College News

London Calling

Students from QE have recently enjoyed a two-day visit to London organised by the College’s Business and Economics Department. During the trip, students toured the Fullers Griffin Brewery, (home of the popular London Pride Ale) learning about their production facilities, looking at the brewing process, quality control and marketing. This was a great learning experience for as student Richard Walton commented, “I didn’t realise manufacturing could be so clean and environmentally friendly.  I have seen corporate social responsibility in action”.

At the end of the first day, the students enjoyed the West End Show ‘Kinky Boots’, a musical based on the true story of a firm facing closure and job losses.  The story shows how a business changed its product and marketing strategy to capture a new niche market segment. The show, Olivier Award winner for best new musical 2016, was highly entertaining and educational covering both business topics and the wider curriculum.

On day two students visited the Bank of England museum where they were able to research the historical development of the Bank and its role in developing commerce in the UK and learn about notes, coins and the money supply through the Bank’s interactive displays.  Students completed various tasks with Luke Bailey –Withers commenting, “I’ve managed to control inflation by altering interest rates and I only needed to use QE (quantitative easing) once”

This was followed by a highly informative guided tour of London’s Financial District where students learned about the role of the ‘Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London’ in the development of commerce and trade. They also saw the Shard, the Walkie Talkie, Cheese grater and the Lloyds Building and visited the Guild Hall Museum and various business landmarks in the Square Mile.  The visit was enjoyed by everyone and raised aspirations, as several students said how they want to come and work in Finance in the city.