Page 16 - James Caan - The Real Deal

The Real Deal

I was always really interested in how a trader pitched his
product, how he would interact with his customers, and when he
had a crowd round his stall I was always in that crowd. They were
often very funny, making sales by making people laugh. ‘It’s not
£10, it’s not even £9 or £8. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I’m going
to make it £5 because you’re such a good-looking crowd!’ There
was usually a price at which people would start getting their
wallets out. I don’t think there’s any doubt that the spirit of
Petticoat Lane has stayed with me.
Just as influential to me were the headquarters of the banks and
brokerages that stood just the other side of Bishopsgate, about half a
mile away. In those days you could buy a ticket – it was called a Red
Rover, I think – that meant you could ride the buses all day, and I
would often board a bus just to go and look at the sleek, new offices
and the Bank of England. Back then, the NatWest Tower was brand
new, and it seemed like something from the future. And whether I
was looking at skyscrapers or the old private banks with liveried
doormen outside, I thought it was all equally impressive. From the
top deck I would try and peer through the windows, trying to get
glimpses of the dealing-room atmosphere that I found so appealing.
I was just as impressed by the guys in their pinstripe suits and
braces. They made a real impression on me because they looked
like people who were making things happen, and I looked up to
them in the way other people viewed pop stars and movie stars.
There was no doubt that these were the people I aspired to be like.
There was never really any chance that I wouldn’t go into
business when I was older, and in my father’s mind that always
meant his business. As a kid I didn’t give it a second thought
because it seemed so natural to follow in his footsteps. The
problem with that was that school didn’t seem as exciting, and so
I never really bothered in lessons. I was bright, and if I applied
myself I got good marks, but because I knew what I would do
when I left school I never had the motivation to work all that hard.

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