Bishopsgate | >Re-PHOTO

Climate Rush & Cleaners 2009

Climate Rush & Cleaners: On Thursday March 5th 2009 Climate Rush and friends staged a colourful protest against the huge support being given to the banks while the people were having to pay the price for their irresponsible and dishonest behaviour which had precipitated the financial crisis. I left their protest to photograph cleaners who were protesting at Willis Group insurance brokers demanding to be paid a living wage and better conditions of service.

Climate Rush hits RBS HQ

RBS, 250 Bishopsgate

Climate Rush & Cleaners 2009 — *Tamsin Omond says ‘Give us our money back and stop trashing the planet’*

Here’s what I wrote back in 2009:

“The banks would have gone bankrupt but the government stepped in and paid off the former bosses – including Sir Fred Goowin of RBS – with double gold plated platinum pension pots as a reward for their greed, incompetence and dodgy investments. But even under the new management – unfortunately not of the people who are still just ripped off – the banks continue to bankroll the trashing of the planet, backing schemes such as a coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth.

So the Climate Rush came to the HQ of the RBS in Bishopsgate to protest (and party), drawing media attention to the bank’s crimes against the planet. Around a couple of hundred protesters, some in various costumes, a cycled hauled sound system for speeches and music and some lively dancers made it an enjoyable protest for those taking part and those passing by – and a little more to remember and talk about than a simple static protest.”

This was a piece of street theatre but the police had come out in force, obviously expecting something different, part of a growing paranoia about the coming ‘Storm The Banks‘ protest which this was advertised here and elsewhere to take place on April 1st. Obviously the police do not understand hyperbole.

In the lead up to April 1st, the G20 Meltdown – Financial Fools Day police (and politicians) released a number of provocative statements to try and justify the actions they were intending to take against the protesters – including the peaceful Climate Camp on Bishopsgate.

On April 1st, there was some disruptive action by protesters but the police went wild. I’d left a peaceful protest at Bank when I saw that police were beginning to kettle the protesters as I wanted to cover an event at the US Embassy. Had I stayed I too might have been assaulted by police like a fellow photographer. A police baton took out much of his teeth – he later received a large cash settlement from the police for his injuries and the cost of extensive dental treatment.

Later riot police stormed peaceful protesters in the Climate Camp who raised their hands in the air chanting “this is not a riot!” and later got they even more out of hand, wantonly smashing property and people. It was a riot, but by the police.

And Ian Tomlinson, an innocent bystander, going home through the Bank area after his work as a newsvendor, died after an unprovoked attack by a riot police officer.

On March 5th, the police simply stood and watched the protest – more a carnival, with presentations of the ‘RBS Financial Fool‘ award – a dead parrot – and the ‘No New Coal Award‘ and much music and dancing.

More pictures on My London Diary at Climate Rush at RBS.

Cleaners for Justice demonstrate at Willis

Lime St

Cleaners at Willis Group, one of the City’s largest insurance brokers with offices facing those of Lloyds, were protesting outside the Willis building after five cleaners were sacked for trying to organise cleaners to take action and campaign for a living wage and better conditions of service.

Unite had been one of the unions involved in the Justice for Cleaners campaign which was launched in May 2006, but were no longer supporting the cleaners – and Unite had even agreed with the Willis management that these outsourced cleaners would not hold demonstrations outside the offices without informing them, They refused to support the sacked cleaners against their employer Mitie.

So the cleaners decided they needed a union that would support them, and went to the London branch of the Industrial Workers of the World, established in 2005 at the time of the centenary of the international IWW movement.

Later cleaners formed their own grass roots unions, the IWGB, CAIWU and the UVW who branched out to support other low paid workers, with very successful campaigns against outsourcing, low pay and harassment, gaining the London Living Wage for many of their members.

Cleaners for Justice demonstrate at Willis

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Anti-Capitalist Carols in the City – 2012

On Tuesday 18th December 2012 I met a small group of anti-capitalist protesters from the St Paul’s Cathedral Occupy London camp at 3pm at Liverpool Street Station.

For the next couple of hours I went with them as they visited businesses and banks around the city to sing anti-capitalist carols against tax avoiders, bailed out banks and others in a peaceful and seasonal protest.

They had a special song for Starbucks – to the tune of ‘Let It Snow’ with the first verse::

Oh the cost of living's frightful
Some relief would be delightful
So don't leave us in the muck
Tax Starbucks, tax Starbucks, tax Starbucks

There were another three verses, reminding us and Starbucks and the customers sitting drinking their coffee that corporate and elite tax evasion costs the nation £33 billion a year.

