Page 8 - July 2017

THE SALAMANDER | JULY 2017
outside. This design allows for a large, flexible, light- filled atrium to be used as the working space. Completed in 1986, after only 25 years, the building received Grade 1 listed status.
Mr Fletcher outlined the history of the various London sites that Lloyd’s had occupied, starting with Edward Lloyd’s Coffee House in Tower Street around 1688, but the focus of his talk was, of course, the current Lloyd’s building. We saw the famous Underwriters’ trading floor, which also displays an emblem of Lloyd’s marine insurance history, the Lutine Bell. The bell came from HMS Lutine, formerly a captured French frigate, after it sank off the Dutch coast in 1796, killing almost the entire crew and passengers, and with the loss of a cargo of gold and silver bullion valued, then, at one million pounds. The cargo had been insured by Lloyd’s underwriters, who paid in full. Traditionally, the bell was struck to signify the loss of a ship or the return of an overdue ship.
We then moved to the Council Room on the 11th floor to view the famous Adam Room. Designed by Robert Adam in 1763 for Bowood House in Wiltshire, this former dining room was purchased by Lloyd’s and installed in their earlier Lime Street headquarters in 1958, later being moved to the current building. Furnished in a style fitting to its origins, the room is in stark contrast to the modern design of the building in which it is housed.
A high-point of the tour was a talk by Trevor Jennings, Risk Manager, Lloyd’s Property Services. We were treated to a view of the control centre and back-up systems for the building and a talk on fire precautions within the complex environment such a high-risk city centre building poses.
After which, we all wended our way back to Insurance Hall for the Fire Lecture, including a drama based on the Great Fire of London.
David Holt
PR & Marketing Committee. Worshipful Company of Firefighters
Visit to the Lloyd’s
Building
A visit to one of the City’s most iconic buildings.
The Lutine bell (seen in the background) came from HMS Lutine, formerly a captured French frigate
For those who booked to attend the Fire Lecture in July 2016 there was an added bonus. Past Master Alan Wells arranged for 10 lucky participants, drawn at random, to visit the Lloyd’s building at One Lime Street.
This was a visit that went well beyond the scenes that members of the public have access to. Our official Lloyd’s tour guide was Peter Fletcher, who described the history of the building and showed some of its famous features. The building was designed by Richard Rogers and Partners and is famous for housing the services, such as the lifts and ducting, on the
Page 8