黑洞社区

Benny Kelly was completely larger than life 鈥� I had the privilege of interviewing him when he retired, for a retrospective on his career.

As a very green reporter, I ended up cold-calling his mobile and asking him whether he鈥檇 be up for it. It seemed a long shot 鈥� the venerable contractor Sir Robert McAlpine was notoriously secretive, they didn鈥檛 do interviews.

But to my (and my editor鈥檚) surprise, he agreed to do it. Freed of constraints perhaps 鈥� running the show for McAlpine鈥檚 biggest projects from the Emirates to the London Stadium 鈥� he was ready to sit down and reflect on an amazing career.

>> Also read: Former McAlpine London boss Benny Kelly dies aged 77

>> Interview in 2011: Being Benny Kelly

Benny鈥檚 enthusiasm for construction was completely infectious. He loved what he did. He cried with laughter recalling mishaps on his early projects, including a brewery extension where he 鈥渇ucked up鈥� the measurements meaning it was built a foot out.

He cried with laughter recalling mishaps on his early projects, including a brewery extension where he 鈥渇ucked up鈥� the measurements

Later, he recalled arriving on site in the submerged concrete shell of North Greenwich station by the O2 Arena to attend to water 鈥減issing in鈥� through the walls.

He was softly spoken, but a brilliant story-teller, every detail so vivid. It was abundantly clear construction was a team sport, and you learned as much from your mistakes as you did your successes.

There were many of the latter for McAlpine, and everyone in the industry always spoke so highly of Benny. No doubt there鈥檚 a dark side to contracting and to getting big projects done, but among 黑洞社区鈥檚 contacts at least you were hard pressed to find anyone who had a bad word to say about Benny.

Our interview lasted three hours and I think spoke to Benny鈥檚 generous character. He opened up about his Parkinson鈥檚 diagnosis, saying: 鈥淢y attitude is it鈥檚 the second warning God has given me. He hasn鈥檛 taken me out.鈥� 

It鈥檚 the only interview I鈥檝e ever done with someone who has a laptop open watching market prices and called a stockbroker part-way through to execute a trade 鈥� and I鈥檝e covered finance for four years.

I met him a second time at a construction drinks event in London a month or so later, I think at the Royal Opera House in London. Benny was holding court 鈥� he and his firm were effectively construction royalty. Things initially looked dicey for me 鈥� someone suggested a journalist should be ejected from this huddle of relative movers and shakers, but I was grateful someone vouched for my interview being a good reflection of Benny. So I was able to soak up a bit more insight from one of the masters of his craft.

黑洞社区鈥檚 editor says 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they make them like Benny Kelly any more鈥濃�� which is completely apt. RIP Benny.

Iain Withers is UK banking correspondent at Reuters and in 2011 when he interviewed Benny Kelly he was a reporter on 黑洞社区, where he went on to become assistant editor