You may well still be buzzing over England’s narrow Ashes Test victory, but cricket means nothing to Diary. There is only room in our heart for the beautiful game – and we suspect the same is true of Sue Chadwick, passionate Arsenal fan and strategic planning adviser for Pinsent Masons LLP (in that order). She brought some welcome colour to our studio (both literally and figuratively) as she recorded an entertaining and informative podcast on football stadiums and planning law. Yes, that is the Gunners’ rather striking official 2019/20 pre-match shirt she is sporting (complete with ‘Chadwick’ emblazoned on the back, naturally) – there should be more football kits in the workplace. The pod was recorded in advance of Arsenal’s chastening trip to Liverpool, and we hope that Chadwick will be flattered, rather than offended, at us pointing out that she offered a far more commanding performance than David Luiz did at Anfield. Be sure to give it a listen – if only to hear her lay down the law to Alan Shearer.
Bailey appears top
Diary is extremely disappointed not to have been included in British Airways’ 100 Makers of Modern Britain list, released to mark its centenary. However, we can console ourselves that only one individual from the entire property industry made the rundown of the 100 most influential people shaping the UK of today. Rubbing shoulders with big names from the worlds of arts, sports, fashion and business – including Gary Oldman, Olivia Colman, Riz Ahmed, Anthony Joshua, Grayson Perry and Professor Brian Cox – is… Ross Bailey, the 27-year-old chief executive and founder of Appear Here, now the leading marketplace in the world for short-term leases. Bailey can count himself as one of the “people who represent the values we want to celebrate and make Britain the creative, open-minded, pioneering and welcoming place it is today”, as per the official BA criteria. Hearty congratulations, Ross. But when will the values of terrible puns and dated television references be celebrated, that’s what we want to know?
Sneaky finders
How was your baking hot bank holiday weekend? Diary spent a few hours of it romping round Bedford dressed as Magnum PI, all part of a mobile-based Cluedo-style event. The “Sneaky Finders” game involved groups chasing virtual witnesses around the town on our phones. Yes, the theme was heavily influenced by Peaky Blinders, but there were plenty of rival teams wearing caps and waistcoats – so our motley crew went with famous detectives instead (also Columbo, Poirot, Sherlock Holmes and Jessica Fletcher, in case you wondered). The weather was oppressive enough in a non-breathable Hawaiian shirt, a dodgy wig and a stick-on (more like slip-off) moustache – pity the folks who were in full tweed. But it sure got people out into the town centre, with a whopping 80-odd teams competing, and plenty seen eating and drinking in costume between interrogations. Maybe murder mysteries are the answer to saving the high street? As for the result, Diary’s team came in a solid, but unexceptional, 22nd place – so we won’t be quitting the day job, sorry.
Retiring, but not shy
“Looking to retire?” asks the email from Fastsalehomes.co.uk. No, cheeky, Diary is only 41. And, like for many of a similar age and younger, retirement is but a fast-fading dream. However, should the miracle happen, we now know Birmingham is the city with the highest number of retirement homes to buy outside London. And, in the capital, Croydon boasts the most. Fastsalehomes crunched the numbers, you see. We’ll let it explain, with slightly odd syntax: “New data show these are the cities where to buy.” Got it. One more nugget of wisdom is that Edinburgh is the city where to spend. And then there are the benefits of retirement properties that over-60s are most excited about, with social activities (including bingo) and disabled-friendly facilities high on the list. But the number one attraction? That’s “24/7 on-site doctor/nurses”. Not to be confused with 24/7 on-site doctors and nurses – even if that would be a highly social activity.
Scaffolding woes
When residents first signed on the dotted line to live at nine of L&Q’s City Mills apartments located along Lee Street, Haggerston, one of the biggest selling points was undoubtedly a flash new balcony-cum-conservatory, overlooking one of east London’s trendiest parks, Stonebridge Gardens. It would have been lovely in this heatwave. Except, Diary has learned, these residents, who are paying £510 per week for the privilege, have instead been looking at scaffolding for nine months. The good news is that Taylor Wimpey is working hard to bring an end to this… in November. Not traditionally the height of balcony season, alas. But any glimpse of park life will be welcome after so long gazing at steel poles and workers in high-vis.
