Wharf

Preview: Hull v West Ham

2009-11-20T16:47:09Z

Carlton Cole is expected to return to the side as West Ham prepare for a battle-of-the-strugglers with skint Hull City.

The striker - who has been the subject of paper matchmaking with Liverpool and Manchester United - should recover from hamstring problems in time to face the club one point ahead of the Hammers.

]]> Kieron Dyer and Herita Ilunga may also be back, while James Tomkins and Junior Stanislas are also hopeful.

Tigers top-scorer Geovanni is expected to return, but goalkeeper Boaz Myhill is still a doubt.

Kick-off is 3pm on Saturday.

The Wharf's 4.30pm Travel Update

2009-11-20T16:28:19Z

Any Problems There are no problems with any public transport anywhere in London according to TfL, so a smooth journey home awaits. But as it's a Friday night these things can change in a flash so it's well worth continuing to check Tube updates on the sidebar.

Preview: Millwall v Wycombe

2009-11-20T16:20:19Z

Millwall sit two points adrift of the play-off places, just behind rampant Huddersfield.

They may have an opportunity to bounce back up into the land of promise again this weekend, as they face basement club Wycombe.

]]> Wycombe have just eight points in 16 games this season, and have shipped 21 goals on their travels in 2009/10. Huddersfield face a potential home banana skin against ninth-placed Hartlepool, but will be swimming in confidence after two six goal batterings in succession.

Millwall could welcome back Darren Ward and Andy Frampton as their injury worries ease, while Wycombe will make a late check on the fitness of Lewis Hunt and John Akimde. Leon Johnson remains sidelined.

Kick-off is 3pm on Saturday.

The game has been designated Help For Heroes Day in support of the military charity, which means merchandise will be sale in the stadium car park, as well as a bomb disposal display and a virtual assault course.

Members of the Royal Marines will "stage a dramatic entry into the stadium with the matchball", while players will warm up in special T-shirts which will then be autographed and raffled off.

A member of each of the four Armed Services will join the team 'respect' line-ups prior to kick-off, and will be parading around the pitch during the interval.

Preview: Yeovil v Charlton

2009-11-20T16:12:19Z

Just when things were starting to look up in SE7, cruel fate rears its ugly head.

Last week's demolition of Paul Ince's set of rehoused and generally despised Wombles has been followed by away match - cue evil cackling laughter from the fixtures computer.

]]> Only one thing for it then - Phil Parkinson's men must remaster the art of winning on their travels. Something they have not done since the whipping of John Barnes' woeful Tranmere Rovers back in August.

On Saturday morning, Addicks fans will head to Yeovil - a club whose famous fans include Paddy Ashdown and the homeless one from Skins.

When Charlton last got promotion to the top flight at the turn of the century, the Glovers were stuck in the conference.

However, history counts for nothing and town's recent form has the edge over the Addicks with just one defeat in the last eight.

Team news sees Frazer Richardson out injured, while goalkeeper Rob Elliot is on the verge of returning after a groin strain.

Kick off: 3pm, Saturday

Fawlty icon inspires Wharf concierge

2009-11-20T15:36:54Z

Who inspires London's concierge of the year?

It's not who you'd imagine.

In fact, it's probably the last person you'd imagine.

]]> Fresh from scooping the prestigious award at the Park Lane Sheraton Hotel, Marriott West India Quay assistant head concierge Toru Machida revealed he was lured into hotel management by goose-stepping TV waiter-baiter Basil Fawlty.

The Tokyo-born award-winner said: "I didn't speak very good English when I arrived, so I learned by watching comedies such as Fawlty Towers.

"I didn't know anything about hotel work before, but after watching it I was tempted into the industry. Basil does ridiculous things, but he really just wants to make things right for the guests, and that's what we try to do every day. He's still a big hero of mine."

Toru completed a placement at the Kensington Forum hotel during his hotel management course at Middlesex University, and was employed in the housekeeping department of Canary Wharf's Four Seasons in 2002. It was there that he was drafted into the concierge department as a luggage porter, and had progressed to concierge clerk when he heard of a new hotel opening in West India Quay in 2004.

