黑洞社区

If not Tessa, then who?

You may recall a story in 黑洞社区 a few weeks ago that Tessa Jowell was going to be the lucky girl who鈥檇 take over from Jack Lemley at the Olympic Delivery Authority. Since then Ms Jowell has denied the story and the post has been advertised in The Sunday Times. So who do you fancy? Peter Rogers, Paul Morrell and Sir Peter Mason have all been tipped for the post, but apparently the smart money is on acting chairman Roy McNulty. A mole informs me that he has a good working relationship with David Higgins and would 鈥渓ove鈥� the job. The only question marks are whether he has the profile required and whether he will be elbowed aside by a Blairite politician looking for a job outside Whitehall later in the year.

Readers in high places

I hear that following 黑洞社区鈥檚 feature on the stringent visa requirements facing foreign QSs who want to work in the UK (16 February, page 32), the matter has been taken up in the House of Lords. Lord Jones of Cheltenham has tabled a question citing our report and asking the government how it will affect the progress of the Olympic construction plans.

QS, I love you

Ian Stokes, a QS at Laing O鈥橰ourke, has taken the brave move of proposing to the lady in his life 鈥� a move made all the braver by the fact that she is also QS, but working for Balfour Beatty. Apparently the pair are already being labelled the Posh and Becks of the cost consultancy world.

Debate worthy of the Forum

The comment facility on 黑洞社区鈥檚 website is fuelling some lively debate. Take this exchange concerning Multiplex鈥檚 planned 27-storey tower for Tesco in Kensington.

George: 鈥淚t still looks like an ugly high-rise. When are people going to realise that these buildings are going to blight our landscape in 30 years鈥� time the same way council blocks do now?鈥�

Sophie: 鈥淥h, come on George, just because Asda hasn鈥檛 got a tower yet 鈥︹��

If you want to join 鈥� and possibly even raise the level of 鈥� the debate, fill in the comment boxes attached to online stories, and visit to read posted comments.

Very important squiggles

Ian Smith, the new chief executive of Taylor Woodrow, may have made the headlines with his plans to overhaul the UK business, but analysts were more interested in his 鈥減rocess chart鈥� 鈥� a flow diagram of blue and red ellipses joined by some funky looking arrows. Amid the general bemusement about what it all means, analysts have spotted a trend by housebuilders鈥� chief executives who have come from outside the sector to use these types of charts. Mark Clare, Barratt鈥檚 new boss, is said to have used something equally incomprehensible.

Credit: Scott Garrett