Where successful London bankers go for the Bank Holiday weekend

If you're a banker in London, this weekend marks the first May Bank holiday. Sandwiched between Easter and Whitsun and falling before the summer season, it's an opportunity to catch your breath, recharge, relax, and spend time with like-minded people who might even be good for your career.

Where will the bankers be? That depends upon their genre. Sporty, and they’ll be out golfing or watching the boxing match. Socialites? Throwing parties. Here’s my list of places you can go to find bankers de-stressing. Go along too if you want to network, or simply mention that you were in attendance too back in the office on Tuesday.

• Watching the Mayweather v Pacquiao match: All bankers tend to be competitive, and this weekend, all of them will be glued to their TVs for the Mayweather v. Pacquiao fight. It’s ‘the’ boxing match of the century and promises to be one of the most profitable fights of all time. Bets will be made and there will be winners and (sore) losers. Bankers will let their adrenaline loose, which will be one way of relaxing. There will definitely be post-match chatter next Tuesday, so make sure you know the match details inside and out.

• Throwing a Barbecue or Party: The socialite banker will be throwing a casual yet upscale BBQ with Wagyu beef burgers, Lobster skewers and Aperol spritz. They will invite a few select work colleagues just so whispers can be made round the floor and those that didn’t get the invite will be working all year round to make the cut. The really successful bankers will be throwing a birthday party at their Ibiza home and flying all of their friends there, following in the footsteps of David Beckham’s 40^th in Marrakech and George Clooney’s party in his Lake Como pad, which are also happening this weekend.

• Golfing at Wentworth Golf Club: Golfing is still high on the list of ‘relaxing’ activities for top bankers. Of course, the best way to impress your golf-loving boss is to casually mention that your handicap has dropped to 8-9 while 5 years ago it was a 6-7. Also mention that you caught a glimpse of Rory McIlroy playing at Wentworth in practice for the upcoming BMW PGA Championship May 21^st. Better still, get him tickets.

• Renovating a Cotswolds house: For the homebodies, renovating a house is a great source of pleasure and where else to renovate than an old Farmhouse in the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds has become a London outpost where you have Russian and Chinese neighbours seeking the peace of the English countryside. And house renovations are always something to chat about; one banker I know once proudly and gleefully told another banker that his house renovation cost the same as the house itself.

• At his/her second home in the South of France/Ibiza/Tuscany: It’s almost the start of the summer season, but the high hitters will love to mention that ‘low season is so much better,’ when the beaches are crowd-free and the restaurants are so much nicer without all the tourist riff raff. ‘It’s so easy,’ they will say, ‘4 hours door to door is my best time, and I get to soak up the Mediterranean sun and sea for the weekend.’ How can you beat that?

• Trying out the Lookout Lodge at Whipsnade Zoo: The family banker will have organised an overnight trip to Whipsnade Zoo, staying in their Lookout Lodges to experience the Zoo overnight. Otherwise, there’s always LegoLand or Alton Towers. Spending time with his family will win him points for his family, but will also build his reputation as a reliable, honest and trustworthy individual. And who can compete with that?

Serena Andrews is a bankers’ spouse and blogger. She blogs at NottingHillYummyMummy.com