Posted on Lord Mayor Of London #695 2023-2024, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

182 Days – Counting Forwards & Backwards – Halfway Checkpoint

Well, today is the one day this year when the staff at Mansion House and I are using the same number of days to mark the Lord Mayor’s term, 182. 26 weeks, with a leap day therein. I’ve been counting up to the mark of 365 days while the joke runs that “the team at Mansion House count in the opposite direction”. In truth, it’s been a great run so far, with fantastic support here at the Mansion House. Do feel free to evaluate the programme yourself – Connect To Prosper, and our May report card.

Posted on Lord Mayor Of London #695 2023-2024, Life As We Live It, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Cycling – Less Manic, Less Panic

Sadly, as a cyclist myself, the anti-social behaviour of many London cyclists is becoming socialised. Thus we had an enforcement morning today from 08:00 to 10:00 at Bank with the following resources:

  • City of London Police Cycle Team (1 sergeant & 7 constables)
  • Neighbourhood Policing officers (NHP) and crime prevention stand
  • Road Policing officers (with vehicle and solo motorcycle)
  • Lorry/HGV for an Exchanging Places experience (sitting in a real state-of-the-art lorry cab to see what can’t be seen of the cyclists when driving)
  • Cycle mechanic to carry out basic bicycle maintenance for commuters for free. 
  • London Fire Brigade – to explain dangers around e-bike battery storage.
  • Corporation Road Safety Team
  • Bike-register – security cycle marking for free (usually £20)
  • Student officers positioned at junctions to pass on safety message to cyclists and explain why the roadshow is here and the benefits of attending

It was impressive to see squads of police trying to stop errant cyclists. My personal estimate is that far more than half ‘got away’, sometimes nonchalantly cycling round 50 or so cyclists and hi-vis officers at the King William Street lights, running those red lights, going up on pavements, cycling the wrong way down the street, and then evading waving police officers. There really is a problem.

Results? 129 cyclists were stopped and offered a ticket or attending a ‘road show’.

  • 120 sent over and attended the road show – this was the main aim, so they were given option of ticket or attend road show
  • 8 tickets (not bad considering all the police there and they had option of going to road show)
  • 1 arrest (s24 PACE 19834 – as they refused to give details after contravening a red light)
  • 7 e-bikes/e-scooters seized for destruction
  • 44 bicycles security marked
  • 200 plus key messages around cycle safety and crime prevention

Sadly, during the morning, just outside Bank, a woman was run over by an unregulated scooter and put into intensive care.

All partners that attended were pleased with the event, getting their own key messages out and thanked us for arranging the event. My sincere thanks to Deputy James Thomson (Chairman of the Police Committee), Commander Khan, and the entire Corporation and Police teams.

Media coverage:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclists-fined-city-police-london-bank-junction-b1152140.html

Nearly one thousand cyclists given fixed penalty notices in crackdown by City of London Police

https://road.cc/content/news/almost-1000-cyclists-fined-jumping-red-lights-307887

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/are-cyclists-who-jump-red-lights-really-the-problem

Posted on Lord Mayor Of London #695 2023-2024, Life As We Live It

Amariconi Shuttlecoqs Are The Solution

Chemists claim that alcohol really isn’t a problem, it’s a solution. Here are two to try that the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress composed for the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch. And try out the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Masala too …

LORD MAYOR’S COCKTAIL

THE
AMARICONI

A subtle re-styling of the infamous Negroni.
The Amariconi draws on the Lord Mayor’s
multinational heritage and his love of
inventing Italian bitters cocktails.

Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey, Campari,
Cranberry Juice

Stirred through ice, garnished with dry
orange & a cinnamon stick and served
in an Old-Fashioned glass.

THE LADY MAYORESS’S
COCKTAIL

THE
SHUTTLECOQ

With the famous digestif from the Lady
Mayoress’s country of birth as its base,
the Shuttlecoq is a reference to one of
her favourite cocktails and her love of
badminton.

Jägermeister, Kahlua, Double Cream

Shaken & double strained, garnished with
fresh mint & coffee beans and served in a
Martini glass.

Posted on Lord Mayor Of London #695 2023-2024, The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Plaque On Track

I was delighted with my first sign of plaque – no, not even dental is spelt “placque”! It was a delight to open a newly refurbished track in Parliament Hill. Great coverage too – “Parliament Hill athletics track on Hampstead Heath gets £2m revamp“.

Just before kicking off a race amongst some enthusiastic junior Harriers, my remarks went:

Parliament Hill Athletics Track official opening, Parliament Hill Athletics Track, Hampstead Heath, Wednesday, 17 April 2024, by The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli

Chair, Councillors, ladies and gentlemen…

I am delighted to be here to officially open the Parliament Hill athletics track after this renovation. Huge thanks to the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee, the staff of the Environment Department and all those involved in the works.

I was going to start with a joke, but I didn’t want to do a running gag.

The City of London Corporation has managed Hampstead Heath since 1989. This is part of the more than 11,000 acres of open space in London and southeast England – which also include Burnham Beeches, Epping Forest and many more – in which we invest over £38million a year.

These open spaces, most of which are charitable trusts, are run at little or no cost to the communities that they serve. They include important wildlife habitats, Special Areas of Conservation, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and National Nature Reserves – and they are protected by legislation. They are also part of the lungs of London, removing around 16,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year. Hampstead Heath is one of our most iconic.

Parliament Hill = After a £2million investment in this site, these improvements to one of the country’s top athletics venues are now complete – ensuring this remains a key venue for national and international athletics events, and retains the prestigious UK Athletics Trackmark accreditation.

As well as being open to the public, this track is used throughout the year by several running clubs and schools from across north and central London, and is open to the public. In fact, 50 local schools use it for PE and sports days. And the running clubs here also have strong youth sections and encourage participation from local young people.

One such club is the Highgate Harriers, who hold their annual Night of the 10,000m PBs (Personal Bests) here. This popular sporting event – which has been running for more than a decade now – is free to attend and brings together elite runners from across the world to compete alongside some of Britain’s best athletes.

As well as the Olympic 10,000m trials, this year’s event in May will also host the British Championships and will be a designated World Athletics Silver Label event, attracting some of the best International elite athletes. Alongside all those PBs, this site is home to a record, when Mizan Adane of Ethiopia ran 10,000m in 29 minutes 59 seconds last year, the fastest time by any woman on a UK track.

I am delighted that we are joined today by a London Marathon winner and a 10,000m world record holder. I recently had the pleasure of meeting the City of London Corporation’s own ‘Mile 23’ Club who will be running the London Marathon this weekend – hopefully they will be among the people enjoying this renovated track in future.

I ran the London Marathon 21 years ago – but once was enough for me. You won’t see my running the course in my mayoral regalia – although I may suggest this for one of my successors. But everyone who does run it has my respect, and I wish them all the best of luck.

After the City worked so closely with the clubs who use this facility throughout the improvement works, we can be confident that the improved track will meet and exceed the needs of users for many years to come. In fact, I can say with certainty, it will be a runaway success.

My thanks and congratulations again to all those involved in the renovation and improvement of this great facility,
I look forward to unveiling the official plaque. Thank you.

‘Warm up’ chat with William Upton KC CC, Chair, Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood, and Queen’s Park Committee