Did you hear the one about...

The British Parking Awards were presented by a line-up of talented and insightful hosts

The British Parking Awards 2024 ceremony took place at the Royal Lancaster London on 13 September.

The event began with a welcome by Anjna Patel MBE, a leading figure in the UK local authority sector. “You do a wonderful job in this country,” she said. “You keep the country’s wheels moving. You lead the country in technology. You show the government where they should be going and where the legislation should be. This sector is really, really successful and contributes so much to the economy. One day, government will actually come to realisation that we contribute so much to the economy. But if not, we might have to form our own pollical party!”

Next on stage was Paul Moorby OBE, founder of Chipside, provider of MiPermit parking solutions. He reflected upon the tough times the industry has faced and acknowledged the resilience of those gathered, emphasising the importance of being able to laugh and, sometimes, cry together.

Moorby said: “All around the world, every country is considering what the future looks like. What does society look like? What does industry look like? And in our sector, what does the world of transportation look like with a smaller population? What does mass transport look like? Is it affordable? Can we have people driving their own personal vehicles? Should we prevent that from happening? That is what we’re all working on and you should all be proud that you are designing the future for the next generation.”

As the awards ceremony’s guest host Paul Sinha took to the stage he noted the esteemed people he was following, saying: “What a nice change is have someone on stage who possesses neither an OBE nor an MBE – you’re just slumming it now!”

Sinha kept the audience laughing as he ran through his journey from doctor, to stand-up comedian and professional quizzer, a talent that saw him become ‘The Sinnerman’ on ITV’s The Chase.

Looking back at his headline performance at The Comedy Store, Sinha revealed: “Last summer, I has my a first solo show at the world famous Comedy Store in Piccadilly in central London, bloody three and a half hours drive from Central London in a place called South London. I apologise now, if that three and a half hour drive is the fault of anyone in this room, I’ve not done the research!”

Sinha then conducted the presentation of the trophies, riffing all the way with the ‘Voice of Parking’ Roger Tilling. He closed the event by stating how much he had enjoyed the company and hoped to come back again.

Read and download the 2025 WINNERS EDITION of PARKING REVIEW by clicking HERE