London tech startup and Visa partner on blockchain – and want banks’ help September 1, 2016 A London-based blockchain startup has partnered with pay giant Visa and will start testing the technology to make cross-border payments. It's the latest collaboration between an established financial services firm and a startup to experiment with the distributed ledger technology which experts believe could reduce costs and speed up transactions. Read more: These big banks are [...]
Restaurant review: Luca is the Italian nobody expected from The Clove Club’s Isaac McHale January 18, 2017 Isaac McHale was such a rebellious Young Turk that while he was still cheffing at the Ledbury, he ran a series of pop-ups under the name The Young Turks. He and James Lowe – then the head chef at St John Bread and Wine – would serve up whatever they damn-well pleased, in venues not [...]
House prices under threat in Tower Hamlets due to ballooning development and Brexit September 22, 2016 House prices could be set to fall in Tower Hamlets due to the rapid development of the borough, according to new research. Data collected by property consultancy Propcision shows Tower Hamlets makes a decision on more planning applications than any other London borough, and approves far more developments than other boroughs, which could lead to a downwards [...]
Exec reveals how Brookfield, Qatar conquered Canary Wharf October 6, 2015 Brookfield Property Partners' chief executive has lifted the lid on the three-month long battle for Canary Wharf, which culminated in the largest UK property deal for a decade. Canada's Brookfield and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the state's sovereign wealth fund, first launched their £2.6bn bid for the estate's owner, Songbird, in November. But if [...]
Canary Wharf tube driver get sassy with workers following “carnage” on the platforms October 14, 2015 Canary Wharf’s tube workers appear to have the most sass of all TfL’s staff. For all the suits, brylcreem and male pattern baldness that make up Canary Wharf's backdrop, you’d be forgiven for thinking that those in finance are mature, responsible adults. However, one tube driver on the Jubilee line was extremely disappointed [...]
Prices for central London’s luxury homes are falling – but outer areas are becoming less affordable September 21, 2016 London's luxury homes are set to have their prices cut by nearly 10 per cent this year, but prices in the capital's outer boroughs will continue to become less affordable, according to new research. Property services giant Savills has predicted prices on high-end homes in central London will drop by nine per cent this year and won't return to growth [...]
Sammy or Hallie? Canary Wharf seal’s existential crisis continues after docklands’ ice rink opens November 5, 2015 Canary Wharf’s resident seal just can’t catch a break. The marine mammal, who has been fed on the finest salmon sashimi from Billingsgate Market for around ten years, has had his fair share of problems from washed-up debris to an ongoing identity crisis. Canary Wharf Group recently opened the financial district’s ice rink to much [...]
London’s fanatical cyclists from hell are taking crazy risks with pedestrians’ lives October 20, 2016 Every morning on my walk into the City, I see the brand-new cycle path along the side of Blackfriars Road being put to good use. But every morning, I also see some of you cyclists riding on the pavement next to it, weaving among pedestrians. The special lane made for you, carved out (at significant [...]
London house prices: Why Canary Wharf is experiencing a residential property boom October 12, 2015 Estate agents are reporting a small “property boom” in east London, with prices rising by nearly 15 per cent in some areas during the first half of this year. In a new report out this week, Chestertons, an estate agent, points to the success of London’s technology, creative and financial sectors to explain the jump [...]
The tech revolution – not Brexit – will reshape the face of London December 16, 2016 London's office market will change more in the next five years than in the 15 years since the 2001 dot-com crash, as a combination of factors much bigger than Britain’s exit from the EU come into play across the capital. While there has been so much discussion on the future of London’s banking cluster since [...]