TfL signs £79.7m five year deal with Serco to upgrade the capital’s thousands of Boris bikes October 3, 2016 Transport for London (TfL) has signed a deal with Serco to develop the next generation of London’s cycle hire scheme, Santander Cycles. The five year contract is valued at £79.7m and Serco will distribute and maintain the hire scheme, while the upgraded bike will be made by Pashley Cycles, a Stratford-upon-Avon firm which celebrated its [...]
Let’s celebrate the incredible generosity of spirit that powers London’s businesses October 3, 2016 In my role as lord mayor, I lead business delegations to key international markets to strengthen commercial ties and promote Britain as one of the best places in which to invest and trade. I am always struck by the positive perception of the UK as not only a good place to do business, but also as a [...]
London bus bursts into flames at Liverpool Street station October 2, 2016 A London bus burst into flames near Liverpool Street station on Sunday morning, blocking roads in the City. The fire ripped through the routemaster bus at around 10am this morning. London Fire Brigade attended the incident and the fire was extinguished, leaving the area cordoned off around the shell of the burnt out vehicle. It's understood [...]
Landlords threaten to hike rents after tax changes kick in October 1, 2016 Landlords have claimed they will be forced to raise rents as a result of the government's string of tax changes and crackdowns on the buy to let sector. A new survey also revealed private sector landlords will not be able to invest as much in improving their properties as a result of the extra charges [...]
Cronut craze: I queued for two hours for a £4 pastry and this is what I learned September 30, 2016 In 2013, Dominique Ansel’s New York bakery started selling a croissant-doughnut hybrid, which he called the Cronut. Nine days later, he’d registered the pastry’s name and crowds of people were queueing around the block to try the odd new delicacy. Now the super-baker has brought his brand, and his Cronuts, to London. The store opened [...]
The original Cronut has come to London, as Dominique Ansel Bakery opens in Belgravia September 30, 2016 Remember the Cronut, the half-croissant, half-donut which caused New Yorkers to queue for hours outside Domonique Ansel's bakery in Soho, New York – as well as various copyright disputes? Well, it's come to London, after Ansel opened his latest branch in the capital at 8am this morning. Reports suggested baking enthusiasts had been queuing since 5am to get [...]
Our response to #Tube_chat says something important about Londoners September 30, 2016 It appalled Londoners and baffled outsiders, it broke the internet and sent the capital’s commuters into paroxysms of fear – yes, yesterday, someone tried, very gently, to persuade Tube users to speak to one another. The effort did not go down well. Reports of badges bearing the legend “Tube chat?” being handed out at Old [...]
Massive business rate hikes will be a disaster for growth and investment in London September 29, 2016 Hundreds of thousands of companies across the UK are nervously awaiting today’s release of new property valuation data that will determine how much they will have to pay in business rates. As if the prospect of having their rateable values reassessed after a seven-year gap wasn’t scary enough, government announcements this week create a toxic [...]
Revealed: The man behind #Tube_chat (spoiler: He’s American) September 29, 2016 It's the phenomenon that has appalled the capital – now City A.M. can exclusively reveal the motive behind #Tube_chat. NHS worker Jonathan Dunne is the man behind the badges encouraging Tube commuters to perform a decidedly un-Londonish act, and actually talk to each other. It won't surprise many to learn that Dunne is originally from the US – [...]
A rare Black Moon will rise over the capital on Friday: Here’s everything we know September 29, 2016 A rare astrological event will take place this Friday: a so-called black moon will rise above the capital. It only happens once every couple of years. Here's what you need to know. What is a black moon? It's essentially the opposite of a blue moon. So whereas a blue moon is when two full moons take place [...]