cityviewIssue no 59 N E W S A N D K E Y I S S U E S F O R T H E C I T Y O F L O N D O N April 2007

21st century solutionsCITY COMMUTING

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUYING

Fair enoughLORD MAYOR OVERSEAS

International exchange

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

C I T Y V I E W2

cityviewmagazineWelcome to cityviewmagazine

C O N T E N T S

P E R F O R M A N C E A S S E S S M E N T

Four star rating for City 3

T H E I N T E R V I E W

Broad church for the banking community 4C I T Y E V E N T S

Tour de Square Mile 6C I T Y E V E N T S

The French connection 7S U S T A I N A B L E C I T Y

Square deal from the Square Mile 8C I T Y T R A N S P O R T

All change please 10L O R D M A Y O R

Overseas audience for Lord Mayor’s programme 12A R T S F O C U S

If you can’t stand the heat… 14A R T S F O C U S

Finnish beginnings for 15modernist designsN E W S I N B R I E F

...and finally 16

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C I T Y V I E W 3

P E R F O R M A N C E A S S E S S M E N T

Four star rating for City

MarchAdvice group

City unveils advisory council

in India

How was it for you?Resident Satisfaction Survey

results announced

FebruaryEast is east

Green light for City’s India Office

Bringing it to the streetsCity begins three new recycling

initiatives

EU and meSlovakian and Slovenian high

fliers arrive in City for placements

JanuaryCourt in the act

Business court comes to the City

Top marksCity Adult Social Services get

top rating

Building a brighter futureCity Academy scoops building

award

DecemberNet gain

Unveiling London’s place in the

UK Economy

SureStart in lifeCass Nursery gives children a

SureStart

Partners in timeCity Fringe celebrates 10 year

anniversary

The Glaziers Company has

appointed Alex Galloway as its

new Clerk. 020 7403 6652

info@worshipfulglaziers.com

www.worshipfulglaziers.com

The Salters' Company

flagship charity, The Salters'

Institute, has announced the

winners of its annual awards.

020 7628 5962

publicity@salters.co.uk

www.saltersinstitute.co.uk

O N L I N E

cityviewmagazineO N L I N E

liverylivedigest

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cityview www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/liverylive

The City of London Corporation has retained itstop-grade status in the latest ComprehensivePerformance Assessment (CPA) and is rated as‘improving strongly’.

CPA is carried out by the Audit Commission amongthe local authorities of England. The CityCorporation was one of only 10 authorities to gain afour star rating for performance and be rated asimproving strongly (equivalent to four out of four)for ‘direction of travel’.

In its summary of the City’s performance the AuditCommission stated: “The City remains focused onthe challenges it faces to maintain its improvementagenda from this high baseline and to furtherimprove value for money.”

The CPA looked at how the City Corporationmanages its finances and provides value for moneybut also looked at its main services from a localauthority perspective covering benefits, childrenand young people, culture, environment, housingand social care (adults).

The CPA results follow those of the residents’satisfaction survey – which feed into the CPA score – which showed that 79% of Cityresidents are satisfied with how the CityCorporation performs.

Michael Snyder, the City’s Chairman of Policy &Resources, believes that the CPA score is excellentnews “but, because of its methodology, is only one ofa number of assessments that have to be takentogether to get a fuller indication of satisfaction withour services. CPA concentrates on what could betermed ‘resident-focused’services.

“The three yearly MORI survey [see the last issue ofcityview] and this September’s CorporateAssessment focus on areas beyond just localgovernment services and take into account ourpromotion and support of the Business City and theextra services we provide for the benefit of Londonand the wider nation.”

More information

www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa

C I T Y V I E W4

Angela Knight – who formally took over as chiefexecutive of the British Bankers’ Association on 1 April – is already one of the highest profilewomen in the City.

She has had three or four careers – depending, shesays, on how you add them up. She ran anengineering company in Rotherham, served onSheffield council,was an MP from 1992 until 1997,served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury for twoyears covering City matters, and was chief executiveof the Association of Private Client InvestmentManagers and Stockbrokers (APCIMS) for nine yearsup to last year.

This diverse background came in useful when she losther Commons seat in the Conservative rout of 1997.Some people were suspicious: she was a Tory and hadbeen a member of one of the most unpopulargovernments of recent times.Was she really planningto try and get back into the Commons? She decideddefinitely not to stand again within two weeks of the1997 election and to commit herself to findinganother job.

