黑洞社区

A majority view

Lunching with a former Tory spin doctor 鈥� now a construction PR type 鈥� the other day, the conversation inevitably turned to the general election. My dining companion was betting the bank on a Johnson majority of about 50 MPs. Won鈥檛 that mean the Blond One would get to run amok, I asked, with relations with the EU being rent asunder? Not a bit of it, came back the PR, since Johnson wanted a decent legacy. 鈥淗e can bring the party back to the centre and sideline the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Mark Francois.鈥� We shall see.

Blame game

Fund manager Aberdeen Standard reported a difficult 12 months recently, with returns down by close to 11%. In fact, in his report for the year to September, chairman Richard Burns described it as 鈥渁 considerable disappointment鈥�. So who is to blame for all of this? 鈥淎 significant negative contribution from stock selection,鈥� the firm admits. 鈥淟argely the result of several serious disasters, such as Kier.鈥� Fitting, I suppose, that Kier is a four-letter word.

Pointers for the president

Donald Trump was in Britain last week for the Nato summit. Not that the US president鈥檚 visit impressed the outdoor swimmers on Hampstead Heath as they braved the north London chill. Tony Fretton, the architect behind London鈥檚 Lisson Gallery, tweeted: 鈥淧roud to say that, as @realDonaldTrump鈥檚 helicopter flew over the men鈥檚 pond this morning, the whole changing room showed him the finger.鈥� At least they avoided a strafing for their efforts.

Three鈥檚 a crowd 

I don鈥檛 know where Trump was staying 鈥� a golf club? 鈥� but the question reminds me of a story involving the late Herbert Fitzroy Robinson, the architect who set up the practice now known as Aukett Swanke in the 1950s. Whenever he stayed in a hotel, he would invariably be presented with two rooms 鈥� one for Fitzroy and the other for Robinson. But where did Herbert stay, I wonder?

Lego legacy

To Stratford for the launch of Mace鈥檚 tech business last week and its plans to build high-rise towers more quickly and safely. 鈥淭he younger, tech-savvy grads love this stuff,鈥� enthused the firm鈥檚 boss Shaun Tate. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e born with this stuff.鈥� In my day it was Lego and Meccano.

The after party 

黑洞社区鈥檚 annual industry quiz produced the usual level of queries from the architects, QSs and contractors who gathered last week at the London Bridge offices of law firm Field Fisher. 鈥淨uite handy,鈥� a colleague quipped, 鈥渁n instant dispute resolution on tap.鈥� The man who sets the questions and acts as co-host, Alinea partner Iain Parker, tells my hack that last year鈥檚 quiz produced a number of morning-after emails from irate participants complaining about the veracity of the answers. Hardly surprising, I suppose. This is construction after all.

It鈥檚 show-off time

Own a supercar? Want to flaunt it when it鈥檚 not on the road? Then you need the Supercar Capsule, the 鈥渃reation of every big boy鈥檚 dream鈥� designed by Italian consultant ASZarchitetti Group. The firm offers no hint as to the price of what is in effect a bespoke glass-panelled garage. Then again, if you can afford a Ferrari, cost isn鈥檛 going to be an issue.