London Fintech Week 2015 events: Who, what, where & when September 13, 2015 Trading apps at the ready; London Fintech Week starts today! With the capital being the biggest force for innovation in financial technology right now, this week of talks, conferences and startup demos will be the world’s biggest business geek-out. The events start at 8:30am each day and finishes late, so try to make [...]
Canary Wharf owner Songbird Estates rejects Qatar offer again January 12, 2015 Songbird Estates, the company behind Canary Wharf, has formally rejected yet another offer from the Qatari sovereign wealth fund. The company said it won't accept the 350p-a-share offer, by the Qatari Investment Authority and Brookfield Property Partners, on the grounds that it doesn't reflect "the full value of the business, its unique operating platform and [...]
Bitcoin: Banks are worryingly complacent about the coming digital currency storm January 25, 2016 The financial services industry is dangerously complacent in its approach to digital money. Some of the major banks almost look like they fear technological change that promises greater transparency, efficiency and security at a lower cost. Too many industry players and regulators have spent more time shutting down innovations than driving them. Barclays, Chase, Westpac [...]
Can you Adam and Eve it? Cockneys gather in the City for a right old-fashioned knees-up September 27, 2015 It's Harvest Festival season, and to celebrate the City traded sharp suits and brogues for pearls and pinnies as cockneys dominated the financial district on the weekend. Glistening pearls, donkeys, shire horses and music hall favourites – the Pearly King and Queen Harvest Festival had it all. Pearly Kings and Queens joined Aldermen and [...]
15 plans for the future of London transport: From the Northern Line extension to Night Tube and Crossrail 3 March 11, 2016 London Mayor Boris Johnson has said £1.3tn of investment is needed in the capital over the next 35 years in order for London to retain its world class status. Transport is the biggest focus of the "London Infrastructure Plan 2050", and £973bn of spending is needed on transport alone to keep up with the rising population [...]
DLR strike passenger advice released by TfL: Jubilee, Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines expected to be much busier as commuters seek alternative routes October 30, 2015 Transport for London has issued passenger advice for commuters affected by the forthcoming 48-hour strike on the DLR, with services "unlikely" to run because of the disruption. The strike has been called by transport union RMT over a dispute with KeolisAmey Docklands, which operates the DLR on behalf of TfL. It is due to start at 3:59am on 3 [...]
There is something of a renaissance underway around the British coast. And London needs to watch out. October 22, 2015 “Coming from London,” a local journalist asked me as I stepped off the train at Scarborough last week, “do you just see us as a back wash of the Yorkshire backwater?” I was too taken aback to even consider an answer, let alone snap back that I was actually brought up in Derby, went to [...]
Lord Mayor’s Show London 2015 parade: Something different for the weekend November 13, 2015 We all have our daily routines. Travel into such-and-such station, make a beeline for the office, grab a coffee on the way, preferred sandwich shop at lunch, back to work, another beeline to such-and-such station, then home again. And repeat. Hundreds of thousands of us cross paths in the Square Mile each weekday, turning into [...]
Alibaba moves London tech headquarters to Canary Wharf December 14, 2014 Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has moved its London headquarters from Mayfair to Canary Wharf as the Docklands continues to develop as a rival tech hub to Old Street. Alibaba, which raised a record $25bn (£15.9bn) when it went public in September, is now based on Level 28 of the iconic One Canada Square, just below [...]
Focus On London Bridge: Why house prices are on the rise next to The Shard December 11, 2015 Children in nursery may sing about London Bridge falling down, but in property circles, it’s building up and the sky’s the limit. The area first became a part of London’s fabric due to its famously crumbly bridge, which was built by the Romans and was the first to cross the Thames. It was originally made [...]