He joined in time for the Marriott's opening in June, and by 2005 had been promoted to assistant head concierge. He has since been accepted into the Society of the Golden Keys, a group which helps foster link-ups within the international concierge fraternity.

He said: "As long as it's not illegal or immoral, we go the extra mile to help out. There's a limit to what one concierge can handle, which is the reason for the society.

"A couple of months ago a guest wanted a table at Zuma restaurant. It's one of the most difficult places to get a booking, and he gave me half an hour on a Friday night. I spoke to a friend at another hotel and he was good enough to help me out.

"Another time we had an Asian guest staying with us who was in the shipping industry, and he told me he had worked in the UK 30 years ago and had a friend who used to work in a major European corporate shipping company. All he could remember was that his name was Roy.

"I emailed the Baltic Exchange and two days later I had tracked down a few people matching the profile. He was living in Kent, so they were reunited. I got a letter two years later from the man saying Roy had passed away, and thanking me for reuniting two friends so they could spend the last two years together."

A good concierge needs to be organised, as the pair on duty usually receive around 100 requests a day, ranging from directions to the station to more complicated challenges.

Toru said: "If a guest has a challenging inquiry, I love it when they bring it to me. A concierge only becomes a great concierge thanks to their guests.

"If a guest asks me something I don't know, it gives me the opportunity to learn something and increase my knowledge in the future."

On Two Wheels Part 5: The great confusion

2009-11-20T11:58:26Z

All you drivers out there, you don't know how lucky you are.

I confess, as a four-wheeled motorist I too was spoilt. All you need to do to answer the question "Where can I park?" is to look out of your window. And there you have it - a collection of signs, symbols and detailed passages of text telling you exactly when, where and for how long you're allowed to stop and abandon your vehicle.

]]> Obviously the simple ones still apply for two-wheelers - park on a double-yellow and you deserve everything you get.

But other than that, London seems to have largely written scooters and motorbikes out of the equation.

Try it next time you park your car - try to spot the sign that says park your scooter here.

And to make things worse, every London borough can vary the rules as they see fit.

While this is also true for parking regulations relating to cars, authorities simply do not seem to make the effort to tell anyone what they've done about motorbikes and scooters.

Look at it this way - I ride through four boroughs to get to work, Haringey, Hackney, the City and Tower Hamlets. Suppose I get hungry on the way and decide to stop at a greasy spoon for an unhealthy roll stuffed full of egg and bacon.

How do I find out where I can leave my bike?

I have yet to see a helpful sign on the street so I thought I'd get online and try to find out.

I clicked through to the parking section on the Haringey Council website, but despite reading all the information on there in detail I was unable to see any reference whatsoever to scooters or motorcycles.

There was plenty about cars and bicycles, but that was it. So I rang the press office and received this: "Motorcycles and mopeds may park free of charge in residential, shared-use, and pay-and-display bays.

"They must park at one end of the bay, in a manner that would not prevent other users from parking in that bay. We do not have dedicated motorcycle parking bays."

So the infomation is there, but only if you request it. I'm pleased to say the other authorities fared a little better - Hackney has similar rules to Haringey, but Tower Hamlets and the City do not.

Both, according to their websites, only allow motorbikes and scooters to park, albeit for free, in dedicated bays on the street or in council-run car parks in the case of the City.

So in other words, while it's fine for me to pull up outside a greasy spoon in Haringey or Hackney, I have to spend time hunting for a special bay in the City or Tower Hamlets. Somewhat irritating.

And to add to the confusion, I stopped a traffic warden (or civil enforcement officer to give them their proper title) and asked him whether I was allowed to park my scooter in a pay-and-display bay on busy Green Lanes.

If you believe the website I am. If you believe the warden: "No mate, not on a Saturday."
Basically, if you go for life on two wheels, get used to being treated like a second-class citizen in the eyes of the parking authorities.