The fact that she had been in the Commons for onlyfive years probably helped since she had “notforgotten what real life is like”. So APCIMS took achance. She is still occasionally asked about whether

she is planning to go back to politics. And one formerministerial colleague even remarked, with surprise,that she had a “proper job”.

Her political contacts, and time as City minister, havehelped her in dealings with Government. She praisesthe activism of Ed Balls and says the Governmentlistens more than it was doing.The role of the Cityminister is to determine what issues to air. In general,the job is less to do with legislation than withcoordination, and building links, particularly overinternational and European regulatory issues.

The City minister, she argues, should be “someonewho is on his way up with access and who carriespolitical weight”. It is not about saying “do this or dothat”, but recognising when something is an issueand linking with Government.

Ms Knight is not a passionate feminist but sees hersuccess as part of a generational shift within business,and the City. When she started in industry 30 yearsago, there were no women in engineering inexecutive positions. But there has been a completechange in business over the last five to 10 years andshe suggests that, in a further five years, a 50/50balance of women to men amongst graduate recruitscould shift to 60 to 40 in favour of women. Indeed,she worries about young men losing out comparedwith young women.

Since Ms Knight was appointed BBA chief executivedesignate last December, her public comments havemostly been about retail banking and complaintsabout overdraft charges – at least 90 per cent ofcoverage, she reckons. But the BBA has a muchbroader range and much of the profits beinggenerated by its members come from their growingwholesale and corporate banking operations.

The BBA is also much more than a voice of the oldhigh street banks. Some 60 countries are representedamongst its members. It does not matter, she says,which nationality a bank is, since all operate underthe same UK requirements. Not only is the BBA’s

The BBA is muchmore than a voiceof the old highstreet banks. Some 60 countriesare representedamongst itsmembers. It doesnot matter, shesays, whichnationality a bankis, since all operateunder the same UK requirements.

T H E I N T E R V I E W

Peter Riddell of The Times talks to Angela Knight, Chief Executive of the British Bankers' Association

Broad church forthe banking community

C I T Y V I E W 5

membership global, but so is the range of interests itaddresses. She admits that her members have differentinterests.The powerful American banks have their ownvoice, but the BBA can act as a “broad church, almostan umbrella both for retail and big wholesalebanks”where there are common interests inmaintaining competitiveness.

Both the retail and wholesale sides are linked in theBBA’s external representational role dealing with issuessuch as new clearing arrangements, capital to riskratios and inter-bank arrangements.

Revealingly, when asked about the three main issuesshe faces as chief executive – apart from retailbanking controversies – Ms Knight lists threeinternational matters.

First, there is the implementation of the EU’s MIFIDdirective.This presents complicated questions oncapital requirements. Second, there are the TARGET 2proposals on common settlement and paymentssystems from the European Central Bank.Incidentally, Ms Knight is relaxed about Britain’s

influence on EU wide decisions.And, she says, thatwhile there have been no problems so far withdecisions from the ECB affecting primarily theeurozone countries, she is keeping a close eye on thepossibility of Britain being excluded.

Third, she highlights broader regulatory issuesoutside the EU, notably the Sarbanes Oxleylegislation in the USA and similar questions of extra-territoriality. It is very important that the US andBritain work together around issues of mutualrecognition and regulation.The USA is, after all, stillthe biggest banking market in the world. She alsolooks to the expansion of banking activities elsewherein the world.The BBA is an active member of theInternational Banking Federation, providing itssecretariat here. It has developed expertise, forexample, on anti-money laundering action.

The BBA works closely with regulators, notably theFinancial Services Authority,more now than with theBank of England, though the latter is still responsiblefor the broader stability of the financial and bankingsystem.The BBA is also closely involved with both theCBI and City of London Corporation, co-operating invery different roles. She praises the City Corporationfor its increased activity, and for facilitating thedevelopment of a coherent view on broader questionsaffecting the interests of financial services and the City- both with Government and with Europeaninstitutions. She notes the concern of her memberswith the transport problems of the capital: for instance,when visiting bankers come to London how long ittakes them to get in from Heathrow.

So Ms Knight sees a continuing, and very busy, role fora trade association in ensuring that its members do notlose out in a fast changing commercial and regulatoryscene. London may be the largest financial centre inEurope but it faces constant challenges – and the BBAhas to be alert to “what is coming down the line”.

Peter Riddell is Chief Political

Commentator of The Times

C I T Y V I E W6

One of the biggest sporting events of the yearwill be coming to the Square Mile in July withthe first stage of the Tour de France 2007.

