“Our Annual Conference is a unique event that is structured to appeal to anyone involved in block management”, explained David Clark, ARMA ‘s chairman. “From our own members, which manage some two-thirds of all blocks under professional management, to chartered surveyors, lawyers and accountants the conference sessions will provide much food for thought and discussion.
“Importantly we are not forgetting directors of resident management companies who more and more will play a pivotal role in the management process. Particularly when Right to Manage is finally introduced.
For full information on the conference visit www.arma.org.uk

AT THE END OF THE LINE

London is a veritable cornucopia of delight for the gourmet. Whether you are a carnivore, a vegetarian or simply a party animal, there are butchers, bakers and even candlestick makers around to match the best in any city in the world. But how on earth does one manage, in the limited time available between relaxing on the roof terrace, popping into the office, and taking a well earned rest, to visit these places and take advantage of the goodies that they have to offer?

Well, in an attempt to make things easier for itself, mankind has come up with a couple of options in the past thousand years.
Back in the times when wild boars really were wild and sliced bread was a yet to be discovered icon of perfect civilisation, a few crafty mongers and merchants brought their wares together to form a market-place. This was a good plan. Suddenly a customer could be spared the bother of nipping to Cumberland for his sausages, down to Dover for his sole and up to Newcastle for his barbecue briquettes. Market towns and market squares sprang up hither and yon and life became pretty much sorted. And that was 3,000 years ago. So imagine how excited the world was when the supermarket was invented.

Henry Ford had discovered that in uniformity lay tremendous possibilities: the production line was the key and the production line concept could be applied just as successfully to grocery shopping as to cars. And supermarkets must have been a good idea because they have caught on in a particularly big way. A few chains can claim 80% of grocery shopping in the UK and the stores offer more variety than ever before. Supermarkets and their somewhat podgier siblings, hypermarkets boast some 30,000 SKUs (that's things to you and me). Almost as many as there are grains of sand in the desert as someone biblically once remarked.

But here's the rub: did all of this shopping-cleverness make us any happier? And the answer is an Aristotle-shaped mystery to most of us. It was with this mystery in mind that two young lads, late in the twentieth century decided to strive both philosophically and in a very practical sense for improvements to what had become the norm. It seemed to them that one of the reasons there was less happiness in the world was that although there was a comfort ion the uniformity of supermarkets, there was also a barrenness about the product and as importantly the shopping environment. Let's face it - if fluorescent lighting is so brilliant why don't we all use it in our homes? And their solution to the riddle of shopping happiness was the Food Ferry, Central London's first and still foremost grocery home-shopping company. They aimed to settle the complaints about queues, unhelpful staff, dull and uniform products, wailing children, wonky trolleys, heavy loads, traffic jams, poor produce, rain, cold and a good few others in a single bold move. They sell all the plain boring stuff, and they source from the best local suppliers the sort of products that people really aspire to. They deliver from the stallholders of Borough market (London’s most ancient and a goldmine for goodies); they offer breads from Poilane, meats from Moens, as well as toilet roll from Andrex and water from Evian. The market-place has come full circle and the joys of modern convenience are combined seamlessly with the traditional skills of the artisan producer. The lads will remain nameless; the company will carry the mantle of "bringer of shopping happiness". Problem solved.

FIRST RESIDENTS MOVE INTO DOCKLANDS' NEWST COMMUNITY

Ballymore Properties has announced that the first residents are now moving in at its ‘New Providence Wharf’ developments in Docklands, E14. The occupants follow completion of the scheme’s first phase, which consists of 65 one and two bedroom apartments. Ballymore is phasing the construction programme to ensure that residents will be able to enjoy as much of the development as possible. The landscaping will be finished at the same time as the apartment phases, so that residents can enjoy the outside communal areas. In addition, the completion of the scheme’s health and fitness centre has been brought forward by almost a year. Andrew Covill, Head of Sales & Marketing at Ballymore commented: “The construction programme continues to be on schedule and the building is now taking shape, with visitors to the scheme now being able to imagine how the final building will look. We have now sold over 90% of the apartments in the main residential building.” Prices for the remaining apartments in the latest phase of ‘New Providence Wharf’ range from £280,000 for a one bed apartment and from £360,000 for a two bedroom apartment.

WILD WEST SPORT

Has the fact that you live in London stopped you from trying out extreme sports like rock-climbing? Do you know where you can find indoor and clay tennis courts you can use without joining a club? Did you know there are artificial football pitches you can play on in real studded boots and they are just off the A40 near White City and Holland Park? OK, well its time to check out Westway Sports Centre for all this and more… Westway Sports Centre is a huge, 8-acre complex with the largest indoor climbing centre in the country and you don't have to be an expert – just book a two-hour taster session for only £10 and let a qualified instructor show you the ropes! All equipment is supplied and groups are small and personal. There are over 350 routes, ranging from those for beginners to those that test even the experts? Casual climbing is £7 or £5.50 off-peak. Westway also arranges trips to the Peak District and Wales so that you can truly escape the city limits and climb on real rock! If climbing is not your sport, the huge complex has 8 indoor tennis courts and 4 outdoor clay courts. There are also 6 football pitches and 4 handball or Eton Fives courts, all maintained to the highest standard. And there’s underground car parking too! There is a cafe and bar on-site and Urban Rock sells the best in sporting equipment, specialising in climbing gear. There’s also floodlit basketball and netball courts. You do not have to be a member to enjoy Westway Sports Centre's facilities, although booking is advised. Booking line 020 8969 0992 or log on to www.westway.org/sports/wsc for more information and a virtual tour of the climbing centre. Corporate bookings are also welcome on 020 8968 2634.

