黑洞社区

Tea GB is a winner

鈥淭eam GB鈥� appears to be a very marketable brand at the moment, particularly after our successful hosting of the Olympics last summer. So it comes as no surprise that UK architect BuckleyGrayYeoman has picked up work designing very 鈥淏ritish鈥� stores for high street fashion chain Fred Perry in Germany. Apparently the Munich store features the same tiles as used on the London Underground, wall-mounted wooden tea trays, and counters lined with tea caddies so customers can enjoy a traditional beverage when queuing for the tills. Jolly good show, what ho!

Rock! Expertly

The latest instalment of the 鈥淸鈥�] Rocks!鈥� charity battle of the bands events was 鈥淓xpertise Rocks!鈥�, featuring firms specialising in expert witness services (see Hansom, 25 January), which took place last week. Congratulations to overall winner Over the Hill (of Hill International). A prize of 拢5,000 will go to their chosen charity, the Lighthouse Trust, while the other bands each received 拢550 to give to their chosen charities. Special mentions should go to Driver Trett鈥檚 band which, as predicted in this column, covered I Fought the Law, and Urban Flow鈥檚 Gridlock which took the middle-aged pub-rocker vibe to its logical and rather loud conclusion, by kicking off proceedings with a rousing version of Deep Purple鈥檚 Smoke on the Water.

BinLadenland mooted

Sometimes an event thrusts fame upon a place for all the wrong reasons. It鈥檚 fair to say that the killing of Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad is an example of this. In an effort to develop a reputation for something else, the Abbottabad authorities have announced plans to build a theme park in the city. The region鈥檚 tourism minister Syed Aqil Shah was forced to snub out suggestions there could be a grisly terrorist theme. 鈥淭he
project has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden鈥�, he told reporters.

Snakes on a train

Anyone who鈥檚 been woken by construction work knows how irritating it can be. Imagine how you鈥檇 feel if you were trying to hibernate in the path of the UK鈥檚 largest live project, Crossrail. This was the fate facing two grass snakes discovered in the way of the rail project near Slough by Network Rail contractor Hochtief. But, I鈥檓 pleased to report, the slumbering serpents have been temporarily moved to a reptile centre in Newport to sit out the rest of the works. Crossrail鈥檚 sustainability manager Mike da Silva said it was 鈥済ood news鈥� as 鈥渘o-one likes being woken up halfway through a good snooze鈥�.

Business, Bulgarian style

You may think your clients are tough, but do they come to project meetings armed? An architect tells me that a few years ago he walked into his first meeting about a project with a Bulgarian client. Not only was the client there but the client鈥檚 gun was placed ominously on the table. Evidence, perhaps, of an entirely different approach to 鈥渜uality control鈥�. The meeting was, I am told, nervous but productive. When my friend asked if there might be problems with planning he was told, 鈥淣o. I鈥檓 the head of planning here鈥�. Well at least it鈥檚 more straightforward than back home.