“I liked loud music, I smoked, I drank and I bowled a bit of leg spin. I don’t have any regrets.” That is Shane Warne, in his own words, from a documentary about his life, released in January.
His memorial service, fittingly at his beloved Melbourne Cricket Ground, was as colourful as his life. Elton John played the piano as more than 50,000 spectators paid their respects.
It is hard to overstate Warne’s impact on the game of cricket. Before him, leg spin was a disappearing art and fast bowlers reigned supreme. Just a few years later, every kid wanted to rip the ball like Warnie and get batters out not by mere speed but sheer bamboozlement.
He was a legend in his own time.
City’s science boost
Canary Wharf, most famous for its tall buildings and financial might, will soon be home to a new and exciting venture: life sciences. Plans are under way for a 750,000 sq ft life science-focused, wet lab-enabled building.
The UK is one of the top global destinations for inward investment for life sciences but is constrained by a lack of space. So this 22-storey structure, which when completed will be the largest of its type in Europe, is much needed.
This development underscores the UK’s position as a leading global hub for life sciences, a sector not only of the present — see the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine — but also of the future, where tailored treatments for disease could save countless lives.
It is also another shot in the arm for the capital and highlights the power of the golden triangle formed by the university cities of Cambridge, Oxford and London.
Life sciences can be a major force for economic growth and for good this century. London can lead the way.