We walked out onto Bishopsgate and they gave their next performance outside the doors to the bankers offices at 125 Bishopsgate where security were not showing a happy Christmas spirit.

Away in the Caymnans, the Plutocrats wept
Because, we the people
are listing their debts
We're no longer fooled by
Divide and delay, we're planting the seeds,
But they're making hay...

The group moved cross the street to the RBS, reminding them the government supported the banks with an unimaginable £1.162 trillion. The several carols there, included:

Silent debt, holy debt
All is owed, all is wrecked
Round on poor; father, mother and child
public services tendered and priced
sleep in poverty please
sleep in poverty please

There were similar performances outside the various other banks as we made our way through the city towards the Bank of England. There was a another carol for Ramsay Health Care, a company involved in the creeping privatisation of the NHS, on Old Broad Street:

What shall we do with our public services
What shall we do with our public services
Shall we sell off our public services
That's where Thatcher left it!

When we got to HSBC on the corner of Old Broad St and London Wall everyone walked inside to sing, including some of the police who were by now taking part – if silently – in the proceedings. After a couple of carols – and some posed photographs – the group went out.

On Old Broad Street there was another Starbucks – and again the carollers went inside to entertain and inform the customers.

Next it was time to visit another bank – the RBS on Threadneedle St – and by now a few more singers had joined the group.

We walked up to the Guildhall – the medieval centre of the City, which had its own carol, to the tune of Good King Wenceslas:

Bad George Osborne last looked out
In the Autumn budget
Nothing to be proud about
So he had to fudge it
Said though things don't look that great
We are on the right track
Bullshit George, NHS you hate
Now it's time to fight back.

On the way back towards the Royal Exchange there was another Starbucks to enter and treat to a carol and couple more banks to sing outside – Lloyds stopped them from entering.

But the finest performance of the day came inside the grand banking hall of the NatWest on Poultry, where bank staff seemed quite amused by the performance, and some from the upper floors came to the balconies to watch and listen. I’d not been inside the building before and was pleased to be able to see it – and to take a few pictures.

Again after a couple of carols the group left quietly and crossed to the Royal Exchange where they performed on the steps as city workers rushed by to Bank tube station.

By then I was getting a little tired and cold, having been mainly on the street for a couple of hours. The carol singers had decided to split into two groups now their numbers had grown to visit more places, but I decided to get on a bus and start my journey home.

More pictures at Anti-Capitalist Carols in the City.

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Circle The City – 2014

Circle The City: On Sunday 18th May 2014 I accompanied my wife who was taking part in a sponsored walk around churches in the City of London to raise money for Christian Aid, part of the activities in Christian Aid Week. The 2025 Christian Aid Week ended yesterday (17 May 2025) but it isn’t too late to donate towards their work with local partners and communities in countries around the world “to fight injustice, respond to humanitarian emergencies, campaign for change, and help people claim the services and rights they are entitled to.”

Christian Aid is one of the better aid charities, currently working through local grass roots organisations in some of most vulnerable communities in 29 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. They don’t give money to governments and the projects they support are organised and managed by local people – with robust procedures to ensure the money is spent effectively. Some of those they support are Christian but many are not – something which has led to some churches failing to support their work.

Other churches have decided against supporting Christian Aid because of their political campaigning, “pressing for policies that can best help the poor…. All we care about is eradicating poverty and injustice and the causes of these.” Compared to some other large charities they are more efficient, with 84p in every pound donated “working for long-term change, responding to humanitarian emergencies and using our voice to call for global change“.

The event was extremely well organised, with those taking part getting maps and directions at St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside where there was a service before the walk. People also collected red helium-filled balloons to carry on the walk, and some of these were tied to mark the route and the various points – mainly churches where marchers could get their sponsorship forms signed as they walked around which also had Christian Aid bunting.

*Bevis Marks Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Great Britain, built in 1701*

Most of the churches were open for people to walk around and some had refreshments and toilets. It would have been hard to get lost, but some people have zero sense of direction and find it difficult to hold a map the right way up and my presence was helpful. But I had really gone along to keep my wife company – and of course to take some pictures, some of which appeared in her church magazine.