It costs £2 to park for a day on the Wharf in one of the many car parks. In my book that's not bad, but then I'm used to paying outrageous amounts of cash to stop my car on a public road.

However, here again is a special system. You don't take a ticket from the machine as you go in - a simple automated service. No, you have to find an attendant and purchase a plastic tag to fix to your bike after you've ridden round the barrier.

That's fine, except the other day there was no attendant so I had to put a call through to security to get them to find one for me - unnecessary hanging around.

I'm unclear why there isn't a simple vending machine built onto the end of the parking ticket machines. Perhaps the constant interactions with two-wheelers helps stifle the boredom of the car park employees.

Maybe the councils and organisations know how enjoyable riding is and simply feel the need to mute it slightly.

- Column in association with Vespa. Go to uk.vespa.com

Residents unite against "reactionary" housing group

2009-11-20T11:36:29Z

Eastend Homes residents plan to take on their housing association with a "grass-roots movement" designed to fight surging service charges.

In a heated meeting in the Isle of Dogs last week, tenants and leaseholders vowed to back a borough-wide residents' group in its battle against housing bosses.

]]> Relations between the two sides have soured after years of fruitless talks. Eastend Homes chief executive Paul Bloss and interim financial director Peter Gibbs were even turned away from the door of Calders Wharf Community Centre by Isle of Dogs residents' group chair Gloria Thienel.

She said: "For two years they haven't given us the time of day. People wouldn't have spoken their minds if they were here and we didn't want to turn this into a slanging match."

The meeting featured a short talk from EEH's anti-social behaviour officer Linda Standing, but the main focus was on what action to take on rising charges that have concerned residents since Eastend Homes began taking on council housing estates in 2005.

Residents reported that annual insurance charges for some one-bedroom flats surged from £80 in 2008/9 to nearly £240 in 2009/10. Meeting chair and Blackwall and Cubitt Town councillor Tim Archer revealed that this is more than £200 more than the £36.35 charge for a two-bedroom flat under social landlord Tower Hamlets Community Housing.

Residents from St George's, Glamis, Holland and Mile End estates will now join Isle of Dogs campaigners to form the borough-wide Eastend Homes Leaseholders and Freeholders Association, which ultimately aims for representation on the main board of Eastend Homes.

New interim chair Jay Anstey-Hayes, of Glamis estate (pictured with Tim Archer), claims the association's approach to service charge queries was "reactionary to an alarming degree". She also expressed concern about the impact of the multi-million pound works programme planned for the estates, half of which will have to be funded by residents.

She said: "There's a very real danger we'll end up in a position where residents will not be able to afford their own homes.

"We've found that Eastend Homes leasehold services doesn't even recognise our legal right to dispute the service charges.

"If we thought it was bad with Tower Hamlets Council, we've just gone back a couple of decades."

Eastend Homes chairman Martin Young was given the chance to address the meeting, but became embroiled in an argument with residents and Cllr Archer over discrepancies in the charges, and the £500 bonus paid to staff for good performance.

Mr Young claimed the association had "wrestled long and hard" with the decision to raise charges.

He said: "There's been an increase in insurance costs generally, not just because of the fire in Mile End this year. There's been an increase in claims for things like baths overflowing, and the premiums have been seriously loaded. We think we've got the best deal possible, and if the association can find better quotes we'd be happy to look at them."

Isle of Dogs residents set up the Eastend Homes Leaseholders Association in 2007 after service charges doubled a year after the changeover. Chair Gloria Thienel has reported that her 24-flat Manchester Road estate has been erroneously hit with charges for the entire 96-unit road, and that Eastend Homes has claimed it is unable to offer refunds "retrospectively".

She said: "There are so many unhappy people and unless we get together, we're going to continue to be trodden on. I think the fact that this meeting has happened has rattled their cage. It shows we're serious."

