Fuller’s improves at Christmas after watered-down summer January 24, 2013 CUSTOMERS flocked to Fuller’s pubs over Christmas, as the landlord and brewer reported a 4.5 per cent like-for-like sales rise during the festive period in its core business. After declining sales for much of the year, improved trading in the nine weeks to 19 January has pushed Fuller’s to a 2.6 per cent rise in [...]
City maverick David Buik slams Sir Mervyn King’s BoE speech February 13, 2013 CITY stalwart David Buik of Cantor, who is known for his poetic City commentary – often quoting the likes of Whitman, Shakespeare, Poe and Housman – was left unimpressed with the Bank of England governor yesterday. “I would hardly describe myself as the sharpest pin in the box” opened Buik. “However having looked at the [...]
Former oil executive is the new Archbishop February 4, 2013 The Bishop of Durham, Reverend Justin Welby, returned to the City yesterday when he was confirmed as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury at St Paul’s Cathedral. No stranger to the Square Mile, the new Archbishop worked in corporate finance for two oil companies before he retrained as an Anglican priest in his mid-30s. Tweeting to [...]
Aberdeen boss gets helicopter ambulance off to a flying start February 12, 2013 THE CAPITALIST recently reported that ex-Deutsche chief Graham Hodgkin had taken on the job of London’s Air Ambulance CEO – and he is wasting no time putting his stamp on the charity. The rescue chopper has had a makeover and returned from its annual service with emergency codes emblazoned on the tail. Hodgkin explained: “Our [...]
City jobs rising as legal hiring counters bank staff bloodbath January 22, 2013 LEGAL services jobs in the City increased rapidly last year, outweighing even the dramatic fall in bank employment and pushing total headcount in the square mile up through 2012, new figures revealed yesterday. A total of 117,800 people are now employed in legal services, TheCityUK found, an increase of 2.5 per cent on the year. [...]
Green-fingered Lady and Lord Mayor get muddy in the forest January 29, 2013 SPADES and wellies were order of the day when Lord Mayor Roger Gifford and his wife, the Lady Mayoress, ventured deep into forest territory this week, ankle-deep in mud. The couple were planting three trees to launch the Gifford Wood Appeal, an effort which will help safeguard 30 acres of land at Horseshoe Hill under [...]
City Matters: A twenty-first century Silk Road between East and West is long overdue September 29, 2013 OVER two millennia ago, the opening of the Silk Road in Asia had a transformative effect on trading right across the world. This remarkable development played a crucial role in facilitating previously unimaginable exchanges of goods, services, ideas and even culture across borders. In our information age, new technology has – of course – revolutionised [...]
The clinic will cater for all your needs January 23, 2013 BEDSPACE may be tight at Davos, but every inch of space is utilised. While “The Clinic” may sound like a luxury spa, it’s actually an asthma hospital – offering spare beds to attendees. If you fancy your own oxygen supply, this is the place. ■ Following David Cameron’s early morning oration, the corporate world was [...]
Goldsmiths’ Hall is minted for the annual Trial of the Pyx February 5, 2013 THE TRIAL of the Pyx is (yet another) ancient ceremony that takes place in the Square Mile. Yesterday 17 jurors and 19 Royal Mint staff congregated at the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in order to check that the coins produced at the Royal Mint were the right weight, size and metallic composition. [...]
Letters to the Editor February 13, 2013 True entrepreneurs [Re: Europe needs to be more relaxed about entrepreneurs getting filthy rich, yesterday] Few people have a problem with people like Google’s Eric Schmidt becoming wealthy if they have been genuinely entrepreneurial – creating something new by effort and ingenuity. But Paul Ormerod doesn’t seem to recognise a difference between Schmidt and many [...]