February 22nd, 2010
So busy was it at last week’s Chapel Bar extravaganza that even the dance floor was full! Fortunately I was far too busy making sure people had a tip top time to bust a move myself. Fortunate, both for myself and whatever reputation I still cling onto, and fortunate for our SpeedFlatmaters that no-one had to see my amusing yet slightly sad display of dad-dance. Well done to those who did have a wiggle though!
It’s true that we did have way more seekers than room offerers, however as we’ve been pushing our Buddy Up idea recently, it seems that a good many room seekers look at this as just another option SpeedFlatmating provides them, as opposed to a second best solution, and to be perfectly frank - it is!! If you gather together enough like-minded people you could even end up with a lower overall rental amount and end up saving yourself a bit of cash, and there are plenty of suitable properties out there.
Posted in Islington · No Comments »
February 18th, 2010
Everyone wanted food last night. Made me feel rather hungry myself, I tell you! Obviously I held myself back, fearful that a gobfull of chips and mayo may affect my ability to properly manage the event for the people - how selfless is that?? We had a total of 66 attending last night, which ain’t bad. There were, in accordance with the way ‘things seem to be going’ (this is as much a prediction of the rental market as you’ll ever get from me!!), a few more room-havers than seekers, but that’s no bad thing - everyone seemed to be extremely happy with the proportions of seekers to havers. We even had a few people advertising studio flats at fairly attractive rates too, if that’s your bag.
One thing that was rather evident last night - the necessity at our events to ‘get in there’! It might sound a bit daft and obvious, but if you hang around at the back, or on the sidelines, inevitably the event won’t afford you as many chances to meet potential flatmates as if you neck your drink (if you happen to be using alcohol as a social lubricant) and just steam on in there. I know - it sounds quite daunting, but the really heartwarming thing about our events is just how bloody well people get on when thrown into this kind of social situation. Once you get in past the midriff, the water is actually warm! To use an inappropriate, misleading and actually off-putting not encouraging simile.
Posted in Clapham, Event Tips · No Comments »
February 11th, 2010
Once again, Sway Bar rocked the party last night….. The one thing I do need to apologise for is the quality of our marker pens - a subject which drew many a complaint! Needless to say, the pen monitor has been roundly admonished and asked in no uncertain terms to leave the office empty-handed apart from his P45. The office cat will do his job until we find a proper replacement. We are also sourcing new marker pens, and hope to bring you scintillating updates on the progress of our country-wide quest.
Once attendees had managed to scribe legible name stickers, there were no problems. The whirl of sociable-ness started before seven o’clock, and continued way past the designated finish time of 9 o’clock. Who are we to deny our guests an excuse for a mid-week drink! A few familiar faces last night, which doesn’t mean that they were unsuccessful at loads of other events, oh no! A couple of guys came back to use SpeedFlatmating to fill their spare room for the THIRD successive time, no less - they wouldn’t do it any other way, they assured me!
Having been somewhat technologically illiterate with regards my complicated new camera for some months now, I have finally managed to get it to take actual images. These images, basically pictures of people having fun at our events, will be posted to the blog as soon as I work out which of the complicated little buttons on my keyboard makes this happen.
Posted in General Blather, Zones 1 & 2 · No Comments »
February 10th, 2010
I could have sworn I saw John Terry driving away from Stamford Bridge last night. If it wasn’t him, he’s got a doppleganger around - maybe that’s the explanation for all the current hoo-ha? Maybe it wasn’t him after all??? Somebody better tell Max Clifford quick-smart.
Anyway - there was an event on last night too, and it seems that we may be seeing a trend here - more and more rooms available coming on to the market, and therefore more rooms available at SpeedFlatmating. Traditionally, the North of the River events (Fulham/Putney and Angel/Islington) have seen less rooms available than, say, our Clapham and Zones 1&2 events. As I mentioned in the previous post, this is easily explained by the respective local housing markets - North London sees a higher turnover of property than the South. Last night at SoBar, and the previous couple of Chapel Bar events have bucked this apparent trend, however, with more and more rooms available turning up. This is great news for all involved, as it means that room-seekers have more choice, and given more choice, more will be attracted to the events - making them in turn more attractive again for room-offrerers who are now twice as likely to turn up to an event, which means that room seekers now attend etc… etc… etc…
It’s with this simple business model in mind that we’ve booked out Wembley Stadium for a few weeks in August and expect a full house every night. Robbie Williams and Cheryl Cole will compère the events and if they ask nicely I may get up and sing for the masses. After this I will take over THE WORLD!!!! retire.