The new group's manifesto includes plans to raise money to set up an independent leaseholders office and push for an external audit of accounting and value for money. Tower Hamlets Leaseholders Association's Andrew Coles warned it would require dedication from members.

He said: "Unless you mobilise to support this organisation, we as a group and all of the many individuals who pay service charges will be well and truly shafted.

"What Eastend Homes need to see is that there's a group of people that have had enough and are willing to put their heads above the parapet. Then they will fold."

For more information, go to eastendhomes.info

Wharfers encouraged to find their fish at Billingsgate

2009-11-19T17:03:41Z

Its working day usually finishes as the first banker or broker settles in behind his Canary Wharf desk but Billingsgate Fish Market is as important to the British food industry as its neighbours are to the world of finance.

But how often do those captains of commerce venture across West India Dock to stock up on the bounty of the deep?

]]> Not often enough, according to CJ Jackson, director of the Billingsgate Seafood Training School.

"They call me Action Jackson because I'm a woman on a mission," she said.

"I want to get people back in touch with their food heritage and fish in particular. It's about time we got rid of the impression of fish being smelly and bony. I'd love more people from Canary Wharf to come over here to see how great fish is.

"People are terrified of it because they don't know what to buy or how to cook it, but they shouldn't be.

"It's one of the healthiest foods you can eat and in these days of health consciousness it's absolutely perfect."

CJ, who has been director of the school for four years, is evangelical about all things piscatorial, particularly the market.

She said: "I love Billingsgate, its people and personalities. I'm often asked if it smells, but it doesn't, because the fish is so fresh it smells of the sea.

"But it's also about the knowledge of the people who work here. A skilled merchant knows his fish and his customers. Sustainability is such a huge issue now that's very important.

"The merchant will be able to say where every fish comes from and who caught it. You don't get that when you buy a cod fillet packed in plastic in the supermarket.

"People think Billingsgate is a wholesale market but 18 per cent of our business is from the public and I hope that will grow.

"If you can't come during the week come down on Saturday mornings."

Changing attitudes is high on CJ's agenda. When she took over the cookery school she commissioned a survey on people's fish eating habits, which revealed people could only name 18 types of fish.

"It was staggering," said CJ. "There are 150 species of fish on the market but people hadn't heard of a lot of them and won't eat them. We should focus on fish like coley, pollock and gurnard rather than cod and haddock forced on us by the supermarkets.

"Billingsgate is so important because it diversifies the approach to fish and what you can eat.

"We're also involved in a campaign to get people to eat more shellfish. This is a big market for clams and you can get a kilo of palourde clams for £7, which is a lot cheaper than the supermarket.

"I'd urge people to buy it and try it."

The Seafood Training School is a charity, relying on donations from organisations like the IDCF, doing a lot of work with young people in the community.

CJ hopes Wharfers will sign up for courses, as well as introductory tours round the market, to help keep it operating.

She has also distilled her knowledge into a new book, The Billingsgate Market Cookbook, a simple and elegant introduction to fish.

She said: "I'm pleased with the book. I didn't want people to be put off by having too many ingredients so the recipes are designed to be really simple.

"I've had a very positive response, even from the market workers.

"They seem pretty pleased to see themselves in it and some have even said they've been cooking the recipes themselves."

For more information about the seafood cookery school visit seafoodtraining.org.

The Billingsgate Market Cookbook by CJ Jackson, published by New Holland, is out now.

West Ham will survive believes ex-Iron George Parris

2009-11-19T16:35:08Z

West Ham legend George Parris is backing Gianfranco Zola to get the club out of the relegation dogfight but they need to start getting results now.

Parris feels Zola's men must kick-off their revival with victory over fellow strugglers Hull City this Saturday and beat Burnley the following week.

]]> He said: "They really need six points from the games against Hull and Burnley. That's very important.

"It's turning into a difficult season but they've got to hang in there. They need to get the rub of the green and they just haven't had that recently. But there will be occasions when they don't play well and pick up three points.

"West Ham have got some good players so they will string some good performances together. There's plenty of games left so there's no need to panic. It's still early stages."

