THE ST BOTOLPH BUILDING LONDON EC3A NEWSLETTER Issue 3
Letter from the editors
Welcome to the third edition of The St. Botolph Newsletter.
With the holiday season fast approaching, we decided that this issue should be packed full of information about Christmas in London and other parts of the world. See our articles on Christmas Markets and activities in London.
We’ll take you on a virtual trip to see how Greeks celebrate their festive season and if that’s not enough to beat the winter blues we will share a delicious Italian recipe that originates from 13th century Siena, a city in Tuscany.
In addition, we’ll keep you up to speed with participating partners in the St Botolph discount card scheme and will let you know of any changes or exciting updates. If you have not yet received your card speak with your facilities department to arrange one. Check out the cocktail masterclass in Revolution America Square and learn how to shake it like a pro.
We hope that you enjoy the new look of the newsletter.
The editorial team would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2017.
In this issue
Open House Shelter Charity Drive London Christmas Markets Page 8 Page 9 Page 12 We are pleased to announce that Christopher Osei has been awarded the Incentive QAS Employee of the Year for the St Botolph Building. He is an excellent problem solver and his flexibility and natural calmness under pressure is key to the Experience he delivers to our clients. Incentive QAS has also been awarded the Contract of the Year. Tatiane Hoch, the Contract Manager at St Botolph, said that it was an honour to be amongst those receiving an award. She continued to say that a company’s success is a joint effort by a great team and not just by a good leader. Christopher Osei (middle) receiving his award, with Stephen Treves and Tatiane Hoch.
The Incentive QAS team based at St Botolph.
Did you know that CIS has been selected as a finalist in the Customer Experience Category at this year’s BIFM Awards.
CIS Security has also achieved its best ever score of 170 in an independent audit conducted on behalf of the SIA Approved Contractor score Scheme for best Practice.
A big thank you needs to be given to Ryan Shiel and Tom Robinson who on 11 October, helped with the leak on the JLT and Lockton floors. Portico has recently undergone rebranding and with update there have been changes to the visions and values, new service habits, a new company website and a thank you scheme. Portico has even launched their new newsletter, Heartbeat.
Daniela Colibaba was announced in August Portico will be holding their Annual People as the Employee of the Quarter. This Awards ceremony this month. The St Botolph November, Conrad Olwagen has been Building reception team has been nominated for awarded employee of the quarter. an award this year in the medium sized team Congratulations to both Daniela and Conrad. category.
Did you know that SKANSKA started more Skanska has been recognised in 2016 for the than 125 years ago in a small fishing village of following southern Sweden? Today Skanska is now one of the world’s leading project development • Investors in People – Gold and construction companies, employing • New Civil Engineer Award about 57,000 people. • Ground Engineering (GE) Awards 2016 • European Women in Construction and Engineering Awards St Botolph Building Updates
AirSensa Project CBRE has signed a partnership to help launch a nationwide air quality monitoring network, the largest of it’s kind in the world. This project will see the roll out of 10,000 units across the city of London alone, to help monitor and map urban air quality. The St Botolph Building has had an AirSensa unit installed and it is already hard at work collecting data for the project.
Jonathan Steel of Change London said: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” The information collected from these units across London and the rest of the UK will, with time, be able to paint a real- time picture of the air quality of our urban centres. Data will soon be delivered to powerful smartphone apps, allowing individuals to plan “low pollution” journeys in to work. Long-term data on key pollutants will assist local government as an input to future transport and housing planning as well as policy creation.
Annual Waste and Recycling Roadshow The Annual Waste and Recycling Roadshow for the St Botolph Building kicked off on 6 October and was well attended by members of the tenants’ catering, housekeeping and management teams. The purpose of this meeting was to raise waste/recycling awareness. A workshop was prepared for the atten- dees in relation to site waste procedures, our targets and “why we do, what we do”, helping the teams at the St Botolph Building to maintain and improve on our already award winning standards. The following day the East reception hosted a recycling and waste awareness day open to all St Botolph employees. Here information on site based waste stats and targets were displayed along with new waste initiatives to help reduce waste produced in the building. There was even a chance for one member of staff to win a “Roberts” solar powered DAB radio. The lucky person was Robert Colls of JLT. Mihaela Biclea from Incentive QAS won a Kindle e-reader.
Waste and Recycling Data (12 months to September 2016) In the 12 months to September 2016, the St Botolph Building has collected a total of 434 tonnes of waste, all of which was either recycled or used in energy recovery, with nothing going to landfill.
