Recently in Awards Category

Fist fighting, straight-talking former deputy prime minister John Prescott MP certainly made an impression as the guest speaker at the annual IPF Midlands' dinner in Birmingham last week.

Yes, old 'two Jags' himself must have wondered if "Things Can Only Get Better," after a disastrous 30 minute speech in front of the 600 assembled guests at the ICC.

The room was astounded as Prezza not only insulted fellow Labour (Brummie) MP Clare Short by calling her "a moving mountain of flesh and hair," he then went on to call former prime minister and fellow colleague Gordon Brown a "miserable bugger."

Not content with slating his former colleagues, Baron Prescott of Kingston-upon-Hull then decided to have a pop at the host city saying that Birmingham was a "terrible motorway city," and that it was "all about the cars." After receiving long and loud boos from the audience Prescott quickly backtracked saying the city had since seen major regeneration which gave it a heart.

Talking endlessly about his personal and Labour's perceived achievements while in government earned him a slow hand clap.

Prescott then desperately tried to turn the frosty atmosphere around by saying that "property could make a difference if bankers got off their backsides and lent some money." Oh dear, seeing as the room was full of bankers and Lloyds Bank was one of the sponsors - which had paid for his attendance - that comment didn't go down well either.

GBR Phoenix Beard director and outgoing IPF chairman Simon Robinson, who booked Prescott for the evening, was last seen looking rather sheepish in the ICC bar...

Image courtesy of The Lakelander via Fickr.com

'Birmingham Property's Got Olympic Talent,' was the theme of this year's BRENDA (Birmingham Real Estate Novel Development) awards and it is safe to say that a few eyebrows were raised when a number of Brum's property finest donned brightly coloured lycra to perform a myriad of different 'events.'

Yes, the full to bursting dining room at Birmingham's Burlington Hotel was once again the setting for the ever popular event. And it was also where I presented the EG Regional Awards West Midlands' winners with their prized gongs - so congratulations to winners Stoford Developments and Savills.

Over 360 people watched transfixed as Tom Edgar and Angus Huntley from GBR Pheonix Beard and Tom Burn and Pete Gough from Savills - property's answer to the Village People - dressed in said lycra outfits to perform a risqué dance routine to Eric Prydz's 'Call on Me' as part of the BRENDA awards.

Meanwhile, someone managed to unearth a real 1990's recording of Collier's Alex Tross' (or should I say 'Jeeks' Tross'- pictured right) audition for Blind Date with our Cilla!

These were just two of the highlights of the awards - the annual tongue-in-cheek awards event that sees the Birmingham commercial property sector raise funds for disadvantaged children.

This year's event collected more than £25,000 for charity Property for Kids.

The show was hosted by Jilly Cosgrove and Kathryn Small of Barques Design, and the Brendas' own 'Ant and Dec' - Ed Gamble, of CBRE, and Simon Robinson, of GBR Phoenix Beard.

The awards - a collection of seven golden garden gnomes - were presented to brave performers whose acts ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Tim Blairs, of Antringham Developments, entertained the crowd with a self-penned song about his dog eating his Olympic Beach Volleyball tickets and Hollywood Monster's Kurk Round sang Queen's 'We are the champions'.

Alfred Bartlett (Bartlett Property), Jonathan Robinson (DTZ), Phil Rawle (Green Planning Solutions), Adam McGuinness (Jones Lang LaSalle) and Dan Gallagher (Stoford) sent the audience into a spin with their synchronized spinning session (more lycra!) and Kenny Allan from KGA, pulled no punches with his boxing bout.

The loudest laughs of the event echoed around the Burlington when DBK's Jamie Sutton AKA 'Gilly Elliot,' (pictured left) fulfilled his dream of being a rhythmic gymnast. Dressed in (you've guessed it) lime green lycra. Sutton showed guests what he can do with a ribbon on a stick and secured the prestigious Platinum Gnome Award.

