Diary: PM passes on proptech

No wonder the property sector feels a little ignored by government. No, no, we aren’t talking about rent arrears or business rates, or even the planning system. This is about Boris’s turn at the CBI conference in South Shields on Monday. During a freewheeling speech, dubbed “a full Boris” by one Tory MP, the PM treated his audience of business eminences to everything from car impersonations to arcane references to sunken lands and quotes from Lenin. Then came a comparison with Moses and a game attempt to make emerging technology sound like it was dreamt up by the Aztecs. “So, you get fintech, edtech, biotech, medtech, nanotech, adtech, greentech,” the PM listed. “So, you sound basically like 15th-century Mexico.” Very droll, but really Boris? No proptech? Too much Peppa One might think that with the focus on perceived corruption among MPs, the PM would be keen to avoid even the slightest whiff of suspicion that he was in anyone’s pocket. Apparently not. Many are aware that his CBI speech on Monday contained a surprisingly long segment in which the PM waffled on about Peppa Pig like a four-year-old superfan. But what people may not realise is that the PM made another speech on Sunday evening, to the Centre for Policy Studies, which also included a five-minute ode to Peppa Pig World. Now, one mention may come across as a father who had a lovely day out with his family and just wants to spread the joy. Two sounds like a majority investor trying to talk up the share price. Needless to say, Paultons Park, the home of Peppa Pig World, has said it was “delighted” with the praise. Perhaps the PM is angling for a role after he leaves Number 10. Or, at the very least, a cameo. Maybe he’s just a bit miffed that he wasn’t asked to voice the fairy mayor in Peppa’s stable-mate show Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom back in 2012. Co-producer Phil Davies insisted at the time: “Any resemblance to real persons, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.” We’ll let you be the judge. https://twitter.com/thenannyplum/status/271213674880987137?lang=en-GB   Duck and cover At EG we love an unnecessarily extended metaphor. Almost as much as we love a bad pun. So we were delighted by Lar España Real Estate’s recent announcement that it “lined up its ducks” in preparation for a growth push, having “trod water” through the Covid-19 pandemic. But, sadly, the aquatic avian theme didn’t carry through to the end of the announcement. Surely it could have claimed that the €700m it raised in (duck egg) green bonds will now form part of its “nest egg”? That the refinancing has reduced the “bill”? Go on, try it with your next stock market announcement. People may say you are quackers, but that’ll be like water off a duck’s back. Change gear Another new change is being made to One New Change, EC4, with Landsec planning to rip out some boring old shops in favour of an exciting new experience. Kindred Concepts wants to use the 14,700 sq ft space for All Star Lanes founder Adam Breeden’s latest idea, “Project Race”. The experience will essentially see punters prop up the champagne cocktail bar, before hopping into a virtual racing car and going for a spin. We can’t wait to see what Breedon will dream up next, as his verdant imagination has already breathed new life into ping pong with Bounce, darts with Flight Club and mini-golf with Puttshack. After all, it takes a true genius to find a way to make drink-driving socially acceptable again. Clock watching The team at YardNine has now finished the developer’s Fifty Paddington, a new scheme next to Paddington station encompassing 75,000 sq ft of new office space and 10,000 sq ft of retail. But it’s the public art on the building that we’re focusing on here. It’s by Dutch designer Maarten Baas and is the latest in his “Real Time” collection. Forget having hour, minute and second hands on your clock face – this one shows a film of the artist himself, who was filmed in his studio drawing the clock’s hands every minute. From time to time (sorry) he stops to look out at the view but gets back to work quickly. After all, the clock’s ticking. Photo: Owen Humphreys/AP/Shutterstock Contact diary@eg.co.uk