When I arrived in London it was not a high rise city like New York. That felt rather disappointing.

Centrepoint today being refurbished.

We had Centrepoint, a white elephant of a building, built by Harry Hyams who, rather notoriously used to keep places empty until he achieved the sort of lettings he wanted. It felt like an indulgence that only a rapacious property developer would be allowed to consider.

Former Nat West tower

The Nat West Tower, now Tower 42, which was built in the shape of the Nat West logo and completed in 1980 was the new tallest building the year after I came.