Diary: slow news seeks old Sunday, Virgin takes place of CBS, and changes of senior executives at business group

Fitzrovia-based Tortoise Media announced in September that it wants to buy Sunday newspaper the Observer, which is owned by the company that publishes the Guardian. This has led to a crisis at the two long-running newspapers where staff have threatened strike action over the plan. In a Prospect magazine podcast this month, former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger and former FT editor Lionel Barber speak with James Harding, Tortoise’s founder. They later speak with Carole Cadwalladr, an Observer journalist who is highly critical of the sale.

Richard Branson was in Charlotte Street earlier this month to cut the red ribbon at the opening of Virgin Group’s new London headquarters at Whitfield Studios. The site was originally built as recording studios for CBS in 1972. The Clash recorded their first album there. It was later the Hit Factory and a number of other studios in its time before it closed as a recording studio sometime in the early 2000s.

Big changes at the Fitzrovia Partnership over the past few months. At the end of the summer Dr Julie Grail was appointed as interim chief executive to knock things into shape at the business improvement district. Then, at the end of October, rumours started to spread that a senior executive was departing. Sure enough, in early November, chair of the board David Whittleton sent an email to its members to say that Lee Lyons, their chief operating officer who had been with them for 15 years, was going. “There are changes needed for The Partnership’s continued success and we have reached a mutual agreement for Lee’s departure, which takes place with immediate effect,” wrote Whittleton. In a post on LinkedIn, Lyons said he was “looking forward to some well-earned rest, relaxing on a beach with a good book and a cocktail in hand”. Who’s next out the door, I wonder?

Reza and Mohammed Malekzadeh, owners of plant-based eatery Kin Cafe in Foley Street, have expanded into the premises next door on the corner with Hanson Street, previously occupied by Cin Cin restaurant. They also run two other eateries under the Narroon name in Great Titchfield Street.

A slimline building at 52 Tottenham Street was sold for £1.73mn at auction. The freehold, four-storey building has planning permission for demolition and construction to create an 11-storey new building.

AEW Europe has bought a 1,921 square metre office building at 95 New Cavendish Street on behalf of an unnamed German investor for £22mn. The building has planning permission for refurbishment and extension and the work is due to start in 2025 once the current occupiers have moved out.

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