Guildhall

The Guildhall a spectacular medieval building the powerbase of the ruling merchant class since the 12th century that rivalled that of the monarchy. Although the guilds don't weild the same poswer as in previous centuries, it is still a place of pomp and ceremony.
Occasionaly they open their doors and let us ordinary folk take a peek at the grandeur. This room, the old library was a more recent addition, built in 1870 in Victorian gothic style. It had grand oak bookcases lining the walls to house the 40,000 volumes of the guilds collection.

Now days the room is used for official functions.

City Birds

A coal tit singing in the city, with a couple of pigeons and me in the audience. It looks very peaceful and rather charming. You know there is a but coming don't you? Well, it's back to the rain again. There's been so much of it that the rats have come up from their hiding holes. Just below the birds was the biggest rat I've ever seen, sitting out in the open, bold as you please. I wasn't keen on hanging around to take its portrait ... so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Cleary Garden

A haven in the city, not far from Mansion House is the tranquil Cleary Garden. A garden has existed here since the middle ages when the vintners used the site for trading and growing vines. It has undergone a number of remodels since that time with a total recreation after WWII. In 2007 it was redesigned with vines and aromatic plants from the Loire Valley. A little piece of France in the heart of the City of London.

Coffee?

Cup of coffee? It's hard to avoid the chains when you're hanging out for a coffee. Costa is the second biggest chain in the UK. No 1? Starbucks.

Direct Line

The Victorian "direct-line" to the Police scattered around London mostly out of use now were painted dark blue in London but this lighter blue in the city.  Eleven emergency alarms could be triggered including, thieves, forgers, murder, accident, fire.  No wonder the city home to bankers instructs you "this phone no longer in use please go to the nearest pay phone."

Station in the Crypt

The City has so many fascinating stories. This entrance (the right arched door) to Bank Tube Station leads you into what was once the crypt of St Mary Woolnoth crypt.
This spot has always been used for religious purposes. Bronze age man worshipped next to the holy spring that existed back then. The Romans built a temple here. In 1211 a Norman Church was built on the site. In 1711 coal taxes were used to build yet another church.
However in 1900 the church had to sell the crypt to the railways for the underground railways. The sum paid of £340,000 was a fortune back then. The railways built the fancy facade with the two reclining women figures. The woman on the left represents Electricity, surrounded by billowing thunder-clouds and shooting lightning bolts from her extended finger. Mercury reclines on the right, representing Speed. Scrolls above the figures where originally intended to bear the name of the company.
In the 21st century a Starbucks arrives alongside the entrance. What new religious purpose will appear in another 100 years do you suppose?

Behind the Scenes

The annual Lord Mayor's show was held last Saturday. There has been a Mayor of the City of London since 1185 in times when the King had to be wary of his Earls and Barons and probably anyone else in a position of power, including the church, King John granted a charter in 1215 to the people of London allowing them to elect their own mayor each year. In return the Mayor, who later became known as the Lord Mayor was required to make the journey to the city of Westminster and swear allegiance to the sovereign. This journey continues every November.

It's a very grand occasion and the Lord Mayor travels in a gold carriage to the courts to take his oath. The day before the parade I popped along to see how preparations were progressing. As you can see in the image above the gold carriage was being polished and groomed for the occasion.

Under the Spotlight

City Boys. What does that mean to you? How do they feel? Are they bankers or insurance brokers or restaurateurs, may be something else. What do you think about them or what they may represent?

Economic Protests

Thousands have been protesting around the world against corporate greed. In London the protesters are camped around St Paul's Cathedral. This area borders the offices of the city workers. Paternoster Square is cordoned off and guarded by security personal, effectively locking in the city workers. The protesters are saying they will be there until Christmas. I'll keep you posted.

Let the Games Begin

Fun and frivolity or blood and guts? Just one year until the 2012 Olympic games will be played in London. To mark the occasion the museum of London hosted gladiator games at guildhall, where a real Roman amphitheatre lies beneath the current courtyard.
The gladiators are in two teams, Londinium and Camulodunum – London and Colchester. We have learnt how to shout for mercy or demand death to the losing gladiator. It is rather scary how often we demand death.