Maybe.
Tags: doppleganger, John Terry, North London, room seekers, rooms available, South London, SpareRoom, SpeedFlatmating
Posted in Fulham/Putney, General Blather · No Comments »
February 9th, 2010
Good God it was bitterly cold!! Fortunately, this was outside of Chapel Bar only - inside the warm glow of humanity lit the room all evening. Ok, they also had the heating on too, which may have had something to do with it!! A good fifty people turned out for the event, which is a great number for Chapel Bar - nice and busy, but not too busy that you can’t move. Plenty of seating too. As is the norm in N1, there were a few more seekers than room offerers, but this just reflects the higher turnover in property in this area compared to our other events, which is where our Buddy Up system really comes into it’s own - SpeedFlatmating isn’t just great for finding one room in a houseshare - if you’re starting one up it’s just as good for filling the house full of lovely people you actually want to live with!
There were a couple of nice stories from the night, in particular one group doing exactly as described above, setting up a new flatshare and looking for suitable sharers. This group left with rather more contacts than they had anticipated, and may now, as I write, be setting up a world-record largest flatshare ever if they liked even just half of their candidates! The only problem is finding a mansion large enough to accomodate them.
Tags: Buddy-Up, SpareRoom, SpeedFlatmating
Posted in Event Tips, Islington · No Comments »
February 4th, 2010
Jeepers Creepers Kids!!! What a great event last night was - such a happy cheery bunch of nice people, and not a bad apple among them! At least three people came up to me after the event was done and dusted to ask if it would be ok to come to the next one, as they’re new in town and found SpeedFlatmating was not only great for finding a place (and they had plenty to go and view between them) but from a social point of view it’s also fantastic to meet likeminded types. My answer to them? Of Course!! The secret to our success is a nice happy vibe, and that needs nice happy people. I’ve lost count of the times people turn up all dishevelled and demoralised by having one of ‘those’ days at work, possibly followed by a packed tube journey to come to our event, looking like they would just rather be on the sofa. Add ten minutes of SpeedFlatmating and BINGO! Sparkling eyes, big smiles, energy levels increased and having a great time.
SpeedFlatmating is officially good for the soul!
Posted in Clapham · No Comments »
February 4th, 2010
Damned fine event, this one… Between 130 and 140 were there to witness the unrivalled brilliance of our event! Not that I’m one to blow our own collective trumpets, but our events just seem to keep on getting bigger and better! Obviously the word is out on the street now. We also seem to have arrived at a point where the majority of events are attended by just the right proportions of seekers and room-offerers, meaning that no-one should leave empty handed so to speak. We had a lot of great feedback about one thing in particular from last weeks event. Booze prices! Sway were doing some kind of January Sale on all drinks (and food, for the peckish!) which obviously fueled the social aspect of the evening and removed any inhibitions there may have been - fortunately not to the point of people stripping off and go-go dancing, but we’re getting there. Good news now that the January sales are over, is that the venue has a happy hour until eight o clock during the week - 50% off all drinks again! Whoo!!
Speed Flatmating encourages responsible drinking 
Posted in Zones 1 & 2 · No Comments »
January 27th, 2010
The blog is back for the New Year…. It had taken a bit of time off over the holiday period to re-assess things, you know - make a new start and all. And here it is now, in full resplendant glory like a peacock amongst chickens.
Which, funnily enough is how I think about SpeedFlatmating and SpareRoom compared to our diminutive competitors! Last night was a nice cosy little affair, with around 35 of you braving the extreme cold to warm up in SoBar - not a bad attendance considering it was also Australia Day. Apparently it’s de rigeur to drink a little on Australia Day if you’re of similarly antipodean persuasion! On chatting to people at the end of the event it seems that, despite there being around 3 seekers to each room available, everyone was leaving happy and with several viewings to go to - some straight from the event! Even the person who came down with a room in Dulwich nabbed a viewing!
Just goes to show, like the National Lottery, only with considerably more favourable odds, you’ve got to be In It, To Win It!!
And now I’ve managed to shoe in a soundbite - I’m done. Over 350 booked for tonight at Sway Bar - it’s gonna be massive, innit.