Recycled 88.8% % Sentto 434tonnes Energy Recovery Landfill 11.2% 0 10,000 AirSensa units across London and the rest of the UK will constantly measure atmospheric pollution levels to assist local government as an input for future transport and housing. (figures shown in the above image are for display purposes only) The Green Apple Awards The St Botolph Building has been successful in winning a Green Apple Award for 2016. The award ceremony will be hosted in Parliament, in the House of Commons later on in the month of November. The Green Apple Environments Awards was launched in 1994 and is held annually to reward, promote and recognise environmental best practice around the world.
Open House 2016 Saturday 17 September saw the St Botolph Building open its doors to the general public as part of the London wide 2016 Open House Event. This is the third year that the St Botolph building has participated and was just one of 750 buildings to take in this annual festival of architecture and design. The building was quoted to be “the first major office building in the UK to use TWIN lift technology with 16 lifts operating independently in eight shafts within the central atrium.” Halloween Charity Drive This year CBRE, Shelter and Lola’s Cupcakes have joined forces to collect money for the homeless charity. A charity raffle was held on 26 October with five prizes up for grabs.
The 1st Prize was a large Halloween themed hamper from Fortnum & Mason and was won by Bev Jackson of Clyde & Co.
Second prize was a medium sized Halloween hamper also from F&M and this was won by Maria Hogan of JLT.
Joint third Prize was Pippa Rudman of Lockton and David Granger of JLT. Each received a mini hamper from F&M.
Abby Collier of CBRE was drawn for the fourth prize of Jack-the- Ripper walking tour tickets.
In total £206.45 was raised for Shelter and the funds collected from the raffles and proceeds made by Lola’s Cupcakes will be used to help those less fortunate. Attention all cyclists Does your bicycle fit securely in your bicycle rack? Do you have to leave your bicycle out of the rack (against a wall etc.)? If you are having issues securing your bicycle to the rack, please contact your facilities department who’ll be able to assist in getting the rack modified to fit smaller bicycles securely.
Ultimate Bike Services Ultimate Bikes will be back on 7 December. They service your bike on site at work and charge less than the majority of bike shops, use specialist mechanics with years of experience and the service is extremely comprehensive.
What do they offer? • Full Strip down, clean and polish £130 • Two hour full service, complete clean & polish £65 (single speed £55) • Basic service £40 • Free safety checks/advise on how to best prep your bike • All work is guaranteed • You get a complimentary service report • We always get your authorisation before changing any parts
How does it work? • Simply drop your bike off with our mechanics when you arrive at work and they will service and clean it so it’s ready for you when you leave. • After the service, any problems, we’ll come back and sort them out for you.
How do I book? If you’d like to book a service, or would like more information please visit www.ultimatebikes.com, email [email protected] or call them on 0203 137 2423.
Dry Cleaning Service The dry cleaners are based on the ground floor behind the East reception desk. Please note that the opening times for the dry cleaners are Monday to Friday between 08:00 – 10:00 and 16:00 – 18:00.
You can reach the dry cleaning office on 0207 481 8595 or via email [email protected].
Children’s books and books for Oxfam The St Botolph Building is running an appeal to donate your old toys and children’s books from 28 September, leading up to Christmas. Donation points for children ‘s books are located in both the East and West reception areas with the toy donation point located adjacent to the East reception desk. All toys and books will be donated to OXFAM. The Book people have kindly donated 5 boxes of books for this cause St Botolph Building Events
21 Nov The Gift People www.thegiftpeople.co.uk
29 Nov Christmas Fete
3 Dec Christmas Trees and Décor to be installed
7 Dec Children’s Choir
7 Dec Ultimate Bikes www.ultimatebikes.com
22 Dec JLT Children’s Christmas Party
www.thebookpeople.co.uk www.giftpeople.co.uk www.ultimatebikes.com London Christmas Markets
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (Fri 18 Nov 2016 – Mon 2 Jan 2017, Hyde Park)
Entry to Winter Wonderland is free, and a wander past the fairground rides, around child-friendly Santa Land (including Santa's grotto) or through the Christmas markets is a real treat for anyone feeling the spirit of the season.
Other attractions at Hyde Park's annual sparkly Christmassy addition include two circuses – 'Zippos Christmas Circus' and 'Cirque Berserk'. Winter Wonderland's ice rink, the biggest outdoor rink in the UK, surrounds the Victorian bandstand and is illuminated with more than 100,000 lights. 2016 also sees a new family-friendly 'Sooty Christmas Show' with Sweep, Soo and TV's Richard Cadell all making appearances.
