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Daily Post March 21, 2007
My Working Day: Andrew Binstock
ANDREW BINSTOCK is London-based but regularly travels to Liverpool to conduct property auctions for Kersh. He is also involved in a venture with Kersh to set up similar auctions in London. This was his day on Thursday, February 22.
6am:
I've always been early to rise. Work is never far from my mind - in that sense, I suppose I'm like most people reading this column.
6.30am
I sift through Sky news pages via the internet in our hotel room (following an overnight stay) and have a hearty bowl of porridge that I find really sustaining.
7am
I'm shaved, suited and booted and have left for the train back to Liverpool on my own. Oh, the joy of London first thing in the morning!
8am
I'm on the train, which I have to say is an excellent service. I regularly use it for business and it never lets me down. As it approaches Runcorn, I get tense about the auction as I like to perform well.
10.30am
I walk into the Marriott Hotel in Queen Square, with the scene set for Sutton Kersh's first auction of the year. At first glance I set eyes on the man who put the Kersh in Sutton Kersh, Stuart, who formed the flourishing high street agency back in the late '60s.
11.45am
I've spent the last hour or so speaking at length with James Kersh, Stuart's son, my business partner. Naturally, we've been working closely on the auction lots, well, for the last three months, but we always have a briefing session beforehand.
There are so many people involved and for any auction we will have up to 20 staff.
Noon
The bidding is about to begin and the room is buzzing. It's a big venue and that's on purpose because, after a head count, we've got nearly 750 people in the room.
2pm
I've just taken a look at my watch for the first time since I began and I can't believe that two hours have passed. It's not that I'm thinking of lunch, far from it. More to the point, we're only on Lot 33.
3.30pm
My breakfast is beginning to wear off and we're approaching three-quarters of the way through the lots. There's only been a few properties that haven't reached their reserve price and I've got a hunch that we're going to get into the nineties for a percentage sold figure today.
5pm
There are just two lots left and this really has been a marathon auction - and very successful to boot. I wonder, as I move towards bringing the gavel down for the last time today, whether I will be as successful in getting my 5.15pm train back to London for an appointment tomorrow.
5.10pm
While the gavel has been slow to fall on the rostrum this afternoon, my feet are like lightning as I make haste and apologies to the team for not saying goodbye properly - I don't want to miss my train.
6pm
James Kersh awakes me from my power nap to tell me that we've achieved 90% sold. I share a moment of celebration with him before subsiding back into my slumber after biting a sandwich I've just bought and slurping loudly on a cup of tea.
7.30pm
"The train is now approaching Euston" is the next thing I hear. I drag myself from the train to a taxi signalling that my lovely wife, our baby of 20 weeks, plus a good night's sleep, is not far away.
8pm
I have a light dinner because I probably couldn't digest anything else and whisper about the day to my wife, while we both look longingly at our child who is sleeping blissfully.
9.30pm
I'm out for the count. This bed has been calling me since I got on the train. I love my job, but I love my bed just as much at this moment in time.
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