Unfortunately the festive break was somewhat marred by debt delivery problems and party-pooping snow, but at least we鈥檝e had 黑洞社区鈥檚 Christmas single to sing (and laugh) along to..
Rok bottom
Over the Christmas break the full extent of the havoc wreaked by the collapse of Rok became clear. It owes much more than was disclosed to bidders for the business at the time, and employees are owed millions in unpaid wages, including one Garvis Snook, out of pocket by more than 拢7,000 (poor thing). Currently, if you search for Rok on Google, a sponsored link comes up directing you to a firm called Corporate Strategies Plc, which promises to sort out all of your problems if you鈥檙e owed money by the collapsed builder. Still, Rok鈥檚 administrators鈥� reports make it clear there鈥檚 no money for anyone but the banks.
Get me out of here 鈥�
Having recently become an apparent confidant of business secretary Vince Cable, Gleeds boss Richard Steer was also spotted sitting next to David Beckham in the director鈥檚 box at Manchester United last week and shortly afterwards chatting away to some of the famed Chilean miners who were watching the Reds as guests of Sir Bobby Charlton. 鈥淚 was a bit surprised鈥�, said Steer, 鈥渢hat the miners seemed disinterested in my views on the latest Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team report.鈥� One has to ask: after Cablegate, England鈥檚 failed World Cup bid and, well, two months trapped in a mine, is Steer deliberately courting unfortunate celebs?
鈥� I鈥檓 a celebrity (sort of)
Shortly after Arcadis boasted that it was rebuilding the Coronation Street set after it was partially destroyed by a runaway tram, Halcrow has experienced its own
on-screen fame. It was approached by Jim Broadbent, who plays an engineering geologist in Mike Leigh鈥檚 2010 film about aging and loneliness, Another Year, looking to be shown the ropes of geology. Paul Maliphant, Halcrow鈥檚 highways and transportation sales director, obliged. Mcfadden Belcher, Broadbent鈥檚 fictional employer, is also supposed to have been inspired by Halcrow. Good news for employees as Broadbent is about the only happy character in the film.
Let it stay
Grant Shapps鈥� heart-warming Christmas commitment to save Ringo Starr鈥檚 old house from the bulldozers actually runs deeper than anyone thought. On New Years鈥� Eve the housing minister issued a festive statement to let 鈥渢he people of Liverpool themselves decide whether they want Ringo Starr鈥檚 house to be demolished or to Let It Be.鈥� However, what he failed to mention was the regeneration project that would require the house to be demolished relied heavily on the housing market renewal Pathfinder fund, which was scrapped in May. Clearly Shapps is using every trick in the book to keep the Beatle鈥檚 house standing.
Party like it鈥檚 2012
The savage winter will likely have knocked back construction output. But, more importantly, it wrecked a host of festive drinks parties, including that of the Olympic Legacy Company, overseeing the regeneration of the park after the 2012 Games. It cancelled drinks at the House of Lords after its Scottish chair, Baroness Margaret Ford, was trapped north of the border when airports were closed. Maybe she could have used the free time to plot a bid for the Winter Olympics?
A time for giving
An enormous thank you to everybody who downloaded our construction industry rendition of We Built This City, which raised over 拢3,000 for children鈥檚 charity Over the Wall and cancer charity Maggie鈥檚 Centres. And of course to those brave souls who danced and sang on their behalf: Jonathan Goring, Mark Whitby, Hanif Kara, Sadie Morgan, Linda Morey Smith and 黑洞社区鈥檚 own Emily Wright. We salute you. And the sound engineer for their patience.
Send any juicy industry gossip to hansom@ubm.com
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