Londres : THE BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM

Le 2 mars 2016, troisième jour du voyage en Grande-Bretagne, était consacré à la découverte de quelques lieux emblématiques de Londres. Après les contrôles de sécurité de rigueur, visite instructive d’un petit musée situé dans la Cité dont le parcours ludique et interactif retrace l’histoire et éclaire le rôle d’une grande institution britannique. Après s’être essayées à prendre la barre du navire de l’inflation, à naviguer dans les tempêtes financières et à maintenir à flot le système monétaire, nos troupes se sont rassemblées dans l’antre de la « Vielle Dame de Threadneedle Street » afin d’écouter la présentation préparée par les quatre élèves de terminale STMG : Nouria A., Julia C., Anna D. et Ambre M.

En voici la substance :

The Bank of England is located in Threadneedle Street, London. It was founded in 1694 and was privately owned by stockholders until it was nationalised in 1946. In the past, the mission of the bank was to promote the good of the people, and to raise money during a time of war against France. Nowadays, as the central bank of the United-Kingdom, its mission is to maintain monetary and financial stability.The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee is responsible for spotting and fixing threats to the stability of the financial system as a whole. The Prudential Regulation Authority is responsible for the safety and soundness of banks, building societies, credit unions, insurers and major investment firms. Today’s banknotes are not just slips of paper : they contain advanced security features which make them extremely hard for counterfeiters to copy.

In the Bank’s Museum, firstly, we can see historic statues of different men like William Patterson (one of the founders of the bank) which are mostly made by Charles Wheeler.In the building, there are also mosaics with lions, cantilevers, staircases and many different rooms (committee-room, ante-room, court-room.)

During the visit, we could admire a genuine bar of gold and it was even possible to hold it. Madame Ferragu lifted it. This gold bar weighs 13 kg !