What do you do when you are in London?

by Diana Studer

 - gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

The Ungardener is hyperactive, can't sit still or he falls asleep. I like to learn something. See something I would miss if it wasn't pointed out to me. Understand something I can only know if it is explained to me. My roots are in London. My mother was born there. I read, talk, write and think in English. To me, that means London. 

What we always do - is go on as many London Walks as possible. He checked the web and printed out all the possible interesting walks for when we would be there. This was one of the two we walked in July 2009. 

First we had lunch, in a church, as one does in London. St. Mary le Bow. The Cafe BeLow, beneath Bow Bells. And a very quick look in the church, before the walk started. The crucifix at the main altar epitomises the folded grave cloths at Easter. Showing the crown of thorns.

PS Thanks to Matthew Power, Parish Secretary, for information. 'The figure (or Corpus) of the crucified Christ on the east wall is a work from the 1980s by Simon Robinson at Forge Robinson in Caligny France  and made of stainless steel' 

Crucifix at St Mary le Bow
Work of Simon Robinson

'The bells were destroyed by a German air raid on the night of 11 and 12 May 1941. In 1956 Bow bells were recast. Each bell has an inscription from the Psalms on it and the first letter of each Psalm spells D WHITTINGTON' from Waymarking. 

From London Walks Timetable - 'LONDON'S SECRET VILLAGE - Meet Jean at St Paul's Tube - The ancient, hidden village of Clerkenwell clings to a hillside barely a stone's throw away from St. Paul's Cathedral. It's very name - the clerks, or students, spring - is redolent of antiquity; and indeed this tiny hamlet serves up brimming draughts from the deep well of its history. Monks, murder, and medicine. Tracing its narrow alleyways and ancient squares, we take in here a Norman church; there a magnificent Tudor gateway; round that corner venerable Charterhouse, London's only surviving mediaeval monastic complex' 

Our first stop was at Postman's Park, where tired feet rested after a day of delivering letters. Just another of London's green squares, that you might rush thru on your way somewhere. Or pause to rest if you had time? But against the far wall, under a wooden overhang. Lots of glazed ceramic tiles, each set with a story to tell. About people who lost their lives, saving the life of another. (One day we'll have time to go back and read them, all?!) Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice thanks to ELJAYGEE for (Park not Hill and) the link. 

My life for yours at Postman's Park in London

Even London's old hospitals have names redolent of history. A statue of St Bartholomew. Bart's hospital? The half-timbered entrance to St Bartholomew the Great survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson met at this hospital. 

St Bartholomew

A gloriously ornate building, garnished with technicoloured dragons. Smithfield meat market. Once WAS a field.

Smithfield meat market

Art Nouveau detail on Fox and Anchor pub across the square from Hercule Poirot's Art Deco flat.

Stone detailing at the Fox and Anchor

Then we headed off to Nicola Jane. Only in London (or Swiss cities) do I find a shop with mastectomy bras. Instead of the usual rude, unspoken - None of OUR Customers have Breast Cancer.
  

Elephant on weathervane in London!

On the way we saw your average, typical London animal on a weather vane. 

Pictures by Diana and Jurg Studer  

of  Elephant's Eye on False Bay

(If you mouse over teal blue text, it turns seaweed red. 
Those are my links.
To read or leave comments,
either click the word Comments below,
or click this post's title)