I made this!

well not entirely on my own, and it may depend on your definition of made, but I like to think I played a part in its existence.

Its not always easy to explain what I do - I'm a surveyor (we all understand that surely?) - to be precise I'm a Quantity Surveyor (this where you start to lose people) The best definition I ever came up with was a cross between an accountant and a lawyer, but specifically for the construction industry. I worked with a girl who was so fed up trying to explain what she did that she she had a complex cover story - she was a Biscuit Designer - all fine until she met a Nuclear Physicist at a dinner party and thought he had a cover story too!

So my part in making this? being able to interpret the architects drawings, to calculate how much it would cost, to offer alternate solutions that offer better value, to tender the project and to help ensure the contract was robust and reflected correctly what my client needed to be built.

I never lifted a block, or dug a hole (I did sit in lots of meetings and drank lots of tea) but I still feel proud that without my (AND the rest of the consultants and client) this building may not exist.

It was over a year ago that I last visited site, as I haven't been involved in this part of the process, its looking good and now I look forward to its imminent completion.

If you look closely that's the back of my ginger head in the bottom corner (just to prove I was there!)