April 1st - City & CW Workers

Nope - can't be arsed with the potential disruption. As far as my permanently based London colleagues go, I don't think they have the option unless there is widespread trouble.

My office is near BoE and I've been to the police briefings - we are definately all working from home and treating as a disaster recovery practice

Thursday is a no go too. Obama is going to Canning Town aka Excel

If it's CW on Canada Sq, it's a Private Estate, so they can't enter, the rest of the area is public right of way.

Yep - they are apparently beefing up security around the CW estate. It's more the transport disruption that makes me think twice. My journey back up to the Midlands is bad enough without having to deal with road/DLR closures etc.

I work at CW but haven't had any info from my employer so far about whether they expect us to come in or not. I think my building could well be a target though so will decide nearer the time if I should work from home or not.

BGB - When you have driven down onto the Island , did you have your car swabbed? When I took my MIL up to meet her beloved Son for lunch, I told her that they do a courtesy dusting of the steering wheel.

My City friends are all going in but dressing down.

My H is working in the City then going to a black tie dinner ??

? Waaah @ Mr Knownowt / Raffles. Make him carry a cane and wear a monocle.

In our city office the staff have been told to dress down and the main entrance will not be in use. All visits to the premises from our office have been cancelled as well I believe. You will only be able to enter with a security pass and I think no guest passes will be issued.

H's place have been told to dress down and advised not to look 'like bankers dressed down'? In fact they have been advised to err on the side of scruffy. H is also working to ensure the systems for remote working are sufficient to cope with the expected demand, so obviously some staff have already been advised not to go in.

From a North Not Londoner what is due to happen? It sounds like the start of WW3 or that at the very least the world is due to end?!

<please excuse my ignorance, I am working an extra 20 hours a week at the sec on top of everything else and have seen no TV and only a brief flick through the daily Hate at work>

WSS, Im intrigued...

Demo's about Bankers & Climate.

Planned protests from 4 different points around the City (financial Fools Day) - Last time a big demo happened in 1999, it got out of hand . Lots of people hurt & a few Million £' s of damage.

Then on Thursday with the G20 being held at Excel , they will be at Canary Wharf & then onto Excel .

G20?

www.headheritage.co.uk/uknow/news/

I'm in CW and we've not been given any information, directives or advice as yet.

I imagine the security for Thursday is going to be horrific what with Obama, Brown and co just a few stops down the DLR from us.

Will wait to see what happens.

Ah thanks for that, had no idea..

My employers havnt mentioned anything but my building is bang in the centre of the city near lots of banks inc bank of england and right next to the gerkin building!! Im hoping they will say we can work from home but who knows!

I'm not sure how affected we'll be. Our office is at Blackfriars, so a bit away from where all the main demonstrations will be. The London Lite last night gave the advice of dressing down in chinos and loafers so that you weren't identifiable as a city worker ?

Ha ha CD i saw that!! chinos - who owns them!!! (apoligies to anyone that does!! hahah)

Also leave status cars at home .... ?

If you work in boat sales - you own a pair ? Seriously, visit a boat show - blue shirts and cream chinos everywhere you look ?

Oh dear!!!?

We've been told that the firm will make a decision about it in the next few days. (In other words - wait and see what everyone else does and then follow suit). We have an office at The Gherkin and I'm currently in our new building on Bishopsgate, right opposite RBS. Should be interesting!

Hey littlebubs you work right by me.

I went to Halifax today (bishopsgate) and they have a notice saying that branch is actually going to be closed April 1st and 2nd!

I work in CityPoint (just off Moorgate) and we've not been told one way or the other if we have to come into work. Hopefully, I'll be able to work from home that day )

I'm at 201, the big shiny new building.

Campergirl - I work right near and so far we haven't been told a thing! I'm hoping we'll hear something later today.

TBH its made me a bit nervous! I really hope there aren't violent protests for everyone's sake.

<slightly aside> my wedding venue closed down last year, and is now being used by one of the protest groups! <slightly aside>

Double post.

I really think it will all end up being pretty uneventful. The police presence is going to be so high and all the companies have so many precautions in place that it will probably pass by without much incident. The difference between this and the May Day riots a few years back is that the level of violence was quite unexpected.

CD I hope you are right, I don't think it will be bad as the May Day riots either.

I don't think it helped that a solicitor was on the news yesterday saying that if a lawyer died, they could be sued for corporate manslaughter!!

One of the protest groups are supposed to be meeting at the pub at the corner of our office ... will be interesting to see what happens

Just hope it doesn't get out of hand and people who have to come into work and who aren't in any way associated with the issues don't get targeted by idiots grandstanding about hanging bankers from the lampposts

Thanks, I had no idea either. Fingers crossed it will be a non-event.

Littlebubs I could probably stand at my office window and wave at you - I'm in Exchange House and have watched 201 go up over the last few years!

Not looking forward to Wednesday - I commute into Cannon Street, walk up past Liverpool St, work just across from Bishopsgate. The firm has suggested 'dress down' but immediately clarified that with 'business casual'. I suspect everyone will ignore than and rock up in jeans and trainers; that's what I'm planning to do. Looking at the timings, if we go into work early and stay there all day then we should be ok - the masses aren't massing (officially) until 11 at the 'four horsemen' stations (Liv St, cannon St, Moorgate and somewhere else) so 8am should be just about ok. Then we'll hide in the building until hometime and hope its all dispersed by then.

I do find it quite scary though. Cleo and I were caught in a demo in NY once and it was utterly terrifying.