The most popular lot in the charity auction, which was conducted by Rupert Young of Nurton Developments, was a day on a luxury yacht donated by Tim Andrews of Hollywood Monster. The lot, which was auctioned three separate times, raised a total of £4,500 for charity.

BRENDA committee member Jilly Cosgrove (pictured left with GBRPB's Simon Robinson) said: "Once again all our friends involved in commercial property across the Birmingham area have shown how very generous they are by helping Property for Kids raise more than £25,000. Thanks to Birmingham Property's Got Olympic Talent, we've also discovered some sport stars of the future who may want to give up their day jobs to train for a real Olympic medal, although Lord Sebastian Coe hasn't picked up the phone yet."

Look out for further coverage from the event in the Estates Gazette shortly.
 

Photo's by Tony Flanagan.

The auditions are done, the final edits to the filming are almost completed and the stage is once again being set for this year's ever-popular annual BRENDA (Birmingham Real Estate Novel Development) Awards being held on Friday at Brum's Burlington Hotel.
 
This year's Olympic themed event will see eight contestants battle it out for the coveted Golden Gnome awards which will no doubt outshine any other object on the winner's mantlepiece.
 
Chief judge and organiser of the event Jilly Cosgrove tells me that there's a real mixed bag of talent lined up. She says: "The theme this year is Birmingham Property's got Olympic Talent and the acts I have to say are very varied to say the least, all with different Olympic twists!" How energetic these acts will be remains to be seen.

I shall also be presenting the highly-coveted Estates Gazette West Midlands Regional awards to the deserving winners!

So, tune in on Friday for live tweets and even a picture or two of the proceedings from me. The event itself also has a live Twitter feed for the first time this year so if you can't make it along you can watch the proceedings as they unfold. The EG will publish the winners details and more pics in a forthcoming edition of the magazine.

The East Midlands ramped up the glamour last night for the annual EG Regional Awards and RICS East Midlands Awards bash for 2012.

The elegantly turned out winners of the coveted awards picked up their gongs from yours truly and had a celebratory glass of bubbly or two in the process.

Over 200 guests attended the 12th annual gala dinner and awards ceremony at Nottingham's Belfry Hotel. ITV Central weather presenter Emma Jesson presented the RICS East Midlands Awards for 2012, while I handed out the RICS Regeneration gong (won by Clay Cross scheme, Derbyshire) as well as the trophies to the winners of the Estates Gazette's Regional Awards for the East Midlands 2012.

Miller Birch's Peter Gadsby, Mark Bielby and Charles Smyth once again picked up the trophy for East Midlands Property Company of the Year. This is the second win of this award in a row for the Derby-based, privately-owned developer.

Equally worthy of an award, was fellow winner Innes England which scooped the accolade of East Midlands Property Advisor of the Year 2012. Tim Garratt, Craig Straw and Kirsty Scott were there to receive the award on behalf of the team.

Meanwhile, votes flooded in for Althorp House (the ancesteral home of Princess Diana) conservation project in which picked up the RICS's top gong for overall East Mids winner as well as the building conservation award for the conservation of the historic property.

So congratulations to all. Here are some pictures from the evening just click on the link below. Full coverage of all the regional winners will appear in a future edition of EG.

Another year and it was another hit from the team behind the annual BRENDA (Birmingham Real Estate Novel Development) Awards.

The full to bursting dining room at the Burlington Hotel was once again the setting for the ever-popular annual event. And it was also where I presented the EG Regional Awards West Midlands winners with their prized gongs.

No-one expected to see Darth Vader playing the Star Wars theme on a child's recorder. Nor did they anticipate hearing the bitter and twisted lyrics of 'Your Boot is Full', a parody of James Blunt's greatest hit.

But they were the two hilarious highlights of this year's BRENDAs, the annual tongue-in-cheek awards event that sees the Birmingham commercial property sector raise funds for disadvantaged children.This year's event, which was attended by 350 guests, raised £23,000 for Property for Kids.

With a theme of 'Birmingham Property's Got Talent', the show was hosted by Jilly Cosgrove, of Barques Design, Kathryn Small, of Eversheds, and the BRENDAs own 'Ant and Dec - Ed Gamble, of Jones Lang LaSalle, and Simon Robinson, of GBR Phoenix Beard.

