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The stars at night

To Battersea Park and the Alliance Ball last Saturday, where 1200 construction industry types were in generous mood. The ball, organised by Stanhope and Bovis Lend Lease, raised funds for Unicef, the UN鈥檚 child protection agency. Sponsorship came from Laing 翱鈥橰辞耻谤办别, Mace and specialists BDL, Byrne Brothers, Clipfine, Gardner & Co, McGee, Irvine Whitlock, John Doyle, Keltbray, Prater, Swift Horsman, William Hare and Wilson James. Guests boogied on down to Dannii Minogue and Boney M after a Rob Brydon-hosted charity auction raised more than 拢250,000. Lots included lunch for 10 with Peter and Richard Rogers and a trip in Ray O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 private jet to Monaco. One lucky specialist even has the pleasure of getting Peter Rogers to sweep up on a site of their choice for a day, after stumping up 拢20,000 for the privilege. If you want to donate some of your own money to the cause, contact Helen Morris on 020-7170 1700.

Wearing Victoria鈥檚 trousers

Talking of auctions, word reaches me of another at Gleeds鈥� Sporting Heroes event at the Caf茅 Royal last Wednesday. Apparently, senior partner Richard Steer nabbed one of the items before it was even up for auction. He could not resist the pair of jeans and T-shirt worn by Victoria Beckham for his two daughters. Steer justified his actions by explaining that he鈥檇 paid two-and-a-half times the reserve price for the outfit. The girls were understandably delighted with Posh鈥檚 jeans, 鈥� especially as they seemed to come in a child鈥檚 size anyway.

Yeah, baby, groovy!

I hear that Geoff Wright was 鈥渁ll shook up鈥� as he celebrated yet another retirement party at the Little Britain sailing regatta on the Isle of Wight. Hosted by the Waterman Group, Wright was joined by friends from across the industry for the fancy dress shindig. But a 拢25 drinks voucher goes to the reader who can tell who the cheeky chap is in the front row dressed in an Austin Powers outfit. Answers please to hansom@cmpi.biz

A legal manoeuvre

Argent founders Michael and Peter Freeman dished out some advice for dealing with lawyers at the developer鈥檚 25th birthday party, held last Wednesday at a King鈥檚 Cross nightclub. Their first project, they reminisced, was located next door to two barristers who were determined to block planning. 鈥淪o,鈥� the brothers chuckled, 鈥渨e went and hired the solicitor who gave them their briefs and we didn鈥檛 hear any more about it鈥�.

Architectural taste

The connection between architecture and food is a recurrent theme 鈥� especially among architects, several of whom have set up restaurants alongside their offices. Now we have The Table (Caf茅) set up by Allies and Morrison on the ground floor of their offices in Southwark 鈥� it has just had been awarded London鈥檚 鈥淏est Cheap Eats鈥� by Time Out.

Ryder鈥檚 Ryder Cup

I had no luck in getting through to Ian Kennedy last Friday to discuss Darlington Education Village (see page 48). The architectural director of RyderHKS was off with his executive director to Ireland to see 鈥� what else? 鈥� the Ryder Cup. I gather the golf visit has now become a regular event at the practice.