Ever wondered what Vicky Pollard, the Terminator, Michelangelo and Heraclitus might chat about if they ever had the opportunity to sit down at a dinner party? Nope, us neither. But if that dinner was at the house of PropAI founder, tech commentator and prolific tweeter Antony Slumbers, Diary and the group of “exponential humans” that attended Bold’s Insights talk on AI last week know exactly what the discussion would be. You can too if you have a listen to the latest TechTalk Radio podcast, available on the EG Property Podcasts channel on iTunes, Podbean and Spotify.
Milan or Midlands?
Diary can’t be the only recipient of an email with the hashtag #MILANDESIGNWEEK to at first glance read it as #MIDLANDSDESIGNWEEK. Perhaps we were daydreaming of Birmingham (as we do often), but it’s a useful lesson in keeping your hashtags easy to read. Otherwise there could be a few mistaken travel arrangements, some puzzled people walking the streets of our second city, and a disappointing turn-out in the Italian capital of fashion and design.
Flambo’s pedal power
Last week Diary bumped into one of property’s best-known cyclists at a Bold’s Insights event: Mr John Forbes – known in the property cycling fraternity as Flambo in reference to his less-than-subtle, but much-loved Birkenhead cycling kit. While reminiscing about his time at PWC with Diary over a beer (or two), Flambo entertained us with some of his cycling tales. Back when Forbes was there, the forward-thinking accountancy firm (its More London office has about two car parking spaces to 1bn cycle spaces – perhaps because of Flambo’s influence) gave employees a small bike allowance in a bid to encourage people to cycle rather than drive. A great initiative if you ask this particular Diary writer. Anyway, back to the story. Flambo thought that was a great initiative too, so happily filed a claim. Not long after, he got a call: “Mr Forbes, I think you’ve made a mistake on your cycling miles claim.” Flambo replied: “I don’t think so. I cycled to an event.” “Yes, Mr Forbes, but you have claimed for £230.” “I know,” responded London-based Flambo. “It was in Birmingham.”
It’s called Raves R Us!
Here’s a Diary entry that may not age well: a Toys R Us story from the NME. The august music bible (which moved online-only in March, just as the retail chain’s demise was confirmed) reports that police had to be called to an illegal rave at the now-closed store in Hounslow, west London, over the Easter weekend. Photos detail how attendees crudely (and somewhat prosaically) daubed the shop logo in graffiti to read “Raves R Us”. But, at a time when music venues are facing challenges of their own from ever-encroaching noise-sensitive development, maybe this is the answer: a huge number of empty spaces, in out-of-town locations, with ample parking? Toys R Us can be a magical place once more, with only minor tweaks to the jingle: “Soon after bedtime, When dark night-time falls, Geoffrey and revellers bust some crazy moves, From ceiling to floor…” You get the idea with that.
RICS in the mix
After reporting last week how former Masterchef finalist (and surveyor) Billy Wright has joined Savills, Diary thought it would take a look at the show (one it hadn’t seen since the Loyd Grossman days) to see what the fuss is about. Lo and behold, the episode that night (a semi-final in the latest series) took place at none other than the RICS HQ, venue for a prestigious lunch celebrating 100 years since women got the vote. Is a regular property connection Masterchef’s recipe for success?
One udder thing…
Would you put a cream originally designed for cows’ udders on your face? Apparently if you suffer from eczema then MooGoo – the cream in question – could be the cure you’ve been looking for. The Australian skin company is based at SEGRO’s Slough Trading Estate and recently expanded its presence to cope with its growing popularity. The cream’s curative properties warranted a story in this quarter’s Slough Trading Estate Newsletter. The things you learn working in commercial property…