The awards - a collection of golden garden gnomes - were presented to nine brave performers whose acts ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.

The auditions are done, the filming is in the can and the stage is set for this year's ever-popular annual BRENDA (Birmingham Real Estate Novel Development) Awards being held on Friday at Brum's Burlington Hotel.

The judges work is now over and the contestants will battle it out on Friday for the newly introduced Platinum Gnome (that so beats my golden one!) which will no doubt outshine any other object on the winner's mantlepiece.

Chief judge and organiser of the event Jilly Cosgrove tells me that there are a mix of talented lawyers, surveyors, developers, contractors, and project managers all battling it out to perform and win the title of winner of the Birmingham Property's Got Talent event at the tongue in cheek awards. Acts include singers, dancers, stand-up comedians and  jugglers - and an absolute hoot was had by all during the recent three days of filming.

Jilly adds: "If there is one thing that has come out of this change to the normal style of the BRENDAs - is that Birmingham Property has got talent outside property!"

Tune in on Friday for live tweets/blogs and even a picture or two! The EG will also publish the winners details and more pics in the 18th June edition of the magazine.

Last night may not have been so great for some political parties (ahem...no names mentioned) but it was a much happier affair for the winners of Estates Gazette's Regional Awards in the East Midlands. Not least because they got to pick up their gongs from yours truly and have a celebratory glass of bubbly or two in the process.

Over 200 guests turned out, seeking a welcome refuge from the polling booths, at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at Nottingham's Belfry Hotel. ITV weather presenter Lucy Kite presented the RICS East Midlands Awards 2011, while I handed out the glassware to the winners of the Estates Gazette's Regional Awards for the East Midlands.

Miller Birch's Peter Gadsby and Mark Bielby picked up the trophy for East Midlands Property Company of the Year. A well deserved accolade following its enviable prelet to E.ON last year at Nottingham's Guildhall site and the subsequent investment sale of the scheme for £30m in February.

Equally worthy of an award, was fellow winner Fisher Hargreaves Proctor (FHP) which scooped the accolade of East Midlands Property Advisor of the Year 2011. John Proctor, Andrew Chapman and Steve Gillott were there to receive the award on behalf of the team.

Meanwhile, votes flooded in for Corby which picked up the RICS's top gong for overall East Mids winner as well as the regeneration award for its Parkland Gateway development.

The development includes Corby's Civic Hub, its International Pool & the Corby Interchange. I was in Corby just a few weeks ago and had a look around The Hub building and it truly is impressive. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area...

So congratulations to all. Here are some pictures from the evening just click on the link below.

"Calling all (un) talented people working in the property industry," not my words, but the tongue-in-cheek call to arms from the organisers of the ever-popular alternative Brenda Awards (Birmingham Real Estate Novel Development Awards) hosted annually in the city.

Yes, the 2011 Brenda Awards are definitely going to be different. Apparently "anything goes" with event organiser Jilly Cosgrove of marketing, design & PR agency Barques calling for a host of singers, dancers, stand-up comedians, jugglers and even animal acts to take part in the Britain's Got Talent-inspired awards show to be held on 27th May at the Burlington Hotel.

Putting my thinking cap on I could think of a few "talented" people out there... the first that springs to mind is Opus Land director Gareth Williams who delighted a throng (including me) at last year's IPF dinner with a rousing rendition of the Welsh national anthem! He really was rather good. Go on Gareth, give it a go... 

If you can think of any others, or indeed if you'd like to share your talents with around 300 property guests, all acts will be welcomed. You can go it alone or be in a group.

Filmed auditions will take place at the end of March at a venue to be announced. As well as the Brenda Awards there will be an additional prize for the winner of the Birmingham's Got Talent Competition.

It's all for a good cause - the Property for Kids charity - so come on Brum, show us you've got some talent.

Send details of what you can do and the name of your act to jilly@barques.co.uk