Sunday 13th April 08 - Night out in Leicester Square after the B'ham Property Show

On Sunday I got up at 8am and set off for the Property Investors Show at the NEC in Birmingham. I usually collected a lot of paper and brochures at these events and had been saving the trees for the last couple of years by not going. I'd been given a call from a mate from Turkey who wanted me to meet his business partners and as I'd said yes, so I had to go now.
Then I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with some friends and exhibitors and also share with them about the Northern Property Network if they wanted to be involved.
The usual crew were there from Glenn Armstrong, Simon Zutshi, Jim Haliburton, Vanish Patel and I finally got to meet Parmdeep Vadesha briefly from the property forum!

I was suprised how quiet and small the event was this year, possibly a reaction to the pessimism in the property market after the 'credit crunch'?

My friend Satnam P. from Huddersfield had travelled down later, as we were both on our way to see Roger Hamilton in London. He was going to see family and I drove to Worcester to see some cousins and when I called from outside their house, they were in Birmingham! That will teach me to call before I go visit people.


On my way into London I called a few friends and no-one answered. Were they busy or was it an effective use of caller ID, I wonder... Satnam couldn't get in touch with any of his friends either so called the Holiday Inn near Golders Green / Finchley and booked us in.

About 9pm whilst driving in I called Bonnie A. who was local and I had met at The ISA Experience last month and asked what she was doing. Well she was going out with her friends into London and invited me to join them! She really did call my bluff, not being a big fan of London and the transport systems - so I accepted the offer before I could make my excuses.
Anita L. returned my earlier call about 9.30pm having finished a marathon session of Ceroc dancing, so I invited her along and she said YES! I'm not sure if my friends are the best or the craziest - either way it was going to be a great night.

The kind hotel staff gave me some rough directions to Euston, where I was meeting Anita and after I picked her up, she insisted I drive into London. Saying she was a parking angel she did actually find a parking spot about 3 minutes walk from Leicester Square. There we went to Sounds and met Bonnie, her sister and OJ and Donovan who'd I'd also previously met.
Both being party animals neither Anita or myself wanted to leave as we were all having fun. She did have work in the morning, so I dropped her home in Watford about 2.30am and drove back to the hotel. Satnam had arrived and already locked me out; accidentally he said after I woke him to get in!

It was still a brilliant start to the weekend as I went to bed. Tomorrow we were expecting Sally J, Suzanne J, Van, Simon M and Matt R coming to join us at the hotel ready for 3 days with Roger Hamilton at Alexandra Palace.