*A yurt at the rear of St Ethelburga-the-Virgin within Bishopsgate*

I’d visited most of the City churches before and photographed inside them, but there are a few that are seldom open to the public but opened up for the occasion, and I also took other pictures as we walked around. Most of them, even those of other buildings include other marchers and some of the churches were crowded with them. Those red balloons didn’t always improve my pictures, but I also ate more cake than on my other city walks.

There are many more pictures in the post on My London Diary at Christian Aid Circle the City.

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IWW Demand ‘Reinstate Alberto’, Occupy & London, 2012

IWW Demand ‘Reinstate Alberto’, Occupy & London: On Friday 10th February 2012 I came to London to photograph a rush hour protest calling for the reinstatement of an office cleaner sacked for his union activities. I came early to wander a little from Waterloo and pay a visit to Occupy London on the way there, and also took a few pictures on my way home after the protest.

IWW Cleaners Demand ‘Reinstate Alberto’ – Heron Tower, Bishopsgate

IWW Demand 'Reinstate Alberto', Occupy & London, 2012

Cleaners were protesting outside the 230 metre tall Heron Tower (now Salesforce Tower) at 110 Bishopsgate, completed in 2007 when it then was the tallest building in the City of London.

Alberto Durango
IWW Demand 'Reinstate Alberto', Occupy & London, 2012 — *Alberto Durango speaks outside Heron Tower*

The protest called for the reinstatement of IWW Branch Secretary Alberto Durango who had been sacked, victimised for his trade union activities, after the cleaning contract for the building had been taken over by a new contractor, Incentive FM Group Ltd.

Alberto who worked as a cleaner in the Heron Tower had become well known for his campaigning activities in and around the City of London, which have helped to secure better working conditions and the London Living Wage for many of the cleaners who work in London’s prestigious offices. He was then the Industrial Workers of the World Cleaners and Allied Trades Branch Secretary and in 2011 had won the fight for workers at Heron Tower to be paid the London Living Wage and an agreement with the then employer that there would be no redundancies there with any staff reductions needed being made by transfers to alternative posts.

Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) the new employer should have continued to recognise this agreement. Instead they refused to do so and picked on Alberto, making him redundant.

The same management also controlled Exchange Tower where the IWW were carrying out a campaign to get cleaners the London Living Wage and where they have taken a very aggressive stance against the union, threatening the union members. The protesters connected Alberto’s sacking with his role there as union Branch Secretary.

This was a very loud protest with speakers using a powerful megaphone and drummers from Rhythms of Resistance adding their loud beats as office workers from Heron Tower and the many other offices in the area were making their way home in the evening rush hour.

The pavement outside the area owned by Heron Tower on Bishopsgate is relatively narrow and police rightly insisted that there needed to be a clear route along it for workers to get past without having to step into the busy road. So my 15mm fisheye lens was extremely useful, though it does make the area look much more spacious than it was.

In February the protest began a quarter of an hour after sunset, and light was fading fast. Although the City streets are generally well light both from street lighting and by the light from the huge areas of glass on the front of modern buildings I used added lighting for many of the pictures, either with a hand held LED light or flash on camera. But neither light source can cover the 180 degree diagonal view of the fisheye and those pictures rely on available light only. Its f2.8 maximum aperture helped – and it was a stop faster than the wide-angle zoom used for almost all the other images. In some at least of the pictures I think the fish-eye effect works well too.

More at IWW Cleaners Demand Reinstate Alberto.

Occupy London & Other Pictures – St Paul’s Cathedral

Although there were still plenty of tents in St Paul’s Churchyard as I walked through they were all tightly closed and the occupiers were still out protesting the music anti-piracy proposals at the British Music House in Soho.

I was a disappointed at not meeting any of them, although I hadn’t arranged to do so and it did allow me to take a few pictures of the site without any distractions, though by the time I’d wandered there taking a few pictures on the way including from the Millenium footbridge I was in a hurry to get to the Heron Tower.

After the protest at the Heron Tower I took a bus back to Westminster and made a few pictures in the subway leading from the station to the Houses of Parliament and under the Emabankment towards the Thames before walking across the bridge and to Waterloo Station.

More pictures Occupy London Still At St Pauls.

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City Heights, 1987

Throgmorton St, City, 1987 87-11a-66-positive_2400 — *Throgmorton St, City, 1987*

The view from the west end of Throgmorton St has changed a little since 1987 but is still recognisable. Largely Victorian or Edwardian at ground level, but dominated vertically by the two towers, both technically on Old Broad Street, though the right hand one, then the Stock Exchange, had an entrance and a long frontage on Throgmorton St.

