London Open houses annual weekend of hospitality is something I have for five years now seen come and go like Hunnaka. This year I had to make an exception as I saw the doors of my local church open to this heathen! And the great deconstruction project of Lloyds of London was next on my list...damn that unpenaterable Bank of England that will have to wait for another year with its 2 hour queues.
As the result of a big night out celebrating my anniversary of birth, my two school friends Graham and Andrew had crashed at my place. The idea of being a tourist in some of London's seemingly untouchable buildings could not be missed by us all. With pancake breakfasts consumed and yesterdays clothes slipped back on we headed for Leadenhall.
We stepped off the No. 25 bus at the foot of the Lloyds Building with little more fanfare than when I routinely run past at the end of a given working day. Despite the fact the boys were not wearing ties and I was showing my knees (I think this is a rule too) the security guards welcomed us through to lower eastern entrance. We were taken up the first escalator to what I would describe as the 'hub' of the building. The main floor for the underwriters where most of the worlds most famous Insurance Companies represented.
With open access to the building we got to see the famous Bell protected by the Runner. Who now email is such a dominant part of our external communications is seemingly redundant except on the rare occasion to ring this bell to draw attention to very large scale transactions.
We took to the lift on the Eastern Entrance overlooking the infamous Gherkin to the North East and travelled through the famous Lloyds Board Room which seemed completely out of context. When I spoke to one of the suited Facilities Gentleman about the contrast he informed me the room and its 19th century fittings had been transported each time the Lloyds Corporation had moved head offices. This being its third home in under 100 years. The elaborate board room setting could be quickly and easily transformed into a 100 seater auditorium with modern projection screen and teleconferencing facilities.
We explored the 10th floor with more opportunities to understand the Lloyds impact on popular culture...namely the dead for the first claim on the loss of the Titanic. Lloyds it should be noted was originally in the business of insuring Sea fairing fleet and only in the mid-1900's did they branch out into Corporate and Personal liabilities.
We all commented on the sheer noise of the escalators that so iconically link the many floors of the building, which the great architect Richard Rogers attempts to replicate the sounds of a traditional trading floor. From my perspective he achieves this in bucket loads and made this the last place I would be applying for a role.
The Lloyds building is magnetic to me and has not lost any of its majestic nature as I have long admired it (especially when we were placed in offices across the street). The staff were very welcoming on the day and I can but encourage all to take part in future events on London Open Houses. Thank you kindly for sharing this national treasure.
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