Spelling out support for city charity Spark with Countdown queen Susie

We joined around 200 fellow members of the Portsmouth Property Association (PPA) for its 103rd Annual Charity Dinner, helping to raise more than £8,000 for Spark Community Space.

It was our pleasure to sponsor the appearance of guest speaker Susie Dent MBE, resident wordsmith for the Channel 4 game show Countdown and comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats.

We were in stitches as Susie, pictured above with our Managing Director Neil Shaw, regaled her audience with the meanings and origins of a selection of obscure words, some centuries-old and some imported from other languages.

Among them were ‘nodcrafty’, a 17^th century description of people who nod their head as if they understand everything the other person is saying but actually don’t, or aren’t listening anyway.

A more modern delight is the Japanese word ‘kuchisabishii’, with Susie explaining: “Kuchisabishii is going to the fridge over and over again in the vain hope of finding something new in there. The reason I love it is that the literal translation is ‘lonely mouth’.”

Susie also mentioned ‘binfluencer’, explaining: “That neighbour who always puts their bins out before anyone else, prompting us all to do the same, is a binfluencer.”

Susie Dent explained that a ‘binfluencer’ is a neighbour who always puts their bins out before anyone else, prompting us all to do the same. Our Managing Director Neil Shaw has clearly taken this to heart.

Welcoming all to the black-tie dinner, held at the Village Hotel in Cosham, PPA Chairman Ian Lee explained that Spark is a charity that tackles loneliness and operates out of a welcoming, safe community space in Fratton.

Ian said: “Spark is making an amazing difference to the lives of isolated people, providing that all-important sense of belonging which we have here at the PPA – and have enjoyed since the PPA’s formation more than a century ago.”

One of the main fundraising initiatives for Spark on the night was a grand charity auction of donated gifts and experiences conducted by Clive Emson MBE, founder of regional land and property auctioneers Clive Emson Auctioneers.

Among the 13 lots were a tour of the one of the world’s most successful Formula One teams, Williams, at Oxfordshire’s ‘Horsepower Valley’, a Cessna flying lesson from Goodwood in West Sussex and a signed copy of Susie Dent’s book ‘Word Perfect: Etymological Entertainment for Every Day of the Year’.

We were only too happy to lend our support to the annual dinner once again. As we caught up with our many friends and contacts across the property sector, we are thrilled to have helped raise funds for Spark Community Space in the process too.

Founded in 1920, the PPA brings together estate agents, surveyors, lawyers, brokers, architects and other professional advisers, covering residential, commercial and retail, into a collective voice to drive the economic prosperity of the Portsmouth region.

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