We had a meeting this morning with the Luxury Club of the French Chamber of Commerce – representatives of the ways in which Mayfair, and Bond Street in particular, represent so many of the world’s leading luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Hermes, who dominate the local economy. Ever since we started developing Burlington Gardens a key question has been how far we connect with, or distance ourselves from, the local retail community. I’ve always been in favour of establishing close connections, partly because so many fine art and contemporary dealers are local and partly because I think it is in the Royal Academy’s interest to be able to attract cultural tourists (not to mention High Net Worth Individuals) in a way that in the past it may not have done. Some time ago, we commissioned a report on Culture and Commerce: the Royal Academy and Mayfair from Charles Landry, the writer and urban theorist; and I am looking forward to reading Please Do Not Touch And Other Things You Couldn’t Do at Moss, the Design Store That Changed Design, the recent book by Murray Moss, who gave advice to us on our shops.