Model

Couldn't resist getting in on a bit of modelling outside. She looked frozen, no stockings and sleeveless dress. I had a warm coat on.

Sunday Bridges - The Original London Bridge

The London Bridge before the fire was wooden with lots of shops and houses on it. A retired policeman spent years building this replica. Truly a labour of love.
You'll be wanting to know where to find wont you?
Inside the church of St Magnus the Martyr at London Bridge. It will move at some point to London Museum. If you go and see it make sure that you look carefully at all the people on the bridge, for amongst the people of the period you will see a 20th century policeman.
None other than the creator of this superb work.

Courtesy of host Louis La Vache visit other Sunday Bridges

Shakespeare for Jo

This bust of Shakespeare, is in the very pretty garden of St Mary Aldernabbury Gardens, behind Guildhall. A request from Jo.
Enjoy.

The View is Great

A glass and steel shopping centre with all the same high st chain stores has opened next to St Paul's.

Why? One may ask. Gordon Ramsey is scheduled to open a restaurant on the top floor early next year. I took the lift up to check out progress.

Well I might not like anything else about the place, but the view, well it is simply spectacular.

This will become the new iconic view of London I suspect.

City Girl

This sculpture has popped up recently n the city. No details of the artist. Any locals know about it?

Time

What a week for time.
Last night daylight saving ended and the clocks went back to GMT. The usual round of debates about whether or not we should stay on daylight saving permanently. "No, it costs too much" says one politician, "it is better for the economy to stay in bed". The sheep in Scotland don't like it. Who polled them I want to know. Boris (our current mayor) argues in favour of retaining daylight saving, to give Londoners a better quality of life.

Cherie Blair got in on the time piece as well this week. She sold the watch that Silvio Berlusconi gave Tony on e-bay for £98.

The Mapplin and Webb clock above once graced the front of the Victorian building at 1 Poultry. It now graces the lift lobby of the glass and steel building built in its place.

Another view of time:



The fundamental problem with time is that it produces a lot of crap. We're not just another group of activists out there bulldozing our way through everything to get what we want. No. We are true believers in our cause. And we believe in everything that is durable.

The Time proof Association believes in beauty and the sense behind all things that stand the test of time. We are against fads and "here today gone tomorrow", banal, superficial fashions that take away our most precious possession; time.

1. We fight against time because Time destroys everything.

2. We refuse to be slaves to the monotonous tick-tock of time.

3. We will not use ephemeral elements whilst time continues to inexorably bring all things to an end.

4. We were not born to resist the passage of time; we were born to overcome it.

Therefore we invite you to join us and unite our forces together to combat this scourge called time.

Time proof yourself!

Men at Work # 28

Possibly the oldest meat market in the world. For nearly a thousand years this was London's livestock market. Now Smithfiled's still processes meat but it arrives as carcasses rather than a live animal.

Sunday Bridges - A tropical garden

London has so many wonderful treasures tucked away and not widely known. Yesterday I discovered this fabulous tropical garden, with more then 2,000 species of plants, exotic fish, turtles and birds right in the middle of the city.
Where? The Barbican.
The Barbican is the largest performing arts centre in Europe, slap bang in the middle of an estate. Music, theatre, art galleries, movie theatres, restaurants and this conservatory.
Also home to the London symphony orchestra and the BBC symphony orchestra.

Courtesy of host Louis La Vache visit other Sunday Bridges

Fish Harvest Festival

It's harvest festival time cross the country and today one of them was the annual festival of the fish harvest, celebrated at St-Mary-at-Hill church in the city.

The porters are wearing heavy metal hats. They are are flat on top and have a large rim to catch water. Why?? Well ... in days gone by when Billingsgate market was in the city the porters wearing these metal hats would place enormous baskets of fish in ice on their heads and race them up the hill to Leadenhall market. They had absolute right of way up the cobblestone path between the markets.

So heavy was the load that this 5ft 6in chap at the top was once 6ft 3in. He told me so himself.

Sanctuary

A memorial gate to William Avenon a goldsmith who died in 1631 now sits in the little known churchyard garden of St Katherine Cree church.