Christmas parties. A chance to let your hair down and, for some, to let yourself down too, by telling your boss what you really think. Not so at LandAid, whose Christmas party, as you might expect, was an altogether more charitable affair.
Still, chief executive Paul Morrish didn’t emerge scot-free. His team had prepared a festive treat for him – a gingerbread chief executive.
It looks very tasty. (Paul) Moreish, one might say. And, in case there is any doubt, Diary is told those hundreds and thousands are his eyebrows.
Taste the future
Speaking of gingerbread, the V&A is again hosting the Gingerbread City. Now in its third year and themed “Imagining the Future City”, the exhibition features more than 60 gingerbread buildings designed and created by architects, designers and engineers.
It is, say the organisers, “a playful way to encourage conversation around the future of our built environment”.
One visitor was inspired. “My son is studying architecture and the laser-cut gingerbread definitely opened his mind,” he said. So, Diary wonders, might the cities of the future be edible?
All we want for Christmas…
In case you haven’t found the ideal present for Diary yet, we would like to direct you to this new opportunity to fulfil that need. Well, not new actually. Really, really old.
Christie & Co is bringing the UK’s oldest hotel to market for a snip at £1.4m (it’s OK, Diary won’t hold it against you for being a bit stingy).
The Grade II listed Lowther Hotel in Goole, East Yorkshire, was built in 1824 and has operated as a hotel since its inception.
Complete with blue plaque, this historic hotel features 12 bedrooms and the Voodoo Chilli nightclub. Although Diary isn’t quite sure if that was operational back in 1824. Still, we’ve been very good this year – and what’s £1.4m between friends?
Brexit, pursued by a bare page
This week at EG Towers, it appeared that Brexit could offer up yet another strong news hook: Theresa May’s deal would surely be defeated, allowing the crème de la crème of the property industry to offer their views on “what next?”.
As with any good obituary, these things must be prepared in advance. So, first thing Monday morning, they were lining up to offer up their views.
For many, the mere prospect of the vote reawakened fears that May would fall and a Jeremy Corbyn-led coalition government would rise, armed with a lethal cocktail of tax rises.
One real estate lawyer went as far as to describe the current government as “stable”, adding that Corbyn would deal a deadly blow to the tidal wave of Far East investment into the London office market. Another expert summed up the situation as “both agonisingly slow and moving at a hellish pace”.
But sadly their ponderings were not to see the light of day (well, until now), as the vote was, of course, called off to uproarious laughter in Parliament on Monday afternoon. Delete, delete, delete. That’s a few hours of furious typing we’ll never get back.
Robinson’s Dutch courage
Incoming Revo president Mark Robinson took to Twitter last week, just hours before the retail body’s annual dinner and his installation as president.
“Does anyone know the perfect amount of booze to drink to give you enough Dutch courage to speak in front of 900 well-oiled friends, partners & competitors at about 10:30, but not be too drunk? Thanks. #askingforafriend.”
The Twittersphere was quick to help.
“Three pints surely?” was one suggestion.
“A large G&T, followed by a glass of champagne,” was another.
“As much booze as it takes to make it very short,” suggested his Ellandi co-founder Morgan Garfield.
The next morning Robinson updated his followers on how it had gone. “Three glasses of red wine and a beer over 4 hours seemed to work,” he said, before adding: “The after dinner bucketful, however, hurts. Feeling less than presidential this morning.”
Perhaps he should have asked Twitter for hangover tips too?
A picture paints 1,000 words
Diary was sadly unable to attend Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s recent Big Real Estate Debate, where six expert panellists attempted to make sense of the current landscape, provide insight into where the industry is heading and debate whether the fundamentals of real estate have changed forever.
Thankfully, though, BCLP had a plan to ensure that even absentees could feel like they were there. They had an artist on hand to draw the debate – in real time, no less.
Diary thinks we could all learn from this. Here’s to fewer words, more pictures in 2019.
Supermarket sweeper
Diary has long been a fan of @_Bands_FC on Twitter, but has never quite worked out a suitable excuse to trot out its inspired reworkings of band logos as football badges in the pages of a property magazine. Until now!
It shared the designs of @MattTams for football kits for each of the “big four” supermarkets, Asda, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
We now want to see these teams take to the pitch and compete – perhaps for the Checkout Trade Trophy? Jokes soon started flying about European competition with Aldi and Lidl, while another leading name in the market was noticeable by its absence.
“For all those asking,” Bands FC quipped, “Waitrose don’t play football. They are a rugby union team.”
Clearly on a roll, it added, that, as good as @MattTams’ kits are, “surely Iceland are the undisputed supermarket football team champions”.
But all Diary can think about is how much it wants to see this level of football design sense applied to the property industry. We’re dreaming up our own kit as we type.
Supermarkets F.C.
Football kits for ‘the big four’ by @MattTams.
Asda / Tesco / Morrison’s / Sainsbury’s pic.twitter.com/CstS82Avij— Bands FC (@_Bands_FC) December 10, 2018
