There’s taking the Rugby World Cup seriously, and there’s taking it Valad Europe seriously. The fund manager’s reception area (pictured) has been Astroturfed and decked out with the flags of the participating nations. The metamorphosis is the brainchild of managing director David Kirkby, described by friend and executive chairman Marty McCarthy as “a nutcase”. The multi-cultural Valad team have all been donning the jerseys of their home nations, apart from Kirkby, who is toeing the corporate line and has dropped his Australia top for a Samoan one. The team is sponsored by Valad’s parent company Cromwell.
Heavy-handed hammer man
A cracking day was had by all at the annual Lochailart Investments clay shoot last week. Agents, developers and investors battled their way through driving rain to make it to the event – donning company-branded shooting fleeces in the case of the Savills Cambridge team. But you have to feel sorry for the chaps from CBRE who found themselves at the receiving end of a somewhat aggressive auctioneering technique after the shoot lunch: “The day at the races for four. Alex… you’ll have that. £500. Sold.” Arguably less of a lot and more of an ambush. Luckily all proceeds went to Sebastian’s Action Trust – a very deserving charity. “I don’t mind in principle,” said the unlucky “bidder” after the event. “I just wish I wasn’t allergic to horses.”
Get ahead, get a Mews
Once the homes of horses and chauffeurs, mews houses are now a celebrity favourite. Noel Gallagher and Guy Ritchie are just two owners. But this week real estate developer Tishman Speyer discovered that Anne Boleyn was the original A-list tenant on the site of its Verde development in Victoria, SW1. It transpires that the site was formerly the location of the mews which Henry VIII built for second wife Boleyn (before he had her beheaded for witchcraft, obviously). Ironic, as the developer’s initial plans for the building had to have the top few floors chopped off. Why? Because it sits under the path of the long view from Richmond Park to St Paul’s Cathedral. Which incidentally was put in place so that Henry VIII could sit in Richmond Palace and watch for a firework let off from the Tower of London to signal the successful execution of Boleyn. What a heart-warming tale.
Tony’s first-class strategy
There is no denying that Tony Lorenz is a man who likes the finer things in life. But he’s not splashing out on expensive hotels and first-class flights just because he can. Oh no, it’s all part of a legitimate business plan. His right-hand woman, Kathryn Sowter, tells Diary: “Tony told me, if you are going on holiday, make sure you pay for an expensive hotel because it will pay for itself as the people you meet will be wealthy people.” Lorenz chips in: “Same for flying club class, or first class… but you don’t have enough time to hit them.” The ultimate client hunting ground, a nice holiday treat… and expensable, right?
Raise a glass to new recruits
Most entertaining headline of the week: “Property industry interviewers most likely to show up drunk.” A damnable calumny, clearly. One spread by a publicity-seeking recruitment website, which will therefore remain nameless. They asked 2,200 job-seekers to describe the “most bizarre behaviour” exhibited by job-givers. Just 1.5% of respondents from all sectors found interviewers three sheets to the wind. Compare that with the 11.5% of property job-seekers who faced an “interviewer who appeared drunk”. Almost half of those looking for property jobs said their inquisitors turned up late (been down the pub?). One-fifth were accused of asking “discriminatory” questions (the drink talking?). Morning-only interviews everybody, please.
