Industry in the City

The City of London has been inhabited for over a thousand of years. At one point, what we view as the Square Mile was actually the full extent of London. Find out more about the hidden industries that make up the rich history of the City below.

Tailoring

After the partial collapse of the City staple, TM Lewin, I look at how tailoring shaped much of the East of the City and how immigration has always played a crucial role in London life.

Heavy Industry

We don’t think of the Square Mile as being an area where things were made. But, for much of its history, it was a manufacturing centre that could rival the Northern powerhouse. Find out more about key inventions and dirty industry.

Transport

With Covid bringing a temporary stop to the commute, I look at some of the abandoned transport methods of the past, along with weird and wonderful ideas that never made it off the drawing board.

Banking: Part 1

I look at the earliest development of the City into a banking hub and how one banking family bought and sold half of the United States.

Banking: Part 2

Following my previous article, I look at the key role that banking in the City held in Empire and its connections with Wellington and the Suez canal.

Banking: Part 3

My final article in the sub-series looks at the development of retail banking and how its development shapes all of our lives.