Power and Scandals in the City of London (Private Tour)

Sturdy guildhalls, ancient pubs, and elegant exchanges bear testament to London’s long wealth, while all around invisible trillions of pounds are traded between the gleaming towers of modern finance.

For generations, millions have come to this great city of opportunity, awaiting their place upon the wheel of fortune. But for every honest trader, there have been those determined to make their success by fair means or foul - those who seek to push the line of legality, and perhaps drift over it. This tour is their story; the story of London’s most notorious and extraordinary financial frauds, a tale of wealth, avarice, and ruin. 

* Hear the obscure tale of how Lloyd’s of London began as Lloyd’s Coffeehouse 
* See Leadenhall market – the renowned haven for lunchtime drinking among insurance workers 
* Immerse yourself in the scandals of fraudulent offshore banks, hoodwinking, and shady syndicates

Discover the origins of the East India Trading Company and London’s port history– where once forests of ship masts stretched across the river. As you walk Leadenhall Street, hear the tale of the Lloyd’s Names scandal of the 1990’s and allegations – left unproven—of ‘recruit to dilute’ syndicate liability. Then learn about the South Sea Bubble, the collapse of which shook Britain to its core.

Entering Change Alley,your guide will paint for you the portrait of the street as it stood 300 years ago - a crowded alley, filled with traders, rumour, and wild financial speculation as the South Sea frenzy reached its height. Walking the short distance to Cheapsideand the former site of the Mercer’s Hall, your guide will describe the frantic meeting of South Sea company creditors that took place here in 1720, before exploring the Bubble’s bitter denouement.