Conferences Limited, then the leading corporate training centre operator in the UK. The main mansion house was converted into a 60-bed conference and hospitality venue for Style by Wiltshier Construction originally to meet a contract for British Telecom plc. Following a dispute linked to the authority secured within BT, the contract was cancelled. The construction was completed and the training centre opened in April 1986. Subsequently, the remaining outbuildings were converted to provide a further 41 en suite bedrooms and the training facility for ICL plc and Barclays Bank plc. By 1990 the site was taken up primarily by Rank Xerox having relocated their training centre from Newport Pagnell – Harben House. In the early 1990s the farm site and a further 140 acres were acquired from Mr John Carnell and this was redeveloped to form the 150 bed Executive Centre. This was initially developed for KPMG, Oracle Corporation and others. The business traded in the leisure sector at weekends supported by the Golf Course and indoor leisure facilities and outdoor pursuits. The Executive Centre was designed by Tony Herring Associates and constructed by Potton Developments based upon concepts that Style had researched in the US and Europe in partnership with Cornell University (Prof. Dick Penner). The building elements were constructed using three different methods (podded timber framed bedrooms encased in a brick shell, industrial space frame construction for meeting areas for future spatial flexibility and traditional methods for public areas and leisure). This allowed a very rapid construction period – 12 months – and tight budgetary control. The project won a number of construction sector awards. Investment had reached £22m on the site yet the company chose to turn down an offer of £45m from a hospitality plc based upon its profitability. In 1998 the buildings adjacent to the Mansion and 1960s extensions were demolished and redeveloped to provide a better training facility for Rank Xerox and a new purpose built training and sales development centre for BMW (GB) Limited. 21st century By 2002 the property was generating annual sales of over £24m and was a very successful business but by then the Style Conferences business had been acquired by firstly BET plc (1994) and shortly after (1996), Rentokil Initial plc. The capital intensive conferencing company was a poor commercial fit in the RI group and following 15 years of 25% year on year profitability growth the company, then