RIVERSIDE REVENUE ON THE RISE

Leading London and South Bank estate agents Frank Harris and Company have noted that since the opening of the London Eye, the Millennium Bridge and schemes such as regeneration on the South Bank, Thames side property values have rocketed. As one of London's most desirable new residential areas, the South Bank is one location where riverside property premiums have soared aspirations resulting in a projected population rise of 3000 since the year 2000, to a total of 502, 000 by 2004. Apartments at Parliament View, 1 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 are a perfect example; located at the foot of Lambeth Bridge they provide some of the best river views on the South Bank. In an increasingly built-up world, waterside properties remain among the most sought-after and desirable on the market and the premium that the riverside setting adds does not look set to sink!

TALLY HO LAUNCHES

Situated in the heart of North Finchley and on the site of the legendary Tally Ho Corner, the development consists of a stunning collection of 16 duplex apartments, 112 two-bedroom apartments and 30 one bedroom apartments. Tally Ho @ N12 is literally the pinnacle of North Finchley offering apartments with definitive views across London to an exceptional specification, and is set to become one of London’s landmark buildings. Tally Ho @ N12 offers residents a secure living environment with a 34-hour concierge, CCTV to strategic areas plus an audio entryphone system for each apartment. The scheme also provides lifts, underground parking and balconies or terraces to all apartments. The stunning apartments form part of a high regeneration project costing £40m. Once completed, the facilities will be impressive including a brand new Marks & Spencer food store on the ground floor. There will also be a gymnasium with it’s own swimming pool and leisure centre operated by Cannons. Also incorporated is the New Barnet Arts Depot, a cultural centre with two theatres, gallery space and it’s own café bar. The remaining properties all with balconies are priced from £249,950.

CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER

Readers may be interested to learn that the English wine industry is currently undergoing a renaissance and New Wave Wines from Tenterden Vineyard in Kent is at the forefront of that renaissance. New Wave Wines produces quality red, rosé, and white wines under the 'Curious Grape' brand and fantastic sparkling wines made in the traditional method under the 'Chapel Down' brand. The English spirit of innovation is evident in the wine-making where they have invested heavily in equipment that enables them to employ "Old World" and "New World" techniques to get the best out of the more unusual varieties that are grown in England. Their wines are made from grapes grown in the Southeast of England and are available in the Capital and you can find a list of stockists by visiting their website. Alternatively, visit their vineyards for a free tasting. At Tenterden Vineyard you can enjoy a guided tour of the vineyard and winery or at Lamberhurst Vineyard relax in their own gastro-pub The Swan at The Vineyard for wonderful pub food accompanied by our own English wines. To find out more visit www.newwavewines.com or call them on tel: 01580 763033 for a wine list or to take advantage of the mail order service. Also, if you participate in our reader survey (page 28) you can have the opportunity to win a mixed case of New Wave Wines.

STYLISH BOMBAY

Designed by architects Rolfe Judd, Bombay Wharf is a gated development of refurbished Victorian grain stores and sympathetically designed new buildings offering 24-hour security and secure underground parking. Bombay Wharf is accessed from St. Marychurch Street and is grouped into five main buildings, which are surrounded by contemporary landscaping and timber decking. Each of the buildings has a distinctly different feel, according to its unique architectural features and many apartments have been individually designed due to the listed status of the existing warehouse buildings. “Bombay Wharf is a significant addition to our impressive portfolio of city centre schemes, it has a distinctly different feel than our other previous riverside schemes said John Inglis, Taylor Woodrow’s Regional Sales and Marketing Director. Apartments at Bombay Wharf range in price from £250,000 to £1.1 million for a four bedroom house. The first completions are due later in the year.

76,000 SQ FT RE-DEVELOPMENT IN BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE

Land Securities Properties Limited and Crosby Homes have started work on a 76,000 sq ft mixed-use development scheme in Central Birmingham that will provide a combination of residential apartments and a food retail development. The nine-floor scheme will consist of 52 premium residential apartments on the sixth floor and a new Tesco Metro store on three levels. Combining the values of traditional and contemporary design, the development will provide a major contribution to the regeneration of the city’s core. The development is scheduled for completion in late 2004. Fran Connop, marketing director at Crosby Homes, commented, ”Birmingham’s city centre has become a vibrant and diverse place to be, as the city has embraced the city living phenomenon”.

PADDINGTON BASIN FILLS UP

The residential element of Paddington Basin, part of the largest regeneration scheme in Europe, has taken another step forward with the submission of an application for planning permission for The Windings. The Jestico & The Whiles. The scheme proposes 222 residential units with basement parking, a 20,000 square foot health club and prime retail units, set on the waters edge in this legendary new gateway in London. The focus of the scheme, and from where it takes it’s name, is the new winding hole, a wide area in a canal used for turning boats around. Around the Winding hole will be provision for the mooring of canal boats which will provide a natural ever-changing centre of activity at the heart of Paddington Basin. Paddington Basin is being developed by PDCL (Paddington Development Corporation Ltd), a joint venture company made up of Chesterfield plc and the European Land developers.

UNIQUE INVESTMENT PROPERTIES IN THE HEART OF CHELSEA

Where in Chelsea can you purchase a newly refurbished property for under £230,000? The answer is Nell Gwynn House, Sloane Avenue, SW3. NGH Properties Ltd, have released 33 apartments – Studios are available from £222,500, one-bedroom apartments from £275,000 and two bedroom apartments from £438,000, therefore making them ideal properties for investment or as a pied a terre. Located within the heart of Chelsea, the landmark 1930’s building is just off Sloane Square and close to the West End, theatre land and some of the Capital’s best shops and restaurants. Planning approval has been received for a new basement health club with gym facilities, specialist treatment rooms and a café/bar, which will be available to owners and guests at Nell Gwynn House.