Parris, 45, (pictured above in his West Ham playing days) was a popular figure at Upton Park, making 300 appearances for the Irons in an eight year spell at the club in the 1980s and early 90s.

He has himself moved into management, taking the reins at Sussex County League outfit Whitehawk last year. He's enjoying the role and revealed he wouldn't mind a stint in the West Ham hotseat one day.

He said: "If you ask any ex-player they would always love to go back to their club. I'll never say never, but certainly not at the moment as I'm enjoying life a lot right now. But, who knows? Maybe at the right time and place and the chance to manage West Ham arose I would love to do it.

"But it's going alright at Whitehawk. We won the league cup last year and we're doing well this season. We're top of the league and hopefully we'll win promotion."

Parris still keeps in touch with events at Upton Park and acts as a matchday host when his managerial commitments allow. He also stages an annual end-of-season football tournament for children at the ground.

Before then he's heading to South Africa to coach children as part of a project organised by the Bobby Moore Fund. He will be joined by former England striker Luther Blissett and the two footballers will also be helping build a school.

He said: "My school building skills aren't quite as good as my football skills but we're going to give it a go. It's a very worthy cause and I had no hesitation in accepting the challenge."

George Parris, Luther Blissett and Stephanie Moore are among 40 participants in the Bobby Moore Fund's Project South Africa next March.

If you fancy joining the trip or would like to take part in a future project visit bobbymoorefund.org.

Green Living: Spreading the word

2009-11-19T16:08:30Z

By Andrew Williams

The internet age has brought us many unwanted annoyances. Spam emails, pop up adverts, pictures of cats with captions, the list goes on.

Of course, the positives outweigh the negatives.

]]> It can be difficult to remember what we did before we could check the news headlines whenever we wanted, or chat to someone halfway around the world without running up an astronomical phone bill.

One of the many benefits is the speed with which a campaigning message can be brought to the public's attention. Don't like a planning proposal? You can start an online petition and let your MP know how you feel. Think your voice won't be heard? If you can create a groundswell of public opinion you may be able to change policy.

It's often the small stories which are the best examples of this, and that's precisely what the Guardian International Development Awards are all about. The awards are announced tonight by Natasha Kaplinsky at a ceremony at the Royal Academy of Arts. They celebrate amateur and professional writers who have written stories which bring an issue to life which might otherwise not have been recognised.

The awards offer the winning authors the chance to visit the places they have written about to carry out fresh research and continue to raise the profile of their subject.

So, for example, the author of a piece about deforestation in Guatemala will then have the opportunity to visit the worst affected areas to ask people what they need to help change lives.

It's an inspiring competition, and all of the winners share a commitment to bringing previously invisible problems to a global audience.

- Do you or your company have an environmentally friendly product or service you'd like featured in this column? Let us know by contacting Seventeen, a sustainable alternative for your event management needs, at andrew@seventeenevents.co.uk.

Pat Cash predicts thrilling tennis at O2 tournament

2009-11-19T13:57:24Z

The O2 will be the centre of the tennis world next week when the best players on the planet head there for the last tournament of the season.

The arena will host the ATP World Tour Finals from Sunday, with the likes of Roger Federer and Andy Murray set to battle for one of the sport's most prestigious titles.

]]> World number one Federer might be hot favourite to win, and add it to his Wimbledon and French Open crowns, but former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash feels it won't be a cakewalk for the Swiss maestro.

He said: "I think anyone can win the tournament and that's something we haven't said for a long time. It's about as open an event as we've had for years. Hopefully it's a sign for 2010 about how open tennis can be.

"It's been such one-way traffic. Roger really hasn't had too many people to play against so he's dominated. He's been made to look absolutely brilliant.

"He is brilliant anyway, but it's nice to see someobody who many regard as the greatest of all time actually play against someone who is great as opposed to it being a one-way street.

"It looks like it's going to shape up to be a couple of great years and hopefully this tournament will finish off this year that way."

