Scary Mary in Canary
Coffee, cookies and breathtaking views. A tour of Canary Wharf’s tech accelerator Level39 last week was the perfect way to kick off a Thursday morning. That was until attendees at the Future of Tech breakfast came face to face with Scary Mary, a terrifying portrait of a Victorian child who blinks and moves her eyes as part of a spine-chilling feature in the main break-out area. It is referred to as “the Hogwarts painting” by Level39ers, after the moving portraits in the Harry Potter films. Mary is apparently on display to demonstrate the full reach of technological innovation – right down to the curation of artwork. Futuristic and freakish in equal measure.
Trends, towers and hummus
A recent catch up with legendary British designer Tom Dixon revealed an alarming gap in Diary’s knowledge of Middle Eastern tapas. The former creative director of Habitat revealed that he was all set to do a shift in the restaurant on the site of his studio that evening, and joked that cold starters was the only section of the Moroccan-themed menu he was to be trusted not to mess up. When Diary quipped: “So you are on the hummus then?” Dixon was quick to point out that the chickpea-based dip is categorically not north African – whatever M&S and its spicy Moroccan hummus might have us all believe. Readers will be glad to know that the entire gaffe was recorded as part of a podcast, which you can enjoy at http://estatesgazette.libsyn.com
Pearl offers diamond dining
Last Tuesday evening about a dozen men of mature years were seen stealing into the Hatton Garden Safety Deposit building. Once inside they made their way down to the vaults. The more svelte entered via the hole drilled by the elderly gents who carried out last year’s robbery. The rest entered via the strong room door to be greeted by landlord David Pearl, who had put on a slap up dinner for his mates in the vault. Pearl charged attendees £500 for the privilege of eating in Britain’s most famous strong room, with all the proceeds from the Diamond Heist Party going to charity.
Horseplay at Thamesmead
Clearing land to make sites development-ready is a major logistical task in its own right, but what do you do when wild horses become part of the equation? Call in the horse whisperer, naturally. At least it worked at South Thamesmead, where Peabody’s housing regeneration project is taking shape. The horses moved on, but nobody knows where. Looks like somebody’s got new neighbours.
The brakes are on
Has the Brexit pause begun? You bet, according to an overheard conversation on Wednesday. “We have sold 90 units in the first phase out of 120,” said a developer of high-priced flats in London. “We were going to push to sell the other 30, but now, well, we are going to leave them quietly on hold until after 24 June.”
Our ship has come in
With parties and events galore, it is hard to stand out from the crowd at the chaotic jamboree that is MIPIM. For those lucky enough to receive it, Malcolm Hollis’s invitation to its yacht managed to capture the imagination, and no, not just because of the cocktails on offer and opportunities to sail around the bay. The invitation was accompanied with a themed origami boat to prop up on your desk. All aboard!