Some of the greatest names in cycle racing will befighting for the famous Yellow Jersey with Londonand Kent set as venues for ‘Le Grand Départ’.Thisfollows the tradition of beginning the competition’sfirst leg somewhere different each year – either France or another country – reinforcing the race’swide appeal.

The first stage will begin in Westminster on 8 July andenter the City when the riders cross BlackfriarsBridge.They will travel past St Paul’s Cathedral, downCannon Street and Queen Victoria Street to Bank andthen head east towards and over Tower Bridge. Withthis lengthy route there should be plenty ofopportunities for Londoners and visitors to get aprime view of the event for free. In addition to therace, there will be a bicycle stunt display and a biketry-out roadshow, both near St Paul’s.

They will be preceded by the opening ceremony inTrafalgar Square on Friday 6 July and a time trial incentral London on Saturday 7 July. For a sneakpreview of events, a Tour de France roadshow is alsobooked for Liverpool Street at lunchtime on 25 May.

Those directly affected by road closures or otherelements will be contacted directly. Bringing the Tourto London is part of a broader campaign to promoteand increase cycling in London.The initial aim is toencourage more Londoners to use cycling as a mode

of transport and increase the number of peoplecycling by 80% between the year 2000 and 2010.

The Tour offers opportunities to promote the SquareMile as a visitor destination.This visitor focus linkswith the One Square Mile publication, the new CityInformation Centre (due to open late summer) and aweb site to be created for visitors (business and tourist).

C I T Y E V E N T S

More information on the Tour de France

(or for closure information) 0845 305 1234

www.tourdefrancelondon.com

More information on visitor initiatives 0207 332 3099

To encourage further cycling in

the Square Mile, the City

Corporation is laying on a

rolling programme of free bike

maintenance sessions. Expert

mechanics will be on hand to

give advice and carry out

basic repairs. There will also be

an opportunity to sign up for

national standard cycle

training at a heavily subsidised

rate. Sessions will be held

reguarly on-street across the

City throughout May and June.

In addition, an on-site service

to City businesses can be

offered where there is sufficient

demand. More information

020 7332 1710

plans@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Tour de Square Mile

Dr Bike

© ASO - Bruno Bade

C I T Y E V E N T S

The Tour de France is not the only

‘gallic’ influence coming to

London this summer. The City

of London Festival will also have

a distinctive French flavour as

part of its ongoing theme of

‘Trading Places’.

Celebrating links between the

City and other trading centres

around the world, the 2007

Festival will look to France but will

continue to offer a wide-ranging

and eclectic programme: music

of various kinds, opera, literature,

installations and exhibitions of

visual arts, film screenings,

architecture walks and talks.

It will include many French works,

old and new, and feature some

of the very best performers –

already established or future

stars. Several groups will be

making UK debuts, including the

chamber orchestra Les Siècles

under its conductor Francois-

Xavier Roth (with its unique

presentation of music from across

the centuries, using period and

modern instruments) and the

chamber choir Accentus

under its conductor Laurence

Equilbey. Both bring UK premières

of works by leading French

composers. Non-classical music

includes jazz and world

music, reflecting the cultural

richness and diversity in

France today.

The 2007 Festival also marks the

200th anniversary of the

parliamentary abolition of the

slave trade and among the

highlights is a newly

commissioned opera by Julian

Joseph and Mike Phillips. This tells

the story of George Bridgetower,

son of a slave, who was a violin

prodigy, studied with Haydn,

played with Beethoven and

settled in London under the

patronage of the Royal Family.

Another remarkable violinist and

public figure of the 18th century,

the French musician and soldier

Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was

also the son of a slave and his

music is represented as well.

Two major concerts take place in

St Paul's Cathedral: The Soweto

Gospel Choir (below) and

Berlioz's Requiem with Yan Pascal

Tortelier and the London

Symphony Orchestra & Chorus.

Other highlights include a blind

tasting of fine French music and

wine in Vintners' Hall, Sir Willard

White (below right) in

Fishmongers' Hall, paying his

unique vocal tribute to Paul

Robeson, and Heinrich Schiff

(right) playing all six of Bach's

cello suites in two concerts

in West Smithfield. Lovers of

choral and organ music will

find much to enjoy throughout

the Festival, which includes a

five-day celebration of French

choral music.

The Festival's special relationship

with BBC Radio 3 is marked by a

series of concerts in the City's

historic churches.

The Festival runs from 25 June to

12 July.

More information

0845 120 7502

admin@colf.org

www.colf.org

The French connection

C I T Y V I E W 7

C I T Y V I E W8

S U S T A I N A B L E C I T Y

Square deal from the Square Mile

Fairtrade has moved rapidly up the agenda over recent years – becoming increasinglyprominent in the marketplace and in the media.It has now become the preferred choice forsocially responsible buyers and for manycompanies fits into existing Corporate SocialResponsibility schemes.