Federer has only really had Rafael Nadal pushing him as the world's best in recent years and the Spaniard will be at The O2, although Cash doesn't rate his chances after an injury-hit year.

He said: "He started off the year incredibly well winning in Australia. That was a superhuman perfomance but since then things have gone downhill for him.

"He needs to be very precise with his game and he's not hitting the spots. Because of the way he hits the ball, if he doesn't quite time it right then it sort of just sits there.

"But he's very tough to beat, because of the way he competes and the way he moves."

British hopes will be resting on Andy Murray, with the World number four looking to win his first title on home soil. Cash believes he can handle the expectation.

He said: "I think he's got a great chance. He's fresh. He's come back very well.

"He won a tournament recently. It was a smaller event but he still had to beat the players he had to beat, which was a good effort after being out for about a month. He'll be a threat."

The tournament will see two groups of four with players facing each other in a round robin format. The top two in each group then progress to the semi-finals.

All singles matches will be three sets with each decided with a tie-break if necessary. The winner of the tournament will scoop $770,000 and if he's undefeated all week that will increase to a cool $1.63million.

So there's plenty to play for and Cash had the following summaries of the eight players taking part:

Roger Federer (Age: 28; Switzerland; French Open and Wimbledon champion 2009)
"It's very hard to beat a guy like Federer over five sets but you can over three sets. That's where it makes it more likely to have an upset here against the world number one.

"But if I had some money I'd probably put it on him. He's so consistent over the years it's hard to write him off."

Rafael Nadal (23, Spain, Australian Open champion)
"Nadal's been a bit patchy this year. Obviously injury didn't help him. He's lost a bit of confidence, the players have worked him out a little bit and I wouldn't expect great things from him. He's incredibly competitive and a super athlete so he'll be tough to beat."

Novak Djokovic (22, Serbia, defending ATP champion)
"Djokovic is playing great tennis. He might be tired after winning in Paris last week but he'll be ramping it up by the end of the week. Once he gets on court, lining up with the players, he'll be getting pumped. The adrenalin will see him through."

Andy Murray (22, Great Britain)
"He's got a great chance. He's fresh. He's come back from injury very well. He'll be moving well, hitting the ball well and again he'll be excited, and he'll be a threat."

Robin Soderling (25, Sweden)
"He's a good player and he's had a great season, reaching the French Open final.

"It's a shame Roddick can't play because he's very popular but Soderling is a good back-up."

Juan Martin Del Potro (21, Argentina, US Open champion)
"It's been tough to keep it up for him. He had a very good US Open where everything went right for him.

"It'll be the first time people in the UK can have a good look at him and see how powerful his shots are. He's a nice player to watch."
Verdasco

Nikolay Davydenko (28, Russia)
"He's only a little guy, about five foot eight or nine, light but he hits the ball with an absolute wallop. He's super-competitive, super-fit, no real weaknesses, a little Russian guy who can run all day. I like the way he plays."

Fernando Verdasco (26, Spain)
"Verdasco has got a lot of flair. He's a brilliant player with a huge forehand. He's got all the shots as well."

There is also a doubles tournament taking place over the week, with top seeds Nestor and Zimonjic kicking things off at 12.30pm on Sunday.

Andy Murray will contest the first singles match when he faces Del Potro on Sunday afternoon, with Federer on court against Verdasco in the evening.

The Wharf will be at the tournament all week and you can follow the action on wharf.co.uk.

Cash was speaking at the launch of a Barclays Spaces For Sport initiative in south London and he hopes having the focus on tennis next week will boost the sport's popularity in Britain.

He said: "I'm a big supporter of any way we can get some rackets into kids hands and let them enjoy it. Tennis has a lot of potential in this country but hasn't really ever been accessed.

"There's a bit of a boom in Britain with tennis at the moment. They had it for a while with Tim Henman but nothing got done then, but now things are starting to get done so it's good."

