Wow look at that! Is that the Tate Modern?

Quite an eventful week for Olympic watchers. First the news, if you can define it as that, that the McAlpine team had won the stadium job. Depressing for our industry that it was a one-horse race. Yes the consortium has done a good job at Arsenal but surely some kind of competition would have been preferable. That it is a contractor-led bid is a pretty good summation of how far the industry has come since the architect was top of the tree. The revolution in the construction pecking order as well as in contracts and procurement is ably described by venerable QS and industry seer James Nisbet in his new book. We reveal his fascinating perspective on the current construction landscape in the magazine today. I hope it will start a debate amongst industry circles.

I digress. The second Olympics story is the Jack Lemley resignation. This was a definite surprise and raises the question as to whether there have been any internal disputes amongst the senior management of the Olympic Delivery Authority. Perhaps, as he said, the lure of his home in Idaho was too much. Could Mace founder Ian Macpherson be persuaded out of retirement to take up the reins at the ODA?

Conversation overheard whilst walking past Southwark tube station. "Wow look at that! Is that the Tate Modern?" cries out an American tourist when faced with the new Will Alsop-design Palestra office block.

What a diary disaster! November appears to be the month for industry shindigs, and the 22nd appears to be most in demand. No less than three firms are holding batches that night - Ridge, Cyril Sweett and Driver Group. What's a reveller to do?