Is Harland and Wolff set for a Titantic takeover?

Spy noticed that another ultra-rich American has docked a gigantic superyacht in Butler’s Wharf this week.  This time it’s James Berwind, a noted yacht enthusiast and heir to the Berwind Corporation, the American conglomerate founded by Edward Julius Berwind, a White Star Line director through the 1910s. His $86 million vessel called Scout, named after one of his dogs, includes a dog yard, a greenhouse and an LCD Skylight. So is he in London for business reasons?Given Berwind’s family ties and enthusiasm for all things nautical, Spy wondered if he’d thought about snapping up the firm that built the Titanic: Harland & Wolff. Its office is a ten-minute walk from where he docked up – and Berwind’s existing UK business ties are mostly in Belfast, in the shadow of H&W’s famous cranes. It could be bought on the cheap at the moment, after shares plunged last month following a Times report claiming the business was close to collapse. The shipbuilder says the article is “misleading and inaccurate,” but the stock remains cut-priced. A deal doesn’t seem likely, however. The line from H&W on Berwind? A spokesperson said she had “no knowledge of him” but added that even if she did, ”we wouldn’t discuss financial discussions while they were ongoing.” And it seems most of his excursions have been for pleasure, not business. He once docked Scout in the Irish town of Kinsale just to get a pint of beer.The Standard revealed this week you can get a Greene King IPA for as little as £1.76 at Old Street’s the Masque Haunt. Maybe he’s here to snap up a bargain after all.

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