Economics trip to the City of London Feb. 4, 2010, 8 a.m. - Feb. 4, 2010, 6 p.m.

Please note that this trip has been postponed until further notice.

The visit itself presents a unique opportunity to visit some key participants in the worlds of finance and business, and will give sixth-form students an appreciation of how major financial centres operate and how they have grown and developed. It may also give some ideas about future career paths.

While we are in London we will visit the following:

• Lloyd's of London, is the global insurance market. It serves as a meeting place where multiple financial backers or “members”, whether individuals (traditionally known as “Names”) or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk. Lloyd's is not an insurance company. It is an insurance market of members. As the oldest continuously active insurance marketplace in the world, Lloyd's has retained some unusual structures and practices that differ from all other insurance providers today.

• The London Metal Exchange is the world’s premier non-ferrous metals market. It offers futures and options contracts for aluminium, copper, nickel, tin, zinc and lead plus two regional aluminium alloy contracts. It is one of the few remaining open outcry markets.

• The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Sometimes known as the 'Old Lady' of Threadneedle Street, the Bank was founded in 1694, nationalised on 1 March 1946, and gained independence in 1997. Standing at the centre of the UK's financial system, the Bank is committed to promoting and maintaining monetary and financial stability as its contribution to a healthy economy.