Hello.
One of the most flummoxing buildings I have ever seen was in Aberdeen, and not just because it wasn’t made of granite.
You can see it from different angles here, here and here.
Aberdeen can prove either an architectural feast for the senses (nightmare) or an architectural feast for the senses (intriguing) depending on how you view such things.
If you have never been, you will underestimate the amount of granite. I have never been to another city where a single building material dominates a place like granite does in Aberdeen. Everything from one bed tenements, to five bedroom mansions, Kings College, to the primary shopping street – they are all made entirely of granite.
Everyone hears this, nods their head and goes: “Yeah, the Granite City and all that” but you have not truly experienced grey until you step off the train. Granite’s radioactive you know, though most of the hazardous stuff is stored in the bedrock.
Other than granite, Aberdeen has some pretty majestic acts of brutalism. Here is the Zoology building, also used as a filming location for Soviet Russia in the Tetris film. The MacRobert building, where I witnessed many lectures. Seamount Court combines granite and brutalism and has horrified many people by being a listed building.
I am quite fond of all these buildings. I have passed by them millions of times. Sometimes you have more intimate relationships with them, others just happen to form part of the place.
I also have passed by Union Corner building at Glasgow Central many times, at one point close to every day. Glasgow as a city is very underrated architecturally in my opinion. Here is the West Brewery in Bridgeton, Rennie McIntosh designed the lighthouse in the city centre and the Caledonia Road Church in the Southside.
But whether or not a building is architecturally recognised as ‘good’, I think what horrified people about the fire in the Union Corner building was so many people had, in their own ways, a relationship with it.
Glasgow Central is the busiest train station in Scotland and my parents are among the many couples that have met “underneath the clock” for first dates. The building probably played two roles quite well in the sense that it was naturally quite attractive and played a backdrop to many people’s lives, possibly more than people realised.
It is really dispiriting seeing it look like a bombsite, which gives you an appreciation for what it must have been like to see such sights all the time during the Blitz, or in other parts of the world currently which don’t benefit from the security that we do.
It is an important notion for city planning, but just generally to try and appreciate the things that quietly make up the place where we are.
The news:
LANG CAT & CLIENT MENTIONS
CGT tax changes force advisers to rethink planning strategies
Our research as well as research from FSL mentioned in this one.
Source: Professional Adviser
IWD: Grasp every moment – there’s plenty of time to be dead
Sophie Hall of Wealthtime talks about her career for International Women’s Day.
Source: Money Marketing
Aberdeen’s Kenny on ‘hugely worrying’ financial literacy gender gap
Verona Kenny’s concerns come as recent research commissioned by Aberdeen found a disparity in “net good” financial literacy scores between men and women who do not use a financial adviser.
Source: Professional Adviser
ADVISERS
‘Honesty gap’ emerges between advisers and clients
Over a third of people who withheld information from their adviser went on to ignore financial advice according to a report commissioned by Scottish Widows.
Source: FT Adviser
‘Strategic partnerships’: The side of the deal that never gets mentioned
There are so many things in a deal that get mentioned in day-to-day conversation it’s understandable some things get missed.
Source: Citywire NMA
Hayley Rabbets: ‘I’ve seen business owners cry over LinkedIn bragging’
I think bragging over the size of your AUM is very small AUM energy.
Source: Citywire NMA
PLATFORMS
Hargreaves Lansdown delays fees increase for ‘targeted’ customers – Investors’ Chronicle
Rowing back of some price increases for high-net-worth or ‘loyal’ customers.
Source: Investors’ Chronicle
Standard Life CEO Briggs: ‘We’re having a look’ at Aegon
Scottish financial services company goes on the hunt. They do get hungry.
Source: Citywire NMA
INVESTING AND WEALTH MANAGERS
Goldman pitches hedge funds on strategies to bet against corporate loans
Oh, we’re at that stage of the cycle are we?
Source: FT
Why this veteran manager is investing like it’s 2010
I read this to the tune of Prince’s 1999.
Source: Portfolio Adviser
Why the ESG investment industry has the acronym backwards
E and S get more attention but G is the critical factor, argues Stuart Widdowson of Odyssean Investment Trust.
Source: Professional Adviser
REGULATION & POLICY
Panacea Adviser and PensionLab join FT Adviser’s pension transfer campaign
FT Adviser is on the hunt for folk to join the campaign.
Source: FT Adviser
David Ogden: Model portfolios face a regulatory reckoning
Investing and regulation crossover episode. MPS in the spotlight with some considerations over how advisers document and justify outcomes.
Source: Money Marketing
FCA vows to finalise VFM framework this year
Source: FT Adviser
FCA prioritises targeted support to tackle pensions advice gap
Pensions and regulation crossover episode.
Source: Money Marketing
AI
Yann LeCun’s AI start-up raises more than $1bn in Europe’s largest seed round
The start-up will build on work by LeCun at Meta on new AI architecture.
Source: FT
Exclusive: Platforms ramp up AI investment, report finds
According to the Platforms Association.
Source: Money Marketing
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
Pension scam action group backs govt launch of fraud disruption unit
Source: FT Adviser
Gove: climate change is not pension industry’s responsibility
Bold words from a man I saw skulking down the lane of a pub so no one could get a picture of him smoking. His card declining was likewise hilarious.
Source: FT Adviser
Salary sacrifice still valuable despite potential changes in 2029
According to Simon Martin, technical development manager at Aviva.
Source: FT Adviser
Rachel Vahey: Advisers and clients still need clarity on NMPA increase
Rachel Vahey highlights some issues ahead.
Source: Professional Adviser
Data issues will challenge VFM reforms which aim to make provider comparison easier
Discussions happening at the Pensions UK conference in Edinburgh.
Source: FT Adviser
TRADE & ECONOMY
Is intergenerational inequality unfair?
This is a headline that could leave the lang cat’s Ian Anderson screaming NOOOOOOOOO or YESSSSSSS at the end of the article.
Source: FT
Treasury Committee launches inquiry into student loans
MPs have apparently become aware that it is pissing people off.
Source: Professional Adviser
British politicians have the wrong kind of money on the brain
“What the British public wants on banknotes they increasingly don’t use is not worth expending any emotional energy on”, writes Stephen Bush. “And yet both [including Mandelson’s severance] are taking up an outsized chunk of political argument in a week in which the price of oil has surged, nearly 500 mortgage products have been taken off the market and the chances of a prolonged war in Iran have increased. This is a reflection of a Westminster that struggles to talk seriously about most topics and in particular to talk frankly about the British economy.”
Source: FT
Revolut secures UK banking licence – Money Age
Called it.
Source: Money Age
CRAZY CAT STORIES
5 signs your cat is protecting you
My Lion brought the head of one of my enemies to me. Does anyone have any spikes?
Source: Parade Pets
OUTSIDE THE TRADE
How to wear a tie: HTSI’s definitive guide
Some seriously questionable acts of tie wearing here.
Source: FT
Sean McKinven is PR account executive at the lang cat