This year the Magical Ice Kingdom presents an 'Arctic Adventure' complete with icebergs, shipwreck and a polar bear palace. Along with the 60-metre observation wheel, rollercoasters and fairground rides will keep thrill seekers happy. A good alternative for those who prefer to stay on solid ground are the selection of themed bars with real fires, except for the Ice Bar (for obvious structural reasons) where even the glasses you drink from are made of ice.
Southbank Centre Winter Market (Fri 20 Nov – Thurs 24 Dec, Southbank)
Clustered along the riverbank, the market’s wooden chalets are filled with festive food, drinks, gifts and treats for the whole family. Enjoy mulled wine, quality edibles and handmade crafts while taking in the sights and sounds of London at Christmas time. The Winter Market forms only part of the larger winter festival at the Southbank. The Rekorderlig Winter Lodge will be back for 2016. Cosy up Scandi-style in this two-floor pop-up complete with fire pits and Swedish food as well as hot and cold cider cocktails.
Christmas in Leicester Square (Fri 11 Nov 2016 – Sun 8 Jan 2017, Leicester Square)
'The ‘square’ in Leicester Square will be home to a grotto, Traditional Christmas Market and a vintage Spiegeltent – a velvety, wooden venue home to a stocked programme of Christmas shows brought to you from the Underbelly team, including Ursula Martinez, The English Gents, Hamish McCann’s pole act, Denis Lock’s bubble act and the world famous La Soirée circus. Entry to Christmas in Leicester Square is free, but tickets must be bought for selected events, including Santa's Grotto and La Soirée Performances. Christmas in Leicester Square (Fri 11 Nov 2016 – Sun 8 Jan 2017, Leicester Square) 'The ‘square’ in Leicester Square will be home to a grotto, traditional Christ- mas Market and a vintage Spiegeltent – a velvety, wooden venue home to a stocked programme of Christmas shows brought to you from the Underbelly team, including Ursula Martinez, The English Gents, Hamish McCann’s pole act, Denis Lock’s bubble act and the world famous La Soirée circus. Entry to Christ- mas in Leicester Square is free, but tickets must be bought for selected events, including Santa's Grotto and La Soirée Performances.
Christmas at Kew (Wed 23 Nov 2016 – Mon 2 Jan 2017, Kew Gardens) Now in its fourth year, Kew’s new 2016 winter trail is inspired by the Gardens themselves all playfully lit and aglow.
Enter between two giant Christmas trees festooned with ribbon and wander beneath unique tree cano- pies drenched in seasonal colour. Follow the path between a carpet of light gently swaying like blos- som and stop for a moment of Reflection at the scented Fire Garden inspired by Five Gold Rings from The Twelve Days of Christmas. Continue to- wards the glittering trees dripping with giant crystals and gaze at colour changing reeds rising high into the night sky.
This year, framed by sparkling hedges, the Palm House Pond springs to life with brightly coloured laser beams, fans of light and flickering orbs that dance in time to music inspired by much-loved Christmas classics. For the younger ones, the playful atmosphere of white peaks will welcome you with a Victorian carousel, helter skelter and other family rides and don’t forget to look out for Santa and his elves at the North Pole village along the way.
Why not complete your Christmas treat under the stars with spiced cider, mulled wine or hot chocolate while the aroma o roasting chestnuts fills the air? Tickets are available from www.kew.org
Tate Modern Christmas Market (Sat 19 Nov – Fri 23 Dec 2016, Tate Modern, Southbank) Xmas Markets Ltd. will be returning to this great location for the third year in a row. There will be a layout change so that we can also accommodate a wonder- ful Victorian Carousel for the little ones and the grown up little ones or you can hop onto our little kiddy ride if the carousel is too daring for you. There will be lots of stalls with gift ideas and Christmas decoration, alongside a vast selection of Christmas foods and hot drinks to keep you warm while you shop for presents.
Skating with Somerset House and Fortnum & Mason (17 Nov 2016 – 15 Jan 2017, Somerset House) The icing on the ‘Christmas’ cake, you’ll find us skating here in Somerset house ice rink (voted as the best by Londoners). Why not come and join us at the Fortnum & Mason rink side pop-up shop and enjoy some tea and truffles, or champagne and smoked salmon blinis. Tickets are available from ticketmaster.co.uk or somersethouse.org.uk Festive Recipe
In Greece, Christmas is a very religious holiday. On the night of Christmas Eve, families go to midnight mass and hang sprigs of basil to keep away the evil spirits known as the Killantzaroi. It is also a day of great family celebration and togetherness.
