The Palace of Westminster

The D&O Diary is on assignment in Europe this week, with the first stop over the weekend in London. I happened to arrive in London on the day of the Vernal Equinox, and I was fortunate on at least a few of the days while there to be able to enjoy some spring sunshine — along with a few gloomier days as well.

The primary purpose of my visit to London was to participate as a panelist at the “Evolving Liability Conference 2025” held by of The Geneva Association. The panel was entitled “Cybersecurity Governance — An Increasing Source of Corporate Liability.” Christopher Cates of Intact Financial Services moderated the panel, which also included Samantha Ward of Clifford Chance and Aaron Belair of RSA. It was a honor to be a part of this first-class event and to be able to participate as a speaker on the panel. I would like thank the Geneva Association and in particular Darren Pain for inviting me to be on the panel and Casey Gilchrist for organizing the event. It was a pleasure to meet the many guests and other speakers.

With my distinguished fellow panelists, from left to right, Aaron Belair, Sam Ward, and Christopher Cates.
It was a great panel, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to exchange ideas with the other panelists. I think what is happening in this picture is that I am explaining why my NCAA Men’s bracket is doing so well.

Despite my various commitments in London, I did have a chance to spend a little time enjoying the city. Upon arrival, I allowed myself a jetlag recovery day in Richmond, the riverside suburb southwest of London. The weather was just great the day I arrived, perfect for a long walk. I managed to hike all the way from Richmond Green, through Richmond Park, to Wimbledon Common, and then to Putney Heath — and then back again. The app on my phone informed me that I walked nearly 34,000 steps, roughly 15 miles or so. The weather was spring like, sunny, and warm.

Here’s a view of the Richmond waterfront and the Thames River, taken from Richmond Bridge.
A view of one of the Pen Ponds in Richmond Park.
Wimbledon Common
Putney Heath
Richmond Green
Another view of the Thames riverside in Richmond.
A view of the Thames river valley from Richmond Hill.

There was one particular reason I wanted to be in London over the weekend, and that was to see the special exhibition at the National Gallery entitled “Sienna: The Rise of Painting 1300-1350.” The exhibit gathered paintings from galleries around the world that were created in the Italian City during the 14th century, focusing in particular on the paintings of Duccio, Simone Martini and the brothers Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. The paintings selected were marvelous, particularly when viewed together. The collection underscored that the artists opened up a world of expression in an era before the High Renaissance later in the 15th century.

A sign for the Sienna exhibit at the National Gallery.
A Madonna and Child from Duccio. Though quite small, this painting served as the centerpiece for the exhibit.
A view down Whitehall from Trafalgar Square, just in front of the National Gallery. That’s Nelson’s column in the foreground, and in the background you can just see Big Ben.
On Saturday evening, I attended a choral concert at Cadogan Hall, in Sloan Square.
I attended a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, which is such a great, moving piece of music. It was a particular pleasure to hear it performed at Cadogan Hall, which has such excellent acoustics.
On Sunday morning, I attended a choral worship service at St. Bride’s, the Christopher Wren-designed church just off Fleet Street.
The warm, beautiful interior of St. Bride’s. The congregation was also very friendly and welcoming. I was struck by one of the items offered by the celebrant during the Prayers of the People; the congregation was called upon to pray for “countries whose system of checks and balances are under threat from arrogance, malice, ignorance, or indifference.”

More Pictures of London

I did enjoy the early spring weather while in London. I took this picture in Green Park. That’s Lancaster House in the background.
Flowering trees in St. James’s Park.
A view of Kentish Town from Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath
This sign was posted in the Earl’s Court Tube Station, near my hotel. Fortunately for me, the mess at Heathrow last Friday did not affect my travel. I had safely arrived several hours before the electrical fire that caused the airport closure. The disruptions at Heathrow did make a mess of things but fortunately only for a short time.
I always enjoy a chance to visit London. It a familiar enough place for me by now that I have certain routines, and one of them is that whenever I visit I must make time for a pint at my favorite pub, the Anglesea Arms, which is close to the South Kensington underground station — the pub is my favorite because it is located in a quiet neighborhood and has an outdoor terrace. A great place to stop on a pleasant spring day in London. It is always great just to have a chance to visit London, as well. All too soon though I was off to other destinations.