Diary: Wordle up

It’s tough to make your start-up stand out. But sometimes opportunities arise out of nowhere. Alex Price landed on a serendipitous bit of PR while playing his daily Wordle from the New York Times, when the five-letter word players had to guess turned out to be “ashen”. A gift from the mobile gaming gods. “Today’s word is bought to you by Ashen Capital,” the chief executive posted online. “We remain on the lookout for opportunities to support UK real estate operating and investment management ventures.” He needn’t worry about former colleagues at Fiera stealing the idea – Wordle doesn’t accept that as a guess. Leeds marching on Diary spent a year studying journalism in Leeds, right when Leeds United were enjoying Champions League success, so we are pleased to see them back where they belong in the Premier League. Will this finally be the catalyst for owners, 49er Enterprises, to invest in the club’s outdated Elland Road ground? A planning application is, apparently, imminent – though they’d best be quick, since every promoted team in the past two seasons has gone straight back down. Meet the team: Akanksha Soni, senior reporter You relocated to the UK from India during the pandemic, what was that like? It was absolutely unhinged at the time but in retrospect makes for an interesting “break the ice” story. I came to the UK in one of the flights bringing stranded travellers in India to the UK in April 2020, a month after lockdown, and was then stuck in my house with my family for the next year and a half. It was difficult to even comprehend I had shifted countries and continents at the time, so the culture shock came later. You had written professionally there, is being a journalist much different in the UK? I wrote for a monthly B2B magazine in India as a newbie journalist covering franchises across all sectors. It was a more intense, competitive newsroom than Estates Gazette, with colleagues often pitching for the same stories, hence less chances for collaborations or joint bylines. There was also absolutely no concept of a work-life balance, and you had to be always switched on and online. I remember taking my first week off after a few months at Estates Gazette and sending Tim LinkedIn posts that we ought to cover, only for him to tell me to “leave it and enjoy my holiday!” That took some getting used to. What drew you to Estates Gazette? It was my first job after lockdown, and in my very first interview I was told in no uncertain terms that it would involve me getting out and about all over London and even travelling to Manchester, Birmingham and Cannes for MIPIM annually, meeting people, forging connections, attending industry and Estates Gazette events. I was immediately sold on it. What is the best part of your job? No two days are the same. You may have an idea of what you want to accomplish, what feature deadline is coming up, but out of nowhere you hear a rumour, stack a lead you’ve been chasing for weeks, or a professional can suddenly resign, meaning you are scrambling around to figure out what’s going on. You never know what you’re in for, I love it. And why is resi the most exciting sector to cover? Anyone reading Estates Gazette has seen our resi coverage all over it. Let’s be honest, it’s one of the only sectors that somewhat positive stuff is happening in at the moment. All kinds of capital is hoping to deploy and there is much more news to come. But, personally, I love the human aspect. Going on site tours and hearing investors and developers being excited about residents using that slightly unconventional amenity they took a gamble on, or growing their own herbs in the communal gardens, substantiates how relevant the sector is, affecting real people directly. You have earned a reputation in the office as a bit of a foodie. Any recommendations? Things are a lot sparer in Herne Hill than the City. Lunch has been rough. Although, we have a Morley’s that has been life-saving and we have found some solid beer gardens since the weather has improved. A trek to Brixton market is not out of the question for Oki Doki Sushi – despite what the name suggests, it’s really good.