This week's headlines across the economic, political and sporting spheres included The Bank of England keeping interest rates at 0.1% (but warning that inflation will likely rise to 3.0% later this year); Angela Merkel demanding that EU countries introduce mandatory quarantine for Brits travelling abroad and the British & Irish Lions finally taking to the field against Japan at BT Murrayfield yesterday afternoon... not to mention the Euros. Here are five questions to get you thinking this Sunday morning. Good luck!
Questions:
1. After a two-year hiatus, the Wimbledon Championships return tomorrow. Over 500,000 people passed through the gates across the thirteen days of play in 2019. Due to social distancing and reduced capacities, this number is expected to be considerably lower this year, with spectators unlikely to eat as many as the 191,930 portions of strawberries & cream devoured two years' ago. Although the caterers will be quieter this year, one team that won’t have any spare time is the Championship's racket stringing team, who will restring over 2,000 rackets during the duration of the tournament. What distance of racket string will they use during the Wimbledon fortnight?
2. The Weekly tuned into the Leeds Property Forum webinar this week to hear from Andrew Gent of Gent Visik and Andrew Jones of London Metric on the topic of ‘Shopping from the Shed, the rise of Industrial.’ Three of the following four facts taken from the webinar are true and one is false. Can you tell which one is incorrect?
A. Availability for UK Grade A standing industrial stock over 100,000 sq. ft. is currently 3.7%.
B. UK warehouse space specifically used by online retailers totalled 8 million sq. ft. in 2016. Today it totals 60 million sq. ft.
C. There are currently five industrial units over 100,000 sq. ft. available to let in Yorkshire.
D. A London Metric-owned industrial unit in Croydon has seen an 85% rental increase over the last five years.
3. It was announced on Thursday that the Crown Estate’s London portfolio fell in value from £8.4bn to £7.7bn as their Q1 2021 results were announced, mainly due to the struggling retail allocations within the portfolio, with void rates rising from 4.7% to 8.2%. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, as the total value of the Crown Estate’s assets rose 7.5% over the year to £14.4bn, largely due to the soaring value of their offshore wind projects. The Crown Estate now earns £110,000 per megawatt per year, compared with £20,000 per megawatt per year back in 2010. In 2010, offshore wind turbines had an average capacity of 3 megawatts each and measured 90 metres in height. What is the current megawatt capacity and height of an offshore wind turbine in 2021?
4. Luxury confectioner Hotel Chocolat completed a deal this week to purchase cosmetics business Rabot 1745 (who specialise in ‘cacao-powered beauty.’) The struggling company lost £400,000 last year but Hotel Chocolat are convinced they can turn them around. What was the agreed sale/purchase price?
5. The world’s best 'Dad joke' was announced this week, with thousands of entries all judged by stand-up comedian, Mark Watson. The winner was father-of-two, Austin May, from Bedworth, Warwickshire. Which of the below three jokes was announced as the ‘funniest’?
A. I once hired a limo but when it arrived, the guy driving it walked off! I said "Excuse me? Are you not going to drive me?" The guy told me that the price didn't include a driver…… so I'd spent £400 on a limo and have nothing to chauffeur it!
B. Why did the man fall down the well? Because he didn't see that well!
C. What did the father buffalo say to his son when he left for work? Bison!
Enjoy your Sunday.
The Weekly
Answers:
Photograph caption. Sir Jonathan Pryce, who was knighted in the latest Queen’s Honours.
40 miles of string.
C. There are no 100,000 sq. ft. sheds available to let in Yorkshire.
12 megawatts and 220 metres high.
£4 (less than their cheapest box of chocolates!).
A (apparently).