In the footsteps of Shackleton
A pair of dauntless Cambridge property folk plan to celebrate the centenary of Ernest Shackleton’s epic expedition to the Antarctic by retracing the last 100 nautical miles of his journey on skis.
The expedition will follow part of the route Shackleton’s team would have taken in November 1915 if their ship, Endurance, had not become icebound.
Tim Holmes of Endurance Estates, who named his company after the expedition and whose wife has family links to one of the original explorers, and David Henry, a director at Savills, will be joined by author Andy McNab for the adventure, to take place between 25 November and 19 December.
Acclaimed explorer David Hempleman-Adams will lead the group. To sponsor the expedition, go to www.endurance100.org.
Above: Holmes (third from left), next to his wife Alice, with Hempleman-Adams (second from right) and Henry (third from right) training in the Cairngorms
Savills celebrates St Barts cancer centre project
Savills’ London office last week hosted a celebration of the new Maggie’s Centre being built beside the large courtyard at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, EC1.
Stephen Down, head of central London investment, hosted the event with Jamie Ritblat, chairman and chief executive of Delancey.
Both are board members of the project.
Guests mingled with Steven Holl, the award-winning US architect who is designing Maggie’s Barts, the charity’s second cancer centre planned for London.
The centre will provide top-quality cancer support for patients and families from seven London boroughs.
JLL’s other triathlon is a winner
JLL employees and clients braved a typical start to the British summer on 31 May but the rain failed to spoil the fun at the Vitality World Triathlon in London’s Hyde Park. The event, which hosted top triathletes from around the world, including Britain’s Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee, was sponsored by JLL for the first time this year. As well as branding across the royal park, JLL fielded its own team of triathletes in a special wave. Some 120 clients and employees took part in an Olympic distance race (1,500m swim/40km cycle/10km run), sprint distance (750m swim/20km cycle/5km run), or a relay sprint.
Results:
Fastest relay team: Standard Life Investments – Jason Baggaley, James Britton and Les Ross. Time: 01:05:43
Fastest JLL relay team: Rio’s Hopefuls – James Finnis, Laura Houghton and Angus Minford. Time 01:17:02
Fastest male – Sprint distance:
Tim Greenland. Time 01:16:35
Fastest male – Olympic distance: Hamish Allan, JLL. Time 02:16:28
Fastest female – Sprint distance: Sam McClary, Estates Gazette. Time 01:25:48
Fastest female – Olympic distance
Caroline Harper, JLL. Time 02:25:43
Everything in Atkins’ garden is rosy
Hammerson chief executive David Atkins put his green fingers to work for a company-wide volunteering day, with more than 200 staff throwing themselves into projects linked to the retail developer’s charity and community partners.
Atkins spent 5 June at the Flower Lane Garden Project in Barnet, EN5, sprucing up flower beds which will be enjoyed by adults with autism.
In Reading, Hammerson staff teamed up with Sport Inspired to help build confidence, activity levels and life skills in young people. Others turned their hands to film-making, clearing rivers and refurbishing community sites.
Boosting the collective manpower were volunteers from the British Council of Shopping Centres, pitching in to help the charities Lives not Knives, Barnet Homes and 15 Billion.
Polo hits the spot
Hooves and high heels proved an irresistible combination at a sell-out Chesterton’s Polo in the Park weekend.
More than 25,000 fans – of polo, champagne, horses, and in most cases, presumably, all three – poured through the gates of a sun-drenched Hurlingham Park, west London, on 5-7 June to experience the sport at a top level.
Ladies’ day on the Saturday sold out its 10,000-spectator allocation.
The event, well established as an opener to the UK polo season, involved six national teams competing, including the first English representative side to play a Test at the venue since 1939.