Fairtrade is an independent certification body whichguarantees a better deal for farmers and workers inthe developing world. Poor market access and unfairtrade rules mean that the price many were paid didnot cover production of their goods. Fairtrade gives aguaranteed price, regardless of fluctuating markets,meaning farmers can provide for their families andplan and invest for the future.

There are international implications as integratedand environmentally responsible farming (such asconserving forests) is encouraged in the scheme.A ‘social premium’is also included in theprice charged for Fairtradeproducts which

goes directly towards the needs of the communitiesin these developing areas.

The City Corporation sees its involvement in theFairtrade Campaign as being particularly relevant.As a major purchaser of goods and services the City,and its stakeholders, can make a significant impacton the supply chain and subsequently to thedeveloping world. In addition, as the organisationthat promotes the Square Mile, it has an interest inensuring these small businesses can play their part inglobal trade and development – access to marketsbeing a key theme for the business City. SupportingFairtrade helps achieve these goals and more.

Not only do farmers in developing countries benefitbut there are advantages to organisations that

More information

020 7332 1431

emma.bara@cityoflondon.gov.uk

www.sustainable-development.gov.uk

www.london-accord.co.uk

9C I T Y V I E W

support the scheme. Investing in Fairtrade can meancompanies making an investment in the countries inwhich they do business, adding value to theiroperations, instilling a sense of pride amongst staff(86% of employees expressed a desire for their owncompanies to be socially and environmentallyresponsible in a 2005 Ipsos MORI survey) andsending a message to clients about the way they liketo do business.

There is strong support for this approach,demonstrated by the presence of companies such asAviva, KPMG, Sainsburys and Overbury on the CityFairtrade Steering Group.The group organised abusiness breakfast during Fairtrade Fortnight inFebruary at which the benefits of Fairtrade wereexplained to Square Mile companies.Thosepresenting included Erica Kyere, representing aGhanaian cocoa cooperative, who described the full impact of what Fairtrade can achieve to the City audience (Erica is pictured above second leftwith Reverend George R. Bush, Chair of the City Fairtrade Steering Group, Charlotte Borger,Head of Communications, Divine Chocolate –hosting and facilitating Erica’s visit – and Chairmanof the City’s Policy & Resources Committee Michael Snyder).

Guildhall, Mansion House and other City venueshave been exploring with their contractors how toincorporate Fairtrade products into the CityCorporation’s work as host to business andcommunity events and in welcoming foreigndignitaries to the UK. As a result, the Ghanaian statedelegation was treated to a dinner incorporating awide-range of Fairtrade ingredients in March.

The City Corporation already has a localprocurement policy that ties in with its urbanregeneration work.The City knows that the SquareMile cannot prosper in isolation, which is why itworks in partnership with neighbouring boroughs toregenerate them for mutual benefit.The localprocurement initiative covers not only food but allthe City’s activities as part of this effort, before itlooks to the UK as whole for additional alternatives.Fairtrade offers that extra step for sustainableprocurement options in keeping with the theme ofimproving the quality of life of disadvantagedcommunities.

Such an approach is also in line with theGovernment’s national action plan on sustainableprocurement. In the foreword to the Procuring theFuture report Sir Neville Simms, Chairman of theSustainable Procurement Task Force, writes“Sustainable procurement – in short usingprocurement to support wider social, economic andenvironmental objectives, in ways that offer reallong-term benefits – is how the public sector shouldbe spending taxpayers’money. Anything less meansthat today’s taxpayers and the future citizen are bothbeing short-changed.”

Michael Snyder believes that the City’s new Fairtradepolicy is in keeping with the overall principles of theorganisation.“Because we represent the City weshould always be at the forefront of key issues suchas sustainable and socially responsible procurement.By taking the lead in this area, we are setting anexample to others and showing how the Square Mileitself can benefit economically while being a good‘corporate citizen’.”

Fair trade is just one of a range of

‘corporate citizenship’

challenges that have come to

prominence recently. As the

champion of the world’s leading

international financial and

business centre, the City of

London Corporation is working in

partnership with the Square

Mile’s financial community, the

Government and other bodies,

to address issues as diverse as

international development and

climate change.

Work on the latter includes an

adaptation strategy for the City,

the development of a new

scheme to encourage businesses

to cut carbon emissions and a

major research project

(co-sponsored by The City

Corporation, BP, Reuters and

Zyen Consulting) focussing on the

finance of climate change.

