From its modern facade and enviable views across the City, it is hard to believe that the London Stock Exchange (LSE) began its life in a coffee shop. Yet the institution, which has weathered fires, two years of takeover speculation and a technological revolution during the course of its 300-year history, was formed after a gaggle of rowdy stock dealers sought refuge in a coffee house after being thrown out of the Royal Exchange.
Little of this rowdiness is evident today. The modern LSE is a muted hub of electronic activity where the action happens onscreen rather than on the trading floor.
