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When I read the proposed route for Margaret Thatcher's funeral procession the other week, I wasn't sure whether I should feel honoured or slightly miffed, that they'd blatantly used my Saturday morning walk as its basis, heading from Westminster, down the Strand and along Fleet Street to St Paul's. We pass by the church of St Clement Danes along the way, as did Maggie, who was transferred there from the hearse on to the gun carriage before continuing the journey. Here are Saturday mornings group standing on the Strand, just outside Twinings Tea shop, with the church behind them and the Royal Courts of Justice to the right.  The Church of St Clement Danes St Clement Danes was very badly damaged during the Blitz in WWII and rebuilt courtesy of the Royal Air Force, who made the church their spiritual home. Members of the RAF still have funeral services and memorials there to this day, and is why it's sometimes referred to as the RAF church. Incidentally, it was a truly international group on Saturday morning, hailing from Finland, India, Portugal, Russia, Holland, I think Kuwait too and a solitary English person just for good measure. For the afternoon walk beginning at St Paul's, I was joined by the Harris family. Aside from an interest in photographing helicopters, Russell (the dad) was keen to see the replica of Francis Drake's Tudor ship, the Golden Hinde which you'll find down in Borough in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral.  The Golden Hinde Incidentally, Ant (second from the left) has recently helped set up a great social enterprise through the charity Depaul UK called the Depaul Box Co. It's a simple, but excellent concept, whereby, if you are moving house and need boxes, which let's face it, you probably will, then you can buy them from the Depaul Box Co and all the profits go towards their homeless charity, helping young people who are homeless, vulnerable and disadvantaged. Sunday saw the arrival of a bumper group (that's what a bit of sun does) mostly all actually living in London, but with a strong Irish contingent and a couple visiting from Australia. I was talking to them about an Italian guy called Vincenzo Lunardi who made the first hydrogen balloon flight in 1784, from the Artillery ground in Old Street and Alison (from Australia) informed me that one of her ancestors, called Robert Cocking and an early developer of the parachute, holds the dubious distinction of being the first ever person to be killed in a parachuting accident, which happened in 1837.  That's them just before descending on an already busy Columbia Road flower market. Anyway ... thanks very much to everyone who came on walks this weekend.
Some Awards Most broken toes - Jenny Most smartly dressed - Pedro Least likely to have changed from the night before - Anna Best moustache - No winners Tallest - Marijn & Anna (joint winners) Repeat Bowl Of Chalkers - Jennifer and Ant
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Tomorrow morning, Margaret Thatcher will make her final journey from Westminster, down the Strand and along Fleet Street to St Paul's cathedral, where her funeral service will take place; no doubt amidst much media coverage and discussion, whereby the differing opinions surrounding her life and death which have evidently divided the nation, will be broadcast, repeated and written about in equal measure. I have no interest in adding to this, but thought I'd take the opportunity to mention another building of worship, aside from St Paul's, that played a part in Baroness Thatcher's life, albeit it, in very different circumstances. If you head from St Paul's cathedral, out past Moorgate and up the City Road towards Old Street, you will pass by a Methodist Chapel, called Wesley's Chapel, and it was here, in 1951 that Margaret Thatcher, then aged 26, married the millionaire divorcee, Denis Thatcher. It was also, where her two children, Mark and Carol Thatcher were Christened and the Communion rail that surrounds the altar was given to the chapel by Thatcher herself.  Wesley's Chapel - City Road Perhaps Margaret Thatcher's association with Methodism is unimportant, but what strikes me as being slightly more pertinent is perhaps the effect of watching her father, Alf Roberts, who when Margaret was a young girl, was a famed preacher in the Lincolnshire Methodist circuit. When Margaret went to Oxford University, she joined the Wesley Memorial Chapel there and became a lay preacher, later using her skills for rhetoric and public speaking on a political platform rather than religious. We pass by the building on my Sunday east London walk, and aside from its minor relevance to the events taking place tomorrow, is an interesting building and place to visit in its own right. John Wesley (1703-1791), whose statue stands in the courtyard is considered (along with his brother Charles) as being the founder of Methodism. The first Methodist chapel operated out of an old cannon foundry just behind the present site, and the current building, completed in 1778 by George Dance the Younger under the instructions of Wesley, was what the preacher described as 'perfectly neat, but not fine'. Aside from visiting the chapel itself, which has undergone numerous alterations over the years, there is a museum down in the crypt (currently closed for refurbishment until the end of May) which tells the history of Methodism from Wesley until the present day, and you can also visit John Wesley's house, on the right of the courtyard as you enter, a fine example of a Georgian town house.  John Wesley's House Wesley was what was known as a circuit preacher, so he would spend most of the year riding around the country on horse back, preaching to various different communities dotted around the country. He would only stay here over the winter months, but the house was also occupied by numerous other preachers and servants. If you're interested in London curiosities, then amongst other things, you might like the chair that Wesley had made especially, which replicated the sensation of being on a horse, to ensure the muscles in his legs, important for horse riding, didn't dwindle. If you do visit Wesley's Chapel and even if, whilst you're there, you don't need the toilet, I'd recommend visiting the gentlemen's toilets (even if you're a lady) as they are original Thomas Crapper's, still in perfect working order after being first installed in the late 19th century. Crapper's name might be familiar to you, as he is often attributed with inventing the flushing toilet. In actual fact, he was a plumber, who gained his first Royal Warrant in the 1880's and facilitated the whole process rather than inventing it, as is often said. I particularly like the hand pulls, which come complete with the simple instructions 'pull and let go'.  Wesley's Chapel  Wesley's Chapel - Thomas Crapper Toilets |
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