Yesterday I had to go to one of our banking clients’ St James’ headquarters for a meeting. Slap bang opposite the Palace sits the [censored] Banking Corporation’s majestic Private Clients Bank. Apparently you need a cool £5,000,000 to even get an invite there, but I was there for a work meeting, so was even allowed to use the lavatory!
Obviously built to impress and show wealth, the rather gaudy old central lobby is well offset against the modern new wing behind where I took the photograph from… the Bank seem to have a fascination with grandfather clocks that are in abundance, and overly zen looking orchids, while the carpets were so deep you were given wellies to plough your way to the offices…
If only Barclays on Cornmarket Street was like this…
Tim Myatt 
Thank you for a great post.
Now that is some magnificent literature.