Quote of the week from Ian Loveys from Santander

“It’s really difficult to know what Morgan is thinking, he’s got the same look whether he is hung over, grumpy or really thinking about a deal.”

Mark - 0933 - Friday - Cannes

For most people on Cannes Thursday is a long day. After two nights of drinking you are on the downhill stretch but not quite home.

We probably differed a bit as we had lined up a big day of meetings and saved some gas in the tank to be on good form.

So I kicked off at 09.30 and have had back to back meetings all day. I have been reminded that too much work makes you a dull boy! However, we totally believe that 2011 will present opportunities that Ellandi has to exploit, so we are happy to be focused for now.

I have met with all sorts of people today from Yorkshire surveyors to Scandinavian equity investors. Everyone had a different angle but the positive attitude is back across the board.

So from the Ellandi breakfast, through the Speechley Bircham lunch to tonight’s highly alternative property awards dinner there has been lots of good chat about ‘how we do business with Ellandi.’ Sun was shining and life is good. (An aside - the lovely Teresa Gilchrist probably the most sun burnt Brit in Cannes.)

I am delighted that we seem to have so much support and good will - we will now be putting this to the test and trying to convert it into real deals when we get back to London.

Amazingly the night finished again at Bar Roma with a few bottles of beer. Called it a day at 1am. God, I must be getting old and dull. By which time there was no sign of my old muckers Radkiewicz and Haines who are probably just warming up.

Don’t tell anyone I have become such a girl!

Morgan – 0121 – Friday - Cannes

Had problems with my phone last night so my blog that would have said “Dinner, red wine, heineken, Spurs, heineken, more heineken, Bar Roma - drunk, drunk, dunk, nk, bed, zzzz.”

Which is probably a good summary.

Morgan – 1350 – Thursday - Cannes

Caught up with my old friends from Essential Land late yesterday afternoon, I frankly haven’t laughed so much for years, top guys, but don’t ever ask Daryl flay to give you a reference.

I then gate-crashed the Savills party, given that we are developing Beckenham with them and we have bought over £20m from the in the last six months, one wonders what you have to do to make it onto the guest list!

Dinner was with Workmans, absolutely no business use what’s so ever, just very good company.

Second Ellandi breakfast shortly, let’s see if this lot are as reliable as yesterday, may need to buy some shades as the sun is out.

Tough life….

Mark – 0930 – Thursday - Cannes

Sun setting over Cannes. It’s a clear but cold evening, the Croisette is lit in neon and life is good.

This said there is distinctly a workish mood rather than the non-stop party of previous MIPIMs.

People seem to want to do business as well as party.

Although on the party front it appears that Andrew Radkiewicz of Pramerica is leading the charge with a 7.30 am finish last night.

Rumour has it that he missed his 8.00 am meeting?

He is due at the Ellandi breakfast tomorrow, there maybe a spare croissant….

Morgan – 1900 – Wednesday - The Croisette

Not surprisingly the talk of MIPIM is arrest of Robbie and Vincent. The highly unfortunate, in fact down right suspicious, timing of this has remarkably managed to unite the entire industry into feeling sorry for them, which is very odd indeed.

More scurrilous speculation is that perhaps another flamboyant pair of brothers who lost Kaupthing a load of money might soon also be feeling the touch of the long arm of the law….

Mark – 1805 – Wednesday - Cannes

Apparently you come to Cannes for the Sun and the Shopping.

Well I have been shopping! Now the proud owner of a pair of new black shoes and belt. It is not cheap in Cannes but I am looking good, at least on my feet…

This has been confirmed to me by the style gurus that are Leigh Pearl and Stuart Russell of Fairacre Fashion.

Off to test the shoes at lunch with DTZ.

How long till the blisters appear?

Morgan – 1300 – Wednesday - Rue D’Antibes

The inaugural Ellandi MIPIM event was a roaring success, save that the restaurant forgot our reservation.

Amazingly everyone turned up so credit to Adam Jaffe, John wright, Nick Hill, James Spencer-Jones and Philip Jeffcock.

John wright, who is an architect, initially felt very much at home with all the talk of high finance, until he realised that it was a different type of mezzanine that was under discussion. Thankfully the restaurant had some crayons to keep him amused with.

Off for lunch with lawyers, love them or hate them, you don’t get fed at MIPIM without them.

Don’t know if Morgan’s meeting with big Vince is still on though!

Mark – 1230 - Wednesday - Cannes

As always kicked off MIPIM proper with Edward Symmons’ dinner. As always very good company and very worthwhile.

I was actually sat next to two bankers who are willing to lend from banks I’d never before heard of, or it would appear has Willie Newsom. Excuse me if I don’t share with you their details, but knowledge like that really is power in the current market!

I also may have met a distant relative; there can’t be many people from the North East who share my mother’s maiden name Blinkensop.

Was very early to bed, pre midnight, due to another cock up by the estate agent. I decided to pop back to the very convenient flat we always rent to drop something off at 11, but the key pad appeared not to work. Thinking you are potentially locked out is a very sobering experience and as a passing Pete Mather will testify I was using the right code and it wasn’t because I was “over relaxed”.

Thankfully a very dull German banker in the block came back with key pre midnight so I could get into the building, but couldn’t leave again. Turns out the code on the key fob is wrong.

So upshot is I’m feeling quite sprightly, which is just as well given that we are hosting our first ever MIPIM event at breakfast, Villa Poseidon it ain’t so I’ll be intrigued to see how many drag themselves out of bed for a free croissant.

Clearly my chat will be that I got in at 4, I wouldn’t want people thinking I’m going soft……

Mark - 0930 - Wednesday - Cannes

Up early as need to do some real work on a property we are trying to buy.

The streets are deserted, very much a morning after the night before feel to them. However, I set off in search of an Internet cafe.

I have used all my best school boy French and amazingly made myself understood. I have now found three cyber cafes, as the locals seem to call them. Unfortunately not one of them opens till 9…..

Guess you are simply not supposed to work in Cannes? Or is it the 35 hour week?

Morgan – 0830 - Wednesday - On a corner in Cannes outside a closed cyber cafe