CITY FEAST FOR TROOPS AT SQUARE MILE SALUTE
CITY A.M. is proud to announce its backing for a City-wide initiative to support a trio of veterans’ charities this week.
The campaign, which will raise money for Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and ABF THe Soldiers’ Charity, will culminate in a spectacular five-course banquet in Guildhall on 10 February, with 12 world-class chefs cooking up the food.
The good news is that there are still a few tables available for a cool £3,500, with GFT already among the firms spending to support the troops. The bad news is that you will have to maintain a heroic appetite to fully appreciate the culinary delights on offer. The chefs include Michel Roux, the Queen’s chef Mark Flanagan, Martyn Nail of Claridge’s and John Williams of the Ritz.
They will all be involved in a feast of immense proportions presided over by the Academy of Culinary Arts, from the caviar available during the initial reception to petit fours cooked by a master chocolatier.
London mayor Boris Johnson will be doing the rounds during drinks. He told The Capitalist: “I call on bosses and workers across the City to chivvy up your colleagues, friends and family to book those tables and dig deep into your pockets” to support the troops.
And it’s not just during table purchases that attendees will have a chance to donate. The feast will be followed by a charity auction, assisted by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, to feature prizes ranging from a three-night stay at the Fairmont Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix, with a special viewing area on the famous Fairmont Hairpin, to a week on Necker Island, Richard Branson’s paradise get-away.
Lawson Muncaster, managing director of City A.M., will be speaking at The Automobile Club this week about supporting the troops through the event. He said: “We’re delighted to be part of an event that brings the Square Mile’s luminaries together for a great cause.”
HAPPINESS BUBBLE
With today named by psychologists as “Blue Monday” – the most miserable day of the year – City workers might feel in need of a little boost as they traipse around the streets on their lunch break.
Luckily, the charity ActionAid has stepped up to provide a “happiness bubble” in Finsbury Circus all day today, a heated structure containing a plethora of free food, music, massages and general cheer.
The idea stems from a survey of 1,000 people asking them what makes them happy. It turns out “helping someone who needs you” comes top, with “winning money” coming in at eight. So much for the thrills of bonus season.