Lehman Brothers filed fo r bankruptcy and the run on Northern Rock started in September 2007. I joined the relatively new Leeds office of Drivers Jonas (DJ) not long afterwards with a brief to grow the residential business, but within what seemed like no time at all there was no residential business to be had. Credit had been crunched. 2008 was not a pleasant time. I remember the other Associates jostling to position themselves as specialists in whatever fields there were still fees to be had in. Somebody pitched themselves as a health sector specialist. Somebody else pitched themselves as an education sector specialist. I had dipped into PPG15 a couple of times, but was by no means a heritage specialist. Nevertheless when the sector lead needed somebody to speak at a conference in Liverpool my hand was the first to go up. I recall chatting with the other speakers before it kicked off and the conversation was dominated by the economic outlook. An older chap sought to console the you...
Hello. My name is Sam, I am a Town Planner and I sometimes write about town planning-related things (in my own time and as an expression of my own opinions). I used to podcast, there is a link to that on this page somewhere, and I circulate a newsletter from time to time. There is a link to that somewhere as well. Should you be so inclined, I am on Bluesky (@samuelstafford.bsky.social) and Instagram (@samuel__stafford).