Each week Swindon Business News gives a prominent member of the area’s business community the last word on its weekly e-bulletin.
This week Mark Noble, managing director, Castles Residential Sales & Lettings, answers our 10 questions. 
What was the LAST:
Film you watched? Fury. A powerful and moving war film set in Germany in 1945. It’s a topic I’m very interested in and this was a fantastic portrayal.
Book you read? What You See is What You Get: My Autobiography by Alan Sugar, probably the most well-known businessman in the country. Whether you like him or not, you don’t get to the position he’s in today without being shrewd and innovative. No matter what business we’re in, we can all learn from Lord Sugar.
Music you bought or downloaded? Sam Smith. A customer who bought a property through us recommended him to me. He said that it’s the perfect music to unwind to after a hard day’s work. I couldn’t agree more.
Concert you went to? Jeff Dunham in Las Vegas. If you visit Las Vegas, I highly recommend this show. Jeff is a unique talent in ventriloquism. It’s safe to say you won’t have seen anything like this before. It’s good to see people making the most of their talent. At Castles Residential Sales & Lettings, we nurture our employees and give them every opportunity to succeed.
Sporting event you attended? My team at Castles Residential Sales & Lettings got me tickets to see Nottingham Forest vs. Cardiff City at the City Ground in Nottingham as a birthday present. I have supported Nottingham Forest since 1978 and Brian Clough is still one of my heroes. He took the club to unprecedented heights with his exceptional managerial style, even since passing away he continues to inspire.
Holiday you went on? Las Vegas. It’s such a spectacular city and, with so much going on, it’s like nowhere else on this planet. Some of the properties there were truly outstanding, too. I’d love to show some of our customers around them.
Restaurant you ate in? Fratello’s, Italian restaurant in Swindon. I took the Castles Residential Sales & Lettings team there for a night out to celebrate the birthday of one staff member and the arrival of another. We have a close, friendly team here at Castles so when new people join, we welcome them as a team and help them to settle in as quickly as possible.
Thing that annoyed you? The ruthlessness with which homes can be repossessed. It’s always hard when someone is forced to reduce the price of their property for a quick sale because they fear repossession.
Thing that made you laugh out loud? Andy Parsons’ joke about estate agents looking down our noses at bankers, saying they couldn’t do with the lies!
Piece of good advice you were given? “Stop gambling if you’re going to keep moaning,” by my wife in Las Vegas.
Mark Noble is the managing director of leading Swindon estate agent Castles Residential Sales & Lettings, which he founded in 2002. In the years since, the business has grown in size and stature, winning the Wiltshire Small Business of the Year award in 2007. Now one of the area’s most successful estate agents, Castles Residential Sales & Lettings was handpicked for membership by The Guild of Professional Estate Agents and The Relocation Agent Network. In 2014, the business was the runner-up and received a commendation in the Relocation Agent Network Best Agent West Region Award. As well as recruitment and training, Mark is responsible for leading the business and supporting departmental heads.
