COFFEE BREAK WITH... Tim Gooding, Director - Hotels
Coffee Break with… is a Christie & Co series showcasing the brilliance, expertise, and diversity of our network of over 200 employees.
When did you join Christie & Co?
Believe it or not, 1983.
Where were you when you accepted your role at Christie & Co?
Healey & Baker, London.
What was your first job?
General factotum.
In a couple of sentences, can you tell us a bit about your job at Christie & Co?
Principally hotels, getting them for sale and selling them!
What’s your favourite thing about Christie & Co?
People, the quality thereof.
What's a favourite project that you’ve worked on at Christie & Co so far?
Actually, two Norfolk hotels sold last year for two separate clients to RedCat for £10m+ in a simultaneous acquisition, having spent more years than I care to think about trying to get instructions, and then invoicing a total of £208K+ on consecutive days.
What’s been the biggest challenge of your career so far?
Running an office which had 20+ people; I am not known for my social working skills.
What’s been a highlight of your career so far?
Not running an office for 20+ people, in view of my skill set above.
How has the industry changed since you started at Christie & Co?
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (what goes around comes around).
Who in your industry do you feel most inspired by?
Rocco Forte.
Tell us a bit about your life outside work – what are your hobbies?
Mad DIY freak and trying to get my 23-year-old twins to leave home.
What’s your hometown? Where do you live now?
A village without streetlights outside Woodbridge in Suffolk, providing complete tranquillity mixed with Miss Marple intrigue.
Where’s the best place you’ve been on holiday?
Rome; fabulous city and people, overpriced, and full of aggressive car drivers.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I only accept being called ‘mate’ by people I’ve known for, at least, 25 years.
If you could live and work in any city, where would you go?
New York.
What would be your desert island meal?
If available, which I assume it would be, salmon (although other fish would be accepted) followed closely by, or instead of, an Australian Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2021.
What’s your favourite film?
Pulp Fiction.
What is your favourite movie quote?
“Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons?” – Vic Deakins, Broken Arrow.
What is one thing on your bucket list?
Visiting New England in the fall.
What is your biggest fear?
Being eaten by a shark. We already have enough of them in hospitality (externally, that is).
What news source do you read every day?
Daily Telegraph for news, and Daily Mail for gossip and for a ridiculously entertaining critique of humanity.
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