For my buddies Richard and Rory...

[Greg Truby]

and any other Londoners.

Can y'all explain ta this ol' cowpoke jus' what was all da fussin' 'n' cussin' o'er ta yer side o' da pond this week? The news on the tele was having a field day with something about authorities advising bankers to "dress casual" so's not ta rile up the wingnuts.

Any of y'all have any interesting (and hopefully no worse) stories? Rest yer boots on the brass rail and yer elbows on the bar 'n' regale us.

 

[Kevlarhead]

Dunno if you noticed, but there's been a certain amount of economic uncertainty lately... a mass protest/potential riot against the banks and banking systems that have triggered the current mess causes concern when:

a: many people have lost their jobs and

b: there are strong and sustained calls for the financial sector to be beheaded en masse.

Plus there were some of the standard crusty anarchists come out of retirement to start a bit of aggro. And the bankers didn't help matters by waving £10 notes out their office windows, and telling the masses to get a job. And AIG's main loss-making subsiduary is in London. That's where your bailout money is going, folks...

 

[Oorang]

rofl... Best. headline. ever. "Bankers advised not to agro crusty anarchists or they may take damage."

 

[texasalynn]

and what about the gift to the Queen. What was that all about?

 

[Colin Legg]

The news on the tele was having a field day with something about authorities advising bankers to "dress casual" so's not ta rile up the wingnuts.

Any of y'all have any interesting (and hopefully no worse) stories? Rest yer boots on the brass rail and yer elbows on the bar 'n' regale us.

You mean that you actually got "international" news on the TV which was OUTSIDE of the USA?!!


It's certainly been an interesting time and I followed the news closely while I was in the office yesterday. One good result: I was allowed to leave work early before the demonstration had reached my building.
Luckily I had today booked off so I could attend the Excel conference which was tremendous.

 

[barry houdini]

From my perspective very little happened really, Greg........

I work close to both Buckingham Palace and Downing Street so there were the usual road closures and some disruption when Obama and the other World leaders came round for tea.......but apart from that not much seemed different from usual.

I travel through the City of London (the financial centre) every day on the tube and while there were a few less Herberts in pinstripes (they're a dying breed anyway) not much else was different.

I assume Rory works in the City, so perhaps he saw more than me, there were some demos and a few windows broken but that seems to have been confined to a relatively small area......

I would have dressed down myself but there really isn't very far to go.

BTW, I assume the "Bankers waving tenners" story is the same urban myth the papers trotted out last time, apart from an isolated idiot I doubt whether there's any truth in it.......

 

[schielrn]

Luckily I had today booked off so I could attend the Excel conference which was tremendous.

I was wondering why the lounge was a little quiet as well as the board. Now it makes sense that all the UK folks were at their Excel Conference.

I thought I remember there being better answers on the board and now I know why.

j/k

 

[DonkeyOte]

Luckily I had today booked off so I could attend the Excel conference which was tremendous.

Conference was good, trains were empty, all in all a good day !

Nice to finally put some faces to names (handles) ... hopefully the London contingent can meet up again some time ... perhaps for a drink or two... Rory's buying apparently...

 

[RoryA]

I have to say I didn't see much either apart from a collection of the worst "smart casual" wear I have ever seen. Drowning in a sea of chinos on the train... (I wore my suit as usual on principle)
The protesters I did see all appeared to be pretty well behaved and I don't believe the bankers waving tenners stories either - as far as I can tell, most were either extremely nervous or staying at home.
In a slightly unfortunate stereotype, one of my colleagues did comment that he thought the protest was great as it made the City so quiet, it was really easy to get a table for lunch!

 

[Domski]

Was down in London but didn't see much at all although I gather there was a bit of a fracas between the great unwashed and the local constabulary at one point.

I particularly liked the photo in the paper of one crusty throwing a computer monitor through a bank's window completely surrounded by paparazzi with their cameras poised. If they hadn't been there, most likely egging him on, nothing would probably have happened.