In London, on business for a few days...

In London, on business for a few days...

Always a pleasure to return to this city, my second visit within a few months.

London is getting that reputation of being truly the city of the new century (if one can say this that early in the century!) After Paris in the XIXe century and New-York in the XXth, London for the XXIst! (Wait until the mid-century when we e will probably talk of Shanghai as THE ONE!)

Why is that? The immigration factor most likely; a massive influx of immigrants from everywhere...or is this rather the result? Some argue that what we have been witnessing over the last 10 years or so is the direct positive consequences of Thatcher (after the "negative" effects). Blair has built on this with his "cool Britannia" message, and a new dynamism seems to have sprung from all of that. So people from all over the world came. From the Indian sub-continent, a tradition, but also from Eastern Europe, starting with the Russians and the billionaire oligarchs, and more recently the Poles - 300,000 of the latter over the last 3 years!

The numbers are staggering: Greater London is 7.5M people. It is 15 times larger, spacewise, than Paris. 100,000 net immigrant arrivals on average over the last 10 years, to add to the natural net growth of 50,000 to 70,000. Compensated in part by a net annual outflow of residents of some 80,000 people leaving the capital for the rest of the country. "The Brits have left London" a business acquaintance and long-time resident of MayFair tells us. And he is not exagerating: 35% of London residents were born abroad, a number that is expected to grow rapidly to 50%!

So why are they coming? The French are a good example: 300,000 residents; 100,000 more than 10 years ago. So much that Sarkozy felt the need to campaign here during the last Presidential; with the message that he will make France look like what they came here for! The lure is strong for the French, with a rosy view of possibilities here versus the uninspiring mood in their native country. The reality is that aside from a minority that gravitates around the financial circles and occupy plush positions in the City or Canarie Wharf, the bulk of them works in the restauration and hospitality sectors.But they are staying, and more and more so permanently it seems.

Stayed at the Park Lane Intercontinental. Freshly renovated. Very subdued lobby, with a clean reception counter without any of the frequent clutter. Room well appointed, with lots of wood, and cosy. Very eclectic crowd, cosmopolitan. Bar busy; usual crowd and the expected hang-ons, smiling and winking at you for a bit of business...

Traffic worsened by streets around the parks blocked for the start of this year's Tour de France, which London is hosting for somewhere around 10M pounds! Enraging taxi drivers cursing their free-spending mayor, Ken Livingstone. But we are getting around. In fact, we were expecting worst because of security measures after the recent aborted terrorist attempts here and in Glasgow. It made no difference at the airport though - not faster or slower than usual. My colleague, always a bit paranoid when it comes to logistics, left the hotel 3hours and a half before his flight: it was not more than an hour later that he was texting me from the confort of the business lounge! For myself I followed the advice of this monthly-out-of-town tripper: take a 15 to 20 min cab ride to Kensington station and the 15-minute train to Heathrow; a bit of a walk when you get there - but I left 2 hours before my flight, and time to waste shopping at the dutyfree shop. Beats the 45min to an hour taxi ride to the airport and the 70 pounds fare!

Foodwise. Best lunch (and breakfast at the Intercon new "coffee shop", the Cookbook Cafe, an open-concept eatery, with a large table at the center of the place for entrees and desserts, and open kitchen for everyone to see on the side.
Had a business dinner, with a group of 7 or 8, at long-established Elena's Etoile. Private room; 3rd floor. Fine but nothing that was outstanding. Were scheduled for dinner at Pont de la Tour, on the Thames, which has had mixed reviews - very high and very low! - but opted out in the end for something walking distance - a good 20 minutes - from the hotel, Cecconi's at the suggestion of our resident friend, well versed with the local restaurant scene and obviously a frequent patron as the owner-manager comes to greet him and us as we come in, and show us to the "royal box" - a reference perhaps to the fact that the Queen and her husband do come here from time to time for lunch...

August 2007