THING OF THE WEEK

LABOURIOUS… Place North joined the happy – actually cold, wet, and miserable – throng at Labour’s post-election celebration / post-freebie wake in Liverpool. There were some novel attempts to create umbrellas out of anything to hand, including the ubiquitous tote bag. The closest thing to cheerful in the queue for security was the blaring sound system of the anti-Brexit protestors, there to keep the EU on the agenda, playing a reworked version of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, spiced with satirical lyrics and a chorus of ‘We all live in a Brexit tragedy’. Mercifully, the rain stopped on Tuesday and the sun even made an appearance just as Starmer finished speaking. Coincidence?

Place North were knocked out by eventual winners JLL. Credit: PNW

JL GEL… This time last week property professionals of all stripes were kicking off in the name of charity. The second edition of JLL’s annual five-a-side tournament – supported by Place North – saw 23 men’s teams and five women’s teams battle it out for glory at Ardwick Powerleague while fundraising for HideOut Youth Zone in Manchester and JLL’s national charity WWF.

In the women’s competition, Property Alliance Group came out on top, defeating CBRE in the final, which was decided by a nail-biting penalty shootout. In the men’s tournament, hosts JLL ran out eventual winners; their showdown with HBL was also decided by the lottery of spot-kicks.

After JLL lifted the trophy rumours about just how seriously the team had taken the competition began to emerge with reports that they were spotted guzzling down energy gels just before the final to give them an edge. Other pre-match rituals spotted on the day included eating crisps and lying down, so the JLL boys were always likely to do well.

Residents in Fresh can see out of their windows once more. Credit: PNW

FRESH LOOK… Shrouded in white plastic wrapping for the last two years, an apartment block in Salford is emerging from its cocoon like a beautiful butterfly. Fresh on Chapel Street has been undergoing remediation work since 2022 and many residents have had their views obscured by tarpaulin since then. Now, just in time for a long, wet winter, the wrapping is being removed to reveal a Fresh look for the building’s facade.

Place Party 2024 did not disappoint. Credit: PNW

PLACE PARTY… Many in the North West’s property scene will have begun their Fridays struggling to get out of bed, popping paracetamol, and reflecting on another fantastic night. More than 700 of the industry’s finest took to the basement ballroom at the Kimpton Hotel on Thursday, with the most structurally sound partying well into the wee small hours.

The Place Party antics drew all to the dancefloor, with a live band and DJ rolling out the big hits. Permission was certainly granted to partygoers to let loose, aided by a *bit* of booze and some bugs – if you know you know. A special mention must go to the team at VM Finance who, faced with a lack of direct trains from London Euston to Manchester, travelled north via Sheffield, standing the whole way. We salute you.

The latest fascinating find at an archaeological dig in Carlisle 😮 https://t.co/KTMsO7H76t pic.twitter.com/rXHiBX54dw

— BBC Cumbria (@BBC_Cumbria) September 23, 2024

HEADS WILL BOWL… A third Roman head has been found at the Carlisle Cricket Club, a place where, it seems, it’s rather difficult to keep your head. Or, perhaps, lose it? Archaeologists believe the cricket club is on the site of an old Roman leisure centre, proof that the site has been the source of fun for centuries. The first two heads, found last year, ate back to 200. The latest, which depicts a woman,  has not yet been dated. If finding Roman artefacts is a competition, those in Carlisle must be ahead –more than 4,000 long-lost Roman cultural pieces have been discovered on the cricket site since 2021.