We were recently asked to sponsor an award within the NLA Property Women Awards 2009 and the actual event was held on 23 July at the prestigious Park Plaza Hotel overlooking the River Thames and Parliament.

Apart from the headline award for Property Woman of the Year (which went to Yorkshire-based Shona Davison), there were 11 regional awards. I had been asked to present the award to the Scottish winner.
 
Having donned my black tie, I headed off for an evening of wine, women and song.
 
The NLA put on a superb event. It was really difficult having to work my way through a champagne reception followed by a sumptuous 4 course dinner to celebrate the achievements of female landlords from across the country, but there's no bounds to my determination!
 
Melissa Porter (a fellow Northwesterner) was the host for the evening. Melissa is a property investor herself as well as being the co-presenter of Channel Five's "I Own Britain's Best Home."
 
As most of the ceremony was going on, I waited with my table of nervous nominees until Melissa called me to the stage.
 
The music started playing as I bounded from my seat onto the stage and to the podium. The cameras clicked, the lights flashed.....well, that's what I like to think happened!
 
To a hushed hall, I announced the nominees. And, then in true Oscars style, I opened the silver envelope (by this time covered in candle wax that had dripped onto it from the table setting) to reveal the winner - Miss Gerry Whelan from Fife.
 
I was very pleased to hand over the award and then we returned to our table for more hard work - in the form of dessert!

The National Landlords Association has published a short video of this year's Property Women Awards, please see below