2015 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in bloom with exclusive preview gala celebration May 18, 2015 A select group of Londoners, including several wellknown City figures, got an exclusive sneak peek at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last night, ahead of its opening today. Attendees at the Charity Gala Preview enjoyed champagne, canapes and music, as well as the chance to rub shoulders with the Queen. The Queen attended yesterday's [...]
UK house price growth expected to surge as post-election supply bounce lacking June 10, 2015 Hopes for a post-election surge in the supply of houses to the market have failed to materialise, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said today. “Tight supply conditions continue to be a key factor underpinning prices, with fresh instructions to sell becoming increasingly sparse while average stocks per surveyor fell to a new record [...]
LSE students and workers evacuated from Aldwych as building collapses April 20, 2015 Some 200 people, including workers and students at the London School of Economics (LSE) have been evacuated from the area around Aldwych after a building in Portugal Street collapsed.https://twitter.com/charlieheinz/status/590178569508286465 Witnesses reported a "large crash" as the seven-storey building, which was under demolition, collapsed. According to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson a 56 year olf woman was [...]
The future of London: New 3D model allows you to see how the capital will change over time April 24, 2015 The future of London's skyline lies in the hands of its architects, and there are plenty of exciting plans on the horizon. So what will the capital look in two years, five years, or even 20 years? To answer these questions, a huge interactive installation has been opened at the Building Centre near Goodge Street. [...]
Work hard? Live harder in the City’s Brutalist Barbican Estate masterpiece June 11, 2015 When the Barbican was first conceived in the 1960s, it was a utopian ideal for inner city-living. Well ahead of its time, its cutting-edge, controversial architecture interweaved with public gardens, restaurants, shops, cultural destinations and a school. Brutalist architects Chamberlain, Powell and Bon then built four large residential towers that would become the Barbican [...]
General Election nerves and a lack of supply causing property sales to flatline April 15, 2015 An uncertain General Election, combined with supply constraints, has led to flatlining property sales and enquiries. The latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows that London saw a decline in both enquiries and sales for the 11th month in a row. Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: “Anecdotal evidence does suggest [...]
Great Portland Estates and Aberdeen Asset Management sell £222m Wigmore Street office block April 27, 2015 Great Portland Estates and Aberdeen Asset Management have sold a huge office scheme at 95 Wigmore Street in London’s West End for £222.4m. The Wigmore Partnership, the companies’ joint venture, said yesterday that UBS Global Asset Management’s real estate business has bought 95 Wigmore Street near Bond Street station. The 98,800 square feet office block [...]
Royal London pension surge November 5, 2013 INSURER Royal London Group yesterday reported strong demand for its pension products amid a big rise in the amount of money it manages. The company said new pensions business was up 28 per cent for the nine months ending September, coming in at £2.2bn. The group’s acquisition of Co-operative Asset Management in August also helped [...]
Unexploded WWII bomb in Wembley: Army still working to defuse bomb discovered at building site May 22, 2015 Army officers are still working to make safe an unexploded World War II bomb in Wembley, with residents and local businesses still evacuated a day after it was discovered. In total 300 addresses have been evacuated by Brent police officers “as a precaution” while the air drop Sprengbombe-Cylindrisch 50 kg German bomb is dealt [...]
Whistl’s 2,000 jobs at risk as deliveries end May 11, 2015 Whistl, Britain’s second-largest postal service, has suspended deliveries, putting the jobs of its 2,000 workers at risk. The Dutch-owned company, which was formerly known as TNT Post, has sent home its staff and is reviewing the viability of its loss-making “final mile” service. The move boosted shares in its rival Royal Mail by 3.74 per [...]