The unique concentration of

talent, enterprise and innovation

within the Square Mile can help

devise solutions to these pressing

problems, and will enhance

commerce as new markets and

opportunities are identified and

opened up. The rapid

development of the City’s

carbon markets is a prime

example of this in action.

Guildhall, MansionHouse and other Cityvenues have beenexploring with theircontractors how toincorporate Fairtradeproducts into the CityCorporation’s work.

C I T Y V I E W10

C I T Y T R A N S P O R T

Each weekday morning more than 250,000workers pour into the Square Mile through itsrailway stations. Transport improvements arealways a priority for City workers – whether it ispunctuality, carriage numbers, cleanliness orsafety. But this year will see the start of majorchanges that should make the trip into work lessstressful for many of them.

Although not responsible for transport itself, the CityCorporation has as one of its main aims acommitment to provide everything the Square Mileneeds to survive and thrive – including bettertransport infrastructure. As part of this, the Cityencourages transport providers to improve theirstations and, as a result, exciting proposals forCannon Street station are due to take shape this summer.

The existing Cannon Street station buildings werebuilt in the 1960s and 1970s. Already considerablecongestion occurs during peak periods. Passengerusage is also expected to increase by 22% over thenext 10 years, so passenger access and circulationneeds to be improved.

The opportunity is being taken to upgrade both thenational rail and underground stations as part of the

office redevelopment above the station.In addition to substantially improving passengermovement and providing more capacity for thefuture, the new station will be brighter and havemodern facilities including new retail areas and a newticket office.The scheme will also offer full disabledaccess.The underground station entrances and tickethall will be substantially improved and step-freeaccess will be provided to west-bound services.As part of a separate initiative, the City Corporationand London Underground are looking at ways toenable step-free access to the east-bound services.

The station will remain open throughout theconstruction period and train services should be unaffected. Work is due to be completed insummer 2010.

As if one new station isn’t enough, Blackfriars stationis also due to be rebuilt.The plan is to completelyremodel this station, lengthening the platforms toaccommodate longer trains and extending the stationcanopy over the bridge, providing an additionalstation entrance on the South Bank. BlackfriarsUnderground station will also be rebuilt with widerplatforms. In future there will be a single, widerentrance and ticket barrier for the two stations.There will be escalator and lift access to all platforms

All change please

Blackfriars

C I T Y V I E W 11

and the whole station will be brighter with modern facilities.

During this work the national rail station will mostlyremain open, closing only at weekends and for oneperiod of four weeks which will cover weekdays too.District line trains will continue to run, but for twoyears the trains will not call at Blackfriars.The date forwork beginning has yet to be announced and isdependent on funding.

The Blackfriars improvements are part of theThameslink Programme which now has all thenecessary planning permissions and powers.The CityCorporation is pressing the Government to commit tofunding the scheme. If funding is authorised in thenear future, the works in the central area could becompleted by 2011, in time for the Olympics. By thisdate the trains would also be longer, with 12carriages. By 2015 improvements elsewhere on thenetwork would make the trains more frequent andlink Blackfriars and City Thameslink to stations suchas Cambridge, Kings Lynn and Peterborough.

Minor improvements can also have a positive impact on people’s journey into work. Whilst not onsuch a grand scale as the Cannon Street andBlackfriars schemes, there are other more modestimprovements underway in the Square Mile.St Paul’s tube station is currently being modernised

and will benefit from a new CCTV system, help pointswith induction loops, refurbishment of the wall,ceiling, floor and platform surfaces and installation oftactile paving to help visually impaired people.Following a suggestion from the City of LondonAccess Group, new ‘tip-up’seats will be installed atBank station this spring.The platform lighting at CityThameslink will be improved in the near future and anew information system is planned for LiverpoolStreet to replace the current clapper board. Blackfriarsand City Thameslink stations will also haverefurbished toilets this year. Discussions areunderway to improve Bank station in the longer term.

As regular readers of cityview will know, the CityCorporation is continuing to press for the Crossrailproject to begin.The east-west rail link wouldenhance Liverpool Street and Farringdon stations,relieve overcrowding on the underground and buildin extra capacity to meet the anticipated populationexpansion in the Square Mile in the next 10 years.

The City’s Chairman of Policy & Resources MichaelSnyder believes that all these schemes, both large andsmall, are essential to the Square Mile’s position.“Weare the leading international financial and businesscentre and we need a transport system to match.These projects will encourage more firms to locate inthe City and address many of the concerns of workerswho are our key asset. We will continue to push for progress on Crossrail because it isessential if London is to keep its competitive edge in financial services.”

