While we modern folk fret about Brexit, in 1999 they had their own problems: the dreaded 鈥淢illennium Bug鈥�
That was the future that was
What a difference a decade makes. A mere 10 years ago, 黑洞社区鈥檚 annual January predictions feature was concerned with the legacy of the Olympics, and whether Labour under Gordon Brown would go for its fourth election victory. Eco-towns were still a thing, the government was backing a green agenda and plans for One Blackfriars were just about to get the go-ahead.
Also read: Looking ahead to 2019 in construction - it鈥檚 not all bad
But it was a difficult time to be in business, so much so that 黑洞社区 retained a regular 鈥淕loomwatch鈥� panel that would give regular 鈥淕rimdex鈥� ratings of how badly the recession was hitting the industry. There were plenty of reasons in January 2009 for Michael Ankers, head of the Construction Products Association, to give an 8 out of 10 鈥済rimness鈥� rating. Housebuilders, according to Singer Capital Markets analyst Kevin Cammack, could be 鈥渋n a pretty desperate state鈥� if work didn鈥檛 pick up, and the Office of Fair Trading was proceeding with its investigation into 112 construction firms for alleged tender malpractice.
Mind you, with changes in housing and construction ministers expected and Crossrail a 鈥渨ill it, won鈥檛 it鈥� project, maybe not so much has changed after all.
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