Pat Cash is a Barclays ATP World Tour Finals ambassador. Tickets for the event, which starts at The O2 this Sunday, are available from barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com.

Training centre "key" to Heron Quays CPO

2009-11-19T11:08:19Z

Tower Hamlets Council saw Canary Wharf Group's contribution to a training centre as a "driving factor" in its decision to force occupiers off land at Heron Quays, an inquiry heard.

Documents referenced last week indicate officers described the money as "the key rationale" behind its decision to clear the way for CWG's Heron Quays West scheme.

]]> The authority has repeatedly denied it was "bought" by the promise of a £5million endowment and £3million employment and training contribution for a replacement on-site Skillsmatch centre.

However, an internal council memo revealed at a public inquiry on Thursday stated the fund "represents the key rationale behind the council's use of CPO powers".

This statement - made in a document dated November 12, 2007 - was echoed, almost word for word, in a report on January 9, 2008, to the planning contribution overview panel, an officers' forum held in private.

Leaseholders Michael Gross and Michael Hunt - who hold the rights to 7 and 8 Heron Quays West - have accused the council of a "misuse" of its powers.

Development control manager Stephen Irvine told the inquiry two weeks ago that this was "not a well founded allegation".

He argued that the prospect of 7,960 extra jobs, regeneration and training at the 2.5million sq ft development made "a compelling case in the public interest" justifying the council's intervention.

The inquiry into the council's decision to use its powers closed last Thursday after five days in session. Leaseholder Michael Gross appeared on Thursday to answer accusations that the leaseholders drove CWG to seek a CPO by asking for a "ransom" of £25million each for their stake. CWG's biggest offer was £5million each in late 2006.

While he did not deny quoting the figure, Mr Gross claimed it was "a shot in the dark" figure devised to kick-start negotiations. He added that CWG had shown him a scheme during talks in 2006 that did not include the two pieces of land, and accused the company of "producing phony plans and phony photographs to distort the facts".

While Mr Iacobescu had told the inquiry these plans were drawn up to show CWG was "not prepared to be held to ransom", Mr Gross described the move as a "calculated, orchestrated attempt to deceive".

He had earlier accused CWG of believing it was "the inheritor of the powers of the London Docklands Development Corporation, and could get what it wanted, even if it cost a little more money along the way".

Acting for the authority, David Elgin QC asked Mr Gross to explain why the £25million he demanded for 8 Heron Quays was so much greater than the £1.325million purchase price in 1999, and the £2.1million valuation by DTZ in 2004 when he transferred the lease for off-shore tax purposes to Leeside International, of which he is the sole shareholder.

Mr Gross said that it reflected "the transition from hope value to marriage value", since CWG had since announced its intention to develop the land.

Interview: Michelin-starred chef Richard Corrigan

2009-11-19T10:25:47Z

If you are stuck for the inspiration to serve up something a bit different to turkey and goose this Christmas one of London's best chefs might have the answer.

Michelin-starred chef Richard Corrigan recently added an unusual offering to his restaurant's bill of fare - squirrel.

]]> The bushy-tailed nut munchers have apparently gone down a treat with the discerning diners at his eponymous Mayfair restaurant, as he told The Wharf.

"We do our bit to keep the numbers down. We brought in 90 and they've all gone," he said. "The taste is somewhere between a beautiful wild rabbit and chestnuts. It's really good meat and people forget it's squirrel. It's got a lovely nutty flavour to it. But I must say I don't shoot them myself."

Those with an aversion to feasting on their furry friends will be reassured that Corrigan will not be dishing them up when he takes part in the Taste of Christmas show at Excel next month. He will be running a version of his famous Bentley's Oyster Bar instead, although he's starting to wish he hadn't put his name forward.

He said: "It's been giving me sleepless nights. I'd forgotten how much hard work doing these shows can be. But I'm delighted to be doing it really. I took part in the Taste of London in the summer and that was a great experience.

"We'll be doing hot oyster dishes at Excel, things like rockerfeller and tempura oysters. I think people will love it."