Stock Exchange, Throgmorton St, City, 1987 87-11a-62-positive_2400 — *Stock Exchange, Throgmorton St, City, 1987*

The London Stock Exchange has a long history from its origins at Jonathan’s Coffee House in Change Alley (though presumably it only got that name later) in 1698. Even older was Stock’s Market, which the City of London plaque at Mansion House dates from 1282-1737, but despite that plaque being featured on the Stock Exchange web site, that was a food market which got its name from the wooden stocks where miscreants would have their legs locked and be subjected to insults and pelted with rotten food, stones and anything else that came to hand. Unfortunately despite being a hotbed of criminal activity there are no stocks at the modern stock exchange.

In 1972 the Stock Exchange moved from Capel Court where it had been since 1802 to a new building, the Stock Exchange Tower, at 125 Old Broad Street. This building with a squashed hexagonal floor plan had a long frontage on Throgmorton St and was 100m high with 26 floors. The Stock Exchange moved out to Paternoster Square in 2004, but the building is still standing, though in disguise, its concrete now hidden behind a glass wall, and with some added office space in new building at the side.

Nat West Tower, Old Broad St, City, 1987 87-11b-55-positive_2400 — *Nat West Tower, Old Broad St, City, 1987*

Also still in place, though a little altered is the Nat West Tower, between Old Broad St and Bishopsgate, and in 1987 there was a highwalk underneath it that led to a pedestrian bridge crossing Bishopsgate.

The Natwest Tower, completed in 1980, was 183 metres tall, and was the talllest building in the UK until the Canary Wharf Tower was completed in 1990. It remained the tallest building in the City until 2009. It required extensive refurbishment over several years after being damaged by the IRA Bishopsgate bomb in 1993. Natwest moved elsewhere and in 1995 it was renamed Tower 42, referencing the 42 floors cantilevered out above its base. The highwalk was not replaced after the bombing.

Nat West Tower, Old Broad St, City, 1987 87-11b-64-positive_2400 — *Nat West Tower, Old Broad St, City, 1987*

Although these walkways were open to the public, they were private property and although I photographed from them on several occasions, apparently photography was not allowed. On one occasion after taking some pictures I was approached by a very apologetic security manager in a suit and tie, who told me that photography was not allowed, before walking with me to the line on the pavement marking the the boundary to the property and inviting me to continue taking pictures from there.

Bishopsgate, City, 1987 87-11b-16-positive_2400 — *Bishopsgate, City, 1987*

I think this was the door to a bank, and I’m sure it was on Bishopsgate or possibly its southern continuation, Gracechurch St. I’ve walked along there a few times in recent years and I think both the door and the building it was on have been replaced.

St Helen's Bishopsgate, Great St Helens, City, 1987 87-11b-32-positive_2400 — St Helen’s Bishopsgate, Great St Helens, City, 1987

The bridge across Bishopsgate had steps down in front of an office building on the corner of Bishopsgate and Great St Helen’s, a short street leading to the church of St Helen’s Bishopsgate. This is really two churches and is one of the few churches in the City to have escaped destruction both in the 1666 Great Fire and the Blitz. The church (at left) was there before 1210 when permission was given to build a Benedictine nunnery at its right, the two parts almost but not quite indentical.

Interesting stories are told about some of the things the nuns and priests at times got up to, but it was more the marital activities of Henry VIII that led to him declaring himself head of the Church of England in 1536, following which this and other nunneries were dissolved with the wall dividing the two parts being removed in 1538. There have of course been various alterations since then, particularly in the Victorian era, and it required restoration after being damaged by IRA bombing nearby in 1992-3 providing an opportunity to reverse some of those Victorian changes.

Lloyd's, Leadenhall St, City, London, 1987 87-11b-21-positive_2400 — Lloyd’s, Leadenhall St, City, London, 1987

Walking past the St Helen’s Bishopsgate leads to Undershaft, St Mary Axe and Leadenhall St, though much of the area that was back then open is now occupied by giant towers which hide the Lloyds Building until you are rather closer. Even back in 1987 it was a building I felt I’d photographed too much – though even now it’s difficult to resist yet another picture. But perhaps this one was just a little different.

More on page 7 of my album 1987 London Photos.

All photographs on this and my other sites, unless otherwise stated, are taken by and copyright of Peter Marshall, and are available for reproduction or can be bought as prints.