In this opening episode of a series about the financial institutions of the City, Lord Cromer, Governor of the Bank of England, gives his first ever television interview.
A glimpse into the world of clearing banks from an era when even transactions involving millions of pounds were carried out using cheques.
Top hats, bowler hats and furled umbrellas abound in this portrait of the pre-Big Bang world of the stockbroker and the (now extinct) stockjobber.
This programme aims to meet the people who claim to understand the world of high finance, including economists, financial journalists and investment managers.
The tricky world of insurance is explored in this edition of the series where, as one expert puts it, 'the many pay for the few'.
A look at the the commodities market, which sees trading in any number of esoteric goods, from bleached Japanese seaweed to dried beaver testicles.