I’m not normally one to write grandiose articles about my travels (especially as I don’t go very far) but this is a trip I’ve wanted to do for years and is heavily business-orientated so should be of interest.

This isn’t a comprehensive guide to every possible business attraction you could do in London. It’s the three I went to and I’ll try and give some decent feedback and a feel for each place.

The Bank of England

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street: ever since I found out that you could actually visit the Bank of England (via its museum) I have wanted to go.

Three years on (a pandemic and some injuries later) I found myself exiting Bank Underground Station giddy with excitement facing the building that has been pivotal in our nation’s economic stability.

The museum is tucked down a side street (but still part of the actual Bank of England building) and has an interesting take on displaying the information and exhibits.

Without giving too much away, a large focus of the museum is on the bank’s role in the economy and financial markets with an aim to achieving fiscal stability. The displays on this were very interesting but I can’t say I learnt a great deal apart from a few facts on the PRA.

Another area of focus is bank notes and their history. Looking at how they’d progressed from handwritten bits of paper to the technical polymer ones we have now was pretty interesting especially with the focus on the modern security features.

I’d highly recommend a trip to the Bank of England however there isn’t loads in the museum so don’t expect it to fill a day – still an amazing place though.

Museum of Brands

The Museum of Brands is a bit of hidden gem tucked away in Notting Hill very close to Ladbroke Grove Underground Station.

Through its ‘Time Tunnel’ the museum has thousands of items relating to consumer culture from the Victorian Era to present day – showing how society and brands have progressed and endured tough times.

In addition to the main exhibit, the museum also has a fascinating display about the role of brands in society and recent examples of when major corporations have taken a stand on issues. This was my favourite bit because it links to a lot of the things I’ve covered here and also learnt about.

Canary Wharf

Less of an attraction par se but the skyline of Canary Wharf has become synonymous with business. I’m sure you (like me) have seen the buildings that house our great financial companies a multitudinous amount of times and now I’ve seen them for real.

Firstly, the buildings are really big. I don’t know what I was expecting but they were considerably taller than I’d ever imagined, craning your neck won’t suffice to look at the buildings housing our bastions of commerce.

While on the subject of Canary Wharf, I’d also like to say the new Elizabeth Line station and roof garden is splendid. I’m not 100% sure why they justified building it but it’s a lovely thing they did.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed my financial adventure in London. Two of the places I visited were buildings I’d always wanted to see and they fully lived up to my expectations. I’d fully recommend visiting (provided this sort of thing is up your street, otherwise you’ll find it immensely dull).

Do comment your thoughts below.