The purple patch
Finally, finally, finally, word comes to Bitch that the infamous Mindshare bar opened its doors this week, to the relief of many of the staff (some of whom Bitch hears were getting increasingly thirsty). Based in its new offices at Central St. Giles, the design of the bar was overseen by Mindshare COO Mark Creighton, who insisted on keeping one particular feature.
Apparently, the original plans included the blocking out of the London Eye through one of the bar’s windows, something that Creighton immediately reversed saving the view. If some of the staff will be seeing two London Eyes after a particularly heavy night in the bar, Bitch thinks the shrewd Creighton got his money’s worth.
The new bar includes the much anticipated roof terrace, which most of the "purple people" (the nickname for Mindshare staff) have been gagging for for years and Bitch is sure that if the weather holds, it will be one of the hotspots of the Summer - its very own purple patch.
Sexual chocolate
This weeks PPA conference was lauded as an informative affair by the magazine industry, but that's not what Bitch found most interesting about the event, held at the Park Plaza on Westminster Bridge.
Not only did she get the chance to stalk 80s heart-throb Feargal Sharkey, who had a number one with 'A Good Heart’ (and no, before you ask, he wasn’t "hard to find"), but was witness to a masterclass in racy chat from her favourite girl, Future Publishing CEO Stevie Spring.
As part of a panel, which included IPC Media CEO Sylvia Auton, Kevin Costello, CEO of Haymarket Media Group, Paul Keenan, CEO of Bauer Media, and Peter Phippen, MD of BBC Magazines, Stevie not only jokingly told Peter that she’d like to sleep with him but that the only thing that that kept her awake at night was "sex and chocolate", a girl after Bitch's own heart...
This, along with Keenan revealing he is colourblind, made for a revealing last session. Explains some of the more lurid FHM front covers then, Bitch thinks.
Ocean colour been (and gone)
Twenty years of Sky Sports is more than enough for Bitch, but she'd like to congratulate the channel anyway. It's also something that Absolute Radio succeeded in doing recently as the station's veteran presenter and Rock ‘n’ Roll football host Russ Williams and Sky Sport's not- so-veteran sports girl Helen Chamberlain teamed up for a special live broadcast celebrating the event.
Bitch is sure the event caused a few Champagne corks to be popped (even at that time of the morning), but is less sure about the "entertainment". Can 90s indie also-rans Ocean Colour Scene really be described as "special guests"? Still, it was probably a break from their endless "final" reunion tours.
Well, that’s if the band had actually turned up. Bitch has been told by sources that the indie has beens even pulled out at the last minute, for the show to be saved by the much more trendy (and attractive) Guillemots, who did an acoustic set. Well done to Fyfe Dangerfield and the boys!
Rock 'n' Roll research
Word comes to Bitch this week that someone in media has celebrated a milestone this week, none other than MEC's top research geek (in a nice way) David Fletcher, who has reached the 25- year milestone of working for the agency.
The head honcho at MEC's Analytics and Insight offering apparently celebrated in style at Jamie Oliver's charity-funding restaurant Fifteen followed by a few sedate drinks in a nearby pub afterwards. And who said research isn't rock'n'roll?
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