好色先生TV

A tense encounter

Architectural types had a fine time bidding farewell to CABE design review veteran Peter Stewart at the 鈥淒esign Review 2鈥� event, which was held in Sir Terry Farrell鈥檚 new Home Office. The only problem was that the government had just taken CABE鈥檚 advice and called a public inquiry into Berkeley Homes鈥� Woolwich Arsenal project. The Greater London Authority people present glared over at CABE鈥檚 Richard Simmons. 鈥淭his project is to deliver 3000 homes in the Thames Gateway,鈥� said one, 鈥渁nd now it鈥檚 been delayed for two years.鈥� Luckily, all concerned stayed off the free booze long enough to avoid fisticuffs.

Pull yourself together, man

Construction minister Nigel Griffiths is getting on famously with the councillors of Bath and North East Somerset council. Not. Having stepped in to the troubled waters of Bath Spa and sat down heavily on Mowlem鈥檚 side, poor old Nige now has half of Bath council writing to his boss Patricia Hewitt at the DTI demanding head on platter with apple. Worst of all, he made a series of elementary clangers in the House of Commons debate on the subject. First he lambasted the council鈥檚 failure to respond to Mowlem鈥檚 offer to complete the Spa for 拢26m, unaware that BANES only received Mowlem鈥檚 detailed offer last week. Then he called the paint Krautoxin 鈥淜artoxon鈥�. Best of all was his belief that the council was called Bath and North West Somerset. Doh.

Where鈥檚 your tool?

You鈥檇 think that with a couple of film projects and many fundraising gigs in the offing, Vinnie Jones would be busy at the moment. But somehow he鈥檚 found the time to star in a short film. This features the Watford hard man as a hippie in 1960s California exploring free love, meditation and non-violent protest. No, you鈥檙e right, it doesn鈥檛 really. In fact it shows him wielding cordless power tools from the new Brute Tough range, and you can catch it from 1 April at the website www.boschpowertools.co.uk. As the proud winner of Male Cigar Personality of the Year 2000, perhaps Vinnie is hoping to win the coveted title of Male Power Tool Personality of the Year. If it comes down to a fight between him and Handy Andy, I know who my money鈥檚 on.

The two Johns

So the speculation was right 鈥� John McDonough is leaving Carillion. The chief executive confirmed the resignation rumour two weeks ago during the company鈥檚 annual results meeting. Unfortunately for gossipmongers like me, it鈥檚 not that John McDonough who is departing, but a namesake who works in the group鈥檚 private finance unit.

Heron ahoy

Speaking of Johns, I hear John Callcutt failed to show up at the opening of of Crest Nicholson鈥檚 Brentwood office. He had been due to make a speech, but Stephen Stone did it instead. Apparently chief executive Callcutt was passing his time hanging from the good ship Crest鈥檚 rigging with a cutlass in one hand and a flintlock pistol in the other, trying to repel borders from Gerald Ronson鈥檚 Heron Corporation.

Money worries

A cautionary tale from a regenerator of my acquaintance, who played a crucial role in the development of an estate of affordable homes in the South-east. The triumph was somewhat marred after the houses were sold: it seems that they had all gone to buy-to-let landlords who鈥檇 used them to house asylum seekers and other unfortunates on behalf of the council. Apparently this added up to the 鈥渕ost expensive way ever found to provide temporary accommodation 鈥︹��

Play nicely, children
The Construction Industry Training Board and the board of the CSCS skills card scheme were due to put their highly publicised differences on hold this week as they united in celebration of the 10th birthday of the scheme. A lunch was due to be held in Westminster on Wednesday, allowing all parties involved to forget recent quarrels and engage in lighthearted merriment. The organisers, however, may not have been so sure that the event would run smoothly. In the schedule for the event, lunch is followed by an 鈥渙pportunity to visit the health and safety mobile unit鈥�. What were they expecting to happen?