The £21m improvements to

Cannon Street will be funded

by an office development

The Blackfriars improvements

are part of the £3.5bn

Thameslink programme

Cannon Street has an annual

footfall of 17.5m

Blackfriars has an annual

footfall of 7.8m

Cannon Street station opened

in 1866, originally fronted by

the City Terminus hotel. The

towers at the riverside are the

only part remaining

The first Blackfriars station

opened in 1864, located on the

South Bank, close to where the

new entrance will be

The station now called

Blackfriars opened in 1886,

but was known as St Paul’s

until 1937

Cannon Street underground

station opened in 1884

More information

020 7332 1710

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/transport

Cannon Street

C I T Y V I E W12

L O R D M A Y O R

There has been a familiar theme developing in Lord Mayors’ visits programmes over the pastfew years – namely the inclusion of China andIndia.

They once again form a major part of the visitsschedule but this time for Lord Mayor John Stuttard’syear of office.This ties in with visits there by hispredecessors, those of Chairman of Policy &Resources Michael Snyder and with the work of theCity Corporation’s Economic Development Office indeveloping links with these growing markets.

The City is always looking to promote its expertise inthe raising of capital, insurance, asset management,infrastructure finance and consultancy, and theexchanges of London. As the internationalambassador for the Square Mile and UK-basedfinancial services, Alderman Stuttard will be visitingboth countries, and others, to reinforce the City’sexperience in these areas.

The Lord Mayor’s role, and that of the City ofLondon Corporation as a whole, is to represent theCity both at home and abroad.The visits programmeis a vital part of this work and alongside general Citypromotion the Lord Mayor also works to take theCity’s message to key decision makers and legislatorsin the UK and Brussels. He is accompanied on manyvisits by delegations of senior City business figures –which already included Dr Chris Gibson-Smith,Chairman of the London Stock Exchange, AndreVilleneuve, Chairman of Euronext.LIFFE, and Sir Thomas Harris,Vice Chairman of StandardChartered Bank.

The high profile visits to China and India build onthe representation that has already been establishedin both countries to keep the momentum going withthe business communities there. Representatives arenow working on behalf of the City in Shanghai,Beijing and Shenzhen, and a City Office has beenestablished in Mumbai.

India and China are two of the ‘BRIC’countries

(Brazil, Russia, Indian and China) generallyrecognised to be those with the largest growthpotential, and therefore liable to have the greatestimpact in financial services, in the coming years.Alderman Stuttard will be the first Lord Mayor tovisit all four in his year of office but they form onlypart of his visits schedule – taking in such diversecountries as South Africa, Poland, and Vietnam.

Any Lord Mayor’s year reflects the general directionof the City Corporation and events in the widerbusiness City. It also builds on the individualstrengths and experience of the incumbent. 2007 willsee Alderman Stuttard visiting countries where thereis already a large involvement by the City, such asKuwait, and others where the Lord Mayor hasestablished links. Finland and China are examples ofthe latter. Alderman Stuttard has strong contacts

Overseas audience for Lord Mayor’s programme

The Lord Mayor’s role,and that of the City ofLondon Corporation asa whole, is to representthe City both at homeand abroad. The visitsprogramme is a vitalpart of this work.

C I T Y V I E W 13

there, having worked extensively in both countries,knowing the key players and having in-depthknowledge of the issues facing each and how the City can respond.

As an example, Qatar, which the Lord Mayor visited inFebruary, is an oil-rich country that wants to shift fromexporting its wealth to diversifying its economy andmanaging more of its own assets.To do this it isexploring ways to be less dependent on its oil andcreate more enterprise and initiative.The City canadvise on such issues as encouraging small businessesand private enterprise, raising private capital andaccessing foreign markets.

The visits are often reciprocal. A meeting at Mansion House in November looked at the future ofKazakhstan and delegates included its PresidentNursultan Nazarbayev (pictured opposite with theLord Mayor at Mansion House) along withrepresentatives from key city institutions to discusspossible opportunities in this mineral rich area. By thetime this edition of cityview is distributed, the LordMayor will have returned the compliment by visitingthe cities of Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

The Lord Mayor’s visits are coordinated incollaboration with the Foreign Office, UK Trade &Investment, IFSL and with organisations such as theSecurities and Investment Institute – supporting its

work in Islamic finance (for example in carbonemissions trading or corporate governance) – toensure a coherent approach to overseas businesspromotion.

