Vote could derail city model
It would seem the upcoming election result could have a far wider impact than many first thought. At the press launch this week for New London Architecture’s interactive model of London, chairman Peter Murray revealed the organisation has decided to wait until after polling day to officially launch the exhibition. The reason? Joking with the media, Murray said that on the off chance that the SNP took control of Westminster, it would likely mean the end of HS2. Such an outcome would force a quick redesign of one of the model’s light shows to delete any reference to the proposed train line on the London map.
RICS supplies support for UKIP
The RICS has backed UKIP as the party with the most effective strategy for dealing with the housing crisis. Jeremy Blackburn, head of UK policy at the RICS, called the party’s manifesto “the first real programme of this campaign that seeks to solve Britain’s long-term supply-side crisis”. Coincidentally, UKIP is the only party that has agreed to proposals that came out of the RICS Property in Politics initiative, such as a national brownfield map that could facilitate the building of 1m homes.
Lads’ mag pitch puzzle
Sometimes we have greatness thrust upon us, and never has a statement been truer than when this ready-made diary story landed in our esteemed editor’s lap this week. Apparently, one of our readers felt we didn’t make enough of an effort to do an April Fools’ story this year and so took it upon themselves to rectify the situation. The result – in the form of the letter pictured above – is terrifyingly authentic. Anyone who can give us a clue as to who the (clearly skilled) forger might be will win their very own double-page spread in FHM magazine.
Birthday bash far from fine
Which chief executive got a nasty surprise at a certain agent’s big birthday bash when two traffic wardens barged into the party to tell him that he needed to move his car or face a hefty fine? Cue red face. Cue redder face when said wardens burst into song. Those naughty agents.
JLL shines for starlight
When Starlight, the charity JLL is supporting this year, went in to pitch, it was taken aback by a question from the agent about how it could make use of JLL’s professional talents. For a charity that grants wishes to seriously and terminally ill children, it had no idea how, apart from fundraising, the agent could help. That was until it was served notice on its Paddington HQ of 14 years to make way for Crossrail. Good old JLL came to the rescue, offering to find it new space pro bono. It seems agents can grant wishes too.
EG’s rising stars will be back soon
Meet the EG 15 Rising Stars of 2015. Well, sort of. Last week we rounded up some of the industry’s brightest young stars (you have to be under 35 to qualify) into a suitably trendy west London artists’ warehouse for a photoshoot. And here they are. To see them in all their glory and facing the camera don’t miss Estates Gazette on 15 May when all will be revealed… #EG15of15
