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Top story
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Bluecoat leads the way at architecture awards
The redevelopment of the Bluecoat was the biggest winner at last night's Liverpool Architectural Society Awards. The scheme, designed by BIQ Architecten with Austin Smith Lord and Donald Insall Associates, won the sport, leisure and cultural category and Building of the Year. The commercial section was won by Wilkinson Eyre for the Liver Street car park and footbridge. Dave King of ShedKM was presented with an award for lifetime contribution by Urban Splash chairman Tom Bloxham, who said: "Dave is an architect who thinks outside the box - he also doesn't know when to go home from a party."
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Today's news
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Shipping out
Liverpool law firm Shipley is looking to set up an office in Dubai after just three years of operation in the UK. The intellectual property (IP) and IT specialist, which employs nine people at Liverpool Science Park, believes that the Middle East will provide the firm with a massive opportunity for growth. Managing director Mark Shipley told Insider: "We think the future is IP and IT and where is that market growing faster than anywhere else? Dubai." The team is going on a UK trade mission to the United Arab Emirates in November to kick start proceedings. 
Merseytravel gears up
As the Liverpool-Kirkby Merseytram line moves back to the top of the city region's transport wish-list, transport body Merseytravel has invited bids for the maintenance contracts on the CCTV and public address systems on Merseyrail, a five-year contract worth £2.5m. Merseyrail is also looking for a commercial partner to manage the advertising spaces at its stations and on its trains.
Nikal lands Colgate site
Nikal, the developer backed by legendary Liverpudlian industrialist Alan Murphy, has acquired the Colgate buildings in Salford Quays along with its partners, Abstract and US private equity giant Carlyle. The buildings total around 500,000 sq ft on an 8.42-acre site and will be redeveloped in a £30m project. Nikal managing director Nick Payne said: "This is a hugely significant purchase; we can offer unique space with floorplates of 90,000 sq ft. Once upgraded, it will provide highly competitive accommodation in a market seeking quality and value."
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Something for the weekend
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Between a red and a cheese wedge
Well done to the team at Barnett Waddingham (BW) for winning the Grant Thornton Wine Challenge in Liverpool last night. With a fistful of stocks in one hand and a glass or three of Cabernet Sauvignon in the other, the boys from BW pushed Bank of Scotland into second place and Insider down amongst the also rans. To be fair, we put up a decent fight to win the much-coveted trophy but got distracted when the food arrived - journalists will do anything for a chunk of brie and a cracker.
By George
To St George's Hall for the Liverpool Architectural Society Awards 2008, where the great and good of the city's architectural community ditched the brown shoes and polo necks for an evening in black tie. A hefty sum was raised for the society's charity of choice by the auctioning off of a Ben Johnson print of Liverpool's cityscape, which went to Rob Monaghan for £3,010. And Tom Bloxham's efforts in helping out with the presentation weren't in vain as wife Jo scooped a raffle prize.
Deal of the week
Insider's been thinking a lot about the little guys recently - it's just as important that small businesses get funding to grow and stay afloat. The Dutch Bakery, based in Southport, received a £300,000 funding line this week to bring in new high-tech equipment to help its expansion plans. The funding package includes a £50,000 loan from Alliance Fund Managers through the Merseyside Special Investment Fund Small Firms Fund, together with support from Barclays.
Quote of the week
When capitalism is literally teetering on a knife-edge, who better to turn to for an injection of reality? Er, the Pope, of course. "Now with the collapse of big banks we see that money disappears, is nothing, and all these things that appear real are in fact of secondary importance," he said this week. Tony Wilson, chairman of Klarius Group, chose to put it slightly differently: "Perversely, all this could inject some reality into the banking sector."
Insider says...
Looking for something to read this afternoon? Look no further than Insider's new online columns dedicated to analysing the trends and events of the deals and property markets. This month Insider deputy editor Rupert Cornford examines the buying power of petrodollars
and the people with money to spend in the regional market for In Focus. And assistant editor Neil Tague take a closer look at the latest news and views on both sides of the Transport Innovation Fund argument in Tague on Tour.
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