But as well as the ‘corporate’duties of the role, theLord Mayor also has the opportunity to promote hisown theme for the year. For Alderman Stuttard thishas meant promoting the benefits of training andworking in the UK and of the benefits of UKprofessional qualifications and business education.City of London – City of Learning has become abrand for encouraging people to look to the UK fortheir expert study – particularly students from theGulf, India and China where the need for expertise inthese sectors is increasing .

The Lord Mayor sees this as another area in which theSquare Mile is a leading service provider and can offerfacilities and expertise that no other financial capitalcan match covering such subjects as accountancy,asset management, dispute resolution, insurance,property and shipping.

More information or to express an interest in being

involved in one of the Lord Mayor’s visits

020 7332 3099

pro@cityoflondon.gov.uk

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lordmayor

www.cityoflondonlearning.org.uk

Skills abroadAlderman’s Stuttard’s passionate

belief in the work of Voluntary

Service Overseas (VSO) goes

beyond just it being one of his

chosen charities for the year – it

has also tied in with his visits

abroad. His trip to Ghana in

January gave him the

opportunity to see the work

done by volunteers there who

share their skills to make a

practical lasting impact on

peoples’ lives. In March he

welcomed the Ghanian

President to Guildhall, during a

state visit, which included many

Fairtrade products on the menu

as part of a drive to give

producers a fairer deal.

2007 visits programme 28 March - 5 April

Kazakhstan

Russia

16 - 17 April

Portugal

(EU Pre-Presidency)

20 April - 5 May

Southern China

Malaysia

Vietnam

19 - 27 May

India

3 - 8 June

Denmark

Finland

10 - 12 July

Poland

23 August - 1 September

Brazil

1- 9 October

South Africa

13 - 28 October

Northern China

Hong Kong

Republic of Korea

C I T Y V I E W14

A R T S F O C U S

Samuel Pepys rescuing his bags

of gold at 4am in his nightshirt; a

woman rescuing an apron full of

chickens from the flames and

attacked by a mob thinking she

was an arsonist carrying fire

balls; Robert Hubert, the

scapegoat for the fire, hanged

before an official enquiry

exonerated him.

We may be familiar with facts of

the Great Fire of London but

what do we know about the

people who lived through the

terror of having their homes and

livelihood destroyed? Focusing

on eye-witness accounts,

London’s Burning – the Great Fire

of London 1666 is a new

exhibition at the Museum of

London which reveals the

personal side of the tragedy.

A dramatic video installation

transports visitors back to the

streets of 17th Century London

and lets them experience how

a bustling city, full of merchants,

traders and craft workers,

collapsed into ruins.

The fire began in the early hours

of Sunday 2 September 1666

and five days later only a fifth of

the City remained standing. A

17th century oven matching the

likely culprit for the fire’s origin in

Pudding Lane is on display, next

to the hopelessly ineffectual fire

fighting equipment of the day.

London’s Burning also tells of a

city’s remarkable survival, how

London responded to the fire

and rebuilt itself. The blame,

recriminations and summary

justices are all here - as are the

plans for new beginnings,

designed by Christopher Wren

and others, rejected for cost

reasons. But these sit side by side

with moving artistic responses to

the Great Fire, and the legal

procedures that were its legacy.

London’s Burning is now open.

If you can’t stand the heat…

More information

www.museumoflondon.org.uk

C I T Y V I E W 15

A R T S F O C U S

Finnish beginnings for modernist designs“The ultimate goal of the

architect… is to create a

paradise. Every house, every

product of architecture… should

be a fruit of our endeavour to

build an earthly paradise for

people.”

Whether or not you agree with his

sentiments, readers can judge for

themselves if Finnish architect

Alvar Aalto achieved his goals by

viewing an exhibition of his work

now on display at the Barbican

Art Gallery.

Models, drawings, photographs,

archive film and artefacts from 14

of his key projects, built mainly in

Scandinavia, show how his

approach to architecture

developed over 60 years.

Aalto is seen as one of the masters

of modernism – one of the central

figures of 20th century

architecture and design. He was

as much concerned with the

interiors of his buildings as the

structure and items such as his

famous stacking stool, glassware,

light fittings and textiles are also

on show (see if you can detect

echoes of his work in the products

of certain popular furnishing

suppliers!).

Domestic buildings, cultural, civic

and religious buildings, industrial

estates and urban planning to

furniture, light fittings, glass, textiles

and jewellery – Aalto’s work

stretched across them all.

