletter: “John worked in St Petersburg in the 1990s and 21 June is the peak of ‘White Nights’ when the sun never sets, traditionally celebrated with a city-wide, all-night party. This is our plan for 21 June. You will be welcome to join us.” Have a fantastic time, everyone. Don’t blame Diary if we are back in lockdown in November.
Top bunker
Diary loves a quirky redevelopment – especially one with major supervillain lair vibes. Sadly, we won’t be able to call a former nuclear bunker on the outskirts of Hexham home, as it is earmarked for a £10m “transformation” courtesy of Union Property Development and Esh Construction. The project will deliver a 69-room Travelodge (filled with bedoffice-style rooms, no doubt) and a Lidl food store, bringing an estimated £2.16m visitor spending boost for the town. It may be because the world is obsessed with WandaVision right now, but Diary suggests giving it a retro feel and calling it The Hex. They can have that idea for free.
Duck, dove, goose
Court lists don’t usually raise a smile, still less a chuckle. But Manchester Crown Court proved a welcome exception on Monday, when eagle-eyed Richard Harwood QC spotted a very rare flock of legals nesting together on its schedule. All rise for the honourable Mr Justice Goose, the honourable Mr Justice Dove and, we think best of all, Mr Recorder Duck QC. Harwood shared his discovery on Twitter (should that be Twitcher?) with the wry quip: “Feathers flying in Manchester Crown Court today”. Diary couldn’t help but have sympathy for those up before the beak that day… especially if one of the judges was in a fowl mood. Just think of the legal bills.
Salvation for the housing crisis?
Far be it from Diary to suggest that the Church of England should pack it all in, sell up and retire to the Caribbean with the proceeds… we’ll leave that to the researchers at Yes Homebuyers. Their press release reads: “871,000 people attend a Church of England service each week, although this has fallen from 975,300 since 2014 and will have no doubt dropped further due to lockdown restrictions. The Church of England will have benefited from some significant property price growth since its foundation in 1534, and the latest research by Yes Homebuyers estimates that across England the CofE is sitting on a religious real estate portfolio to the tune of £10.3bn.” YH ranked the potential church-to-resi property portfolios by city, with Oxford coming out on top (£953m), miles ahead of London (£624m), and St Albans in an impressive third place (£571m). Courting controversy, founder Matthew Cooper says: “Some may question whether such a vast level of real estate is required when attendance has fallen, and we remain pushed for space when addressing the current housing crisis. Should the Church of England decide to offload some of its portfolio, it would add a considerable sum to its balance sheet based on current market values.” Cashing in has to be tempting, surely – if only to get a lie-in on Sundays.