Bentley's has a special place in the 45-year-old Irishman's heart as he worked there when he first pitched up in London. He jumped at the chance to buy the venue when it came up for sale in 2005 and he has had no regrets since.

He said: "It's fallen on hard times and I have rebuilt it as it was. I will cherish and love it so that the next generation won't be able to say an Irish boy ruined it. It's very important to me."

Unlike certain other top chefs Corrigan has been keen not to spread his considerable talents too thin, preferring to focus on just the two restaurants.

He said: "I'm a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. I've no plans to open lots of restaurants, I just want to keep what I've achieved already. I've a great team around me. In fact, I'm just the conductor looking after the little things, the business just runs itself.

"If a bus crawled over me tomorrow, although it would have a problem as I'm a big lad, someone else would be able to carry things on just as they are."

Fans of good food will be hoping that doesn't happen, especially with some excellent oysters set to tempt the tastebuds next month.

The Taste of Christmas is at Excel from December 4-6. For tickets, costing from £19 in advance, are available from tasteofchristmas.com.

For a chance to win tickets to the event click here.

Michael Vaughan set to open up in Canary Wharf

2009-11-19T09:49:05Z

The Canary Wharf crease has been getting used to top cricketers opening up here in recent years and its not over yet.

Sir Ian Botham and current England captain Andrew Strauss have both been here in recent weeks and now they are being followed by former test skipper Michael Vaughan.

]]> The recently-retired batsman will be at Waterstone's in Jubilee Place mall on Wednesday, December 2, to sign copies of his autobiography, Time To Declare, a no-holds barred account of his later career and clashes with cricket figures both on and off the field.

Vaughan earned English sporting immortality when he led his team to a 2-1 victory in the 2005 Ashes series, regaining the famous urn after 16 years of hurt and humiliation at the hands of the Australians.

For many fans and commentators that series remains the greatest they have ever seen.

An elegant batsman, injuries, particularly to his knees, blighted the later years of Vaughan's career and he finally retired from first class cricket in June this year.

He played 82 tests for England, captaining them on 51 occasions, and scored 5,719 runs at an average of 41.44, including 18 centuries.

He also played with distinction for Yorkshire for 16 years - not bad for a Lancastrian.

The signing starts at 12.30 pm. For reservations contact the store on 020 7719 0688.

Blonde's Eye View: Me time

2009-11-18T15:44:47Z

Angela Clarke on dancing around her flat and not manning-up her salads

My partner is at a stag do this weekend. He leaves Friday morning and doesn't return till Sunday evening.

My friends have rallied round to fill my diary. Girls' night out on Friday? A museum on Saturday? How about afternoon tea on Sunday?

]]> I feel like an attention deficit child desperately being entertained by eager godparents, while Mummy does the food shopping. What is this obsession with permanent contact?

Do they fear I will be consumed by paranoid jealousy as my man cavorts about Berlin dressed as a superhero or driven to suicide if I go without human interaction for 48 hours?

I see my work colleagues all week, live with my partner, and party with my mates whenever I want. I get enough human contact travelling on the Tube everyday thank you.

What is rare is having the flat to myself. It's like being a teenager with your parents away.

I want to watch trashy MTV shows my partner dismisses as juvenile. I want to read Vogue in silence. I want to colour co-ordinate my shoe collection.

I want a salad for dinner, and not have to soften it up with a side of man-friendly bacon.

Hell, I want to make like Tom Cruise in Risky Business and dance to loud music in my pants. In short: I want to selfishly, indulgently spend time with me.

I've told my friends I've already got plans, I don't need babysitting. They look relieved.

Now they can spend some quality time with their selves this weekend. If they're lucky they too might have an empty home to dance round.

Everyone should be encouraged to rest from the over stimulated environment we live in.

Embrace the opportunity to finish that book you've read in fits and starts on the DLR, or to lounge uninterrupted in the bath with a glass of wine.

Repeat after Greta Garbo, I vant to be alone.