“An individual architectural

assignment can serve as a

laboratory for experiments, where

one can test a variety of new

ideas that would be impossible to

apply to the present-day process

of mass production. The outcome

of these experiments can be

more widely applied and

eventually become available for

everyone.” This statement seems

very much in keeping with Aalto’s

belief that architecture should

defend the ‘little man’ and that

design could have an important

psychological effect (seen in his

approach to the Paimio

Tuberculosis Sanatorium 1929-33).

One person definitely influenced

by Aalto is leading Japanese

designer Shigeru Ban through

whose eyes Aalto’s work is seen in

the exhibition. Well known for his

use of materials such as paper

tubes to create remarkable

structures, Ban’s physical work

does not seem to follow the style

of Aalto but his design philosophy

does. Ban’s flowing ceiling and

wall made from paper tubes

form a key element of the

exhibition design.

Despite the generation and

geographical divide between

the two, this exhibition looks at

the themes that link both

architects and their shared

approach to design.

Alvar Aalto Through the Eyes of Shigeru Ban is on display at the

Barbican Art Gallery until 13 May.

More information 0845 1207550 www.barbican.org.uk/gallery

C I T Y V I E W16

N E W S I N B R I E F

...and finally

This month sees the launch of the

City’s cutting-edge new WiFi

mobility network.

Operated by The Cloud, the

network will offer state of the art

coverage across the Square Mile,

enabling the City’s 350,000

workers and many visitors to stay

connected while out and about.

With broadband speeds and

support for internet browsing,

VoIP calls, enterprise applications,

media downloading and sharing

(as well as internet gaming on

devices like the Nintendo DS),

there’s no shortage of great

reasons to get online wirelessly.

The Cloud’s network enables

users to get online with their

existing service provider (such as

BT Openzone, O2 and Vonage) or

to choose from flexible, low cost

tariffs. Just connect to ‘WiFi Zone

– The Cloud’ and open your

browser to get online!

More information

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/wifi

WiFi is go!

Between 3 and 14 September,

the City of London Corporation

will be visited by a team of

inspectors from the Audit

Commission – which ensures

public money is spent wisely to

achieve high-quality local

services. They will be carrying out

a “corporate assessment”

inspection as part of the CPA

regime (see page three).

The focus will be on how

effectively the City Corporation is

working corporately and with its

partners, such as the City Police

and the City and Hackney

Primary Care Trust, to improve

services and deliver improved

outcomes for residents,

businesses, workers and visitors.

It is expected that the inspectors

will be holding focus groups with

workers and residents, as well

as interviewing individuals within

the City Corporation and its

partner agencies.

More details will follow in the next

edition of cityview.

Assessment on the agenda

A breath of fresh air

The City of London Corporation is

looking for your view on subjects

such as transport, shopping,

housing, employment and

heritage that will help it form the

Core Strategy of its future planning

policies for the Square Mile.

The Core Strategy is the first of a

series of planning documents that

will together form the City’s Local

Development Framework. Other

documents will flow from it and

will contain more detailed

policies and proposals to put its

strategy into practice.

The City Corporation identified a

series of issues that the Core

Strategy should address and

consulted the City’s diverse

stakeholders in summer last year.

It is now looking for your views on

Preferred Options on the topics

and a series of focused meetings

will take place in April-May 2007

at the City Marketing Suite.

For further information about this

consultation or to take part in the

meetings contact us on 020 7332

1712 or ldf@cityoflondon.gov.uk

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ldf

From July 1 smoking in most

enclosed and partially enclosed

public premises and workplaces

(including vehicles) in England will

be against the law. For the City

this will mean everyone can work,

visit and relax in the Square Mile

free from second-hand smoke.

This covers offices, shops, pubs,

bars, public transport, taxis and

work vehicles used by more than

one person. Indoor smoking

rooms will no longer be permitted,

with limited exemptions for hotels.

Many City premises already

operate no-smoking policies but

all businesses and employers still

need to check the new

requirements to ensure that they

fully comply. The Department of

Health will be sending information

packs to businesses to prepare

them for compliance and City

Corporation officers will be

providing additional local advice

and guidance (including

reducing smoke-related litter).

Going ‘smoke free’ is expected to

save thousands of lives over the

next decade and experience in

other countries has shown it can

be better for business even in

the hospitality sector.

More information

Reducing smoke-related litter

020 7606 3110 ext 2212

Cleansing.streetcleansing@

cityoflondon.gov.uk

Compliance

0800 169 1697

www.smokefreeengland.co.uk

Smoking quitter programmes

for employees rsq.org.uk

Future development framework