Jason Millett dodges the rumour mongers (even though they鈥檙e just trying to find him a job), Olympic heavyweights slug it out for the title, and we have a new contender for the world鈥檚 tallest building
Millett and the rumour mill
I hear that Jason Millett is getting a little sick of being linked to every job in town. So far, the former UK chief of Bovis Lend Lease has been connected to high-profile posts at Amec, a property developer based in northern England, and a role in a venture with his old colleagues Les Chatfield and John Anderson. Without wishing to make Millett feel even more fed up with idle press speculation, I couldn鈥檛 help but notice that Scottish contractor Barr has been looking for a new chief executive for a couple of months 鈥
Clash of the titans: part I
As industry heavyweight Ray O鈥橰ourke was busy presenting Laing O鈥橰ourke and Mace鈥檚 case for winning the title of Olympic delivery partner, speculation was growing that the equally weighty Riley Bechtel had secretly flown to London to give his backing to his firm鈥檚 presentation team. With the Westminster rumour mill in overdrive about Bechtel鈥檚 links to John Prescott and the Treasury, though, Riley may want to lie low in order to fend off any more damaging conflict-of-interest claims against the government.
Clash of the titans: this time it鈥檚 personal
Still on the subject of sporting chances (although Riley, Ray and the other 2012 bidders might want to look away now), it seems Multiplex is set to miss the revised September deadline to complete Wembley. And its client, patience worn razor-thin by delays and drama, has finally reached the end of its tether. Press release wars erupted early this week with both parties blaming each other. But how long will it be before the statements morph into writs and the phoney war escalates into a legal one? Wembley National Stadium Limited chairman Mike Jeffries can鈥檛 hold back his angry board for much longer, can he?
Twisting in the wind
Atkins isn鈥檛 the first consultant that has found it tricky to adjust to local customs while working abroad. But it might be the first that was ordered by a client to employ a feng shui expert for a Hong Kong wind turbine 鈥 to make sure it did not disrupt the harmony of its environment, you understand. 鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 have minded,鈥 says one disgruntled senior source. 鈥淏ut from our point of view, it would have been better to agree that it needed to point in the direction of the wind.鈥
High-visibility sideburns
You will no doubt be delighted to read that the building I designed back in 1834, Birmingham Town Hall, is being refurbished (page 30). But upon my inspection of the site, I couldn鈥檛 help noticing how much the construction industry has changed in recent times. Site managers at contractor Wates insisted that I don a high-visibility vest and boots and, although these kept me nice and safe, they wreaked havoc with my top hat and frock coat.
Somebody has to learn to share
Postscript
If you have any industry stories to tell us, or photographs you鈥檇 like to share, please write to: The editor, 好色先生TV, 8th floor, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UY. Fax 020-7560 4004 Email hansom@cmpi.biz
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