This year’s Autumn Dinner event started with a talk and tour of the Bank of England Museum. Members of AMD London and their family and friends were treated to an informative and interesting talk by a very engaging Bank of England staff member. The talk covered the foundation of the Bank in 1694, some of the architectural features of the Bank’s building, and the role of the Bank of England today. Along the way, we learnt some interesting facts: that there are 400,000 bars of gold stored in the underground vaults below the Bank; the £20 note is the most popular; and that the forerunners of banknotes were the handwritten receipts given by goldsmiths in exchange for deposits of coin.

After the talk everyone had time to wander around the Museum and even try their hand at lifting a real bar of gold (weight 12.5kg)!
Then it was off to the City University Club for pre-dinner drinks and followed by an excellent meal.

Both in the bar beforehand and in the dining room, there was a constant buzz of conversation and laughter as everyone enjoyed each other’s company. At the end of dinner, the District Grand Prefect gave us a sneak preview of a major charity initiative the District will launch at the Annual Meeting on 18 November. He then proceeded to auction a set of BoE-monogrammed cuff buttons, which he had been given by a member of the Bank’s staff that evening, and which raised a whopping £105 for the District’s chosen charity - Shelter.

The District Grand Prefect then concluded the evening by thanking the organising team, and the CUC staff for their hospitality, and wished everyone a safe journey home.