Eric Richardson [Flickr]

Counsel-General Bob Peirce addresses those in attendance at the City Hall reception.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — It was all about the U.K. this evening at City Hall, as a crowd gathered to attend a reception celebrating the economic and cultural ties between Britain and Los Angeles. The British Consul-General at Los Angeles, Bob Peirce, welcomed those on-hand and spoke of the love that his country has always had for Los Angeles.

Listing prominent Angelenos of British descent, Peirce noted that John Parkinson, architect of City Hall and most of the Historic Core, was a Brit. Parkinson was born in Lancashire, England in 1861.

Councilman Tom LaBonge, never short of applicable anecdotes, challenged the crowd to best his record for having seen chart-topping British bands perform live. He told of having seen the Beatles at their next-to-last show, a performance at Dodger Stadium in 1966.

Situated around the City Hall rotunda were a set of visual exhibits highlighting connections between L.A. and the U.K. over the centuries. The boards were created by Los Angeles-based couple Arnold and Isolde Schwartzman, and will be on display outside the City Hall Council Chambers until November 14th.