Tags: Australia Day, chickens, Dulwich, Fulham, peacock, SoBar, SpeedFlatmating, Sway Bar
Posted in Fulham/Putney · No Comments »
November 4th, 2009
We were sharing space last night with a childrens book launch, not that that was a problem - there was an invisible demarcation between our SpeedFlatmaters and the literati/meeedja types in the other room. Good job too - it could easily have gotten all confused. Great book though - I snaffled a copy and read it before bed - who ever knew there were actually 26 letters in the alphabet? There is allegedly a letter called ‘t’ that you are supposed to pronounce all of the time, but I’m from Manchester so it only ever really gets an airing if it’s in the middle of a word, sometimes not even then. I much prefer the glottle stop.
SoBar was rather full, what with our 50+ (in number, not age) and their 50+ (age and number) the noise levels were nice and high, though not too high one required earplugs. The reason earplugs WERE required was the choice of music. I counted at least 3 airings of Club Tropicana, with various other eighties disasters thrown in for good measure - what’s going on there? I’m going to bring my own CD’s down next time. How people will love the industrial charm of Einstürzende Neubauten, some twinkly Throbbing Gristle and several covers I have of Cage’s 4′33″. Fun, fun, fun.
Which is what last night was! Good laugh, really - I think the festive spirit is about early this year, or maybe it’s just the joy of getting in from the freezing cold outside? Whatever it is, was a convivial atmosphere all evening, and long after the 9pm finish for those of us that stayed! No real tips to supply from last night, but I am very happy to report that several attendees were very very nice and thanked me for the evening - and to them (and indeed to you all) I say you are most welcome - it’s really a very nice thing to be able to preside over evenings where the main thrust is facilitating positive inter-human relationships, or as the less pretentious amongst us would say - putting people in touch with each other!!
We’ve our biggie event tonight at Jewel Bar on Piccadilly Circus and it’s all set up to be a great one. We’re even being filmed again! This time it’s for a pilot for a series on one of those channels we used to call satellite channels back in the day, the difference is that now lots of people actually watch these channels!! So. I’m off for a bit of botox…..
Oh yeah, and a quick hello to Lulu - you did promise you’d read!!
Tags: flatmate, flatshare, Fulham, Jewel Bar, letting, Putney, rent, speed flatmating, stuff, tv crew
Posted in Event Tips, Fulham/Putney · 1 Comment »
November 3rd, 2009
I did a bit of research into this lovely little phrase just now. Well, this means I googled it and read the highest couple of results. To be honest I was hoping for some deep insight into the metaphysics of cat-skinning - possibly existential cat skinning theory, you know like are we really skinning a cat, or are we merely skinning ourselves vicariously? A modern day confessional for the secular world? A karmic soul cleansing? Nope, that’s just me talking crap - it’s really a phrase about skinning cats, funnily enough. The nanny state won’t let us do this kind of thing any more and apparently (no-one told the local nutter where I grew up) it’s not even socially acceptable, despite the existence of things like the X-Factor, Strictly etc proving that torture has just moved on in format since the 17th Century when the phrase is first recorded. What a bunch of hypocrites we are eh? Not that I’m endorsing flaying the fur from felines, but I for one would like more consistency.
Hmmn. There’s me banging on about consistency when nothing of the sort is evident in my own witterings of late - I mean, Christ on a bike, WTF have cats got to do with what I’m supposed to be writing about? Well, not much really although I did once see a black cat cross my path on the way to an event. And a ginger one called Orlando who lives down my road and is a bit moody. He’s pretty scary too - one of these cats with some kind of an ESP thing going, he is always waiting threateningly when I put the recycling out of a Thursday.
So, however tenuous it may be, here follows an absolutely pathetic and embarrassingly contrived attempt to link the above to my ‘job’ and the multifarious benefits of attending a SpeedFlatmating event:
The number of room-offerers attending our Fulham/Putney and Islington events is dropping a little, however the number of seekers is either static, or increasing depending on the location of the event. This means that the supposed traditional approach to the event is less likely to end in a happy result for some, however THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT!! The events are about meeting people, not just room offerers with single rooms you can move into - they are also about meeting other like-minded wannabe flatsharers. If you meet enough, you could end up filling a whole mansion house, thereby significantly reducing the monthly rental amount per person. Or you may meet just the one person you think - ‘yeah, they’re great’ and find a nice two bed flat together from a friendly local agent - the savings won’t be as much, but you’ll still end up with what you wanted, a great flatmate.
After that shoe-in, I feel dirty and need a good bath with carbolic soap and a wire brush.
Posted in Event Tips, General Blather · No Comments »