黑洞社区

Yesterday 黑洞社区 hosted its annual 黑洞社区 Awards ceremony, where we announced this year鈥檚 winners. You鈥檒l find coverage of the evening and the list of winners on our website and in next week鈥檚 magazine, but here we take a moment to recall the party we had last month to congratulate all the firms and individuals that made it onto this year鈥檚 shortlist in all 19 categories.

It鈥檚 fair to say the 黑洞社区 Awards shortlist party was a relaxed affair, more so than the awards night itself, perhaps because - for this night at least - there are no losers in the room; everyone can view themselves as winners.

So, the atmosphere was upbeat as the magazine鈥檚 editor Sarah Richardson took to the stage to welcome the assembled throng. This is 黑洞社区鈥檚 170th year, she told them, 鈥淲hich makes us older than the London Underground.鈥�

黑洞社区 ran into a man who for the purpose of this column shall be known as 鈥榯he Mr Ikea of schools鈥�

A number of guests remarked that the view from the terrace of Grange Hotel in St Pauls, where we were the evening took place, was rather good but unfortunately the temperature dropped to zero so only the brave lingered outside. We did spot Roger Battersby, managing partner at PRP Architects, outside later in the evening - and he doesn鈥檛 even smoke. They鈥檙e hardy folk those architects.

It was a week when payment terms had been the hot topic of conversation, with Carillion choosing to extend its terms to 120 days as part of a complex new system. So, it was no surprise that guests from specialist contractor Lakesmere and consultant DBK both expressed a level of sadness that the industry hasn鈥檛 yet solved this age old problem. In fact, they were equally concerned that
this may be the pattern of things to come as we spent some time bemoaning the state of the economy and the construction sector in particular.

Until around nine in the evening conversation had been largely driven by work concerns but as the wine flowed the topics broadened. 黑洞社区 ran into a man who for the purpose of this column shall be known only as 鈥渢he Mr Ikea of schools鈥� (his own description). In an attempt to kick-off conversation he asked if we like football. This particular 黑洞社区 hack doesn鈥檛 like football.

鈥淪o you鈥檙e gay?鈥� he asked mischievously.鈥淣o, but I do dress up in skin tight Lycra with a bunch of middle aged men in the woods at the weekend,鈥� 黑洞社区 told him. 鈥淚鈥檓 a cyclist.鈥�

We were just wondering whether this conversation is flirtatious or simply offensive when we get accosted by two charming gents from Virtus Consult.

Like many in the industry, they were keen to get their face into 黑洞社区 buys a pint. 鈥淵ou should come up to Birmingham and we鈥檒l take you to Broad Street,鈥� said director Andrew Ogilvie.

Mindful of the previous conversation 黑洞社区 asked: 鈥淚s that like Canal Street in Manchester?鈥� as we wonder if there鈥檚 something about the way we鈥檙e dressed is pinging everyone鈥檚 gaydar.

But no, Ogilvie and his fellow director Jan Ponsford informed us it鈥檚 just where all the lap dancing clubs are. Such behaviour would have our readers from 1843 turning in their graves 鈥