Neil Sennett, Consultant, and founder of TMD celebrates 31 years at TMD

“The 1990’s began with a severe recession. The business market boom and growth bubble during the 1980’s burst and the large firm of office agents, investment, valuation and building surveyors, of which I was director of building surveying, went into receivership and suddenly I along with other team members in my department, Robert and Andrew, became unemployed
The three of us decided to start TMD Building Consultancy, persuading ‘old’ clients to stay with us and search for new contacts of our own. We bought second hand office equipment and set up our office in three rooms on the first floor of a vacant building in Denmark Street, known as Tin Pan Alley, above a guitar shop.

One of my clients owned most of the properties between Denmark Street and Center Point and wanted to redevelop the area and following a few pints, he agreed to allow us take the lease of the three rooms for £1000 per year, whilst he waited for planning approval to demolish and rebuild the area.
Apart from the building ‘shaking’ every so often when a customer of the guitar shop decided to show off their skills playing a few electric guitar ‘rifts’ of a Led Zeppelin classic, the first floor provided comfortable, although somewhat shabby accommodation for the first few years of our business.

Simon joined a few months after we started TMD, but as space was limited, he had to sit on a deck chair in the corridor and shift his legs out of the way each time someone wanted to visit the loo.
As the development site was half empty, we made use of an open yard behind Denmark Street, hidden by large steel gates in Charing Cross Road, for parking our cars at nil cost, which was a bonus, although the rats scurrying around at night, was a little disconcerting and each time I went to collect my car, I got into the habit of stamping whilst walking, to try to scare the rats away. Anyone watching from a distance probably thought I was rehearsing (inadequately) for a part in a rock band.

After a few years our work and client base increased and we moved to a more conventional larger office in Whitfield Street. Extra people joined including David who at the time looked too young to be let out on his own but he ‘survived’ and is now the elder statesman director of the practice. As the business expanded, we acquired One Bridge Wharf, near Kings Cross with a terrace overlooking the canal and it is a pleasant, open workspace.
I am now a consultant to the firm, still engaged with long term clients advising on building surveying matters and offering my thoughts on life, work and what ever else might be of interest to whoever wants to listen although I do think sometimes the ‘listeners’ are just being polite.”