This classic Greek dish takes on even more importance during the holiday season–a dish that incorporates the help of the whole family captures the spirit of the holidays in Greece. The sweet flavours matched with the crunch of the filo dough makes this a dessert right for any Christmas table
Baklava: Pistachio and Honey Slices Makes 8 small slices.
Filo Pastry 1 tbsp Butter 3 tbsp squeezable Honey 1/3 cup Pistachio Butter (or chopped Pistachios)
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Take a small baking dish, grease with butter and set aside. 3. Layer the baklava straight into the dish in the following order; Filo pastry (no need to cut to exactly fit just fold the edges over and tuck them in), brush with melted Butter, Filo, Butter, Filo, Squeeze Honey generously over, Filo, Nuts sprinkled over, Honey, Filo, Butter, Filo, Honey, Filo, Butter, Nuts, Honey, Filo, Butter, Filo, Butter, Honey etc. Continue until you run out of pastry or fill your dish, whichever comes first. 4. Baklava can be quite tricky to cut after baking so I pre-cut at this stage. 5. Bake for 15 minutes or until richly golden and crisp. 6. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and more honey over the top and eat hot. Festive Recipe This panforte recipe will take you back in time... Panforte is a spiced fruit and nut cake and one of the oldest sweets in Italy, dating back through the centuries to the introduction of new spices from afar, via the naval port of Pisa. Panforte is sticky but irresistible, and is normally eaten in winter, perhaps with coffee and liqueurs after a meal.
Panforte Makes 20 slices rice paper 200g candied peel 300g nuts (such as almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts) 75g plain flour 175g dried figs 2 good splashes of sherry or vin santo 6 tablespoons runny honey 150g golden caster sugar 1 teaspoon cardamom pod 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pinch of ground cloves 1 whole nutmeg, for grating Icing sugar
1. Line the base of a 22cm round tin or a 20cm square cake tine with rice paper. 2. Toast the nuts in a dry pan and add to a bowl. Chop and stir in the candied peel along with the flour. 3. Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas2. 4. Blitz the figs in a food processor, then transfer to a saucepan with a splash of the booze, the honey and the sugar. In a pestle and mortar, bash the cardamom pods, remove the seeds and crush, then add to the pan with the cinnamon, cloves and a good grating of nutmeg. 5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 -8 minutes, then pout onto the nut mixture. Mix well, adding a splash of alcohol if it’s very dry. 6. Spoon into the tin and bake for 30 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven and carefully press down a layer of rice paper on top. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool in the tin. 8. Thinly slice and dust with icing sugar, then serve with espresso, Promotional Card
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For more offers and services please visit www.stbotolph.co.uk REVOLUTION - AMERICA SQUARE
Set beneath the arches of Fenchurch Street Station, and a moment's walk from Tower Hill Station, Revolution America Square mixes opulent Manhattan design with a twist of Soviet spirit.
The stunning white marble Deli Bar welcomes you to the venue and the Vodka Studio offers the perfect backdrop for premium Tsarist Dining, a cocktail masterclass or meetings and conferences.
Specialising in vodka, food and partying, Revolution offers you a premium breakfast and lunch menu, a constantly evolving cocktail menu, premium spirits, wines and beer from around the world, as well as the best place to party in the square mile!
The popular cocktail masterclass is an expertly guided tour through the dazzling world of cocktails. You’ll learn. You’ll party. And you’ll never experience anything else like it.
Discover all the secrets to our expertly handcrafted cock- tails and learn about the premium spirits and fresh ingredi- ents we use to make them. But most importantly, let’s have a proper party. It starts as soon as you walk in the door, with some personalized Vodkaccinos served up by your dedicated cocktail-loving host. Then, get ready to learn all the tricks of the trade, from muddling and mixing to shaking and stirring as you get behind the bar to make a cocktail of your choice.
With the blue loyalty card shown on arrival, you can benefit from 50% off food every Monday, after work drinks package for £60 for 10 Bottles of Beer, 2 bottles of wine, 1 bowl of nachos, complimentary reserved area perfect for up to 10 people, complimentary invitation to their Friday Local Club.
Contact them on 0203 355 7500 or email bookings-americasq@revolution- bars.co.uk.