So, the 16th annual EG Awards, held last week, were, of necessity, a slightly different affair than usual. The traditional black tie had already given way to smart attire in 2019, and many adopted an even more casual approach for this year’s online ceremony (slippers were encouraged, internally). Kudos, then, to those who did sport a tuxedo, on the top half at least (presumably saving 50% on dry cleaning costs).
EG’s very own Wonder Woman, editor Sam McClary, took home the highly unofficial Diary gong for best outfit as (thanks to some VR trickery) she flew into action to present our two new superhero awards, recognising those who stood out for their fine works during the pandemic.
And, proving that winning an award virtually is no less exciting than winning one in the real world, the team at Ashdown Phillips stole the show when it came to celebrations – their shrieks of joy, within a split second of the Edmonton Green Shopping Centre Management Team/Ashdown Phillips being announced as the team superhero award winners, were far louder than any screams that followed two days later on Halloween.
Fingers crossed, of course, that we can do it all in person next year, but great that so many could join us on screen this time. If you missed it, check out the ceremony here – and be sure to stick around for the green-screen blooper reel at the end.
How's this for a reaction?!
Is this the loudest one yet @EstatesGazette?
Congratulations team @EdmontonGreen1 on your Superhero Award!#egawards20 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Mhu0UR30ZN
— AshdownPhillips (@AshdownPhillips) October 29, 2020
Image © David Fisher/Shutterstock
Am I a celebrity? Get me in there!
When Diary was a lad, you knew where you were with famous people. There were 100 at most, and they could be split into two camps: those who appeared on Blankety Blank, and those too well known to appear on Blankety Blank. To be a household name, you had to be an actor, singer, sportsperson, politician, comedian, magician or, at the very least, a ventriloquist.
Now though, times have changed, and no discernible talent is required. Enough Instagram followers will do it, and even being related to someone else can be enough to confer celebrity status.
Which brings us to news that developer Avanton has welcomed people from Love Island, Made in Chelsea and Housewives of Beverly Hills in to its newly finished £120m Coda development in Battersea, to “test drive” the luxury apartments. Nice work if you can get it.
The celebs enjoying the swanky pads (in separate households, we are reassured) include Love Island star Eyal Booker and his model girlfriend Delilah Belle Hamlin (daughter of LA Law actor Harry Hamlin, who we have heard of), as well as Lottie Moss (fashion model and sister of Kate), Hana Cross (model and former girlfriend of Brooklyn Beckham) and Capital FM hosts Jimmy Hill and Siãn Welby… many of whom boast thousands of followers on social media.
All of which, we are sure, is ideal for appealing to the youth market for desirable apartments… though if they line up for a Blankety Blank reboot, count us out.
They know their sh*t
Just when you thought you couldn’t get through another presentation on planning, the guys and gals at
@planningshit (a Twitter account you simply must follow if you have any love for the built environment at all), have delivered a very special presentation for the Festival of Place event.
It’s not one to watch if you are a little sensitive to some crass language, but definitely one to watch if you are sensitive to some crass town planning and are bamboozled by the schemes that make it through the planning process to be built. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. It should be in the eye of the planner.
While the six-minute video and its doleful narration may leave you feeling more glum that you did in the brief pause between the rugby and Strictly on Saturday night, the final few lines, encouraging us to fix the mistakes with a little bit of gold dust, should leave you feeling hopeful. Sometimes that which might look like sh*t, can be polished and fertilised to shine.
What have the Romans ever done for Barking?
As a Latin scholar at school (well, we did the GCSE), Diary is delighted to hear that “fascinating historic artefacts dating back to the Roman era” have been found at Weston Homes’ Abbey Quays construction site in Barking. Ongoing archaeological excavations have identified a significant amount of Roman building material that was reused in early medieval structures, with many Roman roof tiles reused to form floors (very forward-thinking, environmentally speaking).
We’re glad to note that Weston Homes is committed to the preserving the historical importance of the site, and is working with experts on how best to showcase the findings in the final scheme, possibly including glass flooring that will enable visitors to check out the wall ruins of Barking Abbey.
According to the developer: “It is believed that the historic findings will lead to some academic rethinking on what occurred in Barking during the Roman, Saxon and medieval periods.” Historians, it seems, were previously Barking up the